Next week, Bob Dylan will release The Witmark Demos: 1962-1964, a collection of 47 songs that the artist recorded for the M. Witmark & Sons publishing company, all before his 24th birthday. The young Dylan knocked out these tracks in a sparse 6×8 foot studio, accompanied only by his acoustic guitar, harmonica and piano. And, right now, you can stream 23 of these demos (for free) on NPR’s First Listen site. The lineup includes some of his finest early singles – Blowin’ In The Wind, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right, Girl From The North Country, Mr. Tambourine Man, The Times They Are A-Changin’… You get the gist.
If you’re inclined to purchase the album, then you’ll want to consider this Amazon deal. Buy The Witmark Demos on CD or vinyl before 10/18/2010 and you will also get a live concert CD – Bob Dylan: In Concert, Brandeis University, 1963 – that has “never been heard, bootlegged or circulated in any way.” Not bad for $13.99. Find more details here.
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