by Jochen Markhorst
In this series, we shine a spotlight on a thriving, fascinating, and polarizing fringe phenomenon within Dylanology: the semi-professional cover artist. And more specifically, on a veteran from the southern part of a small country on the North Sea: Jan Barten from Breda, the Netherlands.
Jan: “The intro is a bit different from usual: alongside the piano, we hear guest musician Leonie Leijdekkers on the violin – she also provides the backing vocals. Then, of course, there’s Fons Havermans’ vocals again. And later on, an organ (NordStage) can be heard in the background.”
In the wake of a bitter dispute over royalties with the record label Fantasy Records, John Fogerty, as is well known, refused to play Creedence songs ever again. “For about fifteen years I kept that vow,” John writes in his autobiography Fortunate Son (2015). But in 1987, quite by chance and on the spur of the moment during a Taj Mahal concert, he found himself on stage with Taj, George Harrison and Bob Dylan:
‘Bob said, “All right, John, we’ve all done a song. Do ‘Proud Mary.’”
“Sorry, Bob,” I told him. “I’m not doing my old songs. I don’t do them anymore.” I was being kind of difficult, and I knew it. And instead of arguing about it, Bob Dylan, in his genius and ever so influential way, said, “If you don’t do ‘Proud Mary,’ everybody’s gonna think it’s a Tina Turner song.”
There was no way out now. I thought, Bob Dylan just told me I’d better play my song or it’s gonna turn into a Tina Turner song. So I played “Proud Mary.” And enjoyed it. Immensely.’
Dylan speaks from experience, of course. He has already seen how “Mr. Tambourine Man” is credited to The Byrds, “Quinn The Eskimo (The Mighty Quinn)” to Manfred Mann, and half the world thinks that “All Along The Watchtower” is a Hendrix song. And later on, the same thing will happen with, amongst others, “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” (Guns N’ Roses) and “Make You Feel My Love” (Adele).
The same applies to “Father Of Night”. It too was appropriated by Manfred Mann, after Manfred had turned Dylan’s shortest song (1’32” on New Morning, 1970) into a drawn-out, dramatic, Wagnerian cover version lasting 9’54” in 1973 (“Father Of Day, Father Of Night”, the opening track of Solar Fire, 1973). And then, for decades, he kept it on his set list, just like “The Mighty Quinn” (in 2026, the song is still on the list, and with hundreds of performances, it ranks number 4 on the list of Most Frequently Performed Songs).
Manfred has hardly any competition. Dylan never plays the song anyway, so he himself is apparently unbothered by the Tina Turner syndrome that he warns Fogerty about. The few covers that do exist are either inspired by Manfred (by former band members such as Mick Rogers and Chris Thompson) or have, quite rightly, sunk into the Waters of Oblivion (Julie Felix, Tim O’Brien).
The two exceptions are as different as night and day. Our fierce trio from Flanders, Triggerfinger, produces a smooth, swinging, gradually spiralling-out-of-control, concrete version in 2010. The other noteworthy entry is also by a trio, but that’s where the comparison ends: Michael Moore’s spectacular jazz trio Jewels And Binoculars has dozens of Dylan covers in its repertoire, each one more breathtaking than the last. Their “Father Of Night” features on the brilliant tribute album Ships With Tattooed Sails (2007), the album named after one of its highlights, “Gates Of Eden” (another highlight being the incredibly cool “Cold Irons Bound”). “Father Of Night” is up-tempo and this time Moore opts for the alto sax – and then we hear what Charlie Parker would have done with the song.
And a third winner to join those two exceptions is Jan Barten. Also up-tempo, but the only one to honour Dylan’s brevity (Jan’s cover lasts 1’31”) – and with a particularly appealing, minimalist yet highly effective organ part at 1’01” that suddenly lifts Dylan’s little ditty to ethereal heights – where it truly belongs.
To be continued. Next up Jan’s Take 19 (final): The Man In Me
Previously in the series
- Jan’s Take 1: It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry
- Jan’s Take 2: It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
- Jan’s Take 3: 4th Time Around
- Jan’s Take 4: To Be Alone With You
- Jan’s Take 5: Ballad Of Hollis Brown
- Jan’s Take 6: I Want You
- Jan’s Take 7: I Pity The Poor Immigrant
- Jan’s Take 8: Tonight I’ll Be Staying Here With You
- Jan’s Take 9: You’re A Big Girl Now
- Jan’s Take 10: Sooner Or Later (One Of Us Must Know)
- Jan’s Take 11: Lay, Lady, Lay
- Jan’s Take 12: Forever Young
- Jan’s Take 13: From A Buick 6
- Jan’s Take 14: Can You Please Crawl Out Your Window?
- Jan’s Take 15: Girl From The North Country
- Jan’s Take 16: Ballad Of A Thin Man
- Jan’s Take 17: Queen Jane Approximately