Dylan Covers YOU Do

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: voyager
Date: 20 Jun 16 - 11:05 AM

Baby Let Me Follow You Down (1st album)
Arthur McBride
Lay Lady Lay
All Along the Watchtower
Like a Rolling Stone
Tambourine Man

Dylan anecdote -
Saw the 'Bob-ster' in a Beverly Hills movie theater (the Canon)
back in 1975. Film was 'Les Enfants du Paradis' *Children of
Paradise'. When the lights came up, he was wearing dark glasses
(probably not to be recogizer, right). His style was something
of the 'Blonde on Blonde' cover look, back in the day.

voyager

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Amos
Date: 19 Jun 16 - 10:02 PM

Twelve years later and he is still knocking them out of the park with his rare combination of wry humor, antagonistic confrontation, sorrowful regret and universal compassion, with a pinch of essence of lemon and mixed spice.

Lately, I've been covering:
Tangled Up In Blue
Got To Serve Somebody
Shelter from the Storm

In earlier phases I covered a lot of the classics:
Girl from the North Country,
Desolation Row,
Just Like a Woman,
Staying Here with You
Takes a Train To Cry
Corrina, Corrina
Down Along the Cove

and a few more I have since forgotten!

A

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Mark Ross
Date: 19 Jun 16 - 07:13 PM

I have been known to sing WALKIN' DOWN THE LINE from time to time (which I learned 50 years ago from Bruce Murdoch). I also have fondness for ONE TOO MANY MORNINGS.

Mark Ross

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,LynnH
Date: 19 Jun 16 - 04:33 AM

Just arrived here from the other thread about Dylan covers.....only 12 years late!

'North Country Blues' and 'Eternal Circle' are the ones I sing most often. Apart from that I've also been known, in recent years, to do versions of 'It ain't me, babe' and 'The Ballad of Donald White'. For Donald White, since I learnt it from a book of Dylan texts I had to make a tune for it, the Blind Boy Grunt recording being very obscure. I'd been singing my own version for at least 5 years before I found Dylan's original recording. I still use my own tune since I feel that 'Tramps and Hawkers', which Dylan uses, doesn't really fit the story!

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 01:45 PM

Dylan on 60 minutes, December 5 (CBS on Sunday).

CB

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 10:59 AM

"first reaction to him was negative"

I well remember lunchtimes in the school music-room listening to obscure material including some memorable illegal imports from the States. My 1st impressions of raw deep-south blues was almost shock/horror, but I soon got the bug.

Then one fine day a friend came in the room saying "you gotta listen to this" and placed Dylan's 1st album on the turntable. Who the ****'s this!? was everyone's reaction, and my friend thought we were philistines.

It was 1962, and we were 15 years old - crazy about the Everley's, Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry, Howlin' Wolf, Muddy Waters & Jerry Lee - this was like something we'd never heard.

Within a week I'd bought a harmonica and started playing (if that's the right term for it) along with the songs. Not long afterwards came the guitar (when I could afford it - cheap crap that it was) and in 1964 my 1st holiday away with my mates, and it was Dylan songs all the way round the camp-sites of Scotland. To this day I'm sure there are many old folk who remember how 4 young lads wrecked their holiday.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: alanabit
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 03:33 AM

I believe that Carter's appeal at the time failed, but that he subsequently cleared his name. I think there was a film about it.
I like the sound of "Desire", with its rough harmonies and very loose rhythmic playing. Not many of the songs cover well though. My favourite, "Isis", is a dark comedy, which I can't imagine working as a solo song. It is easy enough to pull off a reasonable sounding version of "Sarah", but on reflection, there is no reason why anyone else should sing such a detailed, personal song!

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Coyote Breath
Date: 03 Dec 04 - 01:14 AM

Just "One More Cup of Coffee" but only because I don't do "covers" as a rule but I love the images conjured by the lyrics and the chord progressions are something I can manage. I really like every song on that album. (Desire) I didn't like Dylan until "Bringing it all Back Home" There will be an interview of Dylan on the next "60 Minutes" whenever THAT will be.

My first reaction to him was negative because I was knocked out by Dylan Thomas and I resented Bobby Zimmerman "taking" Thomas' name (if indeed that is what he did) The early stuff was not to my likeing poetically. I changed my mind about his early days within the last ten years. When I first heard "Hurricane" I got tears in my eyes and kept saying "YES!, YES!, YES!" and played that cut again and again. I had never believed Ruben Carter was guilty. I had been a fan of Carter's and the story of him being a murderer was beyond belief.

I felt Dylan's "Hurricane" was great poetry and even greater story telling and I still admire him for that if for nothing else.

