The Originals © by Arnold Rypens

Artist: Brothers Four
Author: Bob Dylan
Label: Columbia
Year: 1965

The first version released. The first take Dylan recorded (with Ramblin' Jack Elliott) during the marathon session for the Another Side Of Bob Dylan lp (June 9th, 1964) was shelved and re-surfaced on No Direction Home ('05). A copy of this six minutes and counting version was send to The Byrds. Their cover triggered a never ending rush on the Dylan song canon. Dylan's Witmark demo (on Bootleg Series Vol 9) is not the oldest version nailed.

Covers:

1965:: Bob Dylan [author on lp Bringing It All Back Home; had been playing it live for seven months; there's footage of his performance during Newport '64 in Martin Scorsese's documentary No Direction Home]
1965:: Byrds [debut single, n°1 US & UK; intro inspired by the Rickenbacker outro of The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night]
1965:: Judy Collins
1965:: Chad & Jeremy
1965:: David Rose
1965:: Duane Eddy
1965:: Billy Strange
1965:: Gerry Mulligan
1965:: Glen Campbell
1965:: Hunters [top 3 NL; with Jan Akkerman]
1965:: Johnny Rivers
1965:: Dino, Desi & Billy
1965:: Lettermen
1965:: Barbarians
1965:: Odetta
1965:: Hugues Aufray [as L'Homme orchestre]
1966:: Beau Brummels
1966:: Stevie Wonder
1966:: Billy Lee Riley
1966:: Four Seasons
1966:: Noel Harrison
1966:: New Christy Minstrels
1968:: Marmalade
1968:: Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs
1969:: Melanie
1975:: Con Funk Shun
1977:: Laurent Voulzy
1981:: STS [Austrian folk band as He, alter Liedersänger]
1982:: Julie Felix
1984:: Gene Clark
1987:: Tito Schipa Jr. [as Tu Col Tamburino]
1989:: Crowded House [with Roger McGuinn live]
1990:: Byrds & Bob Dylan [live on Roy Orbison Tribute]
1992:: Teenage Fanclub
2004:: Gregory Isaacs [on Is It Rolling Bob]
2007:: Mountain
2014:: Charlie Daniels Band
2023:: Cat Power

Written while driving across the USA from New York over New Orleans to San Francisco, just like Jack Kerouac indeed. Who was this Tambourine Man? According to Dylan biographer Howard Sounes in Down The Highway, Bruce Langhorne was the man. During the Freewheelin' sessions this guitarist always carried a big Turkish tambourine. Bruce played on Dylan's Corrine Corrina, Maggie's Farm, Love Minus Zero (No Limit), She Belongs To Me, Mr. Tambourine Man, It's All Over Now Baby Blue and on the soundtrack of Pat Garrett & Billy The Kid. He released one solo album, entitled Mr. Tambourine Man. Langhorne's Turkish tambourine is on display at the Dylan Archive in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

MR. TAMBOURINE MAN

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