Take What You Need - UK Covers Of Bob Dylan Songs 1964-69 Various Artists (Songwriter Series)

£12.56

Genre:
Pop
Label:
Ace Records
Format:
CD
Catalogue Id:
CDCHD 1508

Classic Bob Dylan songs interpreted by British artists drawn from the 60s pop, folk, beat and underground scenes.

Bob Dylan’s long and meaningful association with Britain stretched back to the year of his low-key debut, “Bob Dylan”, in 1962 and his first visit to London that December. Once the USA succumbed to Beatlemania in February 1964, Dylan knew it was as crucial for him to make it in Britain as it had been for the Beatles to conquer America. He teetered outside the mainstream for almost two years until his heavily promoted, Beatles-endorsed UK visit of May 1964 propelled 1963’s breakthrough album, “Freewheelin’”, and follow-up, “The Times They Are A-Changin’”, into the UK charts. Only now did British artists cautiously begin covering Dylan songs; “Take What You Need” features the Fairies’ remarkable folk-beat take on ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’ and Marianne Faithfull’s baroque ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’.

When Dylan returned to play eight sell-out dates in Britain the following year his fame trajectory rocketed. The shows were entirely acoustic but the electrically charged “Bringing It All Back Home” was already out and the blistering ‘Subterranean Homesick Blues’ was the second of his five pop hits in 1965. All his albums suddenly crashed into the charts. “Bringing It All Back Home” brushed aside “Freewheelin’” from the top spot in mid-May, with “The Times They Are A-Changin’” and “Another Side Of Bob Dylan” also in the Top 10. His self-titled debut even reached #13. As “Take What You Need” testifies, whether coming from the world of folk (the Three City Four, Julie Felix, Alex Campbell) or pop (Chad & Jeremy, Noel Harrison, Alan Price), there was now a rush to pillage these albums. Only Manfred Mann found the winning formula though; the playful ‘If You Gotta Go, Go Now’, a then unreleased Dylan song, was one of four of their hits from his repertoire.

Dylanmania may have subsided but the “Basement Tapes”, an extraordinary mix of joyous, throwaway songs and solemn classics, offered real pay dirt once they began circulating in 1968; our selection features Boz’s overwrought ‘I Shall Be Released’, Country Fever’s affecting reading of ‘Tears Of Rage’, and the Tim Rice-produced ‘Million Dollar Bash’ by the Mixed Bag. Unsurprisingly, Dylan’s pared-down, country approach permeated “John Wesley Harding” and “Nashville Skyline”. From these, “Take What You Need” includes the Alan Bown’s rousing treatment of ‘All Along the Watchtower’, Julie Driscoll/Brian Auger & the Trinity’s pulsating ‘I Am A Lonesome Hobo’ and Sandie Shaw’s singularly sedate ‘Lay Lady Lay’. Five decades on, many of the songs here are now standards but never again was there such a concentrated rush to record songs by the greatest and most mercurial of American artists.

MICK HOUGHTON 

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Track listing

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Side 1

  • 01 Preview Don't Think Twice, It's All Right - The Fairies

  • 02 Preview Blowin' In The Wind - Marianne Faithfull

  • 03 Preview Oxford Town - The Three City Four

  • 04 Preview The Times They Are A Changin' - The Ian Campbell Folk Group

  • 05 Preview If You Gotta Go, Go Now - Manfred Mann

  • 06 Preview It's All Over Now Baby Blue - The Cops 'n Robbers

  • 07 Preview Mr Tambourine Man - Chad & Jeremy

  • 08 Preview Love Minus Zero - Noel Harrison

  • 09 Preview One Too Many Mornings - Julie Felix

  • 10 Preview Visions Of Johanna - The Picadilly Line

  • 11 Preview Tom Thumb's Blues - Alex Campbell

  • 12 Preview To Ramona - The Alan Price Set

  • 13 Preview Absolutely Sweet Marie - The Factotums

  • 14 Preview All Along The Watchtower - The Alan Bown

  • 15 Preview I Shall Be Released - Boz

  • 16 Preview I Am A Lonesome Hobo - Julie Driscoll, Brian Auger & The Trinity

  • 17 Preview I'll Keep It With Mine - Fairport Convention

  • 18 Preview Million Dollar Bash - The Mixed Bag

  • 19 Preview Down Along The Cove - Cliff Aungier

  • 20 Preview Tears Of Rage - Country Fever

  • 21 Preview Just Like A Woman - Joe Cocker

  • 22 Preview Lay Lady Lay - Sandie Shaw

Delivery & Returns

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We offer free P&P to UK addresses. For all other territories packaging is free and postage is charged on a weight basis.

We use Royal Mail First Class for UK deliveries and standard Air Mail for all other territories, very large orders will usually be sent via parcelforce. You may cancel your order at any time prior to your order being dispatched by emailing us at orders@acerecords.com ensuring that you quote your name, address and order reference number or by telephoning +44 (0) 208 453 1311 between 9am and 5pm GMT/BST, Monday to Friday. Please note: As music downloads are dispatched immediately after purchase, there is no possibility of cancelling these orders.

In the event that any products supplied to you by us are damaged or defective, we agree to replace or repair the damaged or defective products or refund the amount you paid for such goods (including postage & packaging) providing you notify us (either via post at or e-mail: orders@acerecords.com ) and return the goods within 28 days of purchase. Physical goods should be sent back to us in the same condition you received them to: “Returns” Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the e-mail address above including a copy of your notification.

You have the right to cancel your order within seven days of purchase, or seven days of receipt of the goods (whichever is the longer). If you choose to cancel your order, full payment will be returned to you. Returned items should be sent to: “Returns” c/o Ace Records, Such Close, Letchworth Garden City SG6 1JF, United Kingdom. Music downloads should be returned to us via the email address: orders@acerecords.com including a copy of your notice of cancellation and order number.

Press quotes

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"..one finds oneself just gasping in wonderment: what unbelievably great and inimitable songs these are!”

RnR

★★★★

Record Collector

★★★★

Shindig!

8/10

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