Traditional / Arrangement Bob Dylan / 3:15
Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; Al Perkins: steel guitar; Larry Meyers: mandolin; Milton Gabriel, Mike Berment, and Brian Parris: steel drums; James Jamerson Jr.: bass; Raymond Lee Pounds: drums; Queen Esther Marrow, Carolyn Dennis, Madelyn Quebec, Muffy Hendrix, and Annette May Thomas: backup vocals / Recording Studio: Topanga Skyline Studio, Topanga, California: May 6, 1986 (Overdubs May 7, 9, 12–14, 16, 22–23, 1986) / Producer: Sundog Productions / Sound Engineer: Britt Bacon
In this song, as he sometimes does, Bob Dylan returns to his childhood in Minnesota. He talks about his “precious father,” his “loving mother,” and his “lonely years.” He recalls how “precious sacred scenes unfold,” a reference to his own gospel music sound. “Precious Memories,” indeed, is a traditional gospel hymn composed in 1925 by J.B.F. Wright and, before and after Dylan, performed by many artists, including Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Johnny Cash, and Emmylou Harris. Dylan sang the song onstage for the first time in New York City on October 13, 1989.
With “Precious Memories,” Dylan leads us to the sound of the steel drums of the islands. This is a different style than the usual gospel or country arrangements, but it does have its own charm, especially with Dylan’s vocal combined with the excellent backup vocalists. Besides three steel drum players, Larry Meyers played mandolin.