A

"Starlight In The East"
Directory of Bob Dylan’s Unreleased Songs: A

Compiled by Alan Fraser

I Shall Be Unreleased, Rhino Records, 1991 - a compilation album of cover versions of then unreleased Dylan songs, this album title was my first choice for the title of this directory!

Revised: 17 September, 2024

For the meanings of the song title colours and the circulation codes used in this directory, please see the header page for this section (click on "Up" below).

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(Indefinite and definite articles at the beginning of song titles are ignored, so A WOMAN LIKE YOU is on the "W" page, and THE KING IS ON THE THRONE is on the "K" page.)

ABRAHAM'S ALTAR
One of the fake titles circulated on the Internet in January 1997 as part of a hoax about a new album to be called "Stormy Season" - see STORMY SEASON for more details

ACES AND EIGHTS	1962	O
Alternate title of RAMBLING, GAMBLING WILLIE, released on "The Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3"

AFTERNOON	Bob Dylan/Helena Springs, 1978 or 1979	N?
An otherwise unknown song copyrighted in 1980 listed by Tim Dunn in his book "The Bob Dylan Copyright Files 1962-2007" (AuthorHouse, 2008) - a version may exist with vocals by Helena Springs

AH AH AH [AH AH AH AH]	1981	S
Instrumental recorded during "Shot Of Love" sessions, Clover Recorder, Los Angeles, CA, 01 May 1981, also found as HIGH AWAY

AHOOOAH (OWAU)	1970	N?
Instrumental recorded during "New Morning" sessions, Columbia Studios, New York, 05 Jun 1970 (CO107279)

AIN’T GONNA GO TO HELL FOR ANYBODY	1980	L (both tours)
Performed live in 1980 April-May and then November-December - no studio version known, a live version from Toronto, Canada, Apr 1980, was short-listed for "The Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3", 1991. A live version from Le Theatre Saint-Denis, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, 24 Apr 1980, was released on the 2CD set "The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 - Trouble No More 1979-1981 (Live)", Oct 2017. Two more live versions from The Armory, Salem, OR, 2 Dec 1980 (CD4), and from Massey Hall, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 17-20 Apr 1980 (CD5, performed on all four nights but presumably the same performance considered in 1991) were released on the 8CD+DVD set "The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 - Trouble No More 1979-1981 (Deluxe Edition)", Nov 2017

Columbia US 10" acetate of I AIN'T GONNA GRIEVE NO MORE, scan by Hans Seegers

Warner Bros/7 Arts Music 10" acetate of I AIN'T GONNA GRIEVE NO MORE, scan by A.J. LaRue

AIN’T A-GONNA GRIEVE [I AIN’T GONNA GRIEVE NO MORE]	1963	O
Witmark demo, Aug 1963. Illustrated are scans of a 1963 Columbia US 10" acetate and a Warner Bros/7 Arts Music US 10" acetate of the demo which surfaced in 2004. Officially released on "The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 - The Witmark Demos 1962-1964" in Oct 2010

AIN’T IT FUNNY	1974	N?
Lyrics of this song are reported by Clinton Heylin to have been found in a notebook containing lyrics of the "Blood On The Tracks" songs, but no studio or live version is known

The self-titled album from Jah Malla with their cover of AIN'T NO MAN RIGHTEOUS, NO NOT ONE, scan by David Plentus

Maria Muldaur's 1984 Making Waves album Live In London with a second cover of this song, information from David Plentus

AIN’T NO MAN RIGHTEOUS (NO NOT ONE)	1979	S, L
Out-take from "Slow Train Coming", recorded at Muscle Shoals Studio, Sheffield, AL, 01 May 1979, overdubbed 3 May 1979, short-listed for "The Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3", 1991. Circulating versions come from two live performances in Nov 1979 and May 1980. Also sung live by Regina Havis and available officially as a cover by Jah Malla on their self-titled album (Modern Records, 1981) and also on the compilation of Dylan unreleased songs "I Shall Be Unreleased" (Rhino), see above. It's also available covered by Maria Muldaur on her 1984 Making Waves album "Live In London" (available on CD, Angel Air SJPCD109, UK, 2002). She's also covered the unreleased song WELL WELL WELL. Lyrics on bobdylan.com are here. A live version from Fox Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA, 16 Nov 1979, was released on the 2CD set "The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 - Trouble No More 1979-1981 (Live)", Oct 2017 (CD2). Take 6 from Muscle Shoals Studio, Sheffield, AL, 01 May 1979, was released on the 8CD+DVD set "The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 - Trouble No More 1979-1981 (Deluxe Edition)", Nov 2017 (CD3)

