The Bootleg Series
Encyclopedia
The Bootleg Series is a collection of albums by Bob Dylan
, all featuring rare and unreleased material. To date, nine volumes have been released: the first three volumes as a contiguous set; Vol. 4 Live 1966; Vol. 5 Live 1975
; Vol. 6 Live 1964
; Vol. 7 No Direction Home
; Vol. 8 Tell Tale Signs
, and Vol. 9 The Leeds and Witmark Demos. All are double-disc
sets except for the Volumes 1-3 package, which is a box set.
The first three volumes were released in 1991 to satisfy enormous demand for rare Dylan material. In an interview with Rolling Stone
magazine Dylan said,
. These individual volumes are not available separately.
, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
, and The Times They Are a-Changin'
. The remaining seven tracks are three live recordings from venues in New York City
, three demo records
later duplicated on Volume 9, and another demo from the home of a friend in Minnesota
taped just before Christmas of 1961.
, Bringing It All Back Home
, Highway 61 Revisited
, Blonde on Blonde
, New Morning
, Planet Waves
, and Blood on the Tracks
. The remaining three tracks are two previously unreleased recordings from the 1967 sessions partly released in 1975 as The Basement Tapes
, and Dylan's version of the song "Wallflower" recorded by Doug Sahm
for the 1973 album Doug Sahm and Band.
, Shot of Love
, Infidels
, Empire Burlesque
, and Oh Mercy
. The remaining two tracks are a live recording from the second leg of the Rolling Thunder Revue
, and a publishing demo of "Every Grain of Sand
" from 1980.
in Manchester
, England
. Disc one is the seven-song acoustic set with just Dylan, and disc two is the eight-song rock set with The Hawks
accompanying. This tour
chronicled Dylan's move to electric music, which elicited much consternation
, and his UK audiences were particularly unhappy. This recording was released on October 13, 1998, and peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200 and at #19 in the United Kingdom
.
Misnamed owing to the initial bootleg being labeled as recordings from the Royal Albert Hall
, one song from Dylan's actual Albert Hall concerts had been previously released, his May 26 performance of "Visions of Johanna
" on the box set retrospective Biograph
in 1985. Three additional performances from the tour have also seen official release: "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
" from the Odeon Theatre in Liverpool
on May 14 as the b-side to the "I Want You
" single
; "I Don't Believe You
" from the ABC Theatre in Belfast
on May 6, also on Biograph; and "Ballad of A Thin Man
" from the ABC Theatre in Edinburgh
on May 20, on Vol. 7 of the Bootleg Series. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
" from this set had previously been released on Biograph as well.
tour, recorded at shows from late November and early December of 1975 in Boston
, Cambridge
, Montreal
, and Worcester
. Four are in duet with Joan Baez
, and one with Roger McGuinn
. It was released on November 26, 2002, and peaked at #56 on the Billboard 200 and at #69 in the UK.
It documents the traveling caravan of musicians led by Dylan through New England
, New York
, Quebec
, Ontario
in the autumn of 1975 after the recording of but prior to the release of his album Desire. The previously released Hard Rain documents the second leg of tour through the American South and Rocky Mountain states, and received largely negative reviews. By contrast, this set got a warm reception from critics and fans - although some lamented that it does not document a complete show from the tour.
concert of October 31, 1964, at the Philharmonic Hall
in New York. Three songs are in duet with Joan Baez, with Dylan accompanying Baez on guitar only for the folk standard "Silver Dagger
." It was released on March 30, 2004, and peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200.
, Another Side of Bob Dylan
, Bringing It All Back Home
, Highway 61 Revisited
, and Blonde on Blonde
. Two tracks, "Song to Woody
" and "Like a Rolling Stone
" had been previously released respectively on his debut album
and Vol. 4 of the Bootleg Series. The remaining 15 tracks are nine live performances prominently featuring the version of "Maggie's Farm
" from the 1965 Newport Folk Festival
, four home demos with his earliest extant recording from 1959, another publishing demo duplicated on Vol. 9, and a track from the 1963 television program Folk Songs and More Folk Songs. Released on August 30, 2005, it peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200.
