Bob Dylan wants to wish you a Merry Christmas.
Videos by American Songwriter
More details about Bob Dylan’s surprise Christmas album have been revealed. The album now has a name, Christmas In The Heart (which sounds like what a Bob Dylan song about Christmas would be called, if there were to be such a thing), and a release date, which is October 13, so you can stuff those stockings early. Dylan will donate all U.S.-generated royalties to the hunger-relief charity Feeding America, with additional proceeds going towards hunger-relief efforts worldwide.
Says Dylan in a statement, “It’s a tragedy that more than 35 million people in this country alone — 12 million of those children – often go to bed hungry and wake up each morning unsure of where their next meal is coming from. I join the good people of Feeding America in the hope that our efforts can bring some food security to people in need during this holiday season.”
The track list for the album, his 47th, is still unknown, but according to his website, the disc will include, “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Little Drummer Boy” and “Must Be Santa.” Awesome.
A commenter on Rolling Stone.com points out: “[the album] is probably, in part, a gift to his good friend, the producer of his radio show Eddie G. who is the world’s #1 Christmas music collector.”
By the way, here’s what the cover looks like:
Just kidding, it looks like this.
Christmas came early this year for true blue Dylan fans, when it was announced that guitarist Charlie Sexton would be rejoining the band on the Never Ending Tour, after nearly eight years away. Sexton, who helped Dylan’s revised arrangements come alive on stage, is considered by many to be the songwriter’s greatest foil next to Robbie Robertson.
“I love and respect Bob and am very happy to be reunited with my friend onstage,” Sexton tells Rolling Stone. “I’m starting up with him for the fall tour and will carry on with him from there.”
merry x-mas!