Revisiting Bob Dylan’s Frank Sinatra covers record
Throughout Bob Dylan’s life, Frank Sinatra has always been humming away in the background, acting as a source of inspiration. In 2015, Dylan cemented his devotion to the legendary crooner and recorded a series of covers made famous by Ol’ Blue Eyes himself.
Dylan claimed Shadows In The Night wasn’t a Sinatra tribute album because most of his versions were also covers. Instead, he intended to remind people about the brilliance of these songs and pass them on to a new generation who may be unfamiliar with the creations. Ahead of the release, Dylan told AARP: “I don’t see myself as covering these songs in any way. They’ve been covered enough. Buried, as a matter a fact. What me and my band are basically doing is uncovering them. Lifting them out of the grave and bringing them into the light of day.”
Despite Dylan’s claims about the album not being a message of devotion to Sinatra, the opening track ‘I’m a Fool to Want You’ was written and originally performed by ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’. In fairness to Dylan, if he were to tackle the subject of traditional pop music, it would be impossible to do it justice without using Sinatra as a crux to explore the genre.
Shadows In The Night was viewed as an unexpected move by Dylan and saw him move into new territory as he shifted away from his folk roots. However, it marked a new chapter in his career and laid the foundations for his next steps, which he cultivated with Murder Most Foul.
In Dylan’s mind, there was no risk attached to the project. He rebutted the claims and calmly said: “Risky? Like walking across a field laced with land mines? Or working in a poison gas factory? There’s nothing risky about making records.”
In the same interview, Dylan said: “When you start doing these songs, Frank’s got to be on your mind. Because he is the mountain. That’s the mountain you have to climb, even if you only get part of the way there. And it’s hard to find a song he did not do. He’d be the guy you got to check with. People talk about Frank all the time. He had this ability to get inside of the song in a sort of a conversational way. Frank sang to you — not at you.”
Similarly to Sinatra, Dylan is an artist who also sings “to you — not at you”, which is an underappreciated attribute. Perhaps, it’s also why he feels such a strong kinship to the artistry of the late New Jersey native.
While there are vast differences between the pair of legendary musicians, their music is forever woven into the fabric of American culture and will live for eternity. Shadows In The Night is a touching nod to one of his earliest heroes and a triumphant effort to keep these historic songs alive.
Never Miss A Tale
The Far Out Bob Dylan Newsletter
All the latest stories about Bob Dylan from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.