Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)
Encyclopedia
"Quinn the Eskimo" is a folk-rock song written by Bob Dylan
and first recorded during The Basement Tapes
sessions in 1967. The song was first released in January 1968 as "Mighty Quinn" by the British
band Manfred Mann
and became a great success. It has been recorded by a number of performers, often under the "Mighty Quinn" title.
The subject of the song is the arrival of the mighty Quinn (an Eskimo
), who changes despair into joy and chaos into rest, and attracts attention from the animals. The metaphorical lyrics have prompted suggestions that Quinn is a village elder. Dylan himself has said that the title character refers to actor
Anthony Quinn's
role as an Eskimo in the 1960 movie The Savage Innocents
. Dylan has also been quoted as saying that the song was nothing more than a "simple nursery rhyme." A 2004 Chicago Tribune article also claimed that the song was named after Gordon Quinn
, co-founder of Kartemquin Films
, who had given Dylan and Howard Alk
uncredited editing assistance on Eat the Document
.
Dylan makes further reference to the song in his 2004 autobiography Chronicles Volume One: "On the way back to the house I passed the local movie theater on Prytania Street, where The Mighty Quinn was showing. Years earlier I had written a song called "The Mighty Quinn" which was a hit in England
, and I wondered what the movie was about. Eventually I'd sneak off and go there to see it. It was a mystery, suspense, Jamaica
n thriller with Denzel Washington
as the Mighty Xavier Quinn a detective who solves crimes. Funny, that's just the way I imagined him when I wrote the song The Mighty Quinn, Denzel Washington."
, but did not release a version for another three years. Meanwhile, the song was picked up and recorded by the British band Manfred Mann, who released it under the title "Mighty Quinn." The Manfred Mann version reached #1 in the UK Singles Chart
for the week of 14 February 1968 and remained there the following week. It also charted on the American Billboard chart, peaking at #10, and reached #4 in Cash Box.
A later incarnation of Manfred Mann, Manfred Mann's Earth Band
, included a dramatically different live version of the song on their 1978 album Watch.
A demo of 14 of the Basement Tape recordings, including the first of two takes of "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)," was produced in 1968, but was not intended for release. Recordings taken from the demos began appearing on bootlegs
, starting with Great White Wonder
, a double-album bootleg that came out in July 1969. The first official release of the song was in 1970 on Dylan's Self Portrait
album, a live recording from 1969's Isle of Wight Festival
. The live version was also selected in 1971 for the second compilation of Dylan's career, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
.
When Columbia
finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, the song was not among the double-album's 24 songs (although an Eskimo was featured on the album cover, alongside Dylan, The Band
, and several other people meant to represent certain characters from some of Dylan's songs). However, ten years later, in 1985, the second of the original takes, appeared on the 5 LP Biograph
set (this time titled "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)"). This version from the Basement Tapes was used again on The Essential Bob Dylan
, a compilation released in 2000.
in 1967, was eventually released as part of the compilation album Biograph, in October 1985, it was entitled "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)."
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...
and first recorded during 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...
sessions in 1967. The song was first released in January 1968 as "Mighty Quinn" by the British
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...
band Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann
Manfred Mann was a British beat, rhythm and blues and pop band of the 1960s, named after their South African keyboardist, Manfred Mann, who later led the successful 1970s group Manfred Mann's Earth Band...
and became a great success. It has been recorded by a number of performers, often under the "Mighty Quinn" title.
The subject of the song is the arrival of the mighty Quinn (an Eskimo
Eskimo
Eskimos or Inuit–Yupik peoples are indigenous peoples who have traditionally inhabited the circumpolar region from eastern Siberia , across Alaska , Canada, and Greenland....
), who changes despair into joy and chaos into rest, and attracts attention from the animals. The metaphorical lyrics have prompted suggestions that Quinn is a village elder. Dylan himself has said that the title character refers to actor
Actor
An actor is a person who acts in a dramatic production and who works in film, television, theatre, or radio in that capacity...
Anthony Quinn's
Anthony Quinn
Antonio Rodolfo Quinn-Oaxaca , more commonly known as Anthony Quinn, was a Mexican American actor, as well as a painter and writer...
role as an Eskimo in the 1960 movie The Savage Innocents
The Savage Innocents
The Savage Innocents is a 1960 film, adapted from the novel Top of the World by Swiss writer Hans Rüesch.The screenplay was mainly written by its director, Nicholas Ray, who shot the film in the Canadian Arctic...
