"Hey Joe"- famously the first single by the Jimi Hendrix Experience is also a real 'Whodunit' ? The authorship of the song is contested by quite a cast of writers and the credits roll at some length.
Californian-based folk musician Billy Roberts registered the copyright in 1962. Scottish singer Len Partridge claimed he helped write the song. Friend of Roberts, Dino Valenti also copyrighted the composition in 1963. All this while claims of inspiration to various earlier works with similar lyrics and chords plus the assertion that "Hey Joe" was a traditional song. Which includes Tim Rose, who recorded the song in 1966 and said he'd learned it in 1960 from folk singer Vince Martin, but added his own arrangement to the traditional song.
Either way the Jimi Hendrix version, most of us know, was inspired by Rose's rendition. While in the year 2000: 'Total Guitar' magazine ranked it as their 13th greatest cover version of all time.
All that said today's Star Track is another cover of "Hey Joe" - this one an extraordinary performance from 1976 'live' in Austin, Texas by Roy Buchanan. A pioneer of the Fender Telecaster sound he never achieved stardom in his life but is definitely a highly influential and versatile guitar player. This almost languid run through showcases his style and ends with a brief tribute to Jimi, from Roy Buchanan > 

> Check out "The Messiah Will Come Again' - it's a must ! [here] - with no effects pedals !

Plenty more on YouTube, including a 1973 OGWT, with three songs and an interview with 'Whispering Bob'. [link to] 

And finally to the 'Covers' of Bob Dylan songs. 

There's a crazy amount to choose from and personal preference is always going to be the case, but some versions really did add something to the original and have gone down in music history as classics in their own right.

I'll not contemplate a list here, only to suggest that today's Star Track is widely considered one of the very best cover versions: 'All Along the Watchtower' by The Jimi Hendrix Experience. Say no more >

By way of a little diversion, I found this clip of Jeff Beck as he demonstrates the amazing Fender Stratocaster - "Same guitar" [click here] 

In June 1978 I was lucky enough to see Bob Dylan in concert at Earls Court in London.

This was the tour in which he reworked many of his best known songs, surprising fans, who until the vocals actually began, often didn't recognise the track at all. So many people had covered Dylan songs down the years, some of them are considered better than his originals and yet here he was doing his own 'new' versions ..... very differently ! 

I have the setlist from that night > [link here] and by way of a comparison I thought I'd present an original along side the 1978 version. So here then is 'One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)' 

1) Original off the 'Blonde on Blonde' LP

2) 1978 version 'live'

[our Bob Dylan time concludes this Friday]

"Happy Birthday Robert Zimmerman", who casually says "I'm just a song and dance man"! 

Taken from the 1976 concert 'The Last Waltz' with The Band this seems an appropriate title for today. Including some beautiful guitar from Robbie Robertson this is 'Forever Young'

▶ [Timeline(s) - they are a-changin']

The end of the 60s saw so many 'covers' of Bob Dylan compositions it's mind boggling. We will get to these. By the mid seventies, after the 'Blood on the Tracks' album, those 'Basement Tapes' with The Band from 1967 were finally released. 

And then in 1978 ... 

Bob Dylan at 80, is going to be all over the media this weekend (his birthday is on Monday 24th). Ideal opportunity for a Dylan Week.

Scanning numerous lists of his greatest songs, no doubt everyone has their own personal favourite anyway, one song in particular does feature in most Top Fives, while currently showing up as most popular plays on Spotify. That is 'Like A Rolling Stone'.

This video is from the Newport Folk Festival in July 1965 [the infamous one in which he went electric and upset the Folk purists].

"Dylan goes electric, the rest is history, little did people know what they were witnessing"

His backing band on that occasion was The Paul Butterfield Blues Band: comprising Mike Bloomfield – electric guitar; Al Kooper – organ; Jerome Arnold – bass guitar; & Sam Lay – drums.

At 6 minutes long the single release of 'Like A Rolling Stone' was issued by CBS in England as a promotional copy, Part 1 and Part 2, on either side of the record. I recall radio only ever playing one part, never the full song [none of that happening here]. The single peaked at No.4 on the UK chart. 

