1971 Outtake
Recorded as a B-side the same day that Dylan recorded “George Jackson,” “Wallflower” was released twenty years later as part of The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3.
 | Wallflower Bob Dylan / 2:49 |
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar, harmonica; Ben Keith: pedal steel guitar; Leon Russell: bass; Kenny Buttrey: drums, tambourine / Recording Studio: Columbia Recording Studios / Studio B, New York: November 4, 1971 / Producer: Bob Dylan / Sound Engineer: Don Puluse / Set Box: The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3: Rare & Unreleased, 1961–1991 (CD 2) Release Date: March 26, 1991
“A sad song,” Bob Dylan said once about “Wallflower.” The song made an impression on Patti Smith, as she recalled, “I always wanted to dance with boys and nobody ever asked me to dance, I had to wait for ladies’ choice… I was so pathetic. But Bob understands that, ’cos he wrote the song ‘Wallflower.’”52 “Wallflower” and “George Jackson” were recorded during the same sessions on November 4, 1971. Dylan described the day in the notes for The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3: “The worst time of my life, when I tried to search for the past, when I went back to New York for the second time. I didn’t know what to do. Everything had changed. I tried to write and sing at the same time and sometimes that drove me crazy.”25 “Wallflower” is certainly a minor song in Dylan’s vast repertoire. But its country atmosphere, enhanced by Ben Keith on pedal steel guitar, is highly successful. A few months later, Doug Sahm recorded “Wallflower” with Dylan doing backup vocals (Doug Sahm and Band). Unfortunately, there is too much compression on the version on The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3.