A Dylan cover a day: When the deal goes down

 

I don’t know what it means either: an index to the current series appearing on this website.

A list of the previous  articles in the “Dylan cover a day” series is printed at the end.

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By Tony Attwood

As I have confessed in my review of this piece some seven years ago, this is not one of my favourite Bob Dylan songs, perhaps in part because it seems to be based on “Where the Blue of the Night” which I didn’t particularly like either.  I’ve put a copy of that song sung by Bing Crosby below – in common with the convention of the era there is a musical prelude before the part of the song those of us who remember it will primarily recall, which comes in at 38 seconds.  I have a feeling this was one of my mum’s favourites and my dad played this on the piano.

In case you can’t immediately recall Bob’s song after hearing that original above, here it is

So as I have said, Bob’s version never appealed to me much because I always found the 1-2-3 beat over and over again rather plodding and a bit too repetitive for me – but as ever that is just me.  There’s something about slow 6/8 time I just don’t like.

But we can move on to the covers….  starting with Tom Jones whose arranger keeps that 1-2-3 essence – but if like me you really don’t care for that too much, please stay with me because I did find some covers which musically go to other (and in my view) rather more interesting places…  But first Mr Jones (for which I am tempted to say “nothing is happening here” but perhaps I better not).

Now Ava Wynne, whose music I had never come across before, but I have found her website which is charming and helpful in its simplicity and clarity.  If only everyone could have such a view of the world and music!    For that website and this music are as one.  I’m hoping the website is still active as I am about to drop the lady a little note to tell her how much I enjoyed this.  (I know some of my friends and correspondents to this site find such an action odd, but why shouldn’t one say thank you for a beautiful recording that really lifts one out of the ordinary on an overcast day with occasional rain?)   (Actually, perhaps I should write a song on that.  “Overcast day with occasional rain”. I’ve got friends round this afternoon, and there’s a dance tonight, but maybe tomorrow).

This really is a beautiful version of the song, and it ought to have a much wider audience than it ever has had (at least as far as I know).  I’d not heard this before I started the research (to give it a grand name) for this little article, but I am so glad I have.   Quite often the cover versions I find in this series get played once – but this has already been played half a dozen times, and I fear my visitors this afternoon are going to get it as well.

So although I did fear at first that I might have to listen to that three-beats pattern that Bob put in his recording over and over in all covers, to my relief that has not been the case, as obviously some musicians and arrangers felt the same.  Which is to say that without the 123 123 beat emphasising the 6/8 time signature throughout, this is actually a rather beautiful and endearing song.

Moving on, I found Big Brass Bed.who have recorded a beautifully simple and elegant version which shines through because of those combined factors of elegant simplicity.   The 6/8 rhythm is still there but it is restrained and behind the vocals which are of course the most important element in the song.  The accompaniment is needed as an accompaniment, and that’s what this recording gives us.  It knows its place.

The relaxed style without the ceaseless emphasis on the 6/8 time signature is retained by Jordan Officer, although we do get some rather curious sudden guitar bursts at the start, and indeed occasionally thereafter.   It just shows how differently each of us can hear the song.

I wonder who decided to put all that guitar work in, and more to the point why.  What does it have to do with the musical and vocal conception of the song?   Indeed I am not sure I have heard what to me sounds like a more inappropriate accompaniment.  But that is probably just me – the voice is so perfect for this song, it doesn’t need that guitar part.

Now finally for Nattens Afskedskys (which literally translated from the Danish is “The goodbye kiss of the night” or so I am told.).  This is by Steffan Brandt, and although the six beats in a bar are still there it almost comes over as a two beats in the bar song, which I much prefer.   I’m not always convinced by the instrumentation, but I love the female vocals that come in for the second verse.

This version really begins to make me think that if we could have cover version with a very simple accompaniment without all the guitar effects that really could work.  This is very good, and once again the female vocals are used to terrific effect but Big Brass Bed still wins. hands down.  But Steffan Brandt gets a most honourable mention.   But of course, it’s all just my opinion.