No Direction Home arrived in stores as an accompaniment to the authorized Dylan documentary
by Martin Scorsese
broadcast in the United States
on PBS in late September of 2005. As the soundtrack was compiled, it was decided by Dylan's manager Jeff Rosen to include material that was not featured in the documentary, including a large number of studio outtakes that were previously unreleased. The monophonic
recording of "Maggie's Farm" has been mixed for "fake stereo
" on the compilation.
, World Gone Wrong
, Time Out of Mind
, and Modern Times
. Three songs had been previously released, two on soundtracks for the films Lucky You and Gods and Generals, and one in duet with Ralph Stanley
for the album Clinch Mountain Country. The remaining nine tracks include five live recordings, an alternate take from the soundtrack to North Country, a song for an unfinished film in 2005, another for an abandoned album project with David Bromberg
in 1992, and a piano demo of "Dignity
."
Tell Tale Signs was originally released as a double-disc set on October 6, 2008, and peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, selling over 600,000 copies. A limited edition triple-disc set was also available, with a third disc consisting of twelve additional recordings, a seven-inch vinyl single, and a 150-page book. The first disc of both sets was also released separately.
" are songs composed by Dylan, performed with guitar or piano accompaniment. Four of the demos had been released on previous editions of the Bootleg Series: "Walkin' Down the Line," "When the Ship Comes In
" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'
" on Vol. 1, and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
" on Vol. 7. The set was released on October 19, 2010, and peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, all featuring rare and unreleased material. To date, nine volumes have been released: the first three volumes as a contiguous set; Vol. 4 Live 1966; Vol. 5 Live 1975
The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue
The Bootleg Series Vol. 5: Bob Dylan Live 1975, The Rolling Thunder Revue is a live album by Bob Dylan released by Columbia Records in 2002. It documents the Rolling Thunder Revue, led by Bob Dylan prior to the release of the album Desire...
; Vol. 6 Live 1964
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall
The Bootleg Series Vol. 6: Bob Dylan Live 1964, Concert at Philharmonic Hall is a complete recording of Bob Dylan's October 31, 1964 "Halloween" show at New York's Philharmonic Hall. It was released in 2004....
; Vol. 7 No Direction Home
The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack
The Bootleg Series Vol. 7: No Direction Home: The Soundtrack is the third most recent installment in the Bob Dylan "Bootleg Series" of rare and/or officially unissued recordings....
; Vol. 8 Tell Tale Signs
The Bootleg Series Vol. 8: Tell Tale Signs
The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 – Tell Tale Signs: Rare and Unreleased 1989–2006 is a compilation album by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan in his official "bootleg series" of rare and unissued recordings. It was originally released as a double, and triple album. It was later released as a single album,...
, and Vol. 9 The Leeds and Witmark Demos. All are double-disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
sets except for the Volumes 1-3 package, which is a box set.
The first three volumes were released in 1991 to satisfy enormous demand for rare Dylan material. In an interview with Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine Dylan said,
Volumes 1 through 3
The first three volumes, released as a three compact disc box set on March 26, 1991, reached #49 on the Billboard 200Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
. These individual volumes are not available separately.
Volume 1
Volume 1 contains 22 recordings spanning 1961 to 1963, with 15 outtakes from the recording sessions for the albums Bob DylanBob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies....
, and The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin opens with the title track, one of Dylan's most famous songs. Dylan's friend, Tony Glover, recalls visiting Dylan's apartment in September 1963, where he saw a number of song manuscripts and poems lying on a table. "The Times They Are a-Changin'" had yet to be recorded,...
. The remaining seven tracks are three live recordings from venues in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, three demo records
Demo (music)
A demo version or demo of a song is one recorded for reference rather than for release. A demo is a way for a musician to approximate their ideas on tape or disc, and provide an example of those ideas to record labels, producers or other artists...
later duplicated on Volume 9, and another demo from the home of a friend in Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
taped just before Christmas of 1961.
Volume 2
Volume 2 contains 20 recordings spanning 1963 to 1974, with 17 outtakes from sessions for the albums The Times They Are a-Changin', Another Side of Bob DylanAnother Side of Bob Dylan
Another Side of Bob Dylan is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released August 8, 1964 by Columbia Records....
, Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's fifth studio album, released in March 1965 by Columbia Records. The album is divided into an electric and an acoustic side. On side one of the original LP, Dylan is backed by an electric rock and roll band - a move that further alienated...
, Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited is the sixth studio album by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in August 1965 by Columbia Records. On his previous album, Bringing It All Back Home, Dylan devoted Side One of the album to songs accompanied by an electric rock band, and Side Two to solo acoustic numbers...
, Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde is American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's seventh studio album, released in May or June 1966 on Columbia Records and produced by Bob Johnston. Recording sessions commenced in New York in October 1965, with a plethora of backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing...
, New Morning
New Morning
New Morning is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 11th studio album, released by Columbia Records in October 1970.Coming only four months after the controversial Self Portrait, the more concise and immediate New Morning won a much warmer reception from fans and critics. Most welcome was the return of...
, Planet Waves
Planet Waves
Planet Waves is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 14th studio album, released by Asylum Records in January 1974....
, and Blood on the Tracks
Blood on the Tracks
Blood on the Tracks is Bob Dylan's 15th studio album, released by Columbia Records in January 1975. The album marked Dylan's return to Columbia after a two-album stint with Asylum Records....
. The remaining three tracks are two previously unreleased recordings from the 1967 sessions partly released in 1975 as The Basement Tapes
The Basement Tapes
The Basement Tapes is a 1975 studio album by Bob Dylan and The Band. The songs featuring Dylan's vocals were recorded in 1967, eight years before the album's release, at houses in and around Woodstock, New York, where Dylan and the Band lived...
, and Dylan's version of the song "Wallflower" recorded by Doug Sahm
Doug Sahm
Douglas Wayne Sahm , was an American musician from Texas. Born in San Antonio, Texas, he was a child prodigy in country music, but became a significant figure in blues rock and other genres. Today Sahm is considered one of the most important figures in what is identified as Tejano music...
for the 1973 album Doug Sahm and Band.
Volume 3
Volume 3 contains 16 recordings spanning 1974 to 1989, with 14 outtakes from sessions for the albums Blood on the Tracks, Desire, Slow Train ComingSlow Train Coming
Slow Train Coming is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 19th studio album, released by Columbia Records in August 1979.It was the artist's first effort since becoming a born-again Christian, and all of the songs either express his strong personal faith, or stress the importance of Christian teachings...
, Shot of Love
Shot of Love
Shot of Love is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 21st studio album, released by Columbia Records in August 1981.It is generally considered to be Dylan's last of a trilogy of overtly religious, Christian albums. Also, it was his first since becoming born-again to focus on secular themes, from...
, Infidels
Infidels
Infidels is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 22nd studio album, released by Columbia Records in October 1983.Produced by Mark Knopfler and Dylan himself, Infidels is seen as his return to secular music, following a conversion to Christianity and three evangelical, gospel records...
, Empire Burlesque
Empire Burlesque
Empire Burlesque is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 23rd studio album, released by Columbia Records in June 1985. The album peaked at #33 in the US and #11 in the UK....
, and Oh Mercy
Oh Mercy
Oh Mercy is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 26th studio album, released by Columbia Records in September 1989.Produced by Daniel Lanois, it was hailed by critics as a triumph for Dylan, after a string of weaker-reviewed albums...
. The remaining two tracks are a live recording from the second leg of the Rolling Thunder Revue
Rolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976; the prevailing theory was that the tour was named after the Native American shaman Rolling Thunder. Others maintained that tour...
, and a publishing demo of "Every Grain of Sand
Every Grain of Sand
Every Grain of Sand is a song written by Bob Dylan and originally released on his 1981 album Shot of Love. It was subsequently included on the compilation Biograph. An alternate take of this song was released in The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 1961-1991...
" from 1980.
Volume 4
Volume 4 contains 15 recordings comprising the entire concert of May 17, 1966, at the Free Trade HallFree Trade Hall
The Free Trade Hall, Peter Street, Manchester, was a public hall constructed in 1853–6 on St Peter's Fields, the site of the Peterloo Massacre and is now a hotel. The hall was built to commemorate the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846. The architect was Edward Walters The hall subsequently was...
in Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Disc one is the seven-song acoustic set with just Dylan, and disc two is the eight-song rock set with The Hawks
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
accompanying. This tour
Bob Dylan World Tour 1966
The Bob Dylan World Tour 1966 was a concert tour undertaken by American musician Bob Dylan, from February to May 1966. Dylan's 1966 World Tour was notable as the first tour where Dylan employed an electric band backing him, following his "going electric" at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival...
chronicled Dylan's move to electric music, which elicited much consternation
Electric Dylan controversy
By 1965, Bob Dylan had achieved the status of leading songwriter of the American folk music revival.Paul Simon suggested that Dylan's early compositions virtually took over the folk genre: "[Dylan's] early songs were very rich ... with strong melodies. 'Blowin' in the Wind' has a really strong...
