Een nieuw hoofstuk in de geprezen Bootleg Series onthult 47 nog niet eerder uitgebrachte opnames, inclusief outtakes van John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline en Self Portrait plus de eerste release van de Bob Dylan-Johnny Cash 1969 Nashville studio sessies

Bob Dylan Johnny Cash Travelin Thru 1967-69 Bootleg Series 15

Bob Dylan (featuring Johnny Cash) – Travelin’ Thru, 1967-1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15

Columbia Records en Legacy Recordings, de catalogue divisie van Sony Music Entertaiment, brengt Bob Dylan (featuring Johnny Cash) – Travelin’ Thru, 1967 – 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15, uit op vrijdag 1 november op 3CD, 3LP en in digitale versies.

Dit nieuwe deel van de Columbia/Legacy’s Bootleg Series kijkt terug op de muzikale reis van Dylan naar Nashville van 1967 tot 1969, met de focus op nog niet eerder beschikbaar materiaal opgenomen met Johnny Cash en nog niet eerder uitgebrachte opnames van de John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline en Self Portrait sessies

Op disc 1 van Travelin’ Thru, 1967 – 1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15, vinden we Dylan in Columbia’s Studio A in Nashville, waar hij alternatieve versies opnam van composities geschreven voor John Wesley Harding (17 oktober en 6 november 1967) en Nashville Skyline (13-14 februari 1969), plus een nieuwe song, ‘Western Road’ (een Nashville Skyline outtake).

Disc 2 en 3 concentreren zich op Dylan’s samenwerking met Johnny Cash, inclusief de zeer gewilde Columbia Studio A sessies en podiumoptredens in Ryman Auditorium (1 mei,1969) voor de opname van de eerste aflevering van The Johnny Cash Show (uitgezonden op ABC-TV op 7 juni, 1969).

Disc 3 sluit af met tracks opgenomen op 17 mei, 1970 met Grammy-award winning bluegrass banjo legende Earl Scruggs voor de PBS televisie special, ‘Earl Scruggs: His Family and Friends’ (uitgezonden in januari 1971).

1967 bracht een diepgaande en verrassende transformatie in Bob Dylan’s muzikale ontwikkeling. Na de release van Dylan’s 1965-66 trilogie, Bringing It All Back Home/Highway 61 Revisited/Blonde on Blonde, trok hij zich terug van het publieke toneel na een motorongeluk in juli 1966. Dylan nam Blonde On Blonde op met een volledige band in februari 1966 in Nashville, maar toen het moment kwam om de opvolger op te nemen in de herfst van 1967, koos hij voor een simpel trio, Dylan (gitaar, zang, harmonica), Charlie McCoy (bas) en Kenneth Buttrey (drums) en creëerde daarmee een sublieme, minimale sound.

In de liner notes van Travelin’ Thru, Colin Escott schrijft: “Talking to journalist Matt Damsker about the sound of John Wesley Harding, Dylan said, ‘I didn’t know how to record the way other people were recording, and I didn’t want to… I just didn’t think all that production was necessary.’He also went for lyrical economy. ‘What I’m trying to do now is not use too many words,’ he said. ‘There’s no line you can stick your finger through. There’s no blank filler.'”

Dylan keerde terug naar Columbia Studio A in februari 1969 om te werken aan Nashville Skyline.”Bob asked me to be a guest on the album,” zei Johnny Cash later, “and I went to the studio and they just turned on the recorder for about two hours.” Columbia Studio A organiseerde 2 Dylan-Cash sessies: 17 en 18 februari 1969, met een band met rock ‘n’ roll pionier Carl Perkins op gitaar op 6 tracks (inclusief zijn eigen compositie ‘Matchbox’). Een van de interessante ontdekkingen op Travelin’ Thru is ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright/Understand Your Man’ waarbij twee unieke singer/songwriters elkaar vocaal en in compositie eren.

