Covering Bob Dylan: 5 Fascinating Takes on “I Want You”

“I Want You” stands out among much of Bob Dylan’s mid-1960s material. It’s as close as Dylan ever came to psychedelia, thanks to the shiny melody and Al Kooper’s chirping organ. In addition, it’s an unabashed love song, albeit one delivered with typically mischievous lyrics.

It’s also one of the few Dylan songs to ever hit the Top 20 of the pop charts, which it did when released in 1966. Here are five covers of “I Want You,” each of which takes a distinct path but eventually gets to the same place: musical excellence.

The Rapid Response Take: Cher from Cher (1966)

The legendary diva has tended to draw a lot of attention for most of the actions she’s taken throughout her career. But one area that’s perhaps a little bit low-key is the way that she was one of the finest interpreters of Dylan’s music, especially in the ’60s. Don’t forget her very first single was a Dylan cover, “All I Really Want to Do.” In the case of “I Want You,” Cher had her version on the streets only about three months after Dylan’s original. It’s a pretty faithful cover. As she usually did with Dylan’s stuff, she turns those wordy lyrics into a soulful confession.

The Harmony-Rich Take: The Hollies from Hollies Sing Dylan (1969)

Here’s another group that doesn’t get as much credit for their Dylan interpretations, certainly not as much as other bands like The Byrds and The Band that had closer associations with him. The Hollies felt confident enough to take on a whole album’s worth of his stuff in 1969. It was a time of turmoil for the band, as Graham Nash had departed due to frustration with their artistic direction. And Hollies lead singer Allen Clarke later regretted his vocal performances on the record. But it’s hard to find any qualms about their version of “I Want You,” especially when the group’s trademark harmonies kick into gear.

The Sultry Take: Sophie B. Hawkins from Tongues and Tails (1992)

Hawkins came blasting out of the gate on her solo album with hit single “Damn, I Wish I Was Your Lover,” immediately proving herself as an exemplary pop singer/songwriter. She also included one cover on the record, which just happened to be “I Want You.” In fact, she thought enough about it to release it as the album’s third single, which squeaked into the Top 50. Hawkins’ take is interesting because she lets the song luxuriate a bit instead of forcing the tempo. It definitely feels of that early ’90s-era production-wise, but Hawkins’ breathy vocals win the day, embodying every bit of the desire promised in the title.

The Bluesy Take: Cyril Neville from Blues on Blonde on Blonde (2003)

Complete albums of Dylan covers have been done pretty much since he came to the fore in the early ’60s with such a prolific songwriting pen. It always helps when somebody comes with a novel way of approaching these records. On the 2003 album Blues on Blonde on Blonde, a bunch of blues stalwarts took on songs exclusively found on Blonde on Blonde, Dylan’s 1966 masterpiece, using different guest vocalists for each track. On “I Want You,” they hand the lyrics off to Cyril Neville of the famous Neville Brothers, and he glides smoothly across the verbose lyrics and over a choogling rhythm.

The Dylanesque Take: Willie Nile from Positively Bob: Willie Nile Sings Bob Dylan (2017)

Nile is a New York-based singer/songwriter who’s more suited than most to tackle Dylan’s stuff. For one thing, Nile is talented enough as a writer to deliver epic lyrical sagas much like the master himself. He also has that nasally voice reminiscent of mid-’60s Dylan. His Positively Bob album is full of takes of Dylan songs both well-worn (“Blowin’ in the Wind”) and obscure (“Abandoned Love”). “I Want You” just might be the highlight, in part because Nile makes the clever choice to turn it into more of an acoustic number, which brings just a bittersweet tinge to the track.

Photo by Ivan Keeman/Redferns