The Basement Tapes is a collection of over 100 songs recorded by Bob Dylan

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 his then-backing group, 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...

 in the summer of 1967 in West Saugerties

West 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:...

, 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...

, just outside of Woodstock

Woodstock, New York

Woodstock is a town in Ulster County, New York, United States. The population was 5,884 at the 2010 census, down from 6,241 at the 2000 census.The Town of Woodstock is in the northern part of the county...

. Almost all tracks were recorded in the basement of a house known as the Big Pink, where members of the Band were staying. Several of the songs are originals, but the majority of the sessions were devoted to covering traditional

Traditional music

Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...

 folk

Folk music

Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....

 and blues

Blues

Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...

 ballads

Ballad

A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...

, rock

Rock music

Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...

 songs, and country music

Country music

Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...

.

Only twenty-four songs from these sessions were released on the official 1975 album

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...

, but well before recordings had been circulating, first appearing on 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...

, generally considered the first popular bootleg

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...

. Since their recording, more and more have been discovered and been illicitly released, finally culminating in the release of A Tree with Roots, which contains almost every single recording made. However, two songs were officially released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961–1991 in 1991.

Below is an alphabetical list of all known songs from these recording sessions. This list does not include songs that feature only the members of the Band.

Songs

Sortable table

Song Title	Writer(s)	Notes
"A Fool Such as I"	Bill Trader	This was a hit for Hank Snow Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...  on the country charts in 1953, and a #2 pop hit for Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....  in 1959.
"All American Boy"	Bill Parsons, Orville Lunsford	Originally a hit for Bobby Bare Bobby Bare Robert Joseph Bare is an American country music singer and songwriter. He is the father of Bobby Bare, Jr., also a musician.-Early career:... , the song has references to Elvis Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker Colonel Tom Parker "Colonel" Thomas Andrew "Tom" Parker born Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk, was a Dutch-born entertainment impresario known best as the manager of Elvis Presley... . Dylan's version has different lyrics, and some have seen the song as being critical of his own manager during the 1960s, Albert Grossman Albert Grossman Albert Bernard Grossman was an American entrepreneur and manager in the American folk music scene and rock and roll. He was most famous as the manager of Bob Dylan between 1962 and 1970.-Biography:... .
"All You Have to Do is Dream" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	Levon Helm Levon Helm Mark Lavon "Levon" Helm , is an American rock multi-instrumentalist and actor who achieved fame as the drummer and frequent lead and backing vocalist for The Band.... , who was absent for much of the Basement Tapes sessions, is believed to be present on drums on both takes of this song, one of the last recorded during these sessions.
"Apple Suckling Tree" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	Griffin suggests this song features either Robertson on drums and Manuel on tambourine, or the other way round. Written to the tune of “Frog Went A-Courting Frog Went A-Courting "Frog Went A-Courtin'" is an English language folk song. Its first known appearance is in Wedderburn's Complaynt of Scotland under the name "The frog came to the myl dur", though this in Scots rather than English... ". The second take, with some additional overdubs added in 1975, was released on the official album.
"Baby Ain't That Fine"	Dallas Frazier Dallas Frazier Dallas Frazier is an American country musician and songwriter who had success in the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:Frazier was born in Spiro, Oklahoma but was raised in Bakersfield, California...	A 1966 country hit duet for Melba Montgomery Melba Montgomery Melba Montgomery is an American country music singer. She is best known for duet hit recordings in the 1960s with country music singer George Jones....  and Gene Pitney Gene Pitney Eugene Francis Alan Pitney, known as Gene Pitney , was an American singer-songwriter, musician and sound engineer. Through the mid-1960s, he enjoyed success as a recording artist on both sides of the Atlantic and was among the group of early 1960s American acts who continued to enjoy hits after the... .