AIR TO BREATHE	1970	N?
Copyrighted May 1970, no other details known

ALCATRAZ TO THE 5^TH POWER	1964	O
Recording session sheet title of FAREWELL ANGELINA, released on "The Bootleg Series Vols. 1-3"

ALL AMERICAN BOY	1967	H
Basement Tapes song recorded with The Band, Big Pink, West Saugerties, NY, Jul-Oct 1967 - copyrighted by Bob in 1973, but actually based on the song by Bobby Bare Now released on CD4 of "The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 - Bob Dylan And The Band: The Basement Tapes Complete", Nov 2014, and credited to Bobby Bare

ALL I EVER LOVED IS YOU	1996	S
Out-take from "Time Out Of Mind" recorded at Real Music Studios, Oxnard, CA, 26 Sep 1996. Reported by Clinton Heylin in "Still On The Road - The Songs Of Bob Dylan Vol. 2: 1974-2008" (Constable, 2010)

ALL I'VE GOT IS ALL I WANT	Bob Dylan/Jeff Leach, 1965/2017	N
Work-in-progress song from the UK in May 1965 included in the D A Pennebaker documentary "Don't Look Back" with Bob playing the piano and singing a dummy vocal, completed by Jeff Leach in 2017, now circulating on YouTube. Thanks to "The Bridge" issue 59, Winter 2017, and Craig McCoy for information

Warner Bros/7 Arts Music 10" acetate of ALL OVER YOU by Bob, scan by A.J. LaRue

In The Tradition (Prestige/Folklore, US, 1964) with ALL OVER YOU by Dave Van Ronk with The Red Onion Jazz Band, scan by David Plentus

Two Sides Of Dave Van Ronk (Fantasy, US, 2002) with the complete 1964 album of In The Tradition containing ALL OVER YOU

Human Ball (Mercury, US, 1969) with ALL OVER YOU by the McCoys

The Legend of Paul Revere, (Columbia, US, 1990) - 2CD compilation from Paul Revere and The Raiders containing their 1973 version of ALL OVER YOU, scan by David Plentus

ALL OVER YOU	1963	O
Witmark demo, February 1963 - illustrated is a scan of a Warner Bros/7 Arts Music 10" acetate of the demo. Also on the "Banjo Tape" rehearsal with Gil Turner and Happy Traum, recorded in the basement of Gerdes Folk City, New York, 08 Feb 1963 (sometimes placed wrongly, e.g. by Happy Traum, as having been recorded at the home of Gil Turner in New York, 21 Jan 1963, but now confirmed by the recordist Peter Siegel as actually being from Gerdes Folk City in February). Also performed live at the New York Town Hall, 12 Apr 1963. This song was available officially only as covers by Dave Van Ronk and Paul Revere and the Raiders under the title (IF I HAD TO DO IT ALL OVER AGAIN, I'D DO IT) ALL OVER YOU. Officially released on "The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 - The Witmark Demos 1962-1964" in Oct 2010. Tim Charlton points out that the song is listed on bootlegs as IF I COULD DO IT ALL OVER and even IF I COULD DOLT ALL OVER, presumably a misprint. Thanks to A. J. LaRue, David Plentus and Dennis Renfors for information and scans

ALL SECRETS ARE SAFE WITH ME	1967	Y
Lyrics of a previously unknown song in a box of unrecorded lyrics and song fragments from 1967 held at the Bob Dylan Archive, University of Tulsa, OK. Thanks to Derek Barker and "Isis" magazine for information

ALL THE WAY	1981	S
Instrumental, recorded during "Shot Of Love" sessions, Los Angeles, CA, April 1981 (not the Frank Sinatra hit!)

ALL THE WAY DOWN	1981	S
Recorded during "Shot Of Love" sessions, Cream Studios, Los Angeles, CA, 01 Apr 1981

ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS DREAM	1967	H
Basement Tapes song recorded with The Band, Big Pink, West Saugerties, NY, Jul-Sep 1967 Two takes now released on CD5 of "The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 - Bob Dylan And The Band: The Basement Tapes Complete", Nov 2014, and credited to Bobby Bare

Jimmy Newman (Decca, 1961) - original album by Jimmy Newman (no "C" then) including ALLIGATOR MAN

The Cajun Country Of A Louisiana Man (Edsel, 2001) - compilation by Jimmy "C" Newman including ALLIGATOR MAN

Cajun Classics (K-Tel, 1997) - various artists compilation including ALLIGATOR MAN by Jimmy "C" Newman

Best Of The Vanguard Years (Vanguard, 2002) - compilation by the Greenbriar Boys including their version of ALLIGATOR MAN

