The singer Bob Dylan said validated his entire career with their covers: “She was an artist I definitely looked up to”
The world of music would be a far less interesting place without Bob Dylan. A uniquely talented songwriter, what Dylan did with lyrics didn’t just open up his fans to a new form of pop poetry, but it arguably changed the entire sonic landscape, shifting an entire generation into a new school of thought when it came to penning a tune. It’s a gift that nobody can take away from Dylan. However, his singing voice has often been questioned.
Undoubtedly not his strongest asset, Dylan’s voice has become an idiosyncratic marker of his work, but it is not the most technically strong. It has led to countless covers of his songs as dedicated singers take his songs and lift them into a new world, producing vocal gymnastics and bellowing notes that Dylan would never be able to achieve. Some of the world’s greatest singers, like Roberta Flack, Adele, Bruce Springsteen, and Tom Jones, have all had a go at elevating Dylan’s tracks.
Of course, many would argue that part of Dylan’s appeal is his somewhat nasally tone. The vibrations through the speakers feel distinctly singular and often offer an extra colour to the emotion of his notably wonderful lyrics. However, Dylan has even shared his appreciation for particular singers who have taken his work into a new space. One such lover of Dylan’s work was Nina Simone.
Sincere advocates for the Civil Rights Movement, both artists can be seen as pivotal members of the arts division of the general push for racial equality. While Dylan would appear at the critical MLK March, Simone would devote much of her life in the limelight to sharing the spotlight with the myriad of issues she saw imposed on regular folks. It’s a kinship that would unite the two artists and see one another’s greatness. But they would also connect over Dylan’s songs.
Over the years, Simone would cover plenty of Dylan’s songs, apparently learned from the man himself. ‘Just Like A Woman’, ‘Tom Thumb’s Blues’, ‘The Ballad of Hollis Brown’ and the enigmatic ‘I Shall Be Released’ may stand out as her greatest covers of all. Simone’s command of music was always a sight to behold. No matter the subject, Simone would take the work of others, run it through her emotions and produce something that felt closer to an original work than any kind of cover.
Dylan certainly found her inspiring and was captivated by the mere idea that she would want to cover his tracks. Speaking at MusiCares in 2015, Dylan remembered Simone: “I used to cross paths with her in New York City in the Village Gate nightclub. She was an artist I definitely looked up to. She recorded some of my songs that she learned directly from me, sitting in a dressing room. She was an overwhelming artist, piano player and singer.”
It went further than that, though. Not only was Simone’s presence impressive, but it acted as a validating moment for Dylan’s career up until then, as he continued: “Very strong woman, very outspoken and dynamite to see perform. That she was recording my songs validated everything that I was about. Nina was the kind of artist that I loved and admired.”
Nina Simone’s vocals and Dylan’s words are a math made in heaven. They seem to complement one another as Simone imbues Dylan’s insightful lyrics with a vocal power that matches their emotional punch. Few artists can stand up to Dylan’s legacy, but the man himself would bow down to Simone with ease.
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