Monocled Alchemist

Episode 8

Dylanisms | Podcast Mixes Celebrating Bob Dylan Cover Versions |  ‘Dylanisms’ is my 10-song mix podcast project, building an extensive archive of (mostly) 1960s recordings of Bob Dylan songs as recorded by various solo performers and groups many years ago.

I will zoom in on the well known and the very obscure outfits who covered Dylan’s numbers, in particular those unknown teenage garage bands from USA. There are many but this list on Wikipedia doesn’t even acknowledge them.

My ‘Dylanisms’ project will be regular and will uncover everything worth hearing. It will last for a one-year paid subscription with my hosting platform RSS.com. By then, my mission will have been accomplished and the Gods shall anoint my feet with patchouli oil . . .

Tracks in order of appearance:

01 John Walker – “I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight”
02 John Walker – Open The Door Homer”
John Maus, better known as John Walker, and a former member of the successful Walker Brothers, went solo but major success didn’t follow. On this April 1968 single he tackles two Dylan cover admirably.

03 Los Young Beats – “The Times They Are A-Changing”
04 The Time Machine – “Just Like A Woman”
In November 1966, five young men entered the Suramericana de Grabaciones Studios in Bogota, Colombia. The name of their band was Los Young Beats and they were about to record theoir “Tiempos, ellos estan cambiando” (‘The Times They Are A-Changing’) LP.

“They wanted us to record the usual hits of the day,” remembers Roberto Fiorilli, the group’s drummer, “but we had our own ideas. Our favourite bands were the Rolling Stones, the Animals, Them and the Small Faces, and we wanted to play THEIR songs.”

And so they did. Today this 1967 album is one of the rarest and most sought-after collectors’ items from the South American sixties beat scene. (Break-A-Way Records)

Dylanisms | Podcast Mixes Celebrating Bob Dylan Cover Versions

05 Alex Campbell – “Tom Thumb’s Blues”
Arguably the most important figure in the British folk revival of whom few people have ever heard, Alex Campbell was feted by the likes of Jansch, Renbourn, Sandy Denny, Wizz Jones and Ralph McTell.

He recorded prolifically, usually for small budget labels, either performing live to an audience or in the studio where he was regarded as a one-take wonder.

His brusque take on ‘Tom Thumb’s Blues’ displays clear evidence that he’s reading and occasionally fudging the lyrics.

06 The Alan Price Set – “To Ramona”
Price’s simple piano-based treatment of ‘To Ramona’ is in stark contrast to the seven rather more wry Randy Newman songs on his second album, “A Price On His Head”.

07 The Factotums – “Absolutely Sweet Marie”
A Manchester group which had been marking time playing beat clubs and cabaret venues since 1964; they were seen by Andrew Oldham at Blackpool Tower following a Stones gig in the seaside town.

Their second Pye session in August 1966 aimed to steer them away from harmony pop by covering ‘Absolutely Sweet Marie’ and shamelessly trying to ape Dylan’s familiar vocal style.

08 Manfred Mann – “With God On Our Side”
from the ‘The One In The Middle’ EP (HMV ) 1965 | In May, 1964, Bob Dylan dropped in at London’s Marquee Club to listen to the Manfreds, declaring them to be ‘real groovy’. They return the compliment with their performance of Dylan’s controversial ‘With God On Our Side’.

09 The Hollies – “This Wheel’s On Fire”
taken from the LP ‘Hollies Sing Dylan’ (Parlophone) May 1969

10 The Byrds – “Lay Down Your Weary Tune”
taken from the LP ‘Turn Turn Turn’ (Columbia) 1965