"Searching For A Gem"

Bob Dylan's Officially Released Rarities and Obscurities

Audio: 2009

All the songs listed in the Official Rarities section are cross-referenced by song title in these alphabetical pages.
A-E F-J K-O P-S T-Z


Bob Dylan: Alias Anything You Please