24 January

Dylan arrives in New York accompanied by his friend Fred Underhill, heads for "Cafe Wha?" where he performs a couple of songs, after which the compere asks the audience for a plays to stay for "Bob and Fred" that night.

25 January

Dylan visits Guthrie's family in Howard's Beach. Meets young Arlo and teaches him some harmonica.

29 January

Dylan performs at Izzy Young's Folklore Centre. Meets Woody Guthrie at the home of Sid and Bob Gleason in East Orange, New Jersey

February

A second (or third) "home-tape" is recorded by Sid and Bob Gleason, while Dylan is singing to their daughter Kathy.

February

Dylan starts to accompany folk singers like Fred Neil, Mark Spoelstra, Ramblin' Jack Elliot and Dave van Ronk on harmonica. He is also performing at "Cafe Wha?", "The Gaslight", "The Limelight", "The Lion's Head" and "Mill's Tavern".

13 February

Dylan starts performing regularly at Gerde's Folk City on the Monday night hootenanny.

14 February

In February The Gleasons are given a dated handwritten copy of a new Dylan composition called Song To Woody.

27 March

Mike Porco, the owner of Gerde's Folk City, offers Dylan to be support act to John Lee Hooker for a fortnight in April.

5 April

First paid concert at the Loeb Music Center for the University of New York Folk Society. In the audience is a young Suze Rotolo.

11-25 April

Dylan plays a five song set as support to John Lee Hooker at Gerde's Folk City.

May

Dylan tries to get a recording contract first with Folkways records, then with with Elektra and Vanguard. None of them are interested.

May

The writing of the second recorded composition, Talkin' New York.

6 May

At the Indian Neck Folk Festival in Branford, Connecticut, Dylan performs three songs and meets Bob Neuwirth for the first time.

Mid May

Dylan returns to Minneapolis and a number of home recordings are made.

June

A hand-written manuscript shows that Dylan wrote a song called East Colorado Blues. No known recording exits.

7 & 8 July

Dylan appears at Caffe Lena in Saratoga Springs, New York.

29 July

Dylan is part of a 12-hour radio broadcast from Riverside Church, Manhattan, NYC, a "Hootenanny Special".

6 September

Dylan's set on Gerde's Folk City is recorded.

26 September

New York Times reporter Robert Shelton attends the opening night of another two-week Dylan residency at Gerde's Folk City. Dylan is supporting The Greenbriar Boys and plays two sets each night. After his first set Shelton interviews Dylan and then writes an enthusiastic review concentrating on Dylan.

29 September

First studio recording takes place when Dylan joins a Carolyn Hester session. He plays harmonica on three songs later released on Hester's debut album. Producer is John Hammond.

20 October

Izzy Young conducts a written interview with Dylan. In this he mentions his own composition California Brown Eyed Baby that he is performing at the time.

23 October

Izzy Young conducts another written interview with Dylan.

26 October

Dylan signs for Columbia Records.

29 October

Dylan appears on Oscar Brand's radio show "Folksong Festival".

4 November

Izzy Young books Dylan at the Carnegie Recital Hall. Only 53 people attend.

20, 22 November

Recording of first album, Bob Dylan.

23 November

Thanksgiving Day is spent with Suze Rotolo at the home of Eve and Mac McKenzie. After the dinner Dylan plays a number of songs that are recorded by the hosts.

22 December

On his way home to Hibbing for Christmas celebrations, he gives a private performance, this time in Minneapolis at the house of Bonnie Beecher. It is recorded by Tony Glover. The tape is often referred to as the Minneapolis Hotel Tape and is the basis for the first bootleg Great White Wonder and later A Rare Batch Of Little White Wonder.

February or March

The East Orange Tape

6 May

Indian Neck Folk Festival

May

Minnesota Party Tape 1961

29 July

Hootenanny Special at Riverside Church

6 September

The First Gaslight Tape

Late September

Gerde's Folk City

29 September

Carolyn Hester studio session

29 October

WNYC Radio Studio

4 November

Carnegie Chapter Hall

20 & 22 November

Bob Dylan recording sessions

Late 1961

Billy James Interview

23 November

First McKenzie's tape

4 December

Second McKenzie's tape

22 December

Minnesota Hotel Tape

Song

# of takes

comment

You're No Good

8

take 5 released on Bob Dylan

Fixin' To Die

3

take 3 released on Bob Dylan

He Was A Friend Of Mine

2

take 3 released on Bootleg Series

House Of The Risin' Sun

3

take 3 released on Bob Dylan
take 4 overdubbed by unknown backing musicians, 8 December 1964, released on Interactive Music CD�ROM Highway 61 Interactive, Columbia/Graphix Zone CDAC 085700, February 1995.

