The unknown singer Bob Dylan thought sang his songs better than he did
There are few songwriters quite as acclaimed or as adored as Bob Dylan.
Since he rose to prominence amidst the 1960s folk movement, the singer has penned some of the most incisive, poetic and meaningful compositions in music history. Often focusing his lyrical efforts on voicing his frustrations about the world around him, his words of protest would resonate with generations of listeners, maintaining relevance even today.
Lyrically, one of the most impressive artists of all time, Dylan was more than capable of intriguing and captivating melodies and some notably poignant performances, which shook the audience and sent reverberations across the music world. His influence has never been more clear than when you see the incredible run of artists who have chosen to sing his songs.
Like any great lyricist whose name crops up on lists of the best songwriters of all time, Dylan’s work has been subjected to countless covers throughout the years. Perhaps most famously, fellow folk singer, former partner and long-time friend Joan Baez frequented Dylan’s discography. She afforded her wavering vocals to his words many times, from a glorious take on ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ to an aching version of ‘It Ain’t Me Babe’.
Baez almost did Dylan better than Dylan, but she isn’t the only singer who has taken on his musings and melodies in the studio. Jimi Hendrix reinvigorated ‘All Along the Watchtower’ with his psychedelic stylings, about which Dylan said, “It overwhelmed me, really. He had such talent, he could find things inside a song and vigorously develop them. He found things that other people wouldn’t think of finding in there. He probably improved upon it by the spaces he was using. I took license with the song from his version, actually, and continue to do it to this day.”
George Harrison took on ‘If Not for You’ on his first post-Beatles solo album to a new height when given the chance to flex his muscles. Even Adele delivered a heart-wrenching version of ‘Make You Feel My Love’ on her debut record, somehow making the song entirely her own.
A number of songwriting legends have honoured the lyricist’s talent and impact with covers, but none of them take the title of Dylan’s favourite. But when the folk legend was asked to name the musician who provided the best contemporary takes on his work during a 1981 press conference, it wasn’t Baez’s name that he gave. He didn’t give the name of a Beatle. Rather, he picked someone completely unknown.
“There’s a guy in Oslo that sings my songs better than me,” he admitted. Though the songwriter acknowledged that he didn’t know the talented cover artist personally, he had witnessed him playing his songs on television. Dylan deemed him “incredible” and joked that he should have recruited him to play in his place.
According to Dylan, the unknown singer from Oslo played his 1965 track, ‘It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue’, as well as the song taken on by Hendrix, ‘All Along the Watchtower’. The original recording of the former features Dylan’s strained vocals and beloved harmonica in a gorgeous folk track, singing of seasick sailors and reindeer armies. It’s characteristically Dylan, so it would be interesting to see how this unknown singer did it better than the songwriter himself.
To take on the second song and earn Dylan’s admiration is a particularly impressive feat. After the songwriter released the track in late 1967, Hendrix had covered it within a year, releasing his own take on the track in the autumn of 1968. His recording imbued the track with new life, and even attracted the admiration of the songwriter. The legacy of the track has two musical heavyweights behind it, so to do it justice is a tricky task.
It seems that this unknown singer in Oslo did exactly that, as Dylan gushed that he “couldn’t believe it.” Unfortunately, we may never know the identity of the cover artist that Dylan admired so much, the artists who he suggested could sing his songs even better than he could.
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