Fifty-one years ago, on February 8, 1963, Bob Dylan played a set at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village.
It was two years after Dylan had arrived in New York, nearly two years since he got one of his first breaks playing at Gerde’s, which was probably the most important folk club in the country at that time.
Poster for Dylan’s first gig at Gerde’s Folk City in 1961.
It was a review in the New York Times by Robert Shelton of Dylan opening for the Greenbriar Boys at Gerde’s that helped Dylan to get the attention of Columbia Records’ legendary A&R man John Hammond.
By February of 1963, Dylan had signed a record deal with Columbia Records, taken on manager Albert Grossman, secured a publishing deal with Whitmark and recorded his debut, Bob Dylan, and had it released to less than minor success.
He was six months away from his first hit, a version of “Blowin’ in the Wind” that Peter, Paul and Mary would take to #2 on the pop charts, setting the stage for one of the most long-lasting and successful careers in popular music.
Gerde’s Folk City.
Below are recordings of the songs Dylan recorded at Gerde’s in the order they were performed.
1 “Lonesome River Edge”:
2 “Back Door Blues”:
3 “Bob Dylan’s Dream”:
4 “You Can Get Her”:
5 “Farewell”:
6 “All Over You” (with Happy Traum):
7 “Masters Of War”:
8 Instrumental
9 “Keep Your Hands Off Her”:
10 “Honey Babe”:
11 “Goin’ Back To Rome”:
12 “Stealin’, Stealin’,” (with Happy Traum):
-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
A year ago there was quite a bit of excitement around Sony releasing in Europe 100 copies of a four-CD collection of Bob Dylan recordings from 1962. The reason for the release was to extend Sony’s copyrights for the material.
“All Over You” from Gerde’s Folk City:
Now Sony has done it again, this time releasing 100 copies of a six-LP, 73-track set of previously unreleased recordings, Bob Dylan — 50th Anniversary Collection: 1963.
“You’ve Been Hiding Too Long,” from the Town Hall concert:
There are six tracks from studio sessions, including a version of “Percy’s Song” and a song called “That’s alright,Mama/Sally free and easy.”
“A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” from Town Hall.
The rest are live recordings including a February 1963 show at Gerde’s Folk City in Greenwich Village, and the April 1963 Town Hall concert that was a turning point for Dylan when New York Times critic Robert Shelton wrote:
“Mr. Dylan is 21 years old, hails from Hibbing, Minn., wears blue jeans, presumably has little to do with barbers, and resembles a Holden Caulfield who got lost in the Dust Bowl,” and concluded by thanking the promoter “for straying from the sure box-office attractions to present a young giant.”
“Masters of War,” live at Carnegie Hall:
“Seven Curses” from Carnegie Hall:
“When the Ship Comes In” from the civil rights protest at the Lincoln Memorial — Dylan and Baez start singing it at 4 minutes, 8 seconds:
The full track list — this is from the discussion boards of the must-read Expecting Rain Dylan site:
LP1-Side A “Columbia Studios”
1. Eternal Circle-take 4 8-12-63
2. Percy’s Song- take 1 10-23-63
3. That’s alright,Mama/Sally Free and Easy – take 1 10-23-63
4. Hero Blues- take 3 8-12-63
5. East Laredo Blues-take 1 10-23-63
6. New Orleans Rag – take 2 10-24-63
Side B Gerde’s Folk City 2-8-63 (“The Banjo Tape”)
1. Lonesome River Edge
2. Back Door Blues
3. Bob Dylan’s Dream
4. You Can Get Her
5. Farewell
6. All Over You
7. Masters of war
8. Instrumental/Jam
9. Keep Your Hands Off Her
10. Honey Babe
11. Goin’ Back to Rome
12. Stealin’
LP 2 Side C
1. Ballad of Holis Brown (Westinghouse Broadcasting Co. 3-3-63)
2. Girl from the North Country
3. Only a Hobo (both songs Oscar Brand Show/World of Music March 63)
Town Hall 4-12-63
4. Ramblin’ Down Through the World
5. Bob Dylan’s Dream
6. Talkin’ New York
7. You’ve Been Hiding too long
Side D Town Hall 4-12-63
1. Ballad of Hollis Brown
2. Walls of Red Wing
3. All Over You
4. John Birch Paranoid Blues
5. Boots of Spanish Leather
LP 3- Side E (Town Hall cont.)
1. Hero Blues
2. John Brown
3. A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall
4. Dusty Old Fairgrounds
5. Who Killed Davey Moore
Side F (Town Hall cont.)
1. Seven Curses
2. Highway 51
3. Pretty Peggy-O
4. Bob Dylan’s New Orleans Rag
5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
6. With God On Our Side
LP 4 -Side G (Home of Eve and Marie McKenzie 4-18-63)
1. James Alley Blues
2. Long Time gone
3. Only a Hobo
4. Untitled Blues Jam
5. A Hard Rain A-Gonna fall
The Bear,Chicago 4-25-63
6. Honey, just allow me one more Chance
7. Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
Side H (The Bear 4-25-63)
1. Bob Dylan’s Dream
2. Ballad of Hollis Brown
3. Talkin’ World War 3 Blues
4. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
5. With God On Our Side
LP 5 – Side I
(WFMT Rdio Studio-Studs Terkel Wax Museum 4-26-63)
1. Farewell
2. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
3. Bob Dylan’s Dream
4. Boots of Spanish Leather
5. John Brown
Side J
(Studs Terkel 4-26-63)
1. Who killed Davey Moore
2. Blowin in the Wind
Songs of Freedom-WNEW TV Studios 7-30-63
3. Blowin’ in the Wind
4. Only a Pawn in their Game
Lincoln Memorial.March on Washington 8-28-63
5. When the Ship Comes In (with Joan Baez)
6. Only a Pawn in Their Game
LP 6 – Side K
Carnegie Hall 10-26-63
1. Blowin’ in the Wind
2. Percy’s Song
3. Seven Curses
4. Walls of red Wing
Side L (Carnegie Hall 10-26-63)
1. Talkin’ World War 3 Blues
2. Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright
3. Only a Pawn in Their Game
4. Masters of War
5. Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
-– A Days of the Crazy-Wild blog post: sounds, visuals and/or news –-
