and marks the return of Dylan to Columbia Records after releasing two albums on the "Asylum" label.
{"Before The Flood" + "Planet Waves"}
Lotsa terrific songs on "Blood On The Tracks" and my favourite became "When You See Her Say Hello"....
because of my former girlfriend, Wendy. Looooong Story !!!
Anyhow Ken, there's no surprise you got a tremendous reception when you sang "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go"....
Great song....and you must've done a super job performing it !!!
Did I tell you about the time I performed at Kelly's Bar in Montreal ???
I used to sing Bob Dylan songs too, and the drunker everybody got...the better I sounded !!! {hahaha}
Brucester
<> "You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go" / Bob Dylan / LP: Blood On The Tracks
Brucester, Yes, the early Bob Dylan albums inspired me to learn guitar, and also his Blood On The Tracks album prompted me to learn "You're Going To Make Me Lonesome When You Go" complete with harmonica accompaniment This song was always a hit when I played it in bars.
Hi Ken,
Bob Dylan's two songs: "Girl From The North Country" and "Boots Of Spanish Leather" are similar in their melodies,
and Bob probably used the same finger-picking techniques on his guitar.
If I remember correctly, Ken, you learnt how to play guitar from Bob Dylan's "Freewheelin" album.
You got hold of Bob's LP in STEREO, and at the time, you'd be able to listen to Bob Dylan's voice on the LEFT speaker...
and listen to Bob's guitar on the RIGHT speaker.
AND...AND...AND...
As a point of interest, in 1962, Art Garfunkel was studying to become an architect....
and he was losing interest in singing together with Paul Simon.
During the summer of 1963, while walking along New York's "Broadway"....
Art Garfunkel passed a Record Store and noticed the LP cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" in the window.
He stared at that picture of Bob Dylan walking down the street with his girlfriend, and he kept on looking at it for 10 minutes:
"I knew right then and there I wanted to make albums too. I immediately phoned Paul Simon and told him I've been inspired by Bob Dylan."
Paul Simon asked: "What song inspired you, Artie?"
Art Garfunkel snapped back....
"It wasn't a song, Paul. It was an album cover."
Brucester
"Girl From The North Country" / LP: The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan / Columbia Records / {rel: May 1963}
Thanks, Bruce, for bringing these songs to light here! "Boots Of Spanish Leather" and "Girl From The North Country" are my two favorite fingerpicked Bob Dylan songs. Both songs use the same picking pattern and chords. I used to play these songs back in the day when I played out. Anyone wanting to learn this style of fingerpicking needs to try these songs.
"How can, how can, you ask me again? It only brings me sorrow. The same thing I would want today, I would want again tomorrow." - Bob Dylan
The beautiful young girl walking arm in arm with Bob Dylan on the album cover of "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" is none other than Suze Rotolo.
Bob Dylan was infatuated with Suze, and when she left him in 1962, to go to Italy, Bob felt betrayed. He was heartbroken and lonely, living in New York.
During this time, Bob Dylan penned three songs:
- Don't Think Twice, It's All Right
- Tomorrow Is A Long Time
- Boots of Spanish Leather
From a letter Bob Dylan wrote to Suze Rotolo:
"It's just that I'm hating time. I'm trying to stab it; stomp it; throw it on the ground and kick it.
Bend it and twist it with gritting teeth and burning eyes. I hate that I love you."
Suze Rotlo's response (in her book: "A Freewheelin' Time") > she says:
"In that Boots song, I guess it was inspired by my leaving and Bob having to deal with it.
Yet, no power on Earth could have kept me from running back to him in a New York minute."
What's the significance of "Spanish Leather"?
Says Suze: "Spanish Boots are cool and they're sexy."
The "made-up" dialogue in "Boots of Spanish Leather" has got to do with two lovers breaking up.
The girl (Suze Rotlo) is sailing away...while her boyfriend (Bob Dylan) stands on shore, watching her boat leave.
GIRL WHO IS LEAVING:
Oh, but I just thought you might want something fine, made of Silver or of Golden? Either from the Mountains of Madrid, or from the Coast of Barcelona.
BOYFRIEND STAYING BACK HOME:
Oh, but if I had the stars from the darkest night, and the diamonds from the deepest ocean, I'd forsake them all for your sweet kiss.
For that's all I'm wishin' to be ownin'.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
When Bob Dylan introduces this song at concerts, this is what he says (as he strums his guitar):
"This is called Boots of Spanish Leather. It's about when you can't get what you want and you gotta settle for less, type of song."
BONUS TRACK:
Mandolin Orange (aka: Watch-House)
singers: Emily Frantz & Andrew Marlin
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