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| released = December 27, 1967
| released = December 27, 1967
| format =
| format =
| recorded =
| recorded = November 29, 1967
| studio =
| studio = Columbia Recording Studios
| venue =
| venue = Nashville
| genre =
| genre = [[Blues]]
| length = 3:19
| length = 3:19<ref name="ALLS" />
| label = [[Columbia Records]]
| label = [[Columbia Records]]
| writer = Bob Dylan
| writer = Bob Dylan
| producer = [[Bob Johnston]]
| producer = [[Bob Johnston]]
}}
}}
"'''Dear Landlord'''" is a song by American singer-songwriter [[Bob Dylan]]. It was recorded on DATE TBC at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, produced by [[Bob Johnston]]. The song was released on ''[[John Wesley Harding]]'' on 27 December 1967.
"'''Dear Landlord'''" is a song by American singer-songwriter [[Bob Dylan]]. It was recorded on November 29, 1967 at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, produced by [[Bob Johnston]]. The song was released on Dylan's album ''[[John Wesley Harding]]'' on 27 December 1967. It is a piano [[blues]] that has been interpeted as an address to his then-manager [[Albert Grossman]].


==Background and recording==
==Background and recording==


⚫
The song is a piano [[blues]]<ref name="ALLS" /> and was his first piano song since "[[Ballad of a Thin Man]]" (1965).<ref name="TRAGER">{{cite book |last=Trager |first=Oliver |title=Keys to the rain: the definitive Bob Dylan encyclopedia |year=2004 |publisher=Billboard Books |location=New York | isbn=0823079740 |pages=129-130}}</ref> It was the last song recorded for ''John Wesley Harding''.<ref name="ALLS" />

==Composition and lyrical interpretation==
The song's lyric "Please don't put a price on my soul" has been interpreted as a plea to his manager [[Albert Grossman]], who was also his landlord at the time, or perhaps to his audience.<ref name="TRAGER" /> In 1971, Dylan said that he did not have Grossman in mind when composing the song, but "only later when people ponted out that the song may have been written for Grossman I thought it could have been ... it's an abstact song."<ref name="ALLS" />

==Critical reception==
In ''[[Crawdaddy]]'' (May 1968), [[Jon Landau]] praised the song, although its target was unclear, for having "No reliance on exagggerated mannerisms but a simple and direct statement", and noted that the "melodic structure of the song is one of the most sophisticated Dylan has ever devised".<ref name="TRAGER" />{{rp|130}}

<ref name="HEYLINRITA">{{cite book |last1=Heylin |first1=Clinton |date=1995 |title=Revolution in the Air – the songs of Bob Dylan Vol.1 1957–73|publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |pages=132–136 |isbn=9781849012966}}</ref>
<ref name="HEYLINRITA">{{cite book |last1=Heylin |first1=Clinton |date=1995 |title=Revolution in the Air – the songs of Bob Dylan Vol.1 1957–73|publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |pages=132–136 |isbn=9781849012966}}</ref>
<ref name="GRAY">{{cite book |last=Gray|first=Michael |title=The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia | pages=340 |date=2008 |publisher=[[Continuum International Publishing Group]] |location=London|isbn=9780826429742}}</ref>


==Live performances==
cover version
As of April 2022, Dylan had performed "Dear Landlord" live six times. He first played the song live on October 25, 1992, and most recently included it for a short time in his live sets in 2003.<ref name="TRAGER" /><ref name="ALLS" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Setlists that contain Dear Landlord |url=https://www.bobdylan.com/setlists/?id_song=25860 |website=bobdylan.com |access-date=12 April 2022}}</ref>
⚫
live versions





⚫
<ref name="TRAGER">{{cite book |last=Trager |first=Oliver |title=Keys to the rain: the definitive Bob Dylan encyclopedia |year=2004 |publisher=Billboard Books |location=New York | isbn=0823079740 |pages=598-599}}</ref>
<ref name="SOUNES">{{cite book |last=Sounes |first=Howard |title=Down the highway: the life of Bob Dylan |publisher=Grove Press |location=New York |year=2011 |isbn=9780802145529 |pages=98-99}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Paul |title=Bob Dylan, performing artist: the early years, 1960–1973 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=London |year=2004 |isbn=1844490955 |page=18}}</ref>
<ref>{{cite book |last=Williams |first=Paul |title=Bob Dylan, performing artist: the early years, 1960–1973 |publisher=Omnibus Press |location=London |year=2004 |isbn=1844490955 |page=18}}</ref>

<ref name="HEYLINRITA">{{cite book |last1=Heylin |first1=Clinton |date=1995 |title=Revolution in the Air – the songs of Bob Dylan Vol.1 1957–73|publisher=[[Constable & Robinson]] |pages=132–136 |isbn=9781849012966}}</ref>
<ref name="OB">{{Cite web |title=Still on the road: 1962 concerts and recording sessions |url=http://www.bjorner.com/DSN00150%201962.htm |website=bjorner.com |publisher=[[Olof Björner]] |access-date=14 May 2021 |archive-date=November 20, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101120102427/http://bjorner.com/DSN00150%201962.htm |url-status=live }}</ref>