ALLIGATOR MAN	Floyd Chance/Jimmy "C" Newman, 1970	N?
From "New Morning" sessions, 3 complete takes recorded Columbia Studios, New York, 01 Jun 1970 (CO106776), this song was short listed to appear on the 1973 "Dylan" album but not selected. It's author is unidentified by Michael Krogsgaard, but it must be the 1961 Cajun hit by Jimmy "C" Newman, also included on his 1961 Decca album "Jimmy Newman" (the "C" is a later addition and not his middle initial, it stands for "Cajun"!). ALLIGATOR MAN has also appeared on several other Newman albums (live and compilations), on multi-artist Cajun compilations, and has been covered by artists such as the Greenbriar Boys, the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, the Meteors and Alex Chilton - scans required of the original 7" single! Peter Stone Brown thinks Bob learned his version from The Greenbriar Boys in New York. Amazingly this track is still missing from The Bootleg Series, Vol. 10 - Another Self Portrait 1969-1971, released in Aug 2013!

ALLOW ME	1980	S
Unreleased song recorded by Bob at Rundown Studios, Santa Monica, CA, in Jan 1980 - thanks to David Freeman for information

ALMOST DONE (THE DAWN IS GONNA SHINE)	1984	R (both dates)
Worked on during rehearsals at the Beverly Theatre, Los Angeles, CA on 23 May 1984, and again at the Arena di Verona, Verona, Italy, on 27 May 1984, but not performed in public and no studio version is known to exist

ALMOST ENDLESS SLEEP	Bob Dylan?, 1987	S
Recorded during "Down In The Groove" sessions, Sunset Sound, Hollywood, CA, 1 May 1987

ALMOST PERSUADED	1981	S
Instrumental recorded during "Shot Of Love" sessions at Cream Studio, Los Angeles, CA, 01 Apr 1981 - not the 1966 country standard by Glenn Sutton/Billy Sherrill. Information from Clinton Heylin's book "Still On The Road - The Songs Of Bob Dylan Vol. 2: 1974-2008" (Constable, 2010)

ALRIGHT	1967	H
Basement Tapes song usually known as I'M ALRIGHT or IT'S ALRIGHT, recorded with The Band, Big Pink, West Saugerties, NY, Jul-Oct 1967 Now released as I'M ALRIGHT on CD3 of "The Bootleg Series Vol. 11 - Bob Dylan And The Band: The Basement Tapes Complete", Nov 2014

AM I NOT YOUR STEPCHILD?	Bob Dylan/Helena Springs, 1978	L
Alternate title of STEPCHILD, also known as YOU TREAT ME LIKE A STEPCHILD

AMAZING GRACE	2003	M
Despite the fact it's one of the world's most popular songs, this song is copyrighted by Bob at SESAC as part of the 2003 "Masked & Anonymous" film music! Thanks to Tim Dunn for information

ANCIENT MEMORIES	1964	O
Recording session sheet title of MY BACK PAGES, released on "Another Side of Bob Dylan"

AND HE’S KILLED ME TOO - BILLY (REPRISE)	1973	S
Instrumental recorded at the "Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid Original Soundtrack" sessions, CBS Discos Studios, Mexico City, 20 Jan 1973

ANGEL OF RAIN	1984	N?
Rumoured to have been recorded at Bob's home studio, Malibu, CA, April-May 1984 - included on a list of songs to be played on tour handed out to journalists at a press conference in Italy, May 1984, along with DIRTY LIE and ENOUGH IS ENOUGH (both of which are in circulation) but not performed. In his book "Still On The Road - The Songs Of Bob Dylan Vol. 2: 1974-2008" (Constable, 2010), Clinton Heylin thinks this is the same song as ALMOST DONE (see above)

Dylan Mania Par Béatrice Ardisson (Naïve Records, France, 2009) compilation with Dylan track ANIMALS, BIRDS AND CIGARETTES

ANIMALS, BIRDS AND CIGARETTES	1966	O
Thanks to John-Willy Bakke and David Plentus for news that "Dylan Mania Par Béatrice Ardisson", a 2009 French Naïve Records compilation of Dylan covers, contains a Dylan track called "APOTHECARY" (also listed in some sources as "ANIMALS, BIRDS AND CIGARETTES") which is apparently Bob's rap outside the pet shop from the 2005 Martin Scorsese No Direction Home video (see VHS & DVD 2000s Part 3). The track is not listed by Amazon France but it is on the CD (although not on the download version).