"Baby, Won't You Be My Baby"	Dylan
"Banks of the Royal Canal"	Brendan Behan Brendan Behan Brendan Francis Behan was an Irish poet, short story writer, novelist, and playwright who wrote in both Irish and English. He was also an Irish republican and a volunteer in the Irish Republican Army.-Early life:...	Also known as “The Royal Canal" and “The Auld Triangle", the song is featured in Behan's first play, The Quare Fellow The Quare Fellow The Quare Fellow is Brendan Behan's first play, first produced in 1954.The title is taken from a Hiberno-English pronunciation of queer, meaning 'strange' or 'unusual'. In context, the word lacks the denotation of homosexuality which it holds today... , which is set in Mountjoy Prison Mountjoy Prison Mountjoy Prison , founded as Mountjoy Gaol, nicknamed The Joy, is a medium security prison located in Phibsboro in the centre of Dublin, Ireland. It has the largest prison population in Ireland.The current prison governor is Mr... , Dublin.
"Be Careful of the Stones You Throw" (false start and take)	Bonnie Dodd	Little Jimmy Dickens Little Jimmy Dickens James Cecil Dickens , better known as Little Jimmy Dickens, is an American country music singer famous for his humorous novelty songs, his small size, 4'11" , and his rhinestone-studded outfits...  first recorded this song in 1949, and Hank Williams released the song under his "Luke the Drifter" moniker in 1952. The song was later a hit for Dion DiMucci Dion DiMucci Dion Francis DiMucci , better known as Dion, is an American singer-songwriter whose work has incorporated elements of doo-wop, pop oldies music, rock and R&B styles....  and Hank Williams Jr.
"Belchazaar" (false start and take)	Johnny Cash Johnny Cash John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...	A Johnny Cash song released in 1957. The first of three Cash covers recorded during the Basement Tapes sessions.
"Bells of Rhymney The Bells of Rhymney "The Bells of Rhymney" is a song first recorded by folk singer Pete Seeger, using words written by Welsh poet Idris Davies. The lyrics to the song were drawn from part of Davies' poetic work Gwalia Deserta, which was first published in 1938... "	Idris Davies Idris Davies Idris Davies was a Welsh poet. He was born in Rhymney, near Caerphilly in South Wales, the Welsh-speaking son of colliery chief winderman Evan Davies and his wife Elizabeth Ann. Davies became a poet, originally writing in Welsh, but later writing exclusively in English... , Pete Seeger Pete Seeger Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...	Recorded by both The Byrds The Byrds The Byrds were an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles, California in 1964. The band underwent multiple line-up changes throughout its existence, with frontman Roger McGuinn remaining the sole consistent member until the group disbanded in 1973...  on the Mr. Tambourine Man Mr. Tambourine Man (album) Mr. Tambourine Man is the debut album by the American folk rock band The Byrds and was released in June 1965 on Columbia Records . The album, along with the single of the same name, established the band as an internationally successful rock act and was also influential in originating the musical... album and by Pete Seeger on the Pete Seeger and Sonny Terry at Carnegie Hall album.
"Big River" (takes 1 & 2)	Cash	The second Johnny Cash cover from the sessions. Cash recorded the song for Sun Records Sun Records Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...  in 1958. Take 1 breaks down.
"Blues instrumental"	Dylan
"Bonnie Ship the Diamond"	Traditional Traditional music Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...	A traditional sea shanty Sea shanty A shanty is a type of work song that was once commonly sung to accompany labor on board large merchant sailing vessels. Shanties became ubiquitous in the 19th century era of the wind-driven packet and clipper ships... .
"Bourbon Street"	Dylan	This, along with “Don't Ya Tell Henry," prominently features the trombone.
"Bring it on Home"	Bo Diddley Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor... , Dylan	A variation of Bo Diddley Bo Diddley Ellas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor... 's “Bring It To Jerome", recorded in 1955.
"Clothes Line Saga" (false start & take)	Dylan	Also known as "Answer to Ode," this song is widely believed to be a parody of Bobbie Gentry's Bobbie Gentry Roberta Lee Streeter , professionally known as Bobbie Gentry, is a former American singer-songwriter notable as one of the first female country artists to compose and produce her own material...  1967 hit "Ode to Billie Joe Ode to Billie Joe "Ode to Billie Joe" is a 1967 song written and recorded by Bobbie Gentry , a singer-songwriter from Chickasaw County, Mississippi. The single, released in late July, was a number-one hit in the United States, and became a big international seller. The song is ranked #412 on Rolling Stones list of... ".