. Dylan has also been quoted as saying that the song was nothing more than a "simple nursery rhyme." A 2004 Chicago Tribune article also claimed that the song was named after Gordon Quinn
Gordon Quinn
Gordon Quinn is Artistic Director and founding member of Kartemquin Films, a 2007 recipient of the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions. Gordon Quinn has been making documentaries for over 45 years and has produced or directed over 30 films. His recent directing credits...
, co-founder of Kartemquin Films
Kartemquin Films
Kartemquin Films is a not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1966 by Gordon Quinn, Jerry Temaner and Stan Karter, three University of Chicago graduates who wanted to make documentary films guided by their principle of "Cinematic Social Inquiry." They were soon joined by Jerry Blumenthal...
, who had given Dylan and Howard Alk
Howard Alk
-Career:Alk enrolled in the University of Chicago at the age of 14. He was a member of the Compass Players cabaret troupe and one of the founders of The Second City. Alk had previously worked with Sills at the Gate of Horn. According to Sahlins, Alk coined the group's name...
uncredited editing assistance on Eat the Document
Eat the Document
Eat the Document is a documentary of Bob Dylan's 1966 tour of the United Kingdom with the Hawks. It was shot under Dylan's direction by D. A. Pennebaker, whose groundbreaking documentary Dont Look Back [sic] chronicled Dylan's 1965 British tour...
.
Dylan makes further reference to the song in his 2004 autobiography Chronicles Volume One: "On the way back to the house I passed the local movie theater on Prytania Street, where The Mighty Quinn was showing. Years earlier I had written a song called "The Mighty Quinn" which was a hit in 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...
, and I wondered what the movie was about. Eventually I'd sneak off and go there to see it. It was a mystery, suspense, Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
n thriller with Denzel Washington
Denzel Washington
Denzel Hayes Washington Jr. is an American actor, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He first rose to prominence when he joined the cast of the medical drama, St. Elsewhere, playing Dr...
as the Mighty Xavier Quinn a detective who solves crimes. Funny, that's just the way I imagined him when I wrote the song The Mighty Quinn, Denzel Washington."
Manfred Mann and Dylan versions
Dylan originally recorded the song in 1967 during the Basement Tapes sessionsThe Basement Tapes (Sessions)
The Basement Tapes is a collection of over 100 songs recorded by Bob Dylan and his then-backing group, The Band in the summer of 1967 in West Saugerties, New York, just outside of Woodstock. Almost all tracks were recorded in the basement of a house known as the Big Pink, where members of the Band...
, but did not release a version for another three years. Meanwhile, the song was picked up and recorded by the British band Manfred Mann, who released it under the title "Mighty Quinn." The Manfred Mann version reached #1 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
for the week of 14 February 1968 and remained there the following week. It also charted on the American Billboard chart, peaking at #10, and reached #4 in Cash Box.
A later incarnation of Manfred Mann, Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band
Manfred Mann's Earth Band is a British progressive rock group formed in 1971 by Manfred Mann.-Formation:Having started in the 1960s with a British band that had such hits as "Do Wah Diddy Diddy" and "The Mighty Quinn", then moving on to Jazz Fusion with Manfred Mann's Chapter Three, Manfred's third...
, included a dramatically different live version of the song on their 1978 album Watch.
A demo of 14 of the Basement Tape recordings, including the first of two takes of "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)," was produced in 1968, but was not intended for release. Recordings taken from the demos began appearing on bootlegs
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
, starting with Great White Wonder
Great White Wonder
Great White Wonder, or GWW, is the first notable rock bootleg album, released in July of 1969 and containing unofficially released recordings by Bob Dylan. It is also the first release of the famous bootleg record label Trademark of Quality...
