Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan is the second album by the musician American Bob Dylan, released by Columbia Records in 1963.
Unlike his album debut, Bob Dylan, which provided two compositions, Freewheelin’ ‘ contains two versions of traditional songs, “Corrina, Corrina”, and “Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance”. “Blowin’ in the Wind”, one of the best-known compositions the musical career of Dylan, is the theme chosen for the album.
Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan peaked # 22 on the Billboard charts being certified Platinum, and first place in the UK album published in 1965. He was one of the 50 albums selected in 2002 by the library of the Congress of United States to be added to the National Recording Registry.
Recording sessions
With Hammond in production, Dylan began work on his second album on Columbia Records in New York at Studio 24 April 1962. Work, in its infancy, was named Bob Dylan’s Blues, although eventually would be modified by the final title. Dylan would interpret several versions of traditional folk, “Going To New Orleans” and “Corrina, Corrina”, as well as the classic Hank Williams “(I_Heard_That) Lonesome Whistle”. Still, part of the meeting was dedicated to Dylan compositions and four of them were recorded: “Sally Gal”, “The Death of Emmett Till”, “Rambling, Gambling Willie” and “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues”. The recorded version of “John Birch” and “Rambling, Gambling Willie” were deemed satisfactory for inclusion on the album.
Dylan would study the next day, recording the master shot of “Let Me Die in My Footsteps”, which would also sequenced for the album. Dylan recorded after new compositions (“Rocks and Gravel”, “Talking Hava Negiliah Blues”, “Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues” and two new outlets “Sally Gal”), as well as multiple versions of classics like “Wichita (Going to Louisiana)”, “Baby Please Don’t Go”, Big Joe William, and “Milk cow’s calf’s Blues”, Robert Johnson. None of the latter would receive much attention, while “Talking Hava Negiliah Blues” and “Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues” would be published on their 1991 album The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991.
The recording sessions would not resume until July 9. By then, the personal and professional life of Dylan would suffer several changes. His Manager, Albert Grossman, introduce you to the adventures of the business.
During the meeting of 9 June, Dylan recorded new compositions. The most notable would be “Blowin’ in the Wind”, song who had already played live but had not yet registered in the study. Also recorded “Bob Dylan’s Blues”, “Down the Highway” and “Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance”, and the four songs were selected for the album master takes.
Dylan also recorded “baby, I’m In The Mood For You”. Original composition of the musician, finally saw the light in the box set retrospective Biograph. Other two outtakes “Worried Blues” and “Quit Your Low Down Ways”, were released on their 1991 album The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991.
In early August, Dylan returned to Minnesota, where he met with old friends, including Tony Glover, who recorded at an informal meeting with Dylan. In the recording, Dylan speaks about Suze Rotolo and how expected to return to America on September 1 (she had been studying art in Europe, traveling Italy on 8 June.) Then performed a version of a last composition, “Tomorrow Is A Long Time”. Shortly after September 1, Dylan know the news that Suze had decided to stay to live in Italy indefinitely, creating tension in your romantic relationship.
Dylan would return to New York in the fall to carry out several concerts where they made their debut some compositions such as “don’t Think Twice, it’s All Right” and “A Hard rain’s A-Gonna Fall”. Both songs were performed in the Gaslight café in October, recorded and edited on bootlegs; one of the most celebrated concerts of Dylan, much of the recording’s career would be edited in Live at The Gaslight 1962.
Possible way, Dylan resume work of their second album at Columbia’s Studio where he recorded three songs on October 26. Multiple takes of “Mixed-Up Confusion” and the theme of Arthur Crudup Dylan’s All Right Mama “were dismissed, but managed to register a master take of”Corrina, Corrina”, which was selected for the album. A shot “Corrina, Corrina” alternative to the same session would be selected to be released on single at year-end.
November 1, Dylan would organize another meeting in which he recorded three new songs. Again, Dylan attempted “Mixed-Up Confusion” and “That’s All Right Mama”, and again the results were not satisfactory. Still, a third single, “Rock And Gravel” would obtain satisfactory enough to be selected on the album.
November 14, Dylan held another session in A Studio, spending much time recording “Mixed-Up Confusion”. Dylan would try the song with multiple session musicians, including George Barnes (guitar), Bruce Langhorne (guitar), Dick Wellstood (piano), Gene Ramey (bass) and Herb Lovelle (drums). The song was not used for the final sequence of the album, but yes was selected a master take finally published as a single at year-end.
After completing “Mixed-Up Confusion”, most of the musicians were driven, while guitarist Langhorne accompany Dylan in three other songs (“Ballad of Hollis Brown”, “Kingsport Town” and “Whatcha Gonna Do”), eventually discarded; “Kingsport Town” saw the light in their 1991 album The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991.
Dylan held another recording session three weeks later, on December 6. Five tracks, all of them new compositions, recorded, three of which were eventually included in Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan: “A Hard rain’s A-Gonna Fall”, “Oxford Town” and “I Shall Be Free”. Master takes these three songs were recorded at the first attempt. Dylan would also try “Watcha Gonna Do” item and a new song, “Hero Blues”, although both were rejected and remain unpublished.
Twelve days later, Dylan left New York to carry out his first trip to England. During your stay in London, Dylan inmiscuiría in the folk scene by contacting Anthea Joseph Organizer and Martin Carthy and Bob Davenport folk singers. Carthy introduce Dylan a number of variations in British traditional subjects knew Dylan hand American versions. “Scarborough Fair” and “Lady Franklin’s Lament” songs provided Melody Dylan to compose “Girl from the North Country” and “Bob Dylan’s Dream”.