Previously in the series

1. The song with numbers in the title.
2. Ain’t Talkin
3. All I really want to do
4.  Angelina
5.  Apple Suckling and Are you Ready.
6. As I went out one morning
7.  Ballad for a Friend
8. Ballad in Plain D
9. Ballad of a thin man
10.  Frankie Lee and Judas Priest
11. The ballad of Hollis Brown
12. Beyond here lies nothing
13. Blind Willie McTell
14.  Black Crow Blues (more fun than you might recall)
15. An unexpected cover of “Black Diamond Bay”
16. Blowin in the wind as never before
17. Bob Dylan’s Dream
18. BoB Dylan’s 115th Dream revisited
19. Boots of Spanish leather
20. Born in Time
21. Buckets of Rain
22. Can you please crawl out your window
23. Can’t wait
24. Changing of the Guard
25. Chimes of Freedom
26. Country Pie
27.  Crash on the Levee
28. Dark Eyes
29. Dear Landlord
30. Desolation Row as never ever before (twice)
31. Dignity.
32. Dirge
33. Don’t fall apart on me tonight.
34. Don’t think twice
35.  Down along the cove
36. Drifter’s Escape
37. Duquesne Whistle
38. Farewell Angelina
39. Foot of Pride and Forever Young
40. Fourth Time Around
41. From a Buick 6
42. Gates of Eden
43. Gotta Serve Somebody
44. Hard Rain’s a-gonna Fall.
45. Heart of Mine
46. High Water
47. Highway 61
48. Hurricane
49. I am a lonesome hobo
50. I believe in you
51. I contain multitudes
52. I don’t believe you.
53. I love you too much
54. I pity the poor immigrant. 
55. I shall be released
56. I threw it all away
57. I want you
58. I was young when I left home
59. I’ll remember you
60. Idiot Wind and  More idiot wind
61. If not for you, and a rant against prosody
62. If you Gotta Go, please go and do something different
63. If you see her say hello
64. Dylan cover a day: I’ll be your baby tonight
65. I’m not there.
66. In the Summertime, Is your love and an amazing Isis
67. It ain’t me babe
68. It takes a lot to laugh
69. It’s all over now Baby Blue
70. It’s all right ma
71. Just Like a Woman
72. Knocking on Heaven’s Door
73. Lay down your weary tune
74. Lay Lady Lay
75. Lenny Bruce
76. That brand new leopard skin pill box hat
77. Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts
78. License to kill
79. Like a Rolling Stone
80. Love is just a four letter word
81. Love Sick
82. Maggies Farm!
83. Make you feel my love; a performance that made me cry.
84. Mama you’ve been on my mind
85. Man in a long black coat.
86. Masters of War
87. Meet me in the morning
88. Million Miles. Listen, and marvel.
89. Mississippi. Listen, and marvel (again)
90. Most likely you go your way
91. Most of the time and a rhythmic thing
92. Motorpsycho Nitemare
93. Mozambique
94. Mr Tambourine Man
95. My back pages, with a real treat at the end
96. New Morning
97. New Pony. Listen where and when appropriate
98. Nobody Cept You
99. North Country Blues
100. No time to think
101. Obviously Five Believers
102. Oh Sister
103. On the road again
104. One more cup of coffee
105. (Sooner or later) one of us must know
106. One too many mornings
107. Only a hobo
108. Only a pawn in their game
109. Outlaw Blues – prepare to be amazed
110. Oxford Town
111. Peggy Day and Pledging my time
112. Please Mrs Henry
113. Political world
114. Positively 4th Street
115. Precious Angel
116. Property of Jesus
117. Queen Jane Approximately
118. Quinn the Eskimo as it should be performed.
119. Quit your lowdown ways
120. Rainy Day Women as never before
121. Restless Farewell. Exquisite arrangements, unbelievable power
122. Ring them bells in many different ways
123. Romance in Durango, covered and re-written
124. Sad Eyed Lady of Lowlands, like you won’t believe
125. Sara
126. Senor
127. A series of Dreams; no one gets it (except Dylan)
128. Seven Days
129. She Belongs to Me
130. Shelter from the Storm
131. Sign on the window
132. Silvio
133. Simple twist of fate
134. Slow Train
135. Someday Baby
136. Spanish Harlem Incident
137. Standing in the Doorway
138. Stuck inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
139. Subterranean Homesick Blues
140. Sweetheart Like You
141. Tangled up in Blue
142. Tears of Rage
143.  Temporary Like Achilles. Left in the cold, but there’s still something…
144. The Groom’s Still Waiting at the Altar
145. The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
146. The Man in Me
147. Times they are a-changin’
148. The Wicked Messenger
149. Things have changed
150. This Wheel’s on Fire
151. Thunder on the mountain
152. Till I fell in love with you in the north of Norway
153. Time Passes Slowly – just sit down and close your eyes
154. To be alone with you
155. To Ramona: unexpectedly yes!
156. Tombstone Blues
157. Tonight I’ll be Staying Here With You
158. Too much of nothing
159. Trouble as you have never been troubled before
160. Tryin’ to get to Heaven
161.  Unbelievable
162. “Up to Me” and a return to earlier days
163. Visions of Johanna
164. Walking down the line
165. Whatcha gonna do
166. Well Well Well
167. Went to see the Gypsy.
168. What good am I?
169. What was it you wanted
170. When I paint my masterpiece
171. When the night comes falling from the sky
172. When the ship comes in
173. When He Returns