Talkin' New York

2

take 2 released on Bob Dylan

Song To Woody

2

take 2 released on Bob Dylan

Baby Let Me Follow You Down

1

released on Bob Dylan

Man Of Constant Sorrow

4

take 4 released on Bob Dylan

In My Time Of Dyin'

1

released on Bob Dylan

Man On The Street

5

take 2 released on Bootleg Series

(As I Go) Ramblin' Round

2

unreleased

Pretty Peggy-O

2

take 2 released on Bob Dylan

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

4

take 4 released on Bob Dylan

Gospel Plow

1

released on Bob Dylan

Highway 51

1

released on Bob Dylan

Freight Train Blues

1

released on Bob Dylan

House Carpenter

1

released on Bootleg Series

Fixin' To Die

New York City 13 January 1962: Cynthia Gooding radio show: Folksinger's Choice.

He Was A Friend Of Mine

Finjan Club, Montreal 2 July 1962 and Universal Amphitheater, Los Angeles 24 February 1990: Roy Orbison Tribute.

House Of The Risin' Sun

debut: Entertainment Centre, Sydney 11 February 1986

Talkin' New York

Gerde's Folk City, New York City April or May 1962 and Town Hall, New York City 12 April 1963

Song To Woody

debut: Chicago Stadium, Chicago 3 January 1974

Baby Let Me Follow You Down

debut: Gaslight Caf�, New York City October 1962

Man Of Constant Sorrow

debut: Concord Pavilion, Concord, California, 7 June 1988

Man On The Street

Gaslight Caf�, New York City, New York 6 September 1961

Pretty Peggy-O

debut: Town Hall, New York City 12 April 1963

See That My Grave Is Kept Clean

Gerde's Folk City, New York City, New York, Late September 1961 and Gaslight Caf�, New York City, New York, October 1962

Highway 51

Town Hall, New York City 12 April 1963

Freight Train Blues

Unknown Location, New York City, New York, Late 1962

February

Song To Woody�

Released on Bob Dylan. Performed live twice in 1974 and 1986 and a number of times on the never-ending tour

May

Talkin' New York�

Released on Bob Dylan.

June

East Colorado Blues�

Rumoured song.

August

Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues�

First performed at Gerde's Folk City in June 1961. A studio version was recorded in April 1962 for the Freewheelin' album.

September

He Was A Friend Of Mine

Arrangement by Bob Dylan.

�

Man On The Street

Later recorded as a Leeds Music Demo. Covered by Dave van Ronk on the album No Dirty Names.

�

Talkin' Hava Nagilah Blues

A studio version was recorded in April 1962 for the Freewheelin' album.

Fall

California Brown Eyed Baby

Rumoured song.

November

Hard Times In New York Town

Later recorded as a Leeds Music Demo. An adaptation of the traditional Ketty's Farm

December

Ballad Of The Ox Bow Incident

Rumoured song.

�

I Was Young When I Left Home

Adaptation/derivation from two songs, 900 Miles and Detroit City.

�

Strange Rain

Rumoured song.

Tim Dunn

I Just Write 'Em As They Come.
Annotated Guide to the Writings of Bob Dylan
A Not-A-Ces Publishing Venture 1990.

Glen Dundas

Tangled Up In Tapes � 4th Edition

A Recording History of Bob Dylan

SMA Services, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada 1999. Softcover 334 pages.

Clinton Heylin

A Life In Stolen Moments.

Bob Dylan Day By Day 1941-1995.

Schirmer Books 1996, 404 pages.

Clinton Heylin

Bob Dylan, The Recording Sessions 1960-1994

St. Martin's Press, 1995, 233 pages.

Michael Krogsgaard

Positively Bob Dylan
A Thirty-Year Discography, Concert & Record Session Guide 1960-1991.
Popular Culture, Ink. 1991. 500 pages

Michael Gray

Song & Dance Man III. The Art Of Bob Dylan

Cassell 1999. Hardback 918 pages (!!)

Clinton Heylin

Behind The Shades. A Biography.

Summit Books 1991, 500 pages.

Daniel Kramer

Bob Dylan. Citadel Press (hardback) or Pocket Books. Great photo book from 1964-1965.

Anthony Scaduto

Bob Dylan. An intimate biography. New American Library 1973

Eric von Schmidt,� Jim Rooney

Baby, Let Me Follow You Down. The Illustrated Story of the Cambridge Folk Years. Anchor Books 1979.

Robert Shelton

No Direction Home. The Life and Music of Bob Dylan. New American Library 1986.

Howard Sounes

Down The Highway. The Life Of Bob Dylan. Groove Press 2001.

�

�

Carl Benson (ed)

The Bob Dylan Companion � Four Decades of Commentary.

Schirmer Books, New York 1998. Softcover 306 pages.

Craig McGregor (ed)

Bob Dylan. A Retrospective.

William Morrow 1972

Elizabeth M. Thomson (ed)

Conclusions On The Wall. New Essays On Bob Dylan.

Thin Man 1980

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