"Come All Ye Fair and Tender Ladies Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies "Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies" is an American folk music ballad, originating from the Appalachian region. It has been recorded under either of its two title variations by numerous artists, including The Carter Family, Joan Baez, Odetta, Peter, Paul and Mary, Emmylou Harris, and Dolly Parton... "	Traditional
"Comin' Round the Mountain Comin' Round the Mountain Comin' Round The Mountain is a 1951 film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello.-Plot:Theatrical agent Al Stewart has successfully booked his client, Dorothy McCoy , "The Manhattan Hillbilly", at a New York nightclub. Unfortunately, he has also booked an inept escape artist, The Great... "		A western song copyrighted by Spencer Williams Spencer Williams Spencer Williams was an American jazz and popular music composer, pianist, and singer. He is best known for his hit songs "Basin Street Blues", "I Ain't Got Nobody", "Royal Garden Blues", "I've Found a New Baby", "Everybody Loves My Baby", "Tishomingo Blues", "Careless Love", and many...  in 1923.
"Confidential"	Dorinda Morgan	Cover of a 1956 hit by Sonny Knight.
"Cool Water Cool Water "Cool Water" is a song written in 1936 by Bob Nolan. It is about a man and his mule, Dan, and a mirage in the desert.-Original version:The best-selling recorded version was done by Vaughn Monroe and The Sons of the Pioneers in 1948. The recording was released by RCA Victor Records as catalog number... "	Bob Nolan Bob Nolan Bob Nolan was a Canadian-born American singer, songwriter, and actor. He was a founding member of the Sons of the Pioneers, and composer of numerous Country music and Western music songs, including the standards "Cool Water" and "Tumbling Tumbleweeds." He is generally regarded as one of the...	A song widely recorded by a variety of artists.
"Crash on the Levee (Down in the Flood)" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	Take two was officially released on the 1975 album.
"Don't Ya Tell Henry"	Dylan	The official album features the song, but that recording is without Dylan.
"Don't You Try Me Now	Dylan
"Down on Me Down On Me "Down on Me" is a traditional song from 1930s that became popular following its remake by Big Brother and the Holding Company.Janis Joplin rearranged the song and created new lyrics. The song was originally released in the summer of 1967 and was featured on the band's debut album Big Brother & the... "	Traditional	This is just a fragment of a traditional song which had been recorded by both Odetta Odetta Odetta Holmes, known as Odetta, was an American singer, actress, guitarist, songwriter, and a human rights activist, often referred to as "The Voice of the Civil Rights Movement". Her musical repertoire consisted largely of American folk music, blues, jazz, and spirituals...  and Eric von Schmidt Eric Von Schmidt Eric "Rick" Von Schmidt was an American singer-songwriter and Grammy Award recipient. He was associated with the folk/blues revival of the 1960s and a key part of the East Coast folk music scene that included Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.-Background and associations with Dylan:Von Schmidt's father,... .
"Flight of the Bumblebee Flight of the Bumblebee "Flight of the Bumblebee" is an orchestral interlude written by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan, composed in 1899–1900. The piece closes Act III, Tableau 1, during which the magic Swan-Bird changes Prince Gvidon Saltanovich into an insect so that he can fly away to... "	Rimsky-Korsakov	Not really a cover of the song itself, it seems to be an improvisation begun by Dylan and the Hawks after being amused by Manuel playing a few seconds of "Flight of the Bumblebee," with the lyrics sounding "as if it's poetry night in a 1956 San Francisco jazz club."
"Folsom Prison Blues Folsom Prison Blues "Folsom Prison Blues" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music artist Johnny Cash. The song combines elements from two popular folk genres, the train song and the prison song, both of which Cash would continue to use for the rest of his career... "	Cash	The third Johnny Cash cover, first recorded by Cash in 1956.
"Four Strong Winds Four Strong Winds "Four Strong Winds" is a song written by Ian Tyson in the early 1960s. It was first recorded by The Brothers Four in a version that "Bubbled Under" the Billboard Hot 100 in October 1963... "	Ian Tyson	One of a number of Ian and Sylvia Tyson songs. Ian and Sylvia Ian and Sylvia Ian & 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:...  recorded several Basement Tapes songs as well.
"The French Girl" (false start and 2 takes)	Tyson	Another Ian and Sylvia Tyson song. Dylan would return to this in the late 1980s while touring with The Grateful Dead.
"Get Your Rocks Off"	Dylan	A Basement Tapes original later covered by 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...  on their 1973 album Messin' Messin' Messin' is a rock album released in 1973 by Manfred Mann's Earth Band.Messin followed Glorified Magnified and preceded Solar Fire, and like all Earth Band albums contains a mixture of originals and covers .... .
