Bob Dylan / 2:33
Musicians
Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar
Roger McGuinn: guitar
Terry Paul: bass
Jim Keltner: drums
Gary Foster: flute
Carl Fortina: harmonium
Carol Hunter, Donna Weiss, and Brenda Patterson: chorus
Recording Studio
Burbank Studios, Burbank, California: February 1973
Technical Team
Producer: Gordon Carroll
Sound Engineer: Dan Wallin
Among the theme songs recorded in the CBS Discos Studios in Mexico on January 20, 1973, there was “Goodbye Holly,” which, along with “Billy,” was the only noninstrumental song of the soundtrack written by Dylan at this stage of the production. Jerry Fielding, the musical arranger for Sam Peckinpah, did not like it; as Clinton Heylin has written, he “was used to working with people who could read music, not those who liked to reinvent it”66 and he later regretted that “Dylan never understood what I wanted.” Dylan himself commented, “[T]his guy Fielding’s gonna go nuts when he hears this!”66
Therefore Dylan had to get back to work. While the movie was being filmed in Mexico, he wrote “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door.” The first two lines occurred to him at once, “Mama, take this badge off of me / I can’t use it anymore.” These were the words of Sheriff Colin Baker (Slim Pickens), who had been fatally injured by the gang of Billy the Kid before the eyes of his wife (Katy Jurado). In 1985, Dylan confided to Cameron Crowe, “I wrote it for Slim Pickens and Katy Jurardo. I just had to do it.”12 But above and beyond the need to musically illustrate this scene, Dylan also sent a message of peace to America, which was traumatized both by the outcome of the Vietnam War and the Watergate scandal. In this context, the main character of the song suddenly becomes a soldier who is on his deathbed, questioning the value of his actions and seeming to reject any kind of glory. “It’s gettin’ dark, too dark for me to see / I feel like I’m knockin’ on heaven’s door.” Judgment Day is approaching. He is asking his mother to lay down his weapons because “that long black cloud” is descending on him. Is he worthy of entering the pearly gates? This song has an extraordinary mystical dimension that is typical of Dylan.
Four chords, a refrain that sounds like a nursery rhyme, and two very simple couplets and Dylan had his most irresistible hit since “Lay, Lady, Lay.” This gospel-rock song was built very simply: the electric guitar of McGuinn playing arpeggios, Dylan strumming on acoustic guitar, Fortina’s harmonium, Paul’s bass-playing fundamentals, and Keltner’s drums remaining very discrete, with rim-shots and a brief delay on the first couplet. Everything was accompanied by the great chorus and a lot of reverb on Dylan’s voice. “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” was a success, a comet in the sky that must have surprised the film producers with its quality, which was far superior to the rest of the soundtrack. Jim Keltner remembered, “In those days you were on a big soundstage, and you had a massive screen that you can see on the wall [with] the scene… running when you’re playing. I cried through that whole take.”15
There were several versions of this song. Sam Peckinpah first wanted an instrumental, with which Dylan acquiesced. Then a variation, with the voice. Then a sung and orchestrated version that was kept for the soundtrack. Another version was used to produce a single (with “Turkey Chase” on side B). This single, which came out on July 13, 1973, reached number 12 and 14 on the US and UK charts, respectively, on September 29 and October 6. From the concert at the Chicago Stadium on January 4, 1974, through 2004, Bob Dylan performed “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” on a regular basis. He also played it during the concert to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of his career.
Bob Dylan / 5:23
Musicians: Bob Dylan: guitar; Roger McGuinn: guitar; Carol Hunter: guitar; Terry Paul: bass, chorus; Jim Keltner: drums; Gary Foster: flute; Carl Fortina: harmonium; Fred Katz, Ted Michel: cello; Donna Weiss and Brenda Patterson: chorus / Recording Studio: Burbank Studios, Burbank, California: February 1973 / Producer: Gordon Carroll / Sound Engineer: Dan Wallin
This is one of the best pieces on the album. The flute part performed by Gary Foster is subtle but great. Foster was and is an excellent musician on the West Coast jazz scene, and he has also played with musicians such as Paul McCartney, Dr. John, Quincy Jones, and Prince. Curiously, the introduction of “Final Theme” is reminiscent of “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” before the orchestration wipes away this first impression. Sadly, both cellos are lost in the mix.
Bob Dylan / 5:03
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar, harmonica; Terry Paul: guitar / Recording Studio: CBS Discos Studios, Mexico City, Mexico: January 20, 1973 / Producer: Gordon Carroll / Sound Engineer: Dan Wallin
A new arrangement of “Billy the Kid,” this is the only song retained from the Mexican recording session. Dylan follows the adventures of the outlaw Billy the Kid as described in the ballad of the same name. In the traditional song, as performed by Woody Guthrie, the text is “Fair Mexican maidens play guitars and sing / A song about Billy, the boy bandit king.” In Dylan’s lyrics, the Mexican maidens are replaced by “Gypsy queens [who] will play your grand finale.” The instrumental arrangement has only two guitars and one harmonica. “Billy 4” is certainly the most Dylanesque song on the album.
Bob Dylan / 2:08
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Roger McGuinn: guitar; Terry Paul: guitar; Jim Keltner: drums / Recording Studio: Burbank Studios, Burbank, California: February 1973 Producer: Gordon Carroll / Sound Engineer: Dan Wallin
“Billy 7” is the last song on the soundtrack for Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. The outlaw spends the night with a dear sweet señorita and drinks in saloons to hide his pain. Behind the lead vocal and guitar, the snare drum evokes thunder and gunfire. The Kid was killed by Pat Garrett on July 14, 1881, at Fort Sumner, New Mexico. This is a typical Dylan song in style, backed by three musicians who do not have to push themselves too much to best serve Dylan. You can hear a few guitar notes played with a bottleneck or on a pedal steel guitar, undoubtedly an overdub. (Is it McGuinn playing?)