On This Day in 1962, Bob Dylan Went Into the Studio to Record the Song That Introduced Him to the World

On this day (July 9) in 1962, Bob Dylan stepped into the Columbia Recording Studio in New York City, New York, to record “Blowin’ in the Wind.” The song appeared on his 1963 sophomore album and was widely covered after its release. Other artists made the song a hit, and it helped him gain national attention as a songwriter.

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Dylan wrote “Blowin’ in the Wind” in 1962 and played it live for a while before deciding to record it. This was normal for the singer/songwriter because it helped him control when other artists could cover his songs. They were protected until he recorded them. Then, anyone who paid the mechanical licensing fee could record a new version. When he released it on his sophomore album, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan, several cover versions materialized.

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The folk group Peter, Paul, and Mary released the most popular version of “Blowin’ in the Wind” in June 1963. Their rendition of the song peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, giving Dylan wide exposure as a songwriter. Later that year, they released a cover of “Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right.”

According to Songfacts, Dylan received national acclaim when he joined Peter, Paul, and Mary for a live performance of “Blowin’ in the Wind” at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963. Writers from Time, Playboy, and The New York Times wrote about him after the festival.

The Odd Controversy Bob Dylan Faced After Releasing “Blowin’ in the Wind”

In November 1963, Newsweek ran an article about Bob Dylan and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” However, it wasn’t about his performance at the Newport Folk Festival. Instead, the article alleged that a New Jersey high school student named Lorre Wyatt wrote the song and sold it to Dylan.

Both Dylan and Wyatt denied that this was the case. However, many of Wyatt’s classmates claimed they had heard him play it before Dylan released it. They had.

Dylan published the lyrics to “Blowin’ in the Wind” in Sing Out!, a folk music magazine. The issue with the lyrics in it hit shelves on July 30. Wyatt read the lyrics, liked them, worked up a version for his band, and performed it for his classmates months before Dylan released the song.

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