Here we have a little gem for Bob Dylan fans with a live recording. This is probably the Earliest live recording of the American Folk, Rock n Pop Singer. This is the best live bootleg of Dylan playing live at the Carnegie Chapter Hall on the 4th of November, 1961.
Bob Dylan Live at Carnegie Chapter Hall
The Songs;
- In The Pines (Huddie “Leadbelly” Leadbetter)
- Gospel Plow (trad.)
- Hilarious commentary in the beginning
- 1913 Massacre (Woody Guthrie)
- Backwater Blues (Bessie Smith)
- A Long Time A-Growin’ (trad.) [GORGEOUS RENDITION]
- Fixin’ To Die (Bukka White)
- Talkin’ Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues
- Man On The Street [POWERFUL VERSION]
- This Land Is Your Land (Woody Guthrie) [CUT OUT FOR COPYRIGHT, RELEASED ON THE BOOTLEG SERIES VOL. 7]
- Talking Merchant Marine (Woody Guthrie)
- Black Cross (Lord Buckley)
- Freight Train Blues (John Lair)
- Song To Woody
- Talkin’ New York [DEBUT / EARLIEST-KNOWN RECORDING]
The Carnegie Chapter Hall 1961 Bootleg
This live show of Dylan playing at the Carnegie Chapter Hall in Newyork City on the 4th of November 1961 has got to be the American Folk Singers most historical Live bootleg recording. Although there has been many recordings in circulation over the years, however, most of them have been poor quality. Many incomplete with missing songs and dull sound. However, lately this rare little gem of a recording has bubbled forth to the surface of the Dylansphere.
Sadly, Two tracks had to be left out of this Upload which was originally uploaded to YouTube by the Late Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands channel and re-uploaded here by the awesome Swinging Pig to whom we are eternally grateful for sharing this gem with us all. Both ‘Pretty Peggy O’ and ‘This Land is Your Land’ have been Omitted due to Copyright reasons. However, You can listen to the Bootleg’s missing ‘Pretty Peggy O’ and ‘This Land is Your land‘ here as separate uploads.
Dylan in Newyork Town
In January 1961, a 19 year old kid called Robert Zimmerman from small town Hibbing in Minnesota state stepped on board a bus bound for New York City. Arriving in the Cities Greenwich Village district, he became Bob Dylan. Here he played some of the small cafe’s and coffee houses around the village. Places like The Gaslight and Café Wha amongst other musical havens around the cities bohemian capital. He would cover many of the old Blues and Folk singers from a previous generation of folk singers. Songs of Leadbelly, Bessie Smith, John Lair and above all, his own folk hero, Woody Guthrie.
Woody Guthrie was a big Inspiration to the Young Bob Dylan and he went to visit the aged folk singer who was now dying in the Greystone Park Psychiatric hospital in Newyork with Huntingdon’s disease. However, Woody Guthrie told Bob that he was still very much alive and kicking and gave him a Card saying so. Dylan returned the gift with a song. This ‘Song to Woody’ was featured on his self titled Debut Album Bob Dylan.
Makin Some Noise
Although the gigs he played at this time were literally tiny little cafe’s, Greenwich Village had a really buzzing Music Scene around this time and Bob Dylan was starting to gain notoriety around the districts folk scene. With his distinctive nasal whooping voice and his extensive repertoire of the folk classics.
He was soon to catch the attention of music critic Robert Shelton from the New York Times after performing at Gerdes Folk City on the 26th of September,1961. A great review from Shelton reached A&R man John Hammond and landed him a record deal with Columbia Records. A few days later, Bob Dylan would play his First proper Live Gig here at The Carnegie Chapter Hall on the 4th of November 2961.
The Carnegie Chapter Hall
A Few Weeks later, Folklore Center Owner Izzy Young booked the young Bob Dylan to play at the Carnegie Chapter Hall for Saturday, November the 4th, 1961. The Concert was billed as ‘His First new York Concert’. This was an an annex to the famous Carnegie Hall and was situated on West 57th street with 200 seats.
However, the Gig only sold 57 tickets and Two bucks each. But this was Bob Dylan’s First real gig. It may have ben quiet here, but not for long. He was still unknown at this time. however, when he returned to Carnegie a couple of years later in 1963, he’d play the main hall.
Did You Enjoy That?
What did you think of that show then? Did you enjoy it? Or not for you? Whatever you thought of it, we’d love to read it in the comments below. Here at The Collective Jukebox, we absolutely love to hear a bit of discussion and debate when it comes to the music we share on here. So, please feel Free to indulge yourself and use as many words as you need to share your point of view on the Recording.
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