BOB DYLAN - THE WITMARK DEMOS: 1962-1964 (THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOLUME 9) (LMTD ED 180g 4LP BOX SET)

Bob Dylan The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964 (The Bootleg Series Volume 9) on Limited Edition 180g 4LP Box Set

Dylan's Formative Demos That He Used to Net Publishing Deals

Just Bob: Every Track Features Only Dylan, Self-Accompanied By Guitar or Piano

47 Original Recordings, Including 15 PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED Dylan Compositions

Features Deluxe Booklet with Revelatory Photos, Notes and an Insightful Essay

Bob Dylan's The Witmark Demos are seeing their first commercial release on 180-gram 4LP vinyl nearly five decades after they were first recorded. Listening to these 47 original recordings, one can trace Dylan’s dramatic growth as a songwriter from early traditionally-styled songs like “Man On The Street” and “Ramblin’ Gamblin’ Willie” through the social commentary of “Blowin’ In The Wind," “The Times They Are A Changin’” and “Masters Of War,” and the groundbreaking lyrical genius of “Mr. Tambourine Man.” All of the songs on The Witmark Demos were written, and their subsequent demos recorded, before Dylan turned 24 years old.

Among the many gems found on The Witmark Demos are 15 previously unreleased Dylan songs which include the plaintive “Ballad For A Friend,” the civil rights era-inspired “Long Ago, Far Away” and “The Death Of Emmett Till,” and the poignant “Guess I’m Doing Fine.”

The Witmark Demos also include a deluxe booklet featuring in-depth liner notes by noted music historian Colin Escott, as well as rare photographs of Dylan captured during the same period as these early recordings. Absolutely essential!

"The Witmark Demos is at its core the soundtrack of the moment when singers/musicians became artists and the separation between performers and writers shrank. It’s a colossal shift, and it's no surprise that Dylan and his manager, Albert Grossman, were behind it all. Due to this greater context and historical import, this set claims a consistency, focus, and reach that several other Bootleg volumes lack. From a strictly musical perspective, Dylan is incredibly focused, as the presence of certain exchanges and artifacts reveal his seriousness."
--Bob Gendron, TONE Audio, Issue 32

Bob Dylan The Witmark Demos Track Listing:

LP 1 - Side A

1. Man On The Street (Fragment)
2. Hard Times In New York Town
3. Poor Boy Blues
4. Ballad For A Friend
5. Rambling, Gambling Willie
6. Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
7. Standing On The Highway
8. Man On The Street

LP 1 - Side B

1. Blowin’ In The Wind
2. Long Ago, Far Away
3. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall
4. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
5. The Death of Emmett Till

LP 2 - Side A

1. Let Me Die In My Footsteps
2. Ballad Of Hollis Brown
3. Quit Your Low Down Ways
4. Baby, I’m In The Mood For You
5. Bound To Lose, Bound To Win
6. All Over You
7. I’d Hate To Be You On That Dreadful Day

LP 2 - Side B

1. Long Time Gone
2. Talkin’ John Birch Paranoid Blues
3. Masters Of War
4. Oxford Town
5. Farewell

LP 3 - Side A

1. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
2. Walkin’ Down The Line
3. I Shall Be Free
4. Bob Dylan’s Blues
5. Bob Dylan’s Dream

LP 3 - Side B

1. Boots Of Spanish Leather
2. Walls of Red Wing
3. Girl From The North Country
4. Seven Curses
5. Hero Blues
6. Whatcha Gonna Do?
7. Gypsy Lou

LP 4 - Side A

1. Ain’t Gonna Grieve
2. John Brown
3. Only A Hobo
4. When The Ship Comes In
5. The Times They Are A-Changin’
6. Paths Of Victory

LP 4 - Side B

1. Guess I’m Doing Fine
2. Baby Let Me Follow You Down
3. Mama, You Been On My Mind
4. Mr. Tambourine Man
5. I’ll Keep It With Mine