, and his UK audiences were particularly unhappy. This recording was released on October 13, 1998, and peaked at #21 on the Billboard 200 and at #19 in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
.
Misnamed owing to the initial bootleg being labeled as recordings from the Royal Albert Hall
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall situated on the northern edge of the South Kensington area, in the City of Westminster, London, England, best known for holding the annual summer Proms concerts since 1941....
, one song from Dylan's actual Albert Hall concerts had been previously released, his May 26 performance of "Visions of Johanna
Visions of Johanna
"Visions of Johanna" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan on his 1966 album Blonde on Blonde. Dylan first recorded the song in New York City in November 1965, under the working title of "Freeze Out", but was dissatisfied with the results...
" on the box set retrospective Biograph
Biograph (album)
Biograph is a 53-track compilation spanning the career of Bob Dylan, from his 1962 debut album to the 1981 LP Shot of Love. Released in 1985 by Columbia Records, on both a 5-LP and a 3-CD Box set, it was one of the earliest and most successful examples of the CD Box set...
in 1985. Three additional performances from the tour have also seen official release: "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues
"Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan. It was originally recorded on August 2, 1965 and released on the album Highway 61 Revisited. The song was later released on the compilation album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol...
" from the Odeon Theatre in Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
on May 14 as the b-side to the "I Want You
I Want You (Bob Dylan song)
"I Want You" is a 1966 song recorded by Bob Dylan. It was issued as a single in June 1966, shortly before the release of its accompanying album, Blonde on Blonde. A live version of "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" was included as a B-side...
" single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
; "I Don't Believe You
I Don't Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met)
"I Don't Believe You " is a 1964 song by Bob Dylan, from his fourth studio album, Another Side of Bob Dylan....
" from the ABC Theatre in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
on May 6, also on Biograph; and "Ballad of A Thin Man
Ballad of a Thin Man
"Ballad of a Thin Man" is a song written and recorded by Bob Dylan, released on the album Highway 61 Revisited in 1965.-Meaning:"Ballad of a Thin Man" comments on a conventional "Mr. Jones", who walks into a room of intentionally bizarre circus freaks and doesn't "know what's happening".The...
" from the ABC Theatre in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on May 20, on Vol. 7 of the Bootleg Series. "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
"It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his Bringing It All Back Home album, released on March 22, 1965 by Columbia Records . The song was originally recorded on January 15, 1965 with Dylan's acoustic guitar and harmonica and William E. Lee's bass...
" from this set had previously been released on Biograph as well.
Volume 5
Volume 5 comprises 22 recordings from the Rolling Thunder RevueRolling Thunder Revue
The Rolling Thunder Revue was a famed U.S. concert tour consisting of a traveling caravan of musicians, headed by Bob Dylan, that took place in late 1975 and early 1976; the prevailing theory was that the tour was named after the Native American shaman Rolling Thunder. Others maintained that tour...
tour, recorded at shows from late November and early December of 1975 in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
, and Worcester
Worcester, Massachusetts
Worcester is a city and the county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, as of the 2010 Census the city's population is 181,045, making it the second largest city in New England after Boston....
. Four are in duet with Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, and one with Roger McGuinn
Roger McGuinn
James Roger McGuinn is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is best known for being the lead singer and lead guitarist on many of The Byrds' records...
. It was released on November 26, 2002, and peaked at #56 on the Billboard 200 and at #69 in the UK.
It documents the traveling caravan of musicians led by Dylan through New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
in the autumn of 1975 after the recording of but prior to the release of his album Desire. The previously released Hard Rain documents the second leg of tour through the American South and Rocky Mountain states, and received largely negative reviews. By contrast, this set got a warm reception from critics and fans - although some lamented that it does not document a complete show from the tour.
