Bob Dylan’s Origins Explored On Bootleg Series Vol. 9

Bob Dylan Bootleg Series albums are always cause for celebration, and the release of Vol. 9 should be no different.

According to Rolling Stone, who quote the Dylan fansite Isis, The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 is due out in October, and will contain the 1962-1964 recordings known collectively as the Witmark and Leeds Demos. Dylan released his first album in 1961, and continued to record demos in New York’s Witmark and Leeds studios of material he and other artists could sing.

The demos provide an alternate history of Dylan’s songwriting output during his formative years (he only included a handful of them on his studio albums).Highlights include the witty, wordy whirlwind “All Over You,” and the hilarious “Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Blues,” which also appears (as many of these songs do) on The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3.

In addition, Isis reports that Dylan will also be releasing an 8-disc box set of early Dylan albums, presented in the record-collector-pleasing mono format. Which should help out John Wesley Harding, which features hard stereo panning.

Here’s a potential track list for Vol. 9, according to Rolling Stone:

Leeds Music Demos

New York City, New York

February 1962

1. Hard Times In New York Town

2. Poor Boy Blues

3. Ballad For A Friend

4. Rambling, Gambling Willie

5. Man On The Street

6. Talking Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues

7. Standing On The Highway

Witmark & Sons Demos

New York City, New York

December 1962

1. A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall

2. Tomorrow Is A Long Time

3.The Death Of Emmett Till

4.Let Me Die In My Footsteps

5. Ballad Of Hollis Brown

6.Quit Your Low Down Ways

7.Baby, I’m In The Mood For You

Witmark Studio

New York City, New York

Winter 1963

1. Bound To Lose, Bound To Win

2. All Over You

3. I’d Hate To Be You On That Dreadful Day

4. Talking John Birch Paranoid Blues

Witmark Studio

New York City, New York

March 1963

1. Long Time Gone

2. Masters Of War

3. Farewell

4. Oxford Town

5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right

6. Walkin’ Down The Line

Witmark Studio

New York City, New York

April 1963

1. I Shall Be Free

2.Bob Dylan’s Blues

3.Bob Dylan’s Dream

4. Boots Of Spanish Leather

Witmark Studio

New York City, New York

May 1963

1. Girl From The North Country

2.Seven Curses

3.Hero Blues

Witmark Studio

New York City, New York

August 1963

1. Whatcha Gonna Do

2. Gypsy Lou

3. Ain’t Gonna Grieve

4.John Brown

5.Only A Hobo

6.When The Ship Comes In

Witmark Studio

New York City, New York

October 1963

1. The Times They Are A-Changin’

Witmark Studio

New York City, New York

December 1963

1. Paths Of Victory

Witmark Studio,

New York City, New York

January 1964

1. Guess I’m Doing Fine

2.Baby Let Me Follow You Down (Eric von Schmidt)

Unidentified Recording Studio

New York City, New York

Mid to late June 1964

1. Mr. Tambourine Man

2.Mama, You Been On My Mind

3. I’ll Keep It With Mine