"Going Down the Road Feeling Bad"	Traditional	First recorded in 1923 by Henry Whitter Henry Whitter Henry Whitter was an early country musician.-Biography:... . John Ford John Ford John Ford was an American film director. He was famous for both his westerns such as Stagecoach, The Searchers, and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, and adaptations of such classic 20th-century American novels as The Grapes of Wrath...  used it for his film adaptation of Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath (film) The Grapes of Wrath is a 1940 drama film directed by John Ford. It was based on John Steinbeck's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name. The screenplay was written by Nunnally Johnson and the executive producer was Darryl F... . By the time Dylan informally recorded it during the basement sessions, he had been playing the song for several years.
"Goin' to Acapulco"	Dylan	A Basement Tapes original completely unknown until it was released in 1975 on the official album.
"Gonna Get You Now"	Dylan
"(They) Gotta Quit Kicking My Dog Around"	James Bland	Two different accounts of the origins of this song have been published. Alan Lomax Alan Lomax Alan Lomax was an American folklorist and ethnomusicologist. He was one of the great field collectors of folk music of the 20th century, recording thousands of songs in the United States, Great Britain, Ireland, the Caribbean, Italy, and Spain.In his later career, Lomax advanced his theories of...  published it as "The Hound Dawg Song" in his book, The Folk Songs of North America (1960), and suggests that the song's origins date back to the 1880s. Others have suggested the song was written by James Bland. Sources agree earliest recorded version was released by Gid Tanner Gid Tanner James Gideon Tanner was an American old time fiddler and one of the earliest stars of what would come to be known as country music. His band, the Skillet Lickers, was one of the most innovative and influential string bands of the 1920s and 1930s...  and his Skillet Lickers Skillet Lickers The Skillet Lickers were an old-time band from Georgia, USA.When Gid Tanner teamed up with blind guitarist Riley Puckett and signed to Columbia in 1924, they created the label's earliest so-called "hillbilly" recording. Gid Tanner formed The Skillet Lickers in 1926. The first line-up was Gid...  in 1928.
"The Hills of Mexico On the Trail of the Buffalo "The Buffalo Skinners" is a traditional American folk song. It tells the story of an 1873 buffalo hunt on the southern plains. According to Fannie Eckstorm, 1873 is correct, as the year that professional buffalo hunters from Dodge City first entered the northern part of the Texas panhandle... "	Traditional	Dylan ends the performance near the three minute mark, advising Garth Hudson not to record the performance as it is just “wasting tape". This song has been recorded by Woody Guthrie Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his... , and many others. During his Never Ending Tour Never Ending Tour The Never Ending Tour is the popular name for Bob Dylan’s endless touring schedule since June 7, 1988. During the past 23+ years, musicians have come and gone and the band has continued to evolve... , Dylan performed "On the Trail of the Buffalo" many times.
"I Can't Come in With a Broken Heart" (false start and take)	Dylan
"I Can't Make it Alone"	Dylan
"It Don't Hurt Anymore"	Don Robertson, Jack Rollins	First recorded by Hank Snow Hank Snow Clarence Eugene "Hank" Snow was a Canadian-American country music artist. He charted more than 70 singles on the Billboard country charts from 1950 until 1980...  in 1954, where it became a number one hit in the country charts.
"I Forgot to Remember to Forget I Forgot to Remember to Forget "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" is a country song written by Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers. It was recorded at Sun Studio on July 11, 1955, by Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and Johnny Bernero on drums, and released on August 20, 1955, along with "Mystery Train"... "	Stan Kesler, Charlie Feathers Charlie Feathers Charles Arthur "Charlie" Feathers was an influential American rockabilly and country music performer.-Biography:...	Made famous by Elvis Presley Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....  in 1955. This version bears little resemblance to Elvis's rendition.
"I'm Alright"	Dylan	Only a fragment.
"I'm a Fool for You"	Dylan
"I'm Guilty of Loving You"	Dylan	Another fragment. Greil Marcus Greil Marcus Greil Marcus is an American author, music journalist and cultural critic. He is notable for producing scholarly and literary essays that place rock music in a much broader framework of culture and politics than is customary in pop music journalism.-Life and career:Marcus was born in San Francisco...  states this may be loosely based on Jim Reeves Jim Reeves James Travis Reeves , better known as Jim Reeves, was an American country and popular music singer-songwriter. With records charting from the 1950s to the 1980s, he became well-known for being a practitioner of the Nashville sound... ' 1963 song "Guilty".
