Key developments
McGuinn recalls Dylan hearing Byrds cover
In Guitar Player, Andrew Daly reports Roger McGuinn recalling that the Byrds learned Mr. Tambourine Man from a rough demo and later played their version for Bob Dylan at World Pacific Studios. McGuinn says Dylan initially asked, What's that? before realizing it was his own song and approving the performance. The interview also frames the cover as part of the broader folk-rock shift and the rise of the 12-string electric guitar.
Why it matters
It adds a fresh first-hand anecdote about one of Dylan's most important songs crossing into rock.
Sources & driving stories
GUITAR PLAYER · Andrew Daly
Guitar Player coverageG.E. Smith revisits Dylan touring eras
Tom Guerra's interview with G.E. Smith revisits Smith's years playing with Bob Dylan on the Neverending Tour, which he calls a career high point. Smith also remembers rehearsals for the 1993 30th Anniversary Tribute Concert at Madison Square Garden and names George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Lou Reed, Neil Young, and Tom Petty among the musicians in that rehearsal environment.
Why it matters
It provides a current first-person account from a major Dylan sideman spanning two landmark live eras.
Sources & driving stories
TOM GUERRA
Tom Guerra coverageWorth noting
WORTH NOTING
When He Returns played 47 times
The blog quantifies the song's short live run from November 1979 through November 1981, giving a concrete view of Dylan's late-1970s religious-era repertoire.
WORTH NOTING
Bootleg review revisits New Morning sequencing
The review argues that Al Kooper's original tracklist idea gives New York Skyline more cohesion and highlights how the running order changes the listening experience.
Still unclear
OPEN QUESTION
Will more archive-era anecdotes surface?
Both interviews point to continued demand for first-hand Dylan recollections from key collaborators, suggesting more sideman interviews could yield notable details.
OPEN QUESTION
Will alternate New Morning tracklists recur?
The New York Skyline review shows ongoing interest in re-sequenced 1969-70 material, raising the question of whether other archive concepts will be revisited.