Fifty years ago, on January 13, 1965, Bob Dylan entered Studio A, the Columbia studio that he favored, and during a three-hour session with Tom Wilson producing, recorded 14 songs.

This session, the first of three for an album, Bringing It All Back Home, that would be his transitional move toward rock music, was pretty much business as usual. On that day Dylan mostly recorded alone (although John Sebastian played bass on a few of the songs), accompanying himself, as he had done for his previous albums, on guitar and piano and harmonica. There are wonderful takes that were recorded that day, but clearly Dylan was ready to try something new, and he did during the sessions that followed.

From Wikipedia:

The first session, held on January 13, 1965 in Columbia’s Studio A in New York, was recorded solo, with Dylan playing piano or acoustic guitar. Ten complete songs and several song sketches were produced, nearly all of which were discarded.

None of the versions recorded that day were used on Bringing It All Back Home.

“I’ll Keep It With Mine” was included on Biograph, and “Subterranean Homesick Blues” and “Farewell Angelina” are on The Bootleg Series Vol. 1-3. One of the “Outlaw Blues” takes was released as an iTunes exclusive in 2005. “California” is on 2009’s NCIS: The Official TV Soundtrack – Vol. 2.

(Check out my other posts on the Bringing It All Back Home sessions: January 14, 1965 and January 15, 1965.)

“I’ll Keep It With Mine” (with Dylan and producer Ton Wilson talking before Dylan plays the song):

“It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue”(outtake):

“Love Minus Zero/ No Limit” (outtake):

“Subterranean Homesick Blues #10” (outtake):

“Farewell Angelina” (outtake):

“You Don’t Have To Do That” (fragment):

“Outlaw Blues” (outtake):

“California” (outtake):

Here’s some info about the session from www.bjorner.com.

If you liked this post, check on the one I did on the second Bringing It All Back Home session here.

Writer Michael Krogsgaard got access to Sony Records’ archives in New York and has published detailed information online.

Here’s his information about the January 13, 1965 session:

Studio A
Columbia Recording Studio
New York City, New York
January 13, 1965, 7-10 pm

Produced by Tom Wilson.
Engineers: Hallie and Catero.

1. Love Minus Zero/No Limit CO85270 Take 1b
2. Love Minus Zero/No Limit Take 2C

3. I’ll Keep It With Mine CO85271 Take 1C

4. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue CO85272 Take 1C

5. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream CO85273 Take 1b
6. Bob Dylan’s 115th Dream Take 2C

7. She Belongs To Me CO85274 Take 1C

8. Subterranean Homesick Blues CO85275 Take 1C

9. Sitting On A Barbed Wire Fence CO85276 Take 1C

10. On The Road Again CO85277 Take 1C

11. Farewell Angelina CO85278 Take 1C

12. If You Gotta Go, Go Now CO85279 Take 1C
13. If You Gotta Go, Go Now (Addition) Take 1

14. Bending Down On My Stomick Lookin’ West CO85280 Take 1C

15. Love Minus Zero/No Limit CO85270 Take 3C

16. She Belongs To Me CO85274 Take 2C

17. Outlaw Blues CO85281 Take 1b
18. Outlaw Blues Take 2C
1 and 2 “Dime Store” on recording sheet.
3 “Bank Account Blues” on recording sheet.
5-6 “B. Dylan’s Later Dream” on recording sheet.
7 “Worse Than Money” on recording sheet.
8 “Subterranean Homesick Blues #10” on recording sheet.
9 “Barbwire” on recording sheet, corrected on the tape box to “Sitting On A Barbed Wire Fence”. On the copyright card listed as “Outlaw Blues”.
11 “Alcatraz To The 5th Power” on recording sheet.
12 and 13 “You Gotta Go” on recording sheet.
17 and 18 “Tune X” on recording sheet, corrected to “Key To The Highway” on one tape box and to “Outlaw Blues” on another. This CO number is not listed in the contract cards.
3 released on Biograph.
8 and 11 released on The Bootleg Series.

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