Essential Bob Dylan Covers?

Staple Singers’ “John Brown”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1t8SOgbz4_4

Dylan's Gospel was recorded long before his official Christian Period, and includes several verbose stoner folk and folk-rock classics I didn't expect, but no prob, ditto with for inst "Lay Lady Lay":

But something tells us you haven’t heard anything quite like Dylan’s Gospel by The Brothers and Sisters, a choir of Los Angeles session singers brought gloriously to the fore for a very special, one-off record.

Originally released in 1969 on Ode Records, this rare and sought-after album finds the California collective covering a clutch of Dylan classics in the era’s revolutionary gospel style. Produced by Lou Adler, soon to work his magic on Carole King’s mega-successful Tapestry, and arranged by Gene Page, noted for his work for Motown, the performers were largely unknown, but many went on to find great acclaim. Merry Clayton, the powerhouse singer best known for sparring with Mick Jagger on Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” (and star of the recent documentary 20 Feet from Stardom*), appears here, as does Edna Wright of The Honeycones and Gloria Jones who recorded the original version of “Tainted Love” in 1965.

The cast of 27 singers also includes Ruby Johnson, Shirley Matthews, Clydie King, Patrice Holloway, Julia Tillman.. Wasn't Clydie King on some Dylan albums and maybe his wife for a while? Anyway, more info, audio here (and some videos are on the 'Tube)
https://lightintheattic.net/releases/1007-dylan-s-gospel
*20 Feet From Stardom is an excellent doc about backup singers!

Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová Irglová - You Aint Goin' Nowhere

I think Lou Reed’s performance of “Foot of Pride” (from the “30th Anniversary Concert” that aired on TV) is pretty essential — Lou found a little-known Dylan song that was perfectly suited to be a Lou Reed song, and made it an instant highlight of the show.

(The song itself – every verse – is also peak, hardcore Infidels-era greatness...

In these times of compassion when conformity’s in fashion
Say one more stupid thing to me before the final nail is driven in.)

For vintage Dylan covers, I have always been a fan of the 13th Floor Elevators take on "(It's all over Now) Baby Blue". Roky's voice brings out the sadness in the tune.

I think Lou Reed’s performance of “Foot of Pride” (from the “30th Anniversary Concert” that aired on TV) is pretty essential — Lou found a little-known Dylan song that was perfectly suited to be a Lou Reed song, and made it an instant highlight of the show.

― i’m still stanning (morrisp),

otm

I updated my list a few weeks ago.

R. Stevie Moore, "Who Killed Davey Moore?"

Good “Not Dark Yet” from Shelby Lynne and Allison Moorer:

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ixkCXSI7M

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5ixkCXSI7M

PJ Harvey:

Highway 61 Revisited
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVA3l2xtWnk

Shot of Love
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3CIK5SoTio

Can't find a recording right now, but Alejandro Escovedo used to do a gorgeous version of "Dark Eyes," bonus points for picking from later Dylan ("Empire Burlesque!").

The Every Brothers, "Abandoned Love." One of my favorite songs and great to hear the Everlys sing it (though it can't touch Bob's only live performance at the Other End).

Buddy Guy, "Lay Lady Lay," w Anthony Hamilton's country soul voice and Robert Randolph's cosmic steel guitar.

And of course The Persuasions' a capella "The Man In Me":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bsx9YBV9EnM

Nanci Griffith's Boots of Spanish Leather is probably my favourite.

https://youtu.be/ZhKamjavG04

Can't wait to spend some serious time checking out these recommendations.

Meanwhile, the 16 Horsepower cover of Nobody 'Cept You from Bootleg series is well worht your time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iUAkIxja6uY

Love the country take of “don’t think twice” by Boby Bare:

https://youtu.be/QnAR7FAQ_cA

Also check the finale rave-up of "Tombstone Blues" on Live From Central Park, by Sheryl Crow & Friends, who on various tracks incl. Keith Richards, Chrissie Hynde, Stevie Nicks, Clapton, Dixie Chicks---Chicks are def aboard this one, think Keef too; what I remember best is Natalie Maines' vicious Texas accent, bitin' them verses.

today's WFMU show of all female-singer covers

https://www.wfmu.org/playlists/shows/92890

Thanks for this, sooo much! Current Fave rave: Marianne Faithfull's "Visions of Johanna." Oh that xpost Bettye LaVette album turned out to be excellent: she chops and channels "Times They Are A-Changin'{ to suit her groove, off-handed, also plunges fearlessly in to thickets of much later material. Fairport Convention and Friends' A Tree With Roots is pretty much all their Dylan covers, 'til the next reunion, anyway.

