The Bromberg Sessions and Good As I Been to You Outtakes

In early June 1992, Dylan and his friend David Bromberg recorded thirty songs with a bluegrass spirit for a new album. From these sessions, recorded at Chicago’s Acme Recording Studio, no records were made because Dylan was disappointed with Bromberg’s mix. He abandoned the project shortly afterward. It is not until the release of The Bootleg Series Volume 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989–2006 in 2008 that some of the songs from these sessions, known as the Bromberg Sessions, became known. Two months later, Dylan recorded new songs, completely different in style, at his home in Malibu. These were almost all used for his twenty-eighth album, Good As I Been to You; a few are outtakes.

You Belong To Me Pee Wee King / Redd Stewart / Chilton Price / 3:09

Musician: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar / Recording Studio: Bob Dylan Garage Studio, Malibu, California: July–August 1992 / Producer: Debbie Gold / Sound Engineer: Micajah Ryan / Album: Original soundtrack to Natural Born Killers, directed by Oliver Stone / Date of Release: August 23, 1994

“You Belong to Me” is a romantic pop song written by three famous names in country music of the 1950s, Pee Wee King, Redd Stewart, and Chilton Price. Since the recording by Sue Thompson in 1952, this ballad was soon covered by other artists, including Patti Page and, especially, Jo Stafford, both in 1952. Stafford’s version became a major hit, topping the charts in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Forty years after Stafford, Dylan recorded his version of “You Belong to Me.” The guitar and vocals are absolutely stunning. Dylan brilliantly masters the song. It is regrettable that it was left off the album Good As I Been to You. Michael Bublé recorded a cover very similar in spirit for his 2002 album Dream. Only two years later, “You Belong to Me” appeared on the soundtrack to the 1994 film Natural Born Killers, directed by Oliver Stone. Other songs on the Soundtrack included “Waiting for the Miracle” by Leonard Cohen and “Sweet Jane” by Lou Reed.

Miss The Mississippi Bill Halley / 3:22

Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar, harmonica; David Bromberg: guitar; Glen Lowe: guitar; Dick Fegy: fiddle, mandolin (?); Jeff Wisor: fiddle, mandolin (?); Christopher Cameron: keyboards; Peter Ecklund: trumpet; John Firmin: tenor saxophone, clarinet; Curtis Linberg: trombone; Robert Amiot: bass; Richard Crooks: drums / Recording Studio: Acme Recording Studio, Chicago: June 3–5, 1992 / Producer: David Bromberg / Sound Engineer: Chris Shaw / Set Box: The Bootleg Series Volume 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989–2006 (CD 2) / Date of Release: October 6, 2008

“Miss the Mississippi” is a song by Bill Halley (not to be confused with Bill Haley, the rock ’n’ roll pioneer whose name is spelled with one l) first recorded in 1932 by country singer Jimmie Rodgers, one of the first superstars and pioneers of country music. Rodgers died the following year of tuberculosis. He was known as the singing brakeman and the father of country music. Dylan, who owes him an artistic debt, paid a touching tribute to him with this adaptation of “Miss the Mississippi,” a faithful rendering of the original version. In addition, it is a beautiful evocation of the Mississippi River itself. The narrator is tired of the city lights and dreams of returning home and walking the banks of the “old river.”

It is surprising, however, that Dylan rejected this version, because it is superb. His interpretation is moving, and the musicians accompanying him are all excellent. An enigma, especially because his rejection of this song is preceded by the release of Under the Red Sky, an album probably less faithful to his musical aspirations of the time.

Duncan & Brady Traditional / Arrangement Bob Dylan / 3:12

Musicians: Bob Dylan: vocals, guitar; David Bromberg: guitar; Glen Lowe: guitar; Dick Fegy: mandolin (?); Jeff Wisor: mandolin (?); Christopher Cameron: keyboards; Robert Amiot: bass; Richard Crooks: drums / Recording Studio: Acme Recording Studio, Chicago: June 1992 / Producer: David Bromberg / Sound Engineer: Chris Shaw / Set Box: The Bootleg Series Volume 8: Tell Tale Signs: Rare & Unreleased 1989–2006 (CD 3) / Date of Release: October 6, 2008

This song reports the tragic events that took place in the Charles Starkes Saloon in St. Louis on October 6, 1890. Police officers entered the bar, where a fight had broken out. Among them was James Brady, an Irish cop. When they were about to arrest the owner of the bar, a shot rang out and Brady collapsed, dead on the floor! Who shot him? Starkes, the owner, or the bartender, an African-American from Louisiana named Harry Duncan? Both men denied it. Duncan was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to death. He appealed several times without success and was hanged on July 27, 1894.

Like “Frankie & Johnny” and “Stagger Lee,” “Duncan and Brady” is a traditional murder ballad. The song was first recorded by Wilmer Watts and the Lonely Eagles in 1929. Since then, it has been recorded many times. The best-known versions are by Leadbelly (1947) and Dave Van Ronk (1959).

Dylan and Bromberg’s version is excellent. It is a dynamic blues-rock song that wonderfully showcases saturated slide guitar solos. It also has very good mandolin passages—a successful interpretation that could easily have found its place on an official album.