, a double-album bootleg that came out in July 1969. The first official release of the song was in 1970 on Dylan's Self Portrait
Self Portrait (Bob Dylan album)
Self Portrait is singer-songwriter Bob Dylan's tenth studio album, released by Columbia Records in June 1970.Self Portrait was Dylan's second double album, and features mostly cover versions of well-known pop and folk songs. Also included are a handful of instrumentals and original compositions...
album, a live recording from 1969's Isle of Wight Festival
Isle of Wight Festival
The Isle of Wight Festival is a music festival which takes place every year on the Isle of Wight in England. It was originally held from 1968 to 1970. These original events were promoted and organised by the Foulk brothers under the banner of their company Fiery Creations Limited...
. The live version was also selected in 1971 for the second compilation of Dylan's career, Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II
Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II , also known as More Bob Dylan Greatest Hits, was the second compilation album released by Bob Dylan. With Dylan not expected to release any new material for an extended period of time, CBS Records president Clive Davis proposed issuing a double LP compilation of...
.
When Columbia
Columbia Records
Columbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
finally released The Basement Tapes in 1975, the song was not among the double-album's 24 songs (although an Eskimo was featured on the album cover, alongside Dylan, The Band
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...
, and several other people meant to represent certain characters from some of Dylan's songs). However, ten years later, in 1985, the second of the original takes, appeared on the 5 LP 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...
set (this time titled "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)"). This version from the Basement Tapes was used again on The Essential Bob Dylan
The Essential Bob Dylan
The Essential Bob Dylan is a compilation by Bob Dylan, released as a double-CD set in 2000, part of Columbia Records' "The Essential" series....
, a compilation released in 2000.
Variations in title of song
The first release of the song and #1 hit by Manfred Mann, which topped the UK charts in February 1968, was released as "Mighty Quinn". When Dylan released a live version of this song on his album Self Portrait, in June 1970, the song was titled "The Mighty Quinn (Quinn the Eskimo)." This title was repeated when the same live recording was released on the album Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2 in November 1971. When Dylan's original "basement tapes" recording of the song, backed by The Band and recorded in West Saugerties, New YorkWest Saugerties, New York
West Saugerties is an hamlet in Ulster County, New York, United States and part of the Town of Saugerties.West Saugerties is located at . It lies above sea level.-History:...
in 1967, was eventually released as part of the compilation album Biograph, in October 1985, it was entitled "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)."
Charts
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|
Subsequent notable recordings
Over the years, the song has been recorded by numerous artists.- CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
folk-rock duo Ian and SylviaIan and SylviaIan & Sylvia were a Canadian folk and country music duo which consisted of Ian and Sylvia Tyson, née Fricker. They began performing together in 1959, married in 1964, and divorced and stopped performing together in 1975.-Early lives:...
on their album Nashville in 1968. - Gary Puckett & The Union GapGary Puckett & The Union GapGary Puckett & The Union Gap was an American pop rock group operating in the late 1960s...
, included on their debut album, released in May 1968. - 1910 Fruitgum Company1910 Fruitgum CompanyThe 1910 Fruitgum Company is an American bubblegum pop band of the 1960s. The group's biggest hits included "Simon Says," "1, 2, 3, Red Light," "May I Take A Giant Step," "Special Delivery," "Goody Goody Gumdrops," and "Indian Giver." Guitarist Frank Jeckell claimed to have adopted the name from a...
included it on their 1968 album 1, 2, 3, Red Light. - The VenturesThe VenturesThe Ventures is an American instrumental rock band formed in 1958 in Tacoma, Washington. Founded by Don Wilson and Bob Bogle, the group in its various incarnations has had an enduring impact on the development of music worldwide. With over 100 million records sold, the group is the best-selling...
recorded a version, released on the album Flights of Fantasy (Liberty Records, May 25, 1968). - The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
played it at Abbey Road during the sessions that produced the Let It Be album. - The HolliesThe HolliesThe Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
on their 1969 album Hollies Sing DylanHollies Sing DylanHollies Sing Dylan is a 1969 cover album where the Hollies sing Bob Dylan songs. It was also released in the U.S. as Words and Music by Bob Dylan with a different cover but using the same band image and track order. First released on compact disc in West Germany in the late 1980s, it was not...
. (US title: Words and Music by Bob Dylan) - LuluLulu (singer)Lulu Kennedy-Cairns, OBE , best known by her stage name Lulu, is a Scottish singer, actress, and television personality who has been successful in the entertainment business from the 1960s through to the present day...
released a version on her 1969 album Lulu's AlbumLulu's AlbumLulu's Album is an album by British pop singer Lulu, released in 1969. Despite promotion from her TV show, Lulu Comes to Town and recently winning the Eurovision Song Contest , this album failed to chart...