After completing their obligations in England (with a brief appearance in the BBC drama The Madhouse on Castle Street in Dylan would interpret an early version of “Blowin’ in the Wind”), Dylan would travel to Italy to reunite with his girlfriend, Suze Rotolo. Italy, expiring “Girl from the North Country”, as well as the outline of another song, “Boots of Spanish Leaher”.
When Dylan returned to New York in January, he recorded a new composition, “Masters of Wars”. During this time, resume their romantic relationship with Suze, who would end up convincing back to his apartment of 4th Street.
Dylan organized a new session in the Studio at April 24, while John H. Hammond was not available to produce it; by then, his association with Dylan had ended. As a result, Columbia paired Dylan with a new producer Tom Wilson. Until then, Wilson had more experience in jazz recordings showing reluctant to work with Dylan.
“I was introduced to Dylan by David Kapralik while it was not properly producing for Columbia”, stressed Wilson. “Never liked music folk in particular.” Had been recording to Sun Ra and Coltrane… I thought that folk music was blind boys. [Dylan] played as the blind boys, but then those words came out afloat. “I was stunned.”
At the meeting of April 24, Dylan would record five new compositions: “Girl from the North Country”, “Masters of War”, “Talkin” World War III blues “,”Bob Dylan’s Dream”and”Walls of Red Wing”. “Walls of Red Wing” would ultimately rejected and would appear in the album The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991, while the remaining four were included in the final sequence.
Discards
Leaves of score “Talkin” John Birch Society Blues “appeared in the first issue of Broadside magazine at the end of February, 1962. Conceived by Pete Seeger and Agnes ‘Sid’ Cunningham, Broadside was a magazine dedicated to the publication of contemporary folk songs. Dylan was introduced to Cunningham through Seeger, and during his first conversation with Cunningham, Dylan played that song.
“Let Me Die in My Footsteps” was also selected to be included in the original sequence of Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan, although eventually would be replaced by “A Hard rain’s A-Gonna Fall”.
It is entirely unclear whether “Mixed Up Confusion” was seriously raised for inclusion in Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan, although it would be edited by Columbia as a single for the Christmas market. Since childhood, Dylan had been an avid fan of rock ‘n’ roll, and “Mixed Up Confusion” was the first dive of Dylan in the field of rockabilly.
Though it wasn’t recorded for the album, “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” was written and recorded demo between various recording sessions. If it is not inspired by personal feelings, is a reflection of these questionable to sung from the point of view of a narrator who doesn’t want to go back to sleep ‘again’ in bed while her true love is back and waiting. Widely regarded as one of Dylan’s finest songs of love, eventually being edited in the compilation by Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits Vol. II through a live recording made on April 12, 1963 at Town Hall. Beginning in 1971, Rod Stewart published his own version of “Tomorrow Is a Long Time” Every Picture Tells a Story, one of the most popular artist album.
Due to the recording material for many months for the preparation of Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan, there is a very long list of songs that finally did not enter the final list. Several original songs and covers of classic songs would be recorded; several songs were later re-recorded for other albums, and some even include in subsequent compilation albums or series of official bootlegs of Dylan’s musical career.
Results
After reviewing Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan, Dylan gave a concert in New York’s Town Hall. Dylan would not interpret tracks from his album debut, and only two songs of Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan made their first appearance in public, playing mostly songs that would never seen the light of an official (at least not until The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991). Columbia recorded complete with a part of it subsequently concert released on bootlegs. The concert would attract critics Billboard, The New York Times and Variety.
In April, Dylan returned to Cambridge, Massachusetts to give two concerts in the Cafe Yana, where would be back to Joan Baez. Had previously met the Queen of the Folk concert at Gerde’s Folk City of New York in 1961, but their meeting was very short.
Dylan was also contracted for a first appearance on May 12 in the legendary CBS program The Ed Sullivan Show. While Columbia had announced the musician to “Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues” would be omitted from the album, Dylan performed the item on the agenda. During midday rehearsals, Dylan was informed that the song was unacceptable. When told that you touched otherwise, Dylan responded calmly and cooly: “No, this is what I do.” “If I can not play my song, not apareceré show.” Dylan would end up leaving the study. The New York Times, The Village Voice and other rotating circular stories of the incident, favoring the creation of an image close to the counterculture hero Dylan did.
Dylan would continue to promote his upcoming album in various radio stations and concerts. Three weeks after he left view in Massachusetts, Dylan played with Joan Baez at Monterey Folk Festival, where Báez joined Dylan playing “With God on Our Side”.
Later, in June, Dylan would appear at the Newport Folk Festival. Then Peter, Paul and Mary had garnered great success in its version of “Blowin’ in the Wind”, reaching that same weekend # 2 on the Billboard charts. Báez was also present in Newport, and came to play with Dylan twice, one in its action, and one in Báez with Dylan guest. The appearance of both together would generate greater popularity to Dylan, but also would damage his relationship with Suze Rotolo. At that time, was rumored that Dylan could have an affair with Báez, becoming angry Suze version Báez had made of “don’t Think Twice, it’s All Right”; therein, Báez had submitted the theme as “a song by Bob Dylan.” “[but] the only protest in this, is by a love that has lasted too long.” Suze ultimately moving into the apartment of his sister, Carla.
Freewheelin’ ‘ Bob Dylan had been available in stores since may, but does not generate special attention until the incident musician Ed Sullivan program. Since its publication, would achieve modest figures of sales, while the appearance of Dylan in Newport and versions of Baez and Peter, Paul and Mary would allow a takeoff on the index of popularity of the album.
In September, the album would come into the Billboard charts. During the next couple of months, his involvement in the civil rights movement cementaría its cultural icon status.
The cover
The album cover shows a photograph of Dylan and his then girlfriend Suze Rotolo. The photograph was taken at the corner of Jones Street to West 4th Street in Greenwich Village, New York, few meters from the apartment where the couple resided.
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