"I'm in the Mood for Love"	John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker John Lee Hooker was an American blues singer-songwriter and guitarist.Hooker began his life as the son of a sharecropper, William Hooker, and rose to prominence performing his own unique style of what was originally closest to Delta blues. He developed a 'talking blues' style that was his trademark...	Recorded by John Lee Hooker in 1951. Robertson and Danko also recorded the song in 1965 with John Hammond, Jr.
"I'm Not There (1956)"	Dylan	One of the most famous and highly regarded outtakes, not just of the Basement Tapes, but Dylan's whole career. The 2007 film about Dylan entitled I'm Not There I'm Not There I'm Not There is a 2007 biographical musical film directed by Todd Haynes, inspired by iconic American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. Six actors depict different facets of Dylan's life and public persona: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw... takes its title from this song, which was released on the film's soundtrack.
"I Shall Be Released I Shall Be Released "I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan.The Band played it on their debut album, Music from Big Pink , with Richard Manuel singing lead vocals, and Rick Danko and Levon Helm harmonizing in the chorus... "	Dylan	Perhaps the most famous Basement Tapes number, and the most widely covered. However, it was not released on the official 1975 album. This song was finally released by Sony Sony , commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....  in 1991 on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3.
"I'm Your Teenage Prayer" (false start and take)	Dylan
"Johnny Todd"	Traditional	A sea chanty revived during the early 1950s by the folk revival. Made widely known by Bob Roberts Bob Roberts Bob Roberts is a 1992 film written and directed by Tim Robbins. It is a satirical mockumentary, chronicling the rise of Bob Roberts, a conservative politician who is a candidate for an upcoming United States Senate election... .
"Joshua Gone Barbados"	Eric Von Schmidt Eric Von Schmidt Eric "Rick" Von Schmidt was an American singer-songwriter and Grammy Award recipient. He was associated with the folk/blues revival of the 1960s and a key part of the East Coast folk music scene that included Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.-Background and associations with Dylan:Von Schmidt's father,...	Recorded by von Schmidt in 1963. Von Schmidt also taught Dylan the song “Baby, Let Me Follow You Down Baby, 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:... ", written by Reverend Gary Davis Reverend Gary Davis Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis, was an American blues and gospel singer and guitarist, who was also proficient on the banjo and harmonica...  which Dylan covered on his debut album in 1962 and also played in the 1966 shows with The Band for the world tour.
"The King of France"	Dylan
"Lock Your Door"	Dylan	Only a fragment.
"Lo and Behold!" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	Take 2 was released on the official album.
"Million Dollar Bash" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	One of the more famous basement recordings; released on the official album.
"Next Time on the Highway"	Dylan
"Nine Hundred Miles"	Traditional	Woody Guthrie Woody Guthrie Woodrow Wilson "Woody" Guthrie is best known as an American singer-songwriter and folk musician, whose musical legacy includes hundreds of political, traditional and children's songs, ballads and improvised works. He frequently performed with the slogan This Machine Kills Fascists displayed on his...  made this song a folk standard.
"Nothing Was Delivered" (takes 1 & 2, fragment)	Dylan	Take 1 released on the official album.
"Odds and Ends" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	Officially released, with overdubs, on the official album.
"Ol' Roison the Beau"	Traditional	A folk revival standard.
"On a Rainy Afternoon"	Dylan
"One For the Road"	Dylan	The song has been described as an enjoyably sloppy, improvised version of a Sinatra number ("One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) "One for My Baby " is a popular song written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer for the musical The Sky's the Limit and first performed in the film by Fred Astaire. It was popularized by the American singer Frank Sinatra... ").
"One Man's Loss"	Dylan	Marcus states this is probably loosely based on Dick Thomas Dick Thomas Edward John Richard 'Dick' Thomas was a Welsh international rugby union back who played club rugby for Mountain Ash.-Rugby career:... 's 1950 Hank William's-styled “One Man's Loss is Another Man's Gain."
"One Single River"	Ian Tyson, Sylvia Fricker	Another Ian and Sylvia Ian and Sylvia Ian & 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:...  song, which they recorded under the title "Song for Canada".
