BOB DYLAN

John Wesley Harding

On this day in music history: December 27, 1967 - “John Wesley Harding”, the eighth studio album by Bob Dylan is released. Produced by Bob Johnston, it is recorded at Columbia Recording Studios in Nashville, TN from October 17 - November 29, 1967. The sparsely arranged songs come out a of prolific writing period while Dylan is recovering from a serious motorcycle accident more than a year before, with other life changing events occurring, such as the birth his second child and losses of his father and musical mentor, legendary folk musician Woody Guthrie. During the same period, Dylan also records a number of tracks with The Band (at Big Pink in upstate NY), though not included on the new album later surface on the album “The Basement Tapes” in 1975. The album includes several classics including his original version of “All Along The Watchtower” (covered by Jimi Hendrix the following year). Dylan asks Columbia to release the album with minimal promotion or fanfare (not even releasing a single from it) following widespread media speculation about his whereabouts during the year he virtually disappears from the public spotlight. It is also the final Dylan album to be issued with separate mono and stereo mixes, with the mono version being discontinued shortly after its release. The album is remastered and reissued in 2003 as as a hybrid SACD, that is eventually discontinued and issued as a standard redbook CD. Audiophile label Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab also reissues the title as a hybrid SACD in and double vinyl set mastered at 45 RPM (stereo versions in 2015 and the mono versions in 2017). “John Wesley Harding” spends four weeks at number two on the Billboard Hot 100, and is certified Platinum in the US by the RIAA.
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Bought when it came out by my older brother Steve this album haunts me in a very special way as I am sure it does to many, if not all, Dylan fans. The cover fascinated me and who were these people on the cover?! Who WAS John Wesley Harding? I pored over this album and still know all the lyrics by rote . . . . . . . a strange and beautiful work of genius