. (US title: It's Lulu) - Julie LondonJulie LondonJulie London was an American singer and actress. She was best known for her smoky, sensual voice. London was at her singing career's peak in the 1950s. Her acting career lasted more than 35 years...
recorded it in 1968, released on the 1969 album Yummy, Yummy, YummyYummy, Yummy, Yummy (Julie London album)Yummy, Yummy, Yummy is a 1969 album by Julie London. It was London's final album for Liberty Records, her label since 1955. The album was released under catalog number LST 7609....
. - Leon RussellLeon RussellClaude Russell Bridges , known professionally as Leon Russell, is an American musician and songwriter, who has recorded as a session musician, sideman, and maintained a solo career in music....
covered the song as part of a live medley on his 1972 release, "Leon Live." - In 1996, a much heavier version was recorded by Swiss rockers GotthardGotthard (band)Gotthard is a Swiss hard rock/heavy metal band founded in Lugano by Steve Lee and Leo Leoni. Their last eleven albums have all reached number 1 in the Swiss album charts, making them one of the most successful Swiss acts ever....
on the album G., entitled "The Mighty Quinn." - PhishPhishPhish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
released a live version of the song in 1999 on Hampton Comes AliveHampton Comes AliveHampton Comes Alive is a six-disc live album by the American rock band Phish, released on November 23, 1999, by Elektra Records. It is the band's third live album and the first time complete live Phish concerts were released in their entirety...
, which was recorded on November 20–21, 1998, in Hampton, VirginiaHampton ColiseumThe Hampton Coliseum is a multi-use cultural, entertainment and sports arena in Hampton, Virginia. Construction on the arena began on May 24, 1968 and the venue opened in 1970 as the first large multi-purpose arena in the Hampton Roads region and the state of Virginia, opening a year prior to...
. - In 2000, the Grateful DeadGrateful DeadThe Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
also released a live version on Dick's Picks, Volume 17, from a 1991 performance in Boston. In fact, The Dead first performed the song in December 1985 at the Henry J. Kaiser Convention Center in Oakland, CA. The song was then performed more than 50 times between 1987 and 1995. On all but a handful of occasions it was the closing song of a show. - Les FradkinLes FradkinLes Fradkin is a guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, composer and record producer. He is best known for being a member of the original cast of the hit Broadway show Beatlemania...
included a version of the song on his 2006 album If Your Memory Serves You Well. - In 2007, the SpanishSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
pop group Nena DaconteNena DaconteNena Daconte are a Spanish pop group. Originally, the group consisted of Mai Meneses , and Kim Fanlo...
recorded a version for a Codorníu WineryCodorniu WineryCodorníu is the world's largest producer of bottle-fermented sparkling wine made by the traditional champagne method , it was founded in Catalonia, Spain in 1551. It produces 60 million bottles annually. Spanish sparkling wine from the region Catalonia is known as "cava."-History:The Codorníu...
marketing campaign. - In 2009 the British band CornershopCornershopCornershop are a British indie rock band formed in 1991 by Wolverhampton-born Tjinder Singh , his brother Avtar Singh , David Chambers and Ben Ayres , the first three having previously been members of Preston-based band General Havoc, who released one single in 1991...
covered the song on their album Judy Sucks a Lemon for BreakfastJudy Sucks a Lemon for BreakfastJudy Sucks a Lemon for Breakfast is a 2009 studio album by the British band Cornershop. It was their first album in seven years following 2002's Handcream for a Generation...
. - In 2009, most of the original 1960s Manfred Mann line-up, minus Manfred Mann himself, reformed as The ManfredsThe ManfredsThe Manfreds are a British pop group, formed in 1991 as a reunion of former members of the 1960s pop group Manfred Mann, however without their eponymous founder Manfred Mann himself.-Personnel:*Paul Jones - vocals, harmonica...
and joined Klaus Voorman performing a version for his first solo collection A Sideman's Journey credited to "Voormann & Friends."
External links
- http://www.secondhandsongs.com/performance/134364 secondhandsongs.com: Mighty Quinn
- bobdylan.com Lyrics to "Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)"