"Open the Door, Homer" (takes 1, 2, 3)	Dylan	The chorus echoes the 1947 hit song "Open the Door, Richard Open the Door, Richard "Open the Door, Richard" is a song first recorded on the Black & White Records label by saxophonistist Jack McVea at the suggestion of A&R man Ralph Bass. In 1947, it was the number-one song on Billboards "Honor Roll of Hits" and became a runaway pop sensation.-Origin:"Open the Door, Richard"... " by Jack McVea Jack McVea Jack McVea was an American swing, blues, and rhythm and blues woodwind player; he played clarinet and tenor and baritone saxophone...  which reached number one in the charts in 1947, recorded by Count Basie Count Basie William "Count" Basie was an American jazz pianist, organist, bandleader, and composer. Basie led his jazz orchestra almost continuously for nearly 50 years... .
"People Get Ready People Get Ready (song) "People Get Ready" was a 1965 single by The Impressions, and the title track from the album of the same name. The single is today the group's best-known hit, reaching number-three on the Billboard R&B Chart and number 14 on the Billboard Pop Chart...	Curtis Mayfield Curtis Mayfield Curtis Lee Mayfield was an American soul, R&B, and funk singer, songwriter, and record producer.He is best known for his anthemic music with The Impressions during the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960's and for composing the soundtrack to the blaxploitation film Super Fly, Mayfield is highly...
"Please Mrs. Henry"	Dylan	Appears on the acetate and the official album. Notable for Paul McCartney Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...  trying to get The Beatles The Beatles The 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...  to record it during the Let It Be sessions. Other bands to cover the song include Cheap Trick Cheap Trick Cheap Trick is an American rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. The band consists of members Robin Zander , Rick Nielsen , Tom Petersson , and Bun E... , 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...  and Chris Spedding Chris Spedding Chris Spedding is an English rock and roll and jazz guitarist, best known for his session work. Allmusic states - "Spedding is one of the UK's most versatile session guitarists, and has had a long career on two continents that saw him tackle nearly every style of rock and roll, as well as... .
"Po' Lazarus"	Traditional	A song Dylan originally performed in 1961.
"Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) Quinn the Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn) "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... " (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	This Basement Tape song was a massive hit for 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...  in January 1968, reaching number one 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 ... . Dylan's Take 1 originally appeared on the first rock bootleg album, 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... , in 1969.
"Rock, Salt, and Nails"	Utah Phillips Utah Phillips Bruce Duncan "Utah" Phillips was a labor organizer, folk singer, storyteller, poet and the "Golden Voice of the Great Southwest". He described the struggles of labor unions and the power of direct action, self-identifying as an anarchist...	First recorded by Rosalie Sorrells, made a hit by the bluegrass artists Flatt & Scruggs.
"Santa-Fe Santa-Fe (Bob Dylan song) "Santa-Fe" is a song that was recorded by Bob Dylan and the Band in the summer or fall of 1967 in the Woodstock area of New York State. It was recorded during the sessions that would in 1975 be released on The Basement Tapes but was not included on that album... "	Dylan	A Dylan original that was finally released on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 in 1991.
"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean See That My Grave Is Kept Clean "See That My Grave Is Kept Clean" is a blues song recorded by Blind Lemon Jefferson in 1927 that became "one of his most famous compositions". Son House used the melody on his 1930 recording of "Mississippi County Farm Blues".... "	Blind Lemon Jefferson Blind Lemon Jefferson "Blind" Lemon Jefferson was an American blues singer and guitarist from Texas. He was one of the most popular blues singers of the 1920s, and has been titled "Father of the Texas Blues"....	First recorded in 1928 by Jefferson, famously included in the Anthology of American Folk Music Anthology of American Folk Music The Anthology of American Folk Music is a six-album compilation released in 1952 by Folkways Records , comprising eighty-four American folk, blues and country music recordings that were originally issued from 1927 to 1932.Experimental filmmaker and notable eccentric Harry Smith compiled the music... , and first recorded by Dylan in 1962 for his eponymous 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... .