But I drift.

CB

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: open mike
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 04:57 PM

wow! too much of nothing...
i used to do thins one all the time..
and i completely blanked on it..
used to do it with "Released" a lot.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Cluin
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 03:11 PM

By the way, did we ever get any further info on that great cover of "Don't Think Twice" linked to by JustaPicker? Nice one,Jp , but who are the players and what is the recording?

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: PoppaGator
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 02:51 PM

chris -- as you may have deduced by now, my friends and I are older than you ;^).

The last time we actually had one of those Dylan singalongs at a party was before "Love and Death," anyway. L&D is indeed a great album, of course, and many of the songs well worth trying to learn.

Which leads directly to mention of the dylanchords site recommended by Pete, where all the words, even the most recent, are available at no charge -- thanks buddy!

The newest updated edition of "Lyrics" was published very recently, as a companion piece for "Chronicles Vol I." I got an email notice from bobdylan.com yesterday announcing that it is available from Amazon at a serious discount -- $27 marked down from $45.

Can we get the same deal buying through Mudcat?

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 11:28 AM

Thanks Pete - great site

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 10:36 AM

I'm going I'm going!

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 10:33 AM

Jim, go to www.dylanchords.com right now!

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 09:41 AM

Got it - and working on Love & Theft songs now - some of Dylan's best songs to date (personal view) - though not as easy as his earlier songs (that's maybe what sets them apart).

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 02 Dec 04 - 08:32 AM

A Dylan Lyric book currently for sale in the UK goes up to Love and Theft, which includes the great song Mississippi.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: chris nightbird childs
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 02:09 PM

That's terrible, Poppa! True Dylan fans would surely go beyond JWH.
That said I would probably go up to Desire...

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: PoppaGator
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 01:59 PM

Reading a concurrent thread about the pros and cons of using the "Rise Up Singing" songbook at group events reminded me that our circle of friends has occasionally brought out the hardback Dylan "Lyrics" book at parties for group singing. The results have been predicably inconsistent, but always fun.

These are not gatherings of musicians I'm talking about, certainly not "folkies" or serious singing enthusiasts -- just old-friend ex-hippies, including two or three guitar players, any one of whom might be able to remember or fake the chords for a given selection.

Given our age group and the fact that most of the group are not players or even truly diehard Dylan fans, most of the page-flipping is restricted to the front half of the book, up to and including, say, John Wesley Harding.

About a year ago, I was asked to bring my copy of the book to a party where the group sing never materialized, but *somebody* spotted the book and stole it -- a friend-of-a-friend's out-of-town guest, from whom it couldn't be recovered. So I had to go out and buy a replacement, and got a more recent edition with more songs. The copy that was stolen was the original publication with the brown cover; the new one includes everything up to "Empire Burlesque."

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,Whistle Stop
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 10:10 AM

I do a lot of them, too: Tomorrow Is A Long Time; A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall; Don't Think Twice, It's All Right; The Times They Are A-Changin'; Chimes Of Freedom; Love Minus Zero/No Limit; It's All Over Now, Baby Blue; It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry; Visions Of Johanna; Just Like A Woman; Down In The Flood; I'll Be Your Baby Tonight; Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You; I Threw It All Away; Emotionally Yours. And, of course, I'm always happy to join in on the ones everyone trots out at musical get-togethers: I Shall Be Released and Forever Young.

Those of us who are truly obsessive Dylan fans can generally play others on a moment's notice; they get into your bones after a while, and since they're not all that sophisticated musically, it's pretty easy to recall one well enough to play it when the notion hits.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,Songster Bob
Date: 01 Dec 04 - 12:18 AM

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, Babe,
There's so many folk-singers around.
It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, Babe,
They all make the same sound.
They look the same, and they sound the same,
They all sing like Bobby, and Joanie What's-her-name*;
They're on their way to fortune and fame,
And if they don't think twice, that's all right.

Copyright circa 1965 Chuck Perdue

* Chuck, who sang with wife Nan, sang
"They all sound like Peter, Paul, and What's-her-name." but I sing solo, so I changed it.

This is the main Bob Dylan song I still do.


