Remember When David Bowie and Mick Ronson Covered This Legendary Bob Dylan Song in 1994?

If you’ve never heard Mick Ronson and David Bowie’s cover version of “Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan, you’re not alone there. This gorgeous 1988 cover (released in 1994) is a bit of a deep cut, but it certainly deserves more love today.

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Bob Dylan originally released “Like A Rolling Stone” way back in 1965 via his legendary album Highway 61 Revisited. It’s been covered by everyone from The Jimi Hendrix Experience to The Rolling Stones to Patti Smith. Plenty more have tried to capture Dylan’s magic with their own versions of this anthem. Few have managed to do it while still sounding unique. That is, until David Bowie and Mick Ronson decided to dish out their own cover in the 90s.

David Bowie and Mick Ronson Nailed Bob Dylan’s “Like A Rolling Stone”

This cover couldn’t sound more different from the original version, but it still manages to sound amazing. Bowie’s vocals are on point, and the overall vibe of the song has a pop-rock, upbeat vibe that contrasts with the original slow-rolling folk rock version.

So, how did this cover come to be? Well, back in the 90s, Ronson was hard at work on his solo record Heaven And Hull. He got in touch with his on-again, off-again friend, Bowie, and asked if he had any ideas for the record. Bowie gave Ronson a number of tapes, which included a recording Bowie did of “Like A Rolling Stone” in Los Angeles in the 1980s, believed to be specifically from 1988. The session featured Bruce Fairburn’s production efforts and Bryan Adams’ own band.

Ronson opted to overdub as much as he could on the tape, leaving Bowie’s vocals and Ronson’s own instrumentals. The result is a cover of “Like A Rolling Stone” with 90s instrumentation and Bowie’s vocal track from the 80s.

Ronson and Bowie’s cover would, sadly, have a bittersweetness about it in a few ways. To start, the pair’s friendship had broken down over the years. Bowie didn’t pop into Ronson’s studio to record with him. He sent him some tapes. And that would mark the end of their collaborative relationship with a whimper, not a bang.

This cover is even more bittersweet, considering it wouldn’t be officially released until after Ronson had passed away from liver cancer in 1993. Heaven And Hull would drop the following year, featuring Ronson’s version of “Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan and David Bowie’s years-old vocals. 

I’m glad it got released. But despite the upbeat nature of the song, I can’t help but feel a bit sad listening to it, considering the pair’s deteriorated relationship and Ronson’s death.

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