News

Following the streaming premiere of his acclaimed Shadow Kingdom concert film, Bob Dylan has announced the latest volume in his long-running Bootleg Series.  Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985) arrives from Columbia Records and Legacy Recordings on September 17.  The set covers the period in which Dylan recorded the albums Shot of Love (the final LP in his so-called “Christian trilogy”), Infidels, and Empire Burlesque.  While in a creatively fertile period as a songwriter and performer, Dylan was dealing – like everyone else – with the seismic changes that the 1980s brought in the sound of music itself, and this period reveals his coming to terms with new production techniques and the use of electronics.

Springtime in New York will be available in various formats: a 5CD Deluxe Edition box set, unique 2CD and 2LP highlights collections, and a 4LP distillation available only through Third Man Records as part of that label’s ongoing Vault subscription series.  Note that there is no overlapping material between the 2LP edition and the Third Man-exclusive 4LP colored vinyl edition which is slipcased and includes a 16-page booklet.  Subscription sign-up is available through July 31 for this version.

The largest iteration, the 5CD box, features 54 previously unreleased outtakes, alternates, live performances, rehearsal tracks, and more.  Three previously issued cuts round out the collection.  “Let It Be Me” was a non-LP B-side for the international single release of “Heart of Mine.”  “Don’t Ever Take Yourself” away was first issued on the soundtrack to the television revival of Hawaii Five-O, and Infidels outtake “Death Is Not the End” featuring Full Force was heard in edited form on Down in the Groove.  The full-length recording premieres here.

The press release reveals the following details:

Disc One of Bob Dylan – Springtime In New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985) was recorded in 1980 and 1981 and finds Dylan rehearsing a variety of his own catalog compositions (“Señor (Tales of Yankee Power),” “To Ramona”), rearranging some traditional folk tunes (“Jesus Met the Woman at the Well,” “Mary of the Wild Moor”) and revving up a selection of surprising covers (“Mystery Train” featuring Ringo Starr, “Sweet Caroline,” “Fever,” “Abraham, Martin and John”) with a group of musicians including Fred Tackett (guitar), David Mansfield (mandolin), Willie Smith (keyboards), Tim Drummond (bass), Jim Keltner (drums) and background vocals by Clydie King, Carolyn Dennis, Gwen Evans, and Regina McCrary.

Disc Two of Bob Dylan – Springtime In New York (1980-1985) is devoted to outtakes and alternate takes of recordings produced by Chuck Plotkin for Shot of Love, while Discs Three and Four are centered on the material Dylan wrote for Infidels, performed by the all-star band assembled for the album which featured Mark Knopfler (guitar), Mick Taylor (guitar), Alan Clark (keyboards), Robbie Shakespeare (bass) and Sly Dunbar (drums).  The Infidels sessions, produced by Bob Dylan and Mark Knopfler, include previously unreleased versions of “Blind Willie McTell” and “Jokerman.”

Disc Five of the album includes live tracks (“Enough Is Enough” from Slane Castle, Ireland, and “License to Kill” from Late Night with David Letterman, March 22, 1984) alongside alternate takes and outtakes from the Empire Burlesque sessions, produced by Bob Dylan, including premieres of new songs (“Straight A’s in Love” and “New Danville Girl,” an early draft of “Brownsville Girl”) and a previously unreleased performance of the canonical “Dark Eyes.”

According to the Producer’s Note in the album: “The alternate takes selected for this set are different than the ones released on previous volumes of The Bootleg Series. They are included here to illustrate the musical journey Bob Dylan undertook during these years.”‘

Damien Love has penned liner notes for this collection.  You’ll find pre-order links and the track listing for the 5CD box set below.  Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series Vol. 16 (1980-1985) hits stores on September 17.  Good times never seemed so good!

Bob Dylan, Springtime in New York: The Bootleg Series, Vol. 16 (1980-1985) (Columbia/Legacy Recordings, 2021)

5CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4LP (Exclusive to Third Man vault, must sign up by July 31): Third Man Store

CD 1

1. Señor (Tales of Yankee Power) – Rehearsal
2. To Ramona – Rehearsal
3. Jesus Met the Woman at the Well – Rehearsal
4. Mary of the Wild Moor – Rehearsal
5. Need a Woman – Rehearsal
6. A Couple More Years – Rehearsal
7. Mystery Train – Shot of Love outtake
8. This Night Won’t Last Forever – Rehearsal
9. We Just Disagree – Rehearsal
10. Let’s Keep It Between Us – Rehearsal
11. Sweet Caroline – Rehearsal
12. Fever – Rehearsal
13. Abraham, Martin and John – Rehearsal

CD 2

1. Angelina – Shot of Love outtake
2. Price of Love – Shot of Love outtake
3. I Wish It Would Rain – Shot of Love outtake
4. Let It Be Me – International 7″ Single B-side
5. Cold, Cold Heart – Shot of Love outtake
6. Don’t Ever Take Yourself Away – Shot of Love outtake
7. Fur Slippers – Shot of Love outtake
8. Borrowed Time – Shot of Love outtake
9. Is It Worth It? – Shot of Love outtake
10. Lenny Bruce – Shot of Love alternate mix
11. Yes Sir, No Sir – Shot of Love outtake

CD 3

1. Jokerman – Infidels alternate take
2. Blind Willie McTell – Infidels outtake
3. Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight [version 1] – Infidels alternate take
4. Don’t Fall Apart on Me Tonight [version 2] – Infidels alternate take
5. Neighborhood Bully – Infidels alternate take
6. Someone’s Got a Hold of My Heart – Infidels outtake
7. This Was My Love – Infidels outtake
8. Too Late [acoustic version] – Infidels outtake
9. Too Late [band version] – Infidels outtake
10. Foot of Pride – Infidels outtake

CD 4

1. Clean Cut Kid – Infidels outtake
2. Sweetheart Like You – Infidels alternate take
3. Baby What You Want Me to Do – Infidels outtake
4. Tell Me – Infidels outtake
5. Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground – Infidels outtake
6. Julius and Ethel – Infidels outtake
7. Green, Green Grass of Home – Infidels outtake
8. Union Sundown – Infidels alternate take
9. Lord Protect My Child – Infidels outtake
10. I and I – Infidels alternate take
11. Death is Not the End [full version] – Infidels outtake

CD 5

1. Enough is Enough [live] – Slane Castle, Ireland
2. License to Kill [live] – Late Night with David Letterman, March 22, 1984
3. I’ll Remember You – Empire Burlesque alternate take
4. Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love) – Empire Burlesque alternate mix
5. Seeing the Real You at Last – Empire Burlesque alternate take
6. Emotionally Yours – Empire Burlesque alternate take
7. Clean Cut Kid – Empire Burlesque alternate take
8. Straight A’s in Love – Empire Burlesque outtake
9. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky [slow version]- Empire Burlesque alternate take
10. When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky [fast version] – Empire Burlesque alternate take
11. New Danville Girl – Empire Burlesque outtake
12. Dark Eyes – Empire Burlesque alternate take

All tracks previously unreleased except for:
CD 2, Track 6 Originally released on CBS European single CBS-A-1406, 1981
CD 2, Track 7 Originally Released on Hawaii Five-O: Original Songs from the Television Series, CBS Records CD CBSR034, 2011
CD 4, Track 11 Edited version originally appeared on Down in the Groove, Columbia CD CK 40957, 1987