Bob Clayton

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,To Ramona
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 08:50 PM

Freddy Fender and the Texas Tornados do a real nice version of "To Ramona" with the added spanish verse:

Ramona tus ojos me dicen que vas a llorar
Tu Sueno se boran y nada se va realiza
Ramona sus ojos se secan y pierden su luz
Te viste un carino de un hombre y un nino eres y hora soalamente eres

I'm looking for the chord sequence if anyone can send it to me I would appreciate it

Marshall

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Once Famous
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 04:58 PM

I tend to stay away from many of these tired old songs in my solo gigs. I would do "you ain't goin' nowhere" except I think it lacks something done as a solo thing without that great harmony part for the chorus.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 04:54 PM

The two songs I just mentioned (as I understand them and used to interpret them) may have plenty to do with love, but not much at all with marriage, family, and fidelity.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 03:48 PM

Bob entered into a period of writing mostly love songs with Nashville Skyline and it endured through and into Blood On The Tracks. This coincided with his conscious commitment to marriage, family, and private life, as opposed to being a rock star.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 02:47 PM

"Throw my ticket out the window!"

Correction: Yesterday at 12:52, I posted:

~~"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is indeed one of Bob's. I like it and have done it; in fact, it was a mainsay in certain situations back in my busking days, but we won't go there.~~

Actually, it was "Tonight I'll Be Staying Here With You" that worked best for making new friends out on the streetcorner, way back in '71-'72-'73. Forgot all about that one.

"Is it really any wonder / the love that a stranger might receive?
You cast your spell and I went under / I find it so difficult to leave."

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 01:28 PM

I'm pretty sure Dylan did the picking on that track. He was a hell of a good acoustic guitar player back then...due to practicing almost constantly and picking up every trick he could off others like Dave Van Ronk, Ramblin' Jack, etc...

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 01:10 PM

I've heard Don't Think Twice both fast and slow and I found the slow version to be a bit of a dirge. I much prefer it at the same speed as the original. Sometimes, however, I get carried away have to slow myself down to that pace.

Doug C

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 12:07 PM

I'm not sure it's easy to play "Don't Think Twice" fast OR slow (after all - Dylan didn't play guitar on that track I'm told - is that true?) but I know I play it the same way/same speed as the original - maybe it was too fast to project the true feelings and sentiments in the lyrics; slowing it right down might be an improvement.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Little Hawk
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 10:50 AM

I used to do "Tell Me That it Isn't True". Also have done "Lay, Lady, Lay", "I Threw it All Away", "One More Night", and a couple others off that album. It's a kind of odd album for Bob, but does have a few gems on it.

It's easy to play "Don't Think Twice" too fast...something about the arrangement.

I used to do "Visions of Johanna" a lot. What a great song.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Bsondahl
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 10:42 AM

So ami I the only one that does, "Tell me that it isn't true" (off Nashville Skyline?)
What I say about covering Dylan, is that everybody does it because everybody sounds better than Dylan singing his songs. (But no one, not even Baez mugging, sounds "like" Dylan).
Brad Sondahl
sondahl.com

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: PoppaGator
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 10:17 AM

I tend to play *everything* too fast if I'm not careful, especially when I've just finished learning to play it and am beginning to fall into the groove of "knowing" it.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 09:11 AM

Noted: Don't Think Twice seems to be the song most listed; maybe it's one of the favourites amongst mudcatters. After performing it for the millionth time last week my wife amazed me by saying "that's the best song ever written", but then she wiped the smile off my face by saying "but you do it too fast" -

"but I do it at the same tempo as Dylan!" I retorted........

"Yes" she says .. "much too fast"

Now I spent many hours getting that fingerstyle right many years ago - and NOW she tells me!

Does she have a point? - how do you play it? (or do I need to start another thread?)

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: fat B****rd
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 04:40 AM

I forgot Too Much of Nothing.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Doug Chadwick
Date: 30 Nov 04 - 02:38 AM

Don't Think Twice
Boots of Spanish Leather
Blowin' in the Wind
It Ain't Me Babe
I'll Be Your Baby Tonight


Don't Think Twice is my favourite.


Doug C

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 11:55 PM

Geez! I forgot the Blood on the Tracks stuff...

I do "Tangled Up in Blue", "You're a Big Girl Now", "Simple Twist of Fate", and "If You See Her, Say Hello". Have done "Idiot Wind" the odd time as well, but usually just for my own enjoyment at home. Used to do "Hazel" and a few others from "Planet Waves".

Another guy's songs I love to cover is Al Stewart.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Padre
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 10:09 PM

Percy's Song

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: jaze
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 09:52 PM

I'm impressed with the person who does "Sad Eyed Lady Of The Lowlands" Now that's an impressive undertaking.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: jacqui.c
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 09:45 PM

Have done Blowing in the Wind. Would love to be able to do With God On Our Side. Maybe one day.....

