Bob Dylan’s 1970 studio sessions will see the light of day on February 26 with the official Sony/Legacy release of Bob Dylan-1970, the latest in the singer’s Copyright Collection series. The 3-CD set captures music recorded in 1970 for Self Portrait, New Morning and more, including nine tracks recorded with George Harrison on May 1 of that year.
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In addition to working on original songs, the sessions feature Dylan and his rotating team, including Charlie Daniels, David Bromberg and Al Kooper, working on covers by folk contemporaries Tom Paxton, Buffy St. Marie, and ‘50s classics by Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash and the Everly Brothers.
The songs were released in a limited quantity (reportedly 100 total) through UK retailer Badlands on December 4 to preserve the copyright integrity of the material. By doing so, Sony Music and Dylan prevent bootleggers and anyone with access to the recordings to release the material on their own without copyright infringement. Since 2012, Dylan has annually released nearly the entirety of his unreleased recording vault from 1962 through 1970 via the Copyright Collection series.
Link here: https://BobDylan.lnk.to/1970FA
Harrison certainly enjoyed the studio time spent with Dylan, as he wound up recording and releasing his own version of “If Not For You” on his All Things Must Pass album later that year.
The full track listing and session info for Bob Dylan- 1970 appears below:
Bob Dylan – 1970 (50th Anniversary Collection)
Disc 1
March 3, 1970
I Can’t Help but Wonder Where I’m Bound
Universal Soldier – Take 1
Spanish Is the Loving Tongue – Take 1
Went to See the Gypsy – Take 2
Went to See the Gypsy – Take 3
Woogie Boogie
March 4, 1970
Went to See the Gypsy – Take 4
Thirsty Boots – Take 1
March 5, 1970
Little Moses – Take 1
Alberta – Take 2
Come All You Fair and Tender Ladies – Take 1
Things About Comin’ My Way – Takes 2 & 3
Went to See the Gypsy – Take 6
Untitled 1970 Instrumental #1
Come a Little Bit Closer – Take 2
Alberta – Take 5
Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, piano
David Bromberg – guitar, dobro, bass
Al Kooper – organ, piano
Emanuel Green – violin
Stu Woods – bass
Alvin Rogers – drums
Hilda Harris, Albertine Robinson, Maeretha Stewart – background vocals
May 1, 1970
Sign on the Window – Take 2
Sign on the Window – Takes 3-5
If Not for You – Take 1
Time Passes Slowly – Rehearsal
If Not for You – Take 2
If Not for You – Take 3
Song to Woody – Take 1
Mama, You Been on My Mind – Take 1
Yesterday – Take 1
Disc 2
Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues – Take 1
Medley: I Met Him on a Sunday (Ronde-Ronde)/Da Doo Ron Ron – Take 1
One Too Many Mornings – Take 1
Ghost Riders in the Sky – Take 1
Cupid – Take 1
All I Have to Do Is Dream – Take 1
Gates of Eden – Take 1
I Threw It All Away – Take 1
I Don’t Believe You (She Acts Like We Never Have Met) – Take 1
Matchbox – Take 1
Your True Love – Take 1
Telephone Wire – Take 1
Fishing Blues – Take 1
Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance – Take 1
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 – Take 1
It Ain’t Me Babe
If Not for You
Sign on the Window – Take 1
Sign on the Window – Take 2
Sign on the Window – Take 3
Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
George Harrison – guitar, vocals (Disc 1, Tracks 20 & 24 and Disc 2, Tracks 2-3, 6-7, 10-11, & 16)
Bob Johnston – piano (Disc 1, Tracks 24-25 and Disc 2, Tracks 1-3)
Charlie Daniels – bass
Russ Kunkel – drums
June 1, 1970
Alligator Man
Alligator Man [rock version]
Alligator Man [country version]
Sarah Jane 1
Sign on the Window
Sarah Jane 2
Disc 3
June 2, 1970
If Not for You – Take 1
If Not for You – Take 2
June 3, 1970
Jamaica Farewell
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Long Black Veil
One More Weekend
June 4, 1970
Bring Me Little Water, Sylvie – Take 1
Three Angels
Tomorrow Is a Long Time – Take 1
Tomorrow Is a Long Time – Take 2
New Morning
Untitled 1970 Instrumental #2
June 5, 1970
Went to See the Gypsy
Sign on the Window – stereo mix
Winterlude
I Forgot to Remember to Forget 1
I Forgot to Remember to Forget 2
Lily of the West – Take 2
Father of Night – rehearsal
Lily of the West
Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, piano, harmonica
David Bromberg – guitar, dobro, mandolin
Ron Cornelius – guitar
Al Kooper – organ
Charlie Daniels – bass, guitar
Russ Kunkel – drums
Background vocalists unknown
August 12, 1970
If Not for You – Take 1
If Not for You – Take 2
Day of the Locusts – Take 2
Bob Dylan – vocals, guitar, harmonica
Buzzy Feiten – guitar
Other musicians unknown
March 3-5 and May 1, 1970 sessions took place at Studio B, Columbia Recording Studios, New York City, New York
June 1-5 and August 12, 1970 sessions took place at Studio E, Columbia Recording Studios, New York City, New York
Photo Credit: Al Clayton