De Dylan-Cash duetsessie bevat de eerst bekende versie van ‘Wanted Man’ en de enige versie van het liedje ooit gezongen door Dylan. Een week later opende Cash zijn San Quentin concert met deze track. De sessie geeft inzicht in de gezamelijke gevoeligheden van Dylan en Cash in een aantal covers waaronder 2 Jimmie Rodgers medleys.

Bij het plannen van de premiere van The Johnny Cash Show in juni 1969, bood Johnny Cash Bob Dylan aan om de eerste aflevering muzikaal af te sluiten. In de dagen voor en na The Johnny Cash Show opname, werkte Dylan aan het album dat meer dan een jaar later uitkwam, Self Portrait. Voor de 3 mei Self Portrait sessie, werd gitarist Fred Carter uitgenodigd om Dylan’s Nashville band te versterken. ‘Folsom Prison Blues’ en ‘Ring Of Fire’ die op die dag werden opgenomen, zijn voor het eerst te horen op Travelin’ Thru.

Hoewel maar een duet met Johnny Cash (‘Girl From The North Country’) verscheen op Dylan’s originele Nashville Skyline album, schreef Cash de linernotes voor dit album. Een maand na de release van Nashville Skyline, was Dylan voor het eerst in 5 jaar live te zien op televisie, in The Johnny Cash Show, dit optreden is ook terug te vinden op Travelin’ Thru.

Bob Dylan (featuring Johnny Cash) – Travelin’ Thru, 1967-1969: The Bootleg Series Vol. 15

Label: Columbia Records / Legacy Recordings
Release datum: 1 November 2019

DISC 1
October 17, 1967
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
John Wesley Hardingsessions

01. Drifter’s Escape – Take 1 (Alternate Version)
02. I Dreamed I Saw St. Augustine – Take 2 (Alternate Version)

November 6, 1967
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
John Wesley Hardingsessions

03. All Along the Watchtower – Take 3 (Alternate Version)
04. John Wesley Harding – Take 1 (Alternate Version)
05. As I Went Out One Morning – Take 1 (Alternate Version)
06. I Pity the Poor Immigrant – Take 4 (Alternate Version)
07. I Am a Lonesome Hobo – Take 4 (Alternate Version)

Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar, harmonica
Charlie McCoy: bass
Kenneth Buttrey: drums

February 13, 1969
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
Nashville Skyline sessions

08. I Threw It All Away – Take 1 (Alternate Version)
Previously released on The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10: Another Self Portrait
09. To Be Alone with You – Take 1 (Alternate Version)
10. Lay Lady Lay – Take 2 (Alternate Version)
Previously released as a digital download with iTunes pre-orders of Together Through Life
11. One More Night – Take 2 (Alternate Version)
12. Western Road – Take 1 (Outtake)

February 14, 1969
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
Nashville Skyline sessions

13. Peggy Day – Take 1 (Alternate Version)
14. Tell Me That It Isn’t True – Take 2 (Alternate Version)
15. Country Pie – Take 2 (Alternate Version)

Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
Kelton D. Herston, Norman Blake, Charlie Daniels, Wayne Moss (10 & 12): guitars
Bob Wilson: piano, organ
Peter Drake: steel guitar (13-15)
Charlie McCoy: bass
Kenneth Buttrey: drums

DISC 2
February 17, 1969
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
The Dylan-Cash Sessions

01. I Still Miss Someone – Take 5
Written by Johnny Cash and Roy Cash, Jr.
02. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right/Understand Your Man – Rehearsal
Written by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash

February 18, 1969
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
The Dylan-Cash Sessions