==Personnel==
==Personnel==
The personnel for the DATE TBC recordings at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, are listed below.<ref name="ALLS">{{cite book |last1=Margotin |first1=Philippe |last2=Guedson |first2=Jean-Michel |date=2015 |title=Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |publisher=Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers |page=294 |isbn=978-1579129859}}</ref>
The personnel for the November 29, 1967 recordings at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, are listed below.<ref name="ALLS">{{cite book |last1=Margotin |first1=Philippe |last2=Guedson |first2=Jean-Michel |date=2015 |title=Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track |publisher=Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers |page=294 |isbn=978-1579129859}}</ref>


'''Musician'''
'''Musicians'''
*[[Bob Dylan]]{{spaced en dash}}vocals, piano
*[[Bob Dylan]]{{spaced en dash}}vocals, piano
*[[Charlie McCoy]]{{spaced en dash}}bass
*[[Charlie McCoy]]{{spaced en dash}}bass
Line 52: Line 59:
*''[[Biograph (album)|Biograph]]'' (released 1985)
*''[[Biograph (album)|Biograph]]'' (released 1985)
*''The Original Mono Recordings'' (released 2010)
*''The Original Mono Recordings'' (released 2010)

⚫
==Cover versions==
The song was covered by [[Joan Baez]] on her album [[Any Day Now (Joan Baez album)|Any Day Now]] in 1968, and appeared on 1960 albums by [[Janis Joplin]] (''[[I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!]]'') and [[Joe Cocker]] (''[[Joe Cocker!]]''). <ref name="ALLS" />


==Notes==
==Notes==

Revision as of 22:35, 12 April 2022

"Dear Landlord"
Song by Bob Dylan
from the album John Wesley Harding
ReleasedDecember 27, 1967
RecordedNovember 29, 1967
StudioColumbia Recording Studios
VenueNashville
GenreBlues
Length3:19[1]
LabelColumbia Records
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Bob Johnston

"Dear Landlord" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. It was recorded on November 29, 1967 at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, produced by Bob Johnston. The song was released on Dylan's album John Wesley Harding on 27 December 1967. It is a piano blues that has been interpeted as an address to his then-manager Albert Grossman.

Background and recording

The song is a piano blues[1] and was his first piano song since "Ballad of a Thin Man" (1965).[2] It was the last song recorded for John Wesley Harding.[1]

Composition and lyrical interpretation

The song's lyric "Please don't put a price on my soul" has been interpreted as a plea to his manager Albert Grossman, who was also his landlord at the time, or perhaps to his audience.[2] In 1971, Dylan said that he did not have Grossman in mind when composing the song, but "only later when people ponted out that the song may have been written for Grossman I thought it could have been ... it's an abstact song."[1]

Critical reception

In Crawdaddy (May 1968), Jon Landau praised the song, although its target was unclear, for having "No reliance on exagggerated mannerisms but a simple and direct statement", and noted that the "melodic structure of the song is one of the most sophisticated Dylan has ever devised".[2]: 130 

[3]

Live performances

As of April 2022, Dylan had performed "Dear Landlord" live six times. He first played the song live on October 25, 1992, and most recently included it for a short time in his live sets in 2003.[2][1][4]


[5]


Personnel

The personnel for the November 29, 1967 recordings at Columbia Recording Studios, Nashville, are listed below.[1]

Musicians

Technical

Official releases

Cover versions

The song was covered by Joan Baez on her album Any Day Now in 1968, and appeared on 1960 albums by Janis Joplin (I Got Dem Ol' Kozmic Blues Again Mama!) and Joe Cocker (Joe Cocker!). [1]

Notes

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Margotin, Philippe; Guedson, Jean-Michel (2015). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. Black Dog and Leventhal Publishers. p. 294. ISBN 978-1579129859.
  2. ^ a b c d Trager, Oliver (2004). Keys to the rain: the definitive Bob Dylan encyclopedia. New York: Billboard Books. pp. 129–130. ISBN 0823079740.
  3. ^ Heylin, Clinton (1995). Revolution in the Air – the songs of Bob Dylan Vol.1 1957–73. Constable & Robinson. pp. 132–136. ISBN 9781849012966.
  4. ^ "Setlists that contain Dear Landlord". bobdylan.com. Retrieved April 12, 2022.
  5. ^ Williams, Paul (2004). Bob Dylan, performing artist: the early years, 1960–1973. London: Omnibus Press. p. 18. ISBN 1844490955.

External links

Category:Songs written by Bob Dylan Category:Bob Dylan songs Category:1967 songs

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