▶ [Timeline] 'Like A Rolling Stone' was on the 1965 album 'Highway 61 Revisited'. There followed a double LP 'Blonde on Blonde' and a World Tour billed as Bob Dylan and the Band, who were actually a group called the Hawks. The mysterious bike accident followed and saw Dylan escape the rat race, and then in 1967 in a house in Woodstock the 'Big Pink' sessions resulted in 100 songs with the Hawks - who in 1968 became known as The Band. 

The story continues .... 

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary. Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out ! Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

The 2010 film 'Inception' saw Hans Zimmer's music nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Original Score category.
2020 this happened: a video of Alan Walker and his Remix of 'Time'. [Alan Olav Walker is an English-Norwegian DJ and record producer]. He tells us: "Collaborating with Hans Zimmer on this release has been an out-of-body experience on a whole different level. Everyone who knows me, knows that I’m a huge fan of his work, and it has played a big part of my musical journey. Especially “Time,” which is probably my favourite song ever". 

- A short film from behind the scenes follows [on this link]

And after this intermission a fantastic 'movie' combining the original version of 'Time' with concert footage and Italian mountain scenery. [click this] - if for some reason this link doesn't work, just search for Hans Zimmer - Time - Most Inspirational Video Italy 4k

According to the UK Roadmap for easing out of this lockdown, from May 17th the cinemas are due to reopen. It really does feel like a trip to the 'flicks' was a very long time ago.

To celebrate this 'Back to the Movies' how about this Oscar winning track for 'Best Original Song', from 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy sung by Annie Lennox: 'Into the West'

►► And another classic 'Big Screen' music moment is cued for this coming Midweek - a Remix version of another Oscar nominated soundtrack >>>

I feel some more 90s indie music coming on: Buffalo Tom - "best band nobody knows but the chosen few" - (? according to many YouTubers)
Back in the early 90s GLR (the BBC station Greater London Radio) had a Sunday afternoon rock programme with DJ Gary Crowley that was always unearthing new talent. He was the first British DJ to champion new rock acts like Oasis, Blur, Manic Street Preachers and Teenage Fanclub. While from America he introduced me to Pearl Jam and the above mentioned band Buffalo Tom from Boston.
I recall getting their 1993 album 'Big Red Letter Day' from the local library and making a cassette copy. 'Sodajerk' and 'I'm Allowed' open that record in fine form. This track however is off their previous LP and one of their best known songs, the angst that is 'Taillights Fade' >

NB: Now amended, after I discovered we'd had this track with the exact same video back in 2017. So I've changed the video to this 'live' version from singer Bill Janovitz with Pearl Jam in 2018. Still great !

Like many others I've watched an awful lot of TV so far this year. 

And just occasionally I have caught the ads ( rather than: fast forward through them / go into the kitchen for something / leave the room for another reason - delete as applicable ).

A current advert for Halifax Bank uses 'Stand By Me' by Oasis - a great song from 1997 - 'Time Flies'.

No video to watch, just a still shot, but simply vintage Oasis 'Wall of Sound' [and full orchestra] > "Madferit"

 

An alternative (and occasional) music posting highlighting something out of the ordinary. Perhaps of limited appeal, unconventional, experimental or just far-out ! Call it what you like (or switch it off, if you don't like). 

Another unusual piece of music I've been saving for a more appropriate time of year, having first heard it on Radio 6 last October.

It's called 'Nightingale Part 1' and is by an artist named Cosmo Sheldrake (really his name). So far, so weird, wait till you hear the track. He's a British multi-instrumentalist musician, composer and producer. The piece is from last years album release called 'Wake Up Calls'. Using actual bird song interwoven into beautiful peaceful soundscapes. 

The BBC naturalist Brett Westwood has compared the song of the Nightingale to a “jazz musician, improvising on a theme”. See what you make of it >

'Part 2': [is here] - and many other songs by Cosmo Sheldrake on YouTube, naturally.