03. One Too Many Mornings – Take 3
04. Mountain Dew – Take 1
Written by Bascom Lamar Lunsford and Scott Wiseman
05. Mountain Dew – Take 2
Written by Bascom Lamar Lunsford and Scott Wiseman
06. I Still Miss Someone – Take 2
Written by Johnny Cash and Roy Cash, Jr.
07. Careless Love – Take 1
Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash
08. Matchbox – Take 1
Written by Carl Perkins
09. That’s All Right, Mama – Take 1
Written by Arthur Crudup
10. Mystery Train/This Train Is Bound for Glory – Take 1
Mystery Train written by Junior Parker
This Train Is Bound for Glory written by Woody Guthrie
11. Big River – Take 1
Written by Johnny Cash
12. Girl from the North Country – Rehearsal
13. Girl from the North Country – Take 1
14. I Walk the Line – Take 2
Written by Johnny Cash
15. Guess Things Happen That Way – Rehearsal
Written by Jack Clement
16. Guess Things Happen That Way – Take 3
Written by Jack Clement
17. Five Feet High and Rising – Take 1
Written by Johnny Cash
18. You Are My Sunshine – Take 1
Written by Jimmie Davis and Charles Mitchell
19. Ring of Fire – Take 1
Written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore

DISC 3
February 18, 1969
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
The Dylan-Cash Sessions

01. Studio Chatter
02. Wanted Man – Take 1
03. Amen – Rehearsal
Written by Jester Hairston
04. Just a Closer Walk with Thee – Take 1
Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash
05. Jimmie Rodgers Medley No. 1 – Take 1
Based on Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas), The Brakeman’s Blues (Yodeling the Blues Away), and Blue Yodel No. 5 (It’s Raining Here) written by Jimmie Rodgers
06. Jimmie Rodgers Medley No. 2 – Take 2
Based on Waiting for a Train, The Brakeman’s Blues (Yodeling the Blues Away), and Blue Yodel No. 1 (T For Texas) written by Jimmie Rodgers

Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar
Johnny Cash: vocals, guitar
Carl Perkins: guitar (08,10, 02, 04-06)
Bob Wootton: guitar
Marshall Grant: bass
W.S. Holland: drums

May 1, 1969
Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
Live on The Johnny Cash Show
Originally broadcast on ABC-TV, June 7, 1969

07. I Threw It All Away
included on 2010 DVD The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show: 1969-1971
08. Living the Blues
09. Girl from the North Country
included on 2010 DVD The Best of the Johnny Cash TV Show: 1969-1971

Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar
Johnny Cash: vocals, guitar (09)
Norman Blake and Charlie Daniels: guitars
Peter Drake: steel guitar
Bob Wilson: piano
Charlie McCoy: bass
Kenneth Buttrey: drums

May 3, 1969
Columbia Studio A, Nashville, TN
Self Portraitsessions

10. Ring of Fire (Outtake)
Written by June Carter and Merle Kilgore
11. Folsom Prison Blues (Outtake)
Written by Johnny Cash

Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar
Fred F. Carter, Norman Blake: guitars
Charlie Daniels: guitar (11), bass (10)
Bob Wilson: piano
Peter Drake: steel guitar
Charlie McCoy: harmonica (10), bass (11)
Kenneth Buttrey: drums
Delores Edgin and Dottie Dillard: background vocals

May 17, 1970
The Home of Thomas B. Allen, Carmel, New York
With Earl Scruggs

12. Earl Scruggs Interview
13. East Virginia Blues
Written by A.P. Carter
Included in 1971 documentary Earl Scruggs: His Family and Friends
14. To Be Alone with You
15. Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance
Traditional, arranged by Bob Dylan
16. Nashville Skyline Rag
Previously released on the album Earl Scruggs Performing with His Family and Friends

Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar
Earl Scruggs: banjo
Randy Scruggs: acoustic guitar
Gary Scruggs: electric bass

All songs written by Bob Dylan except where noted

All tracks previously unreleased except where noted

Produced by Jeff Rosen and Steve Berkowitz

John Wesley Harding, Nashville Skyline, and Self Portrait sessions originally produced by Bob Johnston

Liner notes by Colin Escott and Rosanne Cash

Website: www.bobdylan.com


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