"See You Later Allen Ginsberg See You Later Alligator "See You Later, Alligator" is the title of an iconic rock and roll song of the 1950s.Originally entitled "Later Alligator", the song, based on a 12-bar blues chord structure , was written by Louisiana songwriter Robert Charles Guidry and first recorded by him under his professional name "Bobby... "	Dylan	Variation on “See You Later, Alligator". The title is coined by one of the members of The Band at the beginning of first take, causing Dylan to laugh. Years later Robbie Robertson referred to some of these sessions as "reefer Reefer - Transportation :* Reefer ship, a refrigerated ship* Refrigerator car, a refrigerated railroad boxcar * Refrigerated van, a refrigerated railway wagon * Refrigerated container, used for intermodal cargo...  run amok." The first take ends abruptly, with Dylan giving instructions to erase the take.
"Silent Weekend"	Dylan	one of the original compositions. Originally slated for official release on The Bootleg Series Vol 1-3, released in 1991, but yanked from that release when the planned four disc release was trimmed down to three discs.
"Sign on the Cross"	Dylan	The longest recording of the Basement Tapes, and often regarded as one of the highlights from the sessions.
"Silhouettes Silhouettes (song) "Silhouettes" is a song made famous by the doo-wop group The Rays in 1957. A competing version by The Diamonds was also successful, and the song was a number 5 hit in 1965 for Herman's Hermits.-Writing and Rays version:... "	Frank Slay Jr., Bob Crewe Bob Crewe Bob Crewe is an American songwriter, dancer, singer, manager, record producer and fine artist. He is known for producing, and co-writing with Bob Gaudio, a string of Top 10 singles for The Four Seasons...	a very brief cover of The Rays The Rays The Rays was an American group formed in New York in 1955, and active in the 1950s. They first recorded for Chess Records. Their biggest hit single was "Silhouettes," a moderately-slow doo-wop piece of pop music that reached #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1957, released on XYZ Records... ' #3 doowop song, released in 1957.
"Spanish is the Loving Tongue"	Charles Badger Clark	Written by 'the cowboy poet' Charles Badger Clark, and published in 1915 as a poem: "A Border Affair"; it was later set to music by Billy Simon. Dylan subsequently recorded this song twice; the second version was released as the B-side A-side and B-side A-side and B-side originally referred to the two sides of gramophone records on which singles were released beginning in the 1950s. The terms have come to refer to the types of song conventionally placed on each side of the record, with the A-side being the featured song , while the B-side, or...  of his 1971 single "Watching the River Flow Watching the River Flow "Watching the River Flow" is a blues song by Bob Dylan that was first released as an independent single. It was recorded during the March 16–18 sessions at the Blue Rock Studios in New York City, and was produced by Leon Russell. The recording was first issued as a single on June 3, 1971, backed... "; the third version was released on Columbia's so-called "revenge album", Dylan, in 1973, but was recorded earlier, during the 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... sessions in Nashville in 1969.
"The Spanish Song" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	This song, and its partner Take 2, are bizarre recordings by Dylan and The Band, suggesting a high-spirited caricature of Spanish music. Griffin suggests that the improvised lyrics and encouraging laughter give these recordings the quality of a party tape. Greil Marcus described these recording as "complete dementia with the spirit of Sam Peckinpah Sam Peckinpah David Samuel "Sam" Peckinpah was an American filmmaker and screenwriter who achieved prominence following the release of the Western epic The Wild Bunch...  present to crack the whip".
"Still in Town, Still Around"	Hank Cochran Hank Cochran Garland Perry "Hank" Cochran was an American country music singer and songwriter. Starting during the 1960s, Cochran was a prolific songwriter in the genre, including major hits by Patsy Cline, Ray Price, Eddy Arnold and others... , Harlan Howard Harlan Howard Harlan Perry Howard was a prolific American songwriter, principally in country music. In a career spanning six decades, Howard wrote a large number of popular and enduring songs, recorded by a variety of different artists...	The fourth song covered by Dylan and The Band that was initially made famous by Johnny Cash.
"This Wheel's on Fire This Wheel's on Fire (song) "This Wheel's on Fire" is a song written by Bob Dylan and Rick Danko. It was originally recorded by Dylan and The Band during their legendary 1967 sessions, portions of which comprised the 1975 album, The Basement Tapes... "	Dylan, Rick Danko Rick Danko Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...	A Basement Tapes original covered by The Band on Music From Big Pink Music from Big Pink Music from Big Pink is the 1968 debut album by rock band The Band. It features the well-known song, "The Weight". The music was composed partly in 'Big Pink', a house shared by Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson in West Saugerties, in upstate New York... , and also released on the official 1975 album.
