Bob Dylan: Borrower or thief?

I guess some challenge was made based on lack of DNA evidence, but no one is sure where Johnson is bureid, so that was tossed.

This actually goes back to the heart of the original question: who wrote the song, and who got paid for it?

And to the points above:

A - "bluesmen" were ripping each other of for years before the English white boys came around to really cash in, and

B - How clued were Dylan, Clapton, Page, et al regarding the mechanics of copyrights, how old were they, how powerful was their management, and even who owned their publishing? Publishing companies and artist management is very powerful in these situations and it's more than possible that these guys had no say in it whatsoever.

Or it could be that they were pricks, and only too happy to rip off their heroes.

And to my fact checking cuz... what''s in a name anyway?

I don't have a copy of Let It Bleed (anymore...) but the Ry Cooder geek sites seem to indicate that he played on Beggar's Banquet (uncredited: mandolin), Let It Bleed (credit: mandolin) and Sticky Fingers (credit: guitar on Sister Morphine). The common story (uncertain how accurate, if at all) is that he was messing aroudn with open tunings and showed Keith how ot use them (which he certain did after, not sure before -- guitar geeks out there???) The story continues that he either played the intro to Honky Tonk Women on recrod or that he did it in the studio just messing around and the lads nicked it.... in the fine tradition noted above...

I first listened to McTell a couple years back when I heard Dylan's "Willie McTell," which has the same tune as "St. James Infirmary Blues."

Anyway, did David Johansen give Dylan an "arrangement" credit on his Harry Smiths version of "Delia," which was Dylan's combination of McTell's "Delia" and Reverend Gary Davis' "All the Friends I Ever Had Are Gone" from World Gone Wrong?

to sum up: thieves, all of 'em.

dunno 'bout dylan and page, but cream (more jack bruce than clapton, it would seem) actually went to some lengths to make sure the correct people were credited and actually received royalties. they had personal contact with skip james and saw to it that he got $ from "i'm so glad." skip saw them play the song shortly before his death, and his widow sent a letter of gratitude to jack bruce.