Like a Rolling Stone

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“Like a Rolling Stone”
Single by Bob Dylan
from the album Highway 61 Revisited
B-side "Gates of Eden"
Released July 20, 1965
Format 7" single
Recorded June 15, 1965
Genre Rock
Length 6:09
Label Columbia Records
Producer Tom Wilson
Bob Dylan singles chronology
"Maggie's Farm"
(1965)		 "Like a Rolling Stone"
(1965)		 "Positively 4th Street"
(1965)
Highway 61 Revisited track listing
"Like a Rolling Stone"
(1)		 "Tombstone Blues"
(2)
Music sample:

Bob Dylan - "Like a Rolling Stone"

30 seconds (of 6:10)
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"Like a Rolling Stone" is a song by Bob Dylan from his album Highway 61 Revisited. It was released in 1965 and is one of the most widely recognized and influential of Dylan's songs. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it as the greatest song of all time, declaring, "No other pop song has so thoroughly challenged and transformed the commercial laws and artistic conventions of its time."[1] In his 1988 speech inducting Dylan into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Bruce Springsteen remembered, "The first time I heard Bob Dylan, I was in the car with my mother listening to WMCA, and on came that snare shot that sounded like somebody had kicked open the door to your mind". In addition to the Rolling Stone ranking, website Acclaimed Music also ranks it #1 on its Top 3000 songs list, based on a number of reviews and "best of" lists.

Contents

[edit] Recording

Dylan wrote the song in one day in Woodstock, New York.[2] The song was originally written in 3/4 (waltz) time, and with a length of 1:36, was much shorter than the 4/4 version; it was later changed to 4/4.[3] The song was recorded by Dylan on June 15, 1965[4] and produced by Tom Wilson;[5] the musicians included Mike Bloomfield on guitar, Al Kooper on organ, Paul Griffin on piano, Josef Mack on bass, and Bobby Gregg on drums.[5] Paul Griffin, who had been hired to play organ, instead played piano. Kooper, primarily a guitarist, was coaxed into playing the Hammond organ. Producer Wilson was dubious about Kooper's abilities with the instrument, but agreed. During the playback Dylan asked Wilson to turn up the organ in the mix. Wilson replied, "Hey man, that cat's not an organ player." Dylan was beginning to tire of Wilson: "Hey, now don't tell me who's an organ player and who's not . . . Just turn the organ up," he ordered.[6] According to Kooper, "that was the moment I became an organ player!"[7] Over the two days, Dylan managed to complete only one take of the song out of nearly two dozen attempts—the fourth and master take heard on Highway 61 Revisited.[8]

[edit] Release

"Like a Rolling Stone" was released as a 45 rpm single on July 20, 1965.[9][10] Despite its length—twice the maximum preferred by radio at the time—it became Dylan's biggest hit to that date,[7] remaining in the U.S. charts for twelve weeks and rising to #2 behind The Beatles' song "Help!".[1][11]

Dylan first performed the song live at his Newport Folk Festival appearance on July 25, 1965.[12] Highway 61 Revisited was issued at the end of August, and when Dylan went on tour that fall, "Like a Rolling Stone" took the closing slot on his playlist and held it, with rare exceptions, through the end of his 1966 "world tour," as well as during his return to touring in 1974 with The Band.

[edit] Bob Dylan versions

The standard studio recording of the song is found on five official albums:

Live performances of the song are included on:

as well as on countless unofficially circulating field recordings.

An early, incomplete studio recording was included on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1-3 (Rare & Unreleased) 1961-1991; other studio outtakes were included on the Highway 61 Interactive CD-ROM.

[edit] Legacy

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine declared "Like a Rolling Stone" the greatest song of all time, based on its poll of 172 music industry figures. When asked about the accolade in his 2004 interview with Ed Bradley on 60 Minutes, Dylan himself seemed to find the matter bemusing, saying he never paid attention to such polls, as they changed frequently:

Bradley: "But as a pat on the back, Bob..."
Dylan: "This week it is. But, you know, who's to say how long that's gonna last?"[13]

[edit] Subject

The lyrics of the song do not clearly identify the subject; one common school of thought centers on Edie Sedgwick, an actress/model known for her association with Andy Warhol. Sedgwick is often identified as a figure in other Dylan songs of the time, particularly "Just Like a Woman" from his album Blonde on Blonde. However, Dylan is believed to have begun an association with Sedgwick in the fall of 1965, after "Like a Rolling Stone" was recorded,[14] while a Sedgwick biography places their first meeting in Christmas 1964.[15] Joan Baez has also been considered a possible target of Dylan's words.[7]

Others have claimed to see a deeper meaning, Mike Marqusee has written at length on the conflicts in Dylan's life at this time, with its deepening alienation from his old folk-revival audience and clear-cut leftist causes. He suggests that the song is probably self-referential. Thus: "The song only attains full poignancy when one realises it is sung, at least in part, to the singer himself: he's the one 'with no direction home.'"[16] Martin Scorsese's recent movie about Dylan, No Direction Home, appears to show, in footage filmed backstage in 1966, that Dylan was deeply affected by the mixed audience reception at that time.

