The Byrds Play Dylan
Encyclopedia
The Byrds Play Dylan is the name of two compilation album
s by the American rock
band
The Byrds
, one released in 1979 and the other issued in 2002. As their titles suggest, each compilation consists of interpretations of Bob Dylan
penned songs, which The Byrds recorded at different stages of their career. Neither version of the album reached the charts in the United States or the United Kingdom.
The original 1979 release of The Byrds Play Dylan was not, in fact, the first compilation of The Byrds' covers
of Dylan's material to have been issued; an earlier, eleven track compilation had appeared in Japan in 1970 under the title The Byrds Sing Dylan. Yet another compilation of The Byrds' interpretations of Dylan's material was released in the UK and Europe as The Byrds Play the Songs of Bob Dylan in 2001.
The first incarnation of The Byrds Play Dylan was released by Columbia Records
in the U.S. in November 1979 and included all thirteen Dylan covers that the band had officially released between 1965 and 1970, from their debut single "Mr. Tambourine Man
" through to their live rendition of "Positively 4th Street
". However, the track listing of the original American album did not present the songs in chronological order, something that was rectified by The Byrds' biographer Johnny Rogan
for its UK and European release in February 1980. The chronological running order used for the European version of The Byrds Play Dylan was retained for all subsequent CD
re-releases of the original album. In 2008, the original thirteen track version of the album was re-released with its chronological running order intact, under the augmented title of Collections: The Byrds Play Dylan.
In June 2002, a second compilation bearing the title The Byrds Play Dylan was released, which expanded considerably on the scope of the original album and included a number of alternate versions and live recordings that had not been released by The Byrds during the 1960s and 1970s. It also included The Byrds' cover of "Paths of Victory", which had been recorded in 1990 by a reunited line-up of the band featuring original members Roger McGuinn
, David Crosby
and Chris Hillman
. All of the material on the 2002 edition of The Byrds Play Dylan had been previously released, either on The Byrds' regular album
s, on their singles
, as bonus track
s on their remastered CDs, or on The Byrds
box set.
, except where noted.
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
s by the American 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...
band
Musical ensemble
A musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
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...
, one released in 1979 and the other issued in 2002. As their titles suggest, each compilation consists of interpretations of 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...
penned songs, which The Byrds recorded at different stages of their career. Neither version of the album reached the charts in the United States or the United Kingdom.
The original 1979 release of The Byrds Play Dylan was not, in fact, the first compilation of The Byrds' covers
Cover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
of Dylan's material to have been issued; an earlier, eleven track compilation had appeared in Japan in 1970 under the title The Byrds Sing Dylan. Yet another compilation of The Byrds' interpretations of Dylan's material was released in the UK and Europe as The Byrds Play the Songs of Bob Dylan in 2001.
The first incarnation of The Byrds Play Dylan was released by Columbia Records
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...
in the U.S. in November 1979 and included all thirteen Dylan covers that the band had officially released between 1965 and 1970, from their debut single "Mr. Tambourine Man
Mr. Tambourine Man
"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" through to their live rendition of "Positively 4th Street
Positively 4th Street
"Positively 4th Street" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Dylan in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965, reaching #1 on Canada's RPM chart, #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the UK Singles Chart...
". However, the track listing of the original American album did not present the songs in chronological order, something that was rectified by The Byrds' biographer Johnny Rogan
Johnny Rogan
Johnny Rogan is an author of Irish descent best known for his books about music and popular culture. He has written influential biographies of The Byrds, The Smiths and Van Morrison. His writing is characterised by "an almost neurotic attention to detail", epic length and a sometimes hostile...
for its UK and European release in February 1980. The chronological running order used for the European version of The Byrds Play Dylan was retained for all subsequent CD
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 ,...
re-releases of the original album. In 2008, the original thirteen track version of the album was re-released with its chronological running order intact, under the augmented title of Collections: The Byrds Play Dylan.
In June 2002, a second compilation bearing the title The Byrds Play Dylan was released, which expanded considerably on the scope of the original album and included a number of alternate versions and live recordings that had not been released by The Byrds during the 1960s and 1970s. It also included The Byrds' cover of "Paths of Victory", which had been recorded in 1990 by a reunited line-up of the band featuring original members 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...
, David Crosby
David Crosby
David Van Cortlandt Crosby is an American guitarist, singer, and songwriter. In addition to his solo career, he was a founding member of three bands: The Byrds, Crosby, Stills & Nash , and CPR...
and Chris Hillman
Chris Hillman
Christopher Hillman was one of the original members of The Byrds which in 1965 included Roger McGuinn, Gene Clark, David Crosby, and Michael Clarke....
. All of the material on the 2002 edition of The Byrds Play Dylan had been previously released, either on The Byrds' regular album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s, on their singles
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...
