A compendium of musical delights by Alan and Margaret Ashworth
Rolling Stone said: ‘Dylan’s good friend Johnny Cash famously duetted with him on this folk ballad for Nashville Skyline in 1969. Cash also included the Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan number on a list of “essential” country … Continue readingRosanne Cash: Girl from the North Country
A real curio, this. Complete with false start when his guitar falls off, Thunders covers the Dylan song from 1975’s Desire album live on Irish TV. When the presenter says … Continue readingJohnny Thunders: Joey
IT’S been a few months since I wrote about the Black Museum, a dog-eared paper collection of howlers perpetrated by reporters and intercepted by sub-editors. So let’s pay another visit to the … Continue readingReturn to the Black Museum
Two years after it appeared on Dylan’s John Wesley Harding album, luscious Linda recorded this song for her debut solo album Hand Sewn . . . Home Grown.
The band have dropped this number from their live act reportedly because of controversy over the lyrics. That’s good enough for me to feature it. It is credited to Jagger … Continue readingRolling Stones: Brown Sugar
This is one of my favourite Dylan songs: ‘In 14 months I’ve only smiled once and I didn’t do it consciously.’ It was recorded during the Blood on the Tracks sessions but left off … Continue readingRoger McGuinn: Up To Me
This quintessential pop song was composed at the Brill Building by Sedaka (music) and Howard Greenfield (lyrics). It was recorded in 1959 and released in December 1960. Early in 1961 … Continue readingNeil Sedaka: Calendar Girl
Two versions of a Dylan classic, featuring two of my favourite chantoosies. First we have Nico, from her wonderful 1967 debut solo album Chelsea Girl. And then Sandy Denny leading … Continue readingNico/Fairport Convention: I’ll Keep It With Mine
This song was an outtake from Bob Dylan’s 1983 album Infidels. It appeared on bootlegs and was Reed’s choice to perform at a 1992 New York tribute to Dylan nicknamed … Continue readingLou Reed: Foot of Pride
Slotting neatly into our Dylan covers series, a tribute to David Crosby, who has died aged 81. He was a founder member of the Byrds, who took this song to … Continue readingThe Byrds: Mr Tambourine Man