"Tears of Rage Tears of Rage "Tears of Rage" is a song written by Bob Dylan and Richard Manuel, the former writing the lyrics and the melody being provided by the latter.-Initial recordings:... " (takes 1, 2, 3)	Dylan, Richard Manuel Richard Manuel Richard George Manuel was a Canadian composer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, best known for his contributions to and membership in The Band....	The first take of one of the most famous Basement Tapes songs. The song has gone on to be one of the most covered tunes from the basement sessions. The Band recorded their own version, which appeared as the opening track of their first album Music From Big Pink Music from Big Pink Music from Big Pink is the 1968 debut album by rock band The Band. It features the well-known song, "The Weight". The music was composed partly in 'Big Pink', a house shared by Rick Danko, Richard Manuel, and Garth Hudson in West Saugerties, in upstate New York... . Take two breaks down, and take three was released on the official album.
"Tiny Montgomery"	Dylan	Released on the official album.
"Too Much of Nothing" (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	Appears on the official album and on 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... .
"Try Me Little Girl"	Dylan	A rehearsal in which Dylan sings in a weak falsetto Falsetto Falsetto is the vocal register occupying the frequency range just above the modal voice register and overlapping with it by approximately one octave. It is produced by the vibration of the ligamentous edges of the vocal folds, in whole or in part...  voice.
"Tupleo Tupelo, Mississippi Tupelo is the largest city in and the county seat of Lee County, Mississippi, United States. It is the seventh largest city in the state of Mississippi, smaller than Meridian, and larger than Greenville. As of the 2000 United States Census, the city's population was 34,211... "	John Lee Hooker	Recorded by Hooker in 1959.
"Untitled instrumental"	Dylan	Fragment that appears just before "Under Control". On most bootleg copies the tape stops and “Under Control" begins immediately, suggesting that the instrumental may have erased the opening bars of “Under Control". Just before "Under Control" begins, Dylan can be heard saying that his guitar is not suited to that kind of instrumental music.
"Under Control	Dylan
"Waltzing with Sin" (false start and take)	Hayes-Burns
"Wildwood Flower Wildwood Flower "Wildwood Flower" is an American song, best known through performances and recordings by the Carter Family. However, the song predates them. The original title was "I'll Twine 'Mid the Ringlets"... "	A. P. Carter A. P. Carter Alvin Pleasant Delaney Carter , best known as A.P. Carter, was an American musician and founding member of The Carter Family, one of the most notable acts in the history of country music.-Life:...	A song which The Carter Family made a standard, taking the song all the way to the number 3 spot in the music charts in 1928.
"Yea! Heavy and a Bottle of Bread" (takes 1 & 2)	Take two appears on the official release.
"You Ain't Goin' Nowhere You Ain't Goin' Nowhere "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" is a song written by Bob Dylan in 1967 in Woodstock, New York, during the self-imposed exile from public appearances that followed his July 29, 1966 motorcycle accident. A recording of Dylan performing the song was first officially released on the Bob Dylan's Greatest... " (takes 1 & 2)	Dylan	On the first take, the lyrics of this song are both improvised and absurd: "Now look here, dear soup, you must feed the cats/ The cats need feeding and you're the one to do it/ Get your hat and feed the cats/ You ain't goin' nowhere". The lyrics are tightened up by take two, so it's a chance to hear Dylan's improvisatory style of writing in action. Dylan recorded this again, with slightly different lyrics, for Greatest Hits 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... .
"You Win Again"	Hank Williams	Williams released the song in 1952. Dylan models his version on the Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis is an American rock and roll and country music singer-songwriter and pianist. An early pioneer of rock and roll music, Lewis's career faltered after he married his young cousin, and he afterwards made a career extension to country and western music. He is known by the nickname 'The...  b-side version to "Great Balls of Fire Great Balls of Fire "Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 song recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis on Sun Records and featured in the 1957 movie Jamboree. It was written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer... ", which was a number 2 hit in 1957.
"Young But Daily Growing"	Traditional	One of the oldest songs in Dylan's repertoire. A recording exists of Dylan singing this song in Minneapolis in 1961. Although he has additional accompaniment, this recording sounds very similar to his 1961 rendition.

External Links

Bob Dylan 1967 session pages at Olof Björner

Olof Björner

Olof Björner is a Swedish researcher who has specialized in documenting the live performances and recording sessions of American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan...

's website.