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Margret RoadKnight
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 08:58 PM

Babe I'm In the Mood For You
Walking Down the Line

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Steve-o
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 05:41 PM

I never do a set by myself or with my "string band" that doesn't include at least one Bobby song. Current favorites include Bob Dylan's Dream, Tomorrow is a Long Time, I Shall Be Released, Boots of Spanish Leather, Talking WW III Blues, When I Paint My Masterpiece, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight, and Positively 4th Street. Lots and lots of others, but obviously I don't do a whole lot of the "newer" ones.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 03:42 PM

I do so many Dylan covers that it almost equals my own original repertoire. Among my favourites, and played most often are:

Love Minus Zero (No Limit)
Every Grain of Sand
Forever Young
She Belongs To Me
Just Like a Woman
Desolation Row
Dark Eyes
One More Cup of Coffee
I Dreamed I Saw St Augustine
I Pity the Poor Immigrant
All Along the Watchtower
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Mr Tambourine Man
To Ramona
Ring Them Bells
Blowin' In The Wind
Lay Down Your Weary Tune

Dylan's songs are the only songs in the World that feel just like my own songs to me every time I sing them. I seem to become Bob when I play his songs (but I still sing them in my own voice, which most people like better anyway).

I also play harmonica like he does, but not exactly like does...just kind of similarly. He was doing some virtuoso level harmonica playing in 64-66. I can't match some of it. I've also heard him play some very poor harmonica breaks at other times.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Tradsinger
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 02:15 PM

Boots of Spanish Leather - great song. I do it with slow-picked banjo.

Gwilym

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Ebbie
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 01:57 PM

JustaPicker- if that were your voice on that recording, I'd think you'd be very proud! LOL (She has a lovely voice)

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: open mike
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 12:53 PM

Forever Young is such a versitile song..
I have sung it at birthdays, funerals,
rest/convalescent homes, and bed time.
It is like a prayer.

You ain't goin' No Where,
Don't think twice
I Shall be released

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: PoppaGator
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 12:52 PM

Thanks Pete. "Hearing" the chord changes isn't my problem; it's more a matter of what to do within the chords. I just have never come up with an arrangement for this song that satisfies *me*, as I have for those other numbers I feel I can list as "covers that I do." There are gazillions of songs I can fake my way through, with minimal chord strumming, but I don't consider them "mine."

I had thought that "sustained fifths" were more exotic than those two inversions of C and G, which I play all the time but never knew what they were. Learn someting every day -- thanks!

late 'n short 2, good handle! I think I may have a legitimate claim to the number one spot in the "day late and a dollar short" category, and I'm glad to see you're modest enough only to claim number-two status...

"I'll Be Your Baby Tonight" is indeed one of Bob's. I like it and have done it; in fact, it was a mainsay in certain situations back in my busking days, but we won't go there. Earlier in this thread, someone mentioned (somewhat disparagingly) Kristofferon's cover of this one in the "30th" concert.

Is this the first mention of "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere"? That's another one I used to play very often, but forgot to mention earlier.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: late 'n short 2
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 12:23 PM

Don't Think Twice, You Ain't Goin Nowhere, I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (or does that belong to someone else?)

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Cluin
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 12:16 PM

Senor (Tales of Yankee Power)
Farewell Angelina
Don't Think Twice
It Ain't Me Babe
Lay Down Your Weary Tune
Forever Young

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: GUEST,Jim
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 11:32 AM

Current:
Love Minus Zero (DADGAD)
Girl from the North Country
Bob Dylan's Dream (but prefer to sing Lord Franklyn instead)
Tambourine Man
Don't Think Twice
Lay Lady Lay
I Shall be Released
All Along the Watchtower (+ freestyling harmonica blues in Am and lucky enough to be blessed with a great fiddle accompanyist)
Baby Blue (Dropped D - great groove with Em7 and a Bm thrown in for good measure)

Past:
Blowin' in the Wind (far too many better songs followed)
Times they are a-changin' (OK at the time I suppose)
Masters of War
Gates of Eden
It's allright Ma
Knock k'nock k'nocking (boredom factor knocked it out)

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 11:13 AM

The spacing came out wrong, but you should be able to hear where the chords change.

Subject: RE: Dylan Covers YOU Do
From: Pete Jennings
Date: 29 Nov 04 - 11:11 AM

Poppa

I cheat a bit on Love Minus Zero. I play it fingerstyle using these chords:

C                      Csus5
My love she speaks like silence
F                Csus5
Without ideals or violence
F                            C
She doesn't have to say she's faithful
          F         Gsus5
Cos she's true like ice like fire
C            Csus5
People carry roses
F                        Csus5
And make promises by the hour
F                         C
My love she laughs at the flowers
F          Gsus5    C
Valentines can't buy her

Csus5 = C, with pinky on 3rd fret top E
Gsus5 = G, with the highest note being 3rd fret B string

I think I get away with it...