Nina Simone's "Just Like Tom Thumb's Blues" might be my favourite cover of anything ever.

an all-lay lady lay set! this is what i need today for sure

"rich kid blues" is _the_ marianne faithfull record for me, i think i ran into it through beware of the blog back when that was a going thing and it's, whew.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbrIPTNzEBA

For his 80th: 80 different Dylan songs by 80 different artists. (I see Rolling Stone did something similar but I made this before I saw that. A fair amount of overlap, but a bunch that aren't.)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2VMqOf2ODyYtFqDO8gZGiN?si=6e433ab69c6a43fc

thanks, tipsy!

In related news: Chrissie Hynde's Dylan covers album is unexpectedly excellent. For once an artist eschews the war horses.

Oh, I need to get on that. You're right, that's a good selection of tracks.

I quite liked Yo La Tengo’s “It Takes a lot to Laugh” cover, I had downloaded it 15 years ago and I think they just officially released it

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvel4jtV4_8

I agree, in theory, about the unconventional selections on the Chrissie Hynde record, but I'm just not that big a fan of this particular selection of post-70s Dylan tracks. The "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" cover is gorgeous, though.

The Cover Me blog is doing a whole bunch of Dylan covers stuff right now, so there's my soundtrack for today.

100 Best Dylan covers: https://www.covermesongs.com/2021/05/the-100-best-bob-dylan-covers-ever.html
20 Best Dylan cover albums: https://www.covermesongs.com/2021/05/cover-classics-bob-dylan-tribute-albums.html

Jerry Lee, "Rita May"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r-La50P_iQ

There's also a wild live version of this somewhere:

JLL: "Stepchild"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSboLWm5mA0

Link Wray's "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" from Bullshot. Play it loud.

Graham Bonnet’s 1977 cover of “It’s All Over Now Baby Blue” is crucial and key

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSBDlsTyT60

I've posted this in another thread before so apologies for the repeat, but O'Connor's "I Believe in You" is stunning - I never cared for that song until I heard her version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlkeZqHmxlk

I can announce that Chrissie Hynde's new cover of "Blind Willie McTell" is all-time.

I don't know the Dylan original, but her version of Sweetheart Like You has immediately brought me to tears. I'm only four tracks into the album but this is astonishing.

here's a mix I put together a few weeks back — pretty fun stuff: https://aquariumdrunkard.com/2021/05/04/strike-another-match-dylan-translated

Really like the Emma Swift covers that were high up on the Cover Me list

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejmLQiMMRVA

otm Alfred:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GJoGTsHWDg

Not exactly covers related, but here are 86 artists talking about their favorite Dylan song: https://www.stereogum.com/2147461/favorite-bob-dylan-songs/lists/ultimate-playlist/

Chris Whitley and Jeff Lang's version of "Changing of the Guard" is well worth searching out, it is quite beautiful and dreamy.

Mentioned once in the thread, but worth repeating that Nazareth id "Hollis Brown" as proto-doom metal circa 1974.

I really like Patti Smith's "Changing of the Guards" where she eliminates every gram of cheese. It's a quieter, stripped down arrangement, and transposing the sax part to the piano is a massive improvement.

Forgot the link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrZ9LABs-Co

Yeah that's my favorite version of "Changing of the Guards."

I only recently learned Duane Eddy did an album of Dylan covers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OxLSntYt8ts

I still haven’t heard a cover of “it’s all over now baby blue” that I didn’t like but the 13th floor elevators one is as perfect as they come.

Shooter Jennings has a great cover of “Isis”
Live version only, though I’d love to hear him do a studio version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s90aw9cybvw

Anyone else into this proto-slowcore/dream pop version of Like a Rolling Stone by Spirit?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FWCxAElOSxM

Xxp

To this day I still can’t believe they didn’t play that song in Breaking Bad finale