ANGEL, WHAT’D I DO?	1978	N?
Rehearsed at Rundown Studios, Santa Monica, CA, Sep 1978 - included on a tour playlist but never actually performed

ANSWER TO ODE	1967	O
Original title of CLOTHES LINE SAGA, released on "The Basement Tapes", which was written as an answer to ODE TO BILLY JOE by Bobbie Gentry

ANY TIME	1967	O
Missing Basement Tapes song, not included on "The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete", Nov 2014, probably an earlier version of I'D HAVE YOU ANY TIME by Bob and The Band, listed in "Isis" 176

APOLLO'S LOVE
One of the fake titles circulated on the Internet in January 1997 as part of a hoax about a new album to be called "Stormy Season" - see STORMY SEASON for more details - the title is a reference to Bob's known antipathy towards the US space programme!

APOTHECARY	1966	O
See ANIMALS, BIRDS AND CIGARETTES above

AROUND AND AROUND (?)	Bob Dylan?, 1984	R
Rehearsed at the Beverley Theatre, Los Angeles, CA, 23 May 1984 - not the Chuck Berry song, which Bob has also performed, although there is not a copyrighted Dylan song of this title Information from Gil Walker: "In his autobiography (which seems to contain more reliable information on the '84 tour than I've seen elsewhere) - Ian McLagen reports that Dylan briefly rehearsed a cover of a "naff" Jimmy Cliff song, at Carlos Santana's suggestion. Any chance this is it?" Jimmy Cliff does not seem to have recorded or copyrighted a song with this title, but it may not be correct - for example the song listed in Dylan reference works as I'LL BE AROUND is actually called I'M GLAD I GOT TO SEE YOU ONCE AGAIN! Information please! Note to non-British readers: "naff" means "unfashionable, lacking in style", i.e. the opposite of hip or cool.

AS IT IS BEFORE	Earth Opera, 1968	N
One of a list of songs listed as being on unreleased acetates by Bob Dylan in various record collecting reference books, such as the "'Music Master' Price Guide for Record Collectors" by Nick Hamlyn, published by MBC Information Services, London - in fact these acetates are by Earth Opera, a late 1960s Boston rock group. The confusion is said originally to have arisen because "Earth Opera" was the next entry after "Bob Dylan" in a directory, but their name was omitted so that their titles appeared under Bob's name. Since then, this incorrect information has been repeated in other books such as the one above.

AS TIME PASSES BY	Bob Dylan?,1985	S
Out-take from "Knocked Out Loaded", recorded at Cherokee Studios, Hollywood, CA, 17 Apr 1985

Jackie Leven's 1994 Cooking Vinyl CD single I Say A Little Prayer (the Bacharach/David song) which contains the "co-composition" AS WE SAILED INTO SKIBBEREEN

Jackie Leven's 1996 Cooking Vinyl album The Argyle Cycle which also contains AS WE SAILED INTO SKIBBEREEN

AS WE SAILED INTO SKIBBEREEN	Jackie Leven/Bob Dylan, 1988	N
In "The Telegraph", issue 51, Scottish singer Jackie Leven, former leader of punk band Doll By Doll, recounts how he met Bob Dylan in a Berlin hotel bar on 5 Oct 1988, and subsequently travelled with him by train from Berlin to St. Petersburg in Russia. During the journey, Leven says he showed Bob some song lyrics he had written, and Bob suggested he set them to the melody of ONE TOO MANY MORNINGS. This Leven subsequently did, although the song, credited to "Jackie Leven/Bob Dylan" wasn't released until 1994 when it appeared on the above CD single (Cooking Vinyl FRY CD 036). However, on 5 Oct 1998, Bob is known to have been in Beverley Hills, California (see Clinton Heylin's "A Life In Stolen Moments: Bob Dylan Day By Day 1941-1995"), so the truth of this story is in doubt. Columbia forced Leven's single to be withdrawn in the UK, although apparently not in Germany according to Jackie Leven fan Dieter Petzold, who also explains that Jackie is known for his tall tales and leg pulls, of which this is one. The song is however now available on his 1996 Cooking Vinyl album "The Argyle Cycle" (Cooking Vinyl COOK CD 101/7710018). For more details see the Cooking Vinyl web-site - thanks to Hans Marijnissen for information about this CD). For another "co-composition" from 2004 by Jackie Leven based on the same story, see MOSCOW TRAIN

Danniebelle Hall's album Let Me Have A Dream with her recording of ORDINARY PEOPLE

Danniebelle Hall's latest album The Best Get Better, also with her recording of ORDINARY PEOPLE

AVERAGE PEOPLE	Bob Dylan?, 1982	N?
Recorded at Rundown Studios, Santa Monica, CA, 01 Jun 1982 - there's no recorded copyright record by Bob for this song. Mona Lisa Young, one of Bob's backing singers, sang a song called ORDINARY PEOPLE in concert in Nov 1979. ORDINARY PEOPLE is a modern gospel song written by the late Danniebelle Hall, and it's possible that the song title was misnamed. For more information about Danniebelle Hall's recording of this song, see

A Flying Pig production

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