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Lot Essay
This is a collection of demos that Dylan cut for his music publisher, Witmark Music, in New York, between October 1962 and March 1963. These were done for the publisher to copyright and then give to any other act who might be interested in recording them. As such, they were not meant for public consumption but would have been mailed to Columbia Records, Dylan's label, so they could keep a record of the material he had recorded. 'Karpralik' is David Kapralik, who was a senior Columbia executive at the time. Only two of these versions, Walking Down The Line and Long Ago, Far Away have ever been released officially, although all of them are available on bootlegs.
Bob Dylan has fond memories of John Hammond, whose name is written on the sleeve of this disc. Hammond was the man who signed him up with Columbia Records, after all the Folk labels had turned Dylan down, and who had in Bob's words ...believed in me and had backed up his belief, had given me my first start on the worlds's stage..". Dylan describes Hammond as ...a music man through and through. He spoke rapidly - short, cut phrases - and was edgy. He talked the same language as me, knew everything about the music he liked, all the artists he had recorded. He said what he meant and he meant what he said and could back it all up. Hammond was no bullshitter...
Al Grossman, to whom this acetate was sent by messenger, began to take an interest in Dylan soon after his signing with Columbia. Dylan described Grossman as ...the bigtime manager around Greenwich Village...After my first record on Columbia had been released, there was a noticeable shift on his part to represent me. I welcomed the opportunity because Grossman had a stable of clients and getting all of them work. When he began to represent me, the first thing he wanted to do was get me out of my Columbia Records contract....Grossman informed me that I had been under twenty-one when I'd signed the contract, therefore I had been a minor, making the contract null and void...that I should go up to the Columbia offices and talk to John Hammond and tell him that my contract was illegal and that Grossman would be coming up to negotiate another one. Sure. I went up to see Mr. Hammond, but I had no intentions of doing that...There was no way I'd go against him for Grossman, not in a million years. I knew that the contract would have to be straightened out, though, so I went to see him. The mere mention of Grossman's name just about gave him apoplexy...An amendment to the old contract was drawn up and I signed it right then and there, now being twenty-one....Later when I told Grossman what I did, he just about went berserk...
Bob Dylan has fond memories of John Hammond, whose name is written on the sleeve of this disc. Hammond was the man who signed him up with Columbia Records, after all the Folk labels had turned Dylan down, and who had in Bob's words ...believed in me and had backed up his belief, had given me my first start on the worlds's stage..". Dylan describes Hammond as ...a music man through and through. He spoke rapidly - short, cut phrases - and was edgy. He talked the same language as me, knew everything about the music he liked, all the artists he had recorded. He said what he meant and he meant what he said and could back it all up. Hammond was no bullshitter...
Al Grossman, to whom this acetate was sent by messenger, began to take an interest in Dylan soon after his signing with Columbia. Dylan described Grossman as ...the bigtime manager around Greenwich Village...After my first record on Columbia had been released, there was a noticeable shift on his part to represent me. I welcomed the opportunity because Grossman had a stable of clients and getting all of them work. When he began to represent me, the first thing he wanted to do was get me out of my Columbia Records contract....Grossman informed me that I had been under twenty-one when I'd signed the contract, therefore I had been a minor, making the contract null and void...that I should go up to the Columbia offices and talk to John Hammond and tell him that my contract was illegal and that Grossman would be coming up to negotiate another one. Sure. I went up to see Mr. Hammond, but I had no intentions of doing that...There was no way I'd go against him for Grossman, not in a million years. I knew that the contract would have to be straightened out, though, so I went to see him. The mere mention of Grossman's name just about gave him apoplexy...An amendment to the old contract was drawn up and I signed it right then and there, now being twenty-one....Later when I told Grossman what I did, he just about went berserk...