, as bonus track
Bonus track
In terms of recorded music, a bonus track is a piece of music which has been included on specific releases or reissues of an album. This is most often done as a promotional device, either as an incentive to customers to purchase albums they might otherwise not, or to repurchase albums they already...
s on their remastered CDs, or on The Byrds
The Byrds (boxed set)
The Byrds is a four-CD box set by the American rock band The Byrds that was released on October 19, 1990 by Columbia/Legacy. The compilation comprises 90 tracks and covers the band's career from 1965 to 1971 in roughly chronological order, but excludes material from their 1973 reunion album...
box set.
Track listing
All songs composed by 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...
, except where noted.
- NOTE: The following track listing is for the revised, chronological running order that was used on European versions of the original album and all subsequent re-releases of it on CD.
Side 1
- "Mr. Tambourine ManMr. Tambourine Man"Mr. Tambourine Man" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, which was released on his 1965 album Bringing It All Back Home. The Byrds also recorded a version of the song that was released as their first single on Columbia Records, reaching number 1 on both the Billboard Hot 100 chart and...
" – 2:21 - "All I Really Want to Do" – 2:04
- "Chimes of FreedomChimes of Freedom"Chimes of Freedom" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and featured on his 1964 album Another Side of Bob Dylan , produced by Tom Wilson. It was written in early 1964 and was influenced by the symbolist poetry of Arthur Rimbaud. The song depicts the feelings and thoughts of the singer...
" – 3:51 - "Spanish Harlem IncidentSpanish Harlem Incident"Spanish Harlem Incident" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and was released on his 1964 album, Another Side of Bob Dylan, on August 8, 1964 . The song has been described as a "a gorgeous vignette" by critics and been praised for its multilayered, poetic dimensions...
" – 1:57 - "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....
" – 2:18 - "Lay Down Your Weary TuneLay Down Your Weary Tune"Lay Down Your Weary Tune" is song written by Bob Dylan in 1963. It was originally recorded for his album The Times They Are a-Changin, but it was ultimately left off of that record. Dylan's studio recording of the song was eventually released on his 1985 box set Biograph...
" – 3:30 - "My Back PagesMy Back Pages"My Back Pages" is a song written by Bob Dylan and included on his 1964 album, Another Side of Bob Dylan. It is stylistically similar to his earlier folk protest songs and features Dylan's voice with an acoustic guitar accompaniment...
" – 3:08
Side 2
- "You Ain't Goin' NowhereYou 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...
" – 2:33 - "Nothing Was Delivered" – 3:24
- "This Wheel's on FireThis 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...
" (Bob Dylan, Rick DankoRick DankoRichard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
) – 4:44 - "It's All Over Now, Baby BlueIt'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...
" – 4:53 - "Lay Lady LayLay Lady Lay"Lay Lady Lay" is a song written by Bob Dylan and originally released in 1969 on his Nashville Skyline album. Like many of the tracks on the album, Dylan sings the song in a low croon, rather than in the high nasal singing style associated with his earlier recordings...
" – 3:18 - "Positively 4th StreetPositively 4th Street"Positively 4th Street" is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan, first recorded by Dylan in New York City on July 29, 1965. It was released as a single by Columbia Records on September 7, 1965, reaching #1 on Canada's RPM chart, #7 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100, and #8 on the UK Singles Chart...
" – 3:08
2002 edition track listing
- "All I Really Want to Do" – 2:04
- "Chimes of Freedom" – 3:51
- "It's All Over Now, Baby Blue" [1965 Version] – 3:04
- "Lay Down Your Weary Tune" – 3:31
- "Lay Lady Lay" – 3:17
- "Mr. Tambourine Man" – 2:31
- "My Back Pages" – 3:08
- "Nothing Was Delivered" – 3:24
- "Positively 4th Street" – 3:10
- "Spanish Harlem Incident" – 1:57
- "The Times They Are a-Changin'" – 2:18
- "This Wheel's on Fire" (Bob Dylan, Rick Danko) – 4:44
- "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" – 3:08
- "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)"It's Alright, Ma " is a song written and performed by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1965 album, Bringing It All Back Home. It was written in the summer of 1964, first performed live on October 10, 1964, and recorded on January 15, 1965...
" [Live] – 3:03 - "Just Like a WomanJust Like a Woman (song)"Just Like a Woman" is a song written by Bob Dylan and first released on his 1966 album, Blonde on Blonde . It was also released as a single in the U.S. during August 1966 and peaked at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100...
" – 3:55 - "Lay Lady Lay" [Alternate Version] – 3:18
- "The Times They Are a-Changin'" [Early Version] – 1:54
- "Mr. Tambourine Man" [Live] – 2:30
- "Chimes of Freedom" [Live] – 3:24
- "Paths of Victory" – 3:09