More Dylan notes . . . . . . .KEVIN KROWN ’Song To Woody’ & 'Talking New York’ | “BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day (Peter McKenzie)

 

"As many know Bob Dylan’s first album included only two of his original compositions, “Song to Woody” and “Talking New York.” In Martin Scorcese’s movie “No Direction Home” it features the original typewritten draft with handwritten corrections of “Song to Woody” with the sound track of Bob singing in the background. There is the misconception that “Song to Woody” was written on February 14, 1961 at Mills tavern. That is not the case. The typed manuscript with handwritten corrections featured in the film was written in late December 1960 - early January 1961 just before Bob came to New York. The type written manuscript was donated to the Morgan Library in NYC. It was among the items that belonged to Kevin Krown, the fellow Bob was staying with in Chicago when he wrote it. There’s a whole backstory to it no one else knows. It is told in my book, “BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day.” To find out more here’s the link: 

In the UK here . . . . .

   Kevin died in 1992 and many of his things were passed on to me because of his relationship with my family. Kevin is someone who was very instrumental getting Bob a leg up. You can’t understand the full origin of Bob’s development from bob dylan to BOB DYLAN without knowing about their relationship and interactions. That is detailed in the book and is one of the crucial pieces of Dylan history that has not been known before. 

   As for “Talking New York”, it was written in late June 1961 at our kitchen table about 4 in the morning while my parents and I were asleep. He used my nylon string guitar instead of his steel string Martin 00-17 because it was quieter and he didn’t want to disturb anyone. Bob lived with my family from May-September in 1961 and would come back regularly afterwards to visit. That is also a crucial and essential part of Dylan history that those who haven’t yet read the book don’t know about. It was my mother’s habit to take everything he wrote and store it in the living room desk drawer for safekeeping. Bob sang it for us at the apartment. It was funny. This is part of the original first draft. The one that is in the “Bob Dylan Scrapbook” is a later, more finished draft he wrote in his notebook pad-also at our apartment-rather than the yellow 8 ½ by 11 inch single sheet of paper this first draft is on." 

Enjoy!!

Peter K. McKenzie

“‘BOB DYLAN On A Couch & Fifty Cents A Day,’ is as important as ‘CHRONICLES Vol. 1,’ and full of wonders.”
- Sean Wilentz, author of the best-selling book ‘Bob Dylan In America,’ and esteemed historian.