Volume 6
Volume 6 contains 19 recordings comprising the entire HalloweenHalloween
Hallowe'en , also known as Halloween or All Hallows' Eve, is a yearly holiday observed around the world on October 31, the night before All Saints' Day...
concert of October 31, 1964, at the Philharmonic Hall
Avery Fisher Hall
Avery Fisher Hall is a concert hall, in New York City and is part of the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex. It is the home of the New York Philharmonic, with a capacity of 2,738 seats.-History:...
in New York. Three songs are in duet with Joan Baez, with Dylan accompanying Baez on guitar only for the folk standard "Silver Dagger
Silver Dagger (song)
"Silver Dagger", or "Katy Dear", is an American folk ballad. It likely traces its roots to the British Isles of late 19th century, though possibly much earlier; the first published version appeared in 1907....
." It was released on March 30, 2004, and peaked at #28 on the Billboard 200.
Volume 7
Volume 7 contains 28 recordings spanning 1959 to 1966, with 11 outtakes from sessions for the albums The Freewheelin' Bob DylanThe Freewheelin' Bob Dylan
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan is the second studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in May 1963 by Columbia Records. Whereas his debut album Bob Dylan had contained only two original songs, Freewheelin initiated the process of writing contemporary words to traditional melodies....
, Another Side of Bob Dylan
Another Side of Bob Dylan
Another Side of Bob Dylan is the fourth studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released August 8, 1964 by Columbia Records....
, Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home
Bringing It All Back Home is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's fifth studio album, released in March 1965 by Columbia Records. The album is divided into an electric and an acoustic side. On side one of the original LP, Dylan is backed by an electric rock and roll band - a move that further alienated...
, Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited
Highway 61 Revisited is the sixth studio album by singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was released in August 1965 by Columbia Records. On his previous album, Bringing It All Back Home, Dylan devoted Side One of the album to songs accompanied by an electric rock band, and Side Two to solo acoustic numbers...
, and Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde
Blonde on Blonde is American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's seventh studio album, released in May or June 1966 on Columbia Records and produced by Bob Johnston. Recording sessions commenced in New York in October 1965, with a plethora of backing musicians, including members of Dylan's live backing...
. Two tracks, "Song to Woody
Song to Woody
"Song to Woody" is one of the first ever songs written by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on his eponymous debut album Bob Dylan in 1962. The song conveys Dylan's appreciation of folk legend Woody Guthrie. The tune is based on Guthrie's song "1913 Massacre"...
" and "Like a Rolling Stone
Like a Rolling Stone
"Like a Rolling Stone" is a 1965 song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Its confrontational lyrics originate in an extended piece of verse Dylan wrote in June 1965, when he returned exhausted from a grueling tour of England...
" had been previously released respectively on his debut album
Bob Dylan (album)
Bob Dylan is the debut album by the American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released in March 1962 on Columbia Records. It features two original compositions, the rest being old folk standards, and was produced by Columbia's legendary talent scout John H...
and Vol. 4 of the Bootleg Series. The remaining 15 tracks are nine live performances prominently featuring the version of "Maggie's Farm
Maggie's Farm
"Maggie's Farm" is a song written by Bob Dylan, recorded on January 15, 1965, and released on the album Bringing It All Back Home on March 22 of that year...
" from the 1965 Newport Folk Festival
Newport Folk Festival
The Newport Folk Festival is an American annual folk-oriented music festival in Newport, Rhode Island, which began in 1959 as a counterpart to the previously established Newport Jazz Festival...
, four home demos with his earliest extant recording from 1959, another publishing demo duplicated on Vol. 9, and a track from the 1963 television program Folk Songs and More Folk Songs. Released on August 30, 2005, it peaked at #16 on the Billboard 200.
No Direction Home arrived in stores as an accompaniment to the authorized Dylan documentary
No Direction Home
No Direction Home is a documentary film by Martin Scorsese that traces the life of Bob Dylan, and his impact on 20th century American popular music and culture. The film does not cover Dylan's entire career; it concentrates on the period between Dylan's arrival in New York in January 1961 and his...
by Martin Scorsese
Martin Scorsese
Martin Charles Scorsese is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, actor, and film historian. In 1990 he founded The Film Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to film preservation, and in 2007 he founded the World Cinema Foundation...
broadcast in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on PBS in late September of 2005. As the soundtrack was compiled, it was decided by Dylan's manager Jeff Rosen to include material that was not featured in the documentary, including a large number of studio outtakes that were previously unreleased. The monophonic
Monophonic
Monophonic may refer to:* Monaural, a sound recording with only one channel* Monophony, musical texture that consists of a single melodic line* Monophonic , a synthesizer capable of sounding only one voice, or note, at a time...
recording of "Maggie's Farm" has been mixed for "fake stereo
Duophonic
*In synthesizers, capable of sounding two voices, or notes, at a time. Compare: monophonic, polyphonic.*Duophonic is also a term used to refer to a sound process by which a monaural recording is turned into a kind of "fake stereo" by splitting the signal into two channels, delaying the left and the...