[edit] References in other songs

In The Warren Brothers' song, "Sell a Lot of Beer," one line says:

If you wanna hear Bob Dylan, I'll play "Like a Rolling Stone"

In "Beatles, Rolling Stones end Bob Dylan", by the Italian band Elio e le Storie Tese:

i sei ricchissimi incapaci abbandonarono Bob Dylan
che compose per ripicca "Like a Rolling Stone"

which can be roughly translated:
the six dumb rich men abandoned Bob Dylan
who, out of spite, wrote "Like a Rolling Stone"

In Tracy Lawrence's "Time Marches On" part of a verse says: "...Bob Dylan sings 'Like a Rolling Stone'."

The Beach Boys mention the title of the song as part of their love for music in their song, "Add Some Music To Your Day":

''"There's blues, folk, and country, and 'rock like a rollin' stone'"

[edit] Cover versions

Many artists have covered "Like a Rolling Stone". Johnny Thunders' version appears on his album Born Too Lose: The Best of Johnny Thunders.[17] The Four Seasons covered the song on their album The 4 Seasons Sing Big Hits by Burt Bacharach/Hal David/Bob Dylan.[18] The Rascals recorded "Like a Rolling Stone" on their eponymous album The Young Rascals.[19] Pop artist Cher covered the song on her album The Sonny Side of Cher.[20] Jimi Hendrix played a version live at the Monterey Pop Festival.[21] Judy Collins covered "Like a Rolling Stone" in her album Judy Sings Dylan... Just Like a Woman.[22] The Rolling Stones performed the song on their Str­ip­ped album.[23]

The song has also been covered in various langauges. Lars Winnerbäck did a performance of the song in Swedish called "Som en hemlös själ", literally "Like a Homeless Soul".[24] Articolo 31 covered an Italian version called "Come una Pietra Scalciata".[25]

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Like A Rolling Stone: Greatest Song of All Time. Rolling Stone (09 Dec 2004). Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  2. ^ Shelton, Robert. No Direction Home: The Life and Music of Bob Dylan. Ballantine, 1986, pp. 319–320. ISBN 0-345-34721-8
  3. ^ Heylin, Clinton (2003). Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited. Harper Collins, 203. ISBN 0-060-525-69X. 
  4. ^ Considine, Shaune (3 Dec 2004). The Hit We Almost Missed. New York Times. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  5. ^ a b Greil Marcus on Recording 'Like A Rolling Stone'. NPR (11 April 2005). Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  6. ^ Sounes, Howard. Down the Highway, The Life of Bob Dylan. Doubleday, 2001, pp. 217-218. ISBN 0-552-99929-6
  7. ^ a b c Gill, Andy: Classic Bob Dylan 1962-69: My Back Pages, Carlton, 1998, pp. 82-83. ISBN 1-98568-481-1
  8. ^ Greil, Marcus (2006). Like a Rolling Stone: Bob Dylan at the Crossroads. PublicAffairs, 215. ISBN 1-586-483-82X. 
  9. ^ Jacobs, Ron (12 Apr 2005). Exploring the Unmapped Country. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  10. ^ How does it feel?. Guardian News and Media, Ltd. (13 May 2005). Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  11. ^ Help!. Rolling Stone (09 Dec 2004). Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  12. ^ Bob Dylan - Like A Rolling Stone. IPC Media. Retrieved on 2008-05-03.
  13. ^ 60 Minutes interview (December 2, 2004)
  14. ^ Gill, Andy: Op Cit, p.103
  15. ^ Bob Neuwirth quoted on Edie Sedgwick at Warholstars. Retrieved 16 August 2007.
  16. ^ Marqusee, Mike: Chimes of Freedom: The Politics of Bob Dylan's Art, The New Press, NY & London, 2003, p.157. ISBN 1-56584-825-X
  17. ^ Jungle Records - Johnny Thunders - Born Too Loose. Jungle Records. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  18. ^ The 4 Seasons Sing Big Hits by Burt Bacharach...Hal David...Bob Dylan. MTV. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  19. ^ The Rascals: The YOung Rascals. ArtistDIRECT, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  20. ^ Cher. MTV Networks. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  21. ^ Otis Redding & Jimi Hendrix: Live at the Monterey Pop Festival. MustHear.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  22. ^ Judy Collins: Judy Sings Dylan...Like A Woman. Artistdirect.com. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  23. ^ Stripped (CD) By the Rolling Stones. Tower.com, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-05-02.
  24. ^ Bjorner, Olof. Coversongs. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.
  25. ^ Come Una Pietra Scalciata. Yahoo!, Inc.. Retrieved on 2008-05-04.

[edit] External links


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