" on the compilation.
Volume 8
Volume 8 contains 27 recordings spanning 1989 to 2006, with 15 outtakes from sessions for the albums Oh MercyOh Mercy
Oh Mercy is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 26th studio album, released by Columbia Records in September 1989.Produced by Daniel Lanois, it was hailed by critics as a triumph for Dylan, after a string of weaker-reviewed albums...
, World Gone Wrong
World Gone Wrong
World Gone Wrong is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 29th studio album, released by Columbia Records in October 1993.It was Dylan's second consecutive collection of only traditional folk songs, performed acoustically with guitar and harmonica...
, Time Out of Mind
Time out of Mind
Time Out of Mind is the 30th studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on September 30, 1997 on Columbia Records. It is his first double studio album since 1970's Self Portrait...
, and Modern Times
Modern Times (Bob Dylan album)
Modern Times is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's 32nd studio album, released by Columbia Records in August 2006. The album was Dylan's third straight to be met with nearly universal praise from fans and critics...
. Three songs had been previously released, two on soundtracks for the films Lucky You and Gods and Generals, and one in duet with Ralph Stanley
Ralph Stanley
Ralph Stanley , also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.-Biography:...
for the album Clinch Mountain Country. The remaining nine tracks include five live recordings, an alternate take from the soundtrack to North Country, a song for an unfinished film in 2005, another for an abandoned album project with David Bromberg
David Bromberg
David Bromberg is an American multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. Bromberg has an eclectic style, playing bluegrass, blues, folk, jazz, country and western, and rock and roll equally well. He is known for his quirky, humorous lyrics, and the ability to play rhythm and lead guitar at the...
in 1992, and a piano demo of "Dignity
Dignity (Bob Dylan song)
"Dignity" is a song by Bob Dylan, first released on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3 in 1994. It was recorded during the Oh Mercy studio sessions but didn't make it on to the album. The version released on Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3 was remixed and overdubbed by Brendan O'Brien...
."
Tell Tale Signs was originally released as a double-disc set on October 6, 2008, and peaked at #6 on the Billboard 200, selling over 600,000 copies. A limited edition triple-disc set was also available, with a third disc consisting of twelve additional recordings, a seven-inch vinyl single, and a 150-page book. The first disc of both sets was also released separately.
Volume 9
Volume 9 contains 47 recordings spanning 1962 to 1964, comprising the entire known demo recordings made by Dylan for the Leeds and Witmark music publishing companies. All but "Baby, Let Me Follow You DownBaby, Let Me Follow You Down
"Baby, Let Me Follow You Down" is a traditional folk song popularised in the late 1950s by blues guitarist Eric Von Schmidt. The song is best known from its appearance on Bob Dylan's debut album Bob Dylan.-Early years of the song:...
" are songs composed by Dylan, performed with guitar or piano accompaniment. Four of the demos had been released on previous editions of the Bootleg Series: "Walkin' Down the Line," "When the Ship Comes In
When the Ship Comes In
"When the Ship Comes In" is a folk music song by Bob Dylan, released on his third album, The Times They Are a-Changin, in 1964.Joan Baez states in the documentary film No Direction Home that the song was, more or less, inspired by a hotel clerk who refused to allow Dylan a room due to his...
" and "The Times They Are a-Changin'
The Times They Are a-Changin' (song)
"The Times They Are a-Changin" is a song written by Bob Dylan and released as the title track of his 1964 album, The Times They Are a-Changin. The song was ranked #59 on Rolling Stones 2004 list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time....
" on Vol. 1, and "Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
"Don't Think Twice, It's All Right" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1962, and released on the 1963 album The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan.-Context:...
" on Vol. 7. The set was released on October 19, 2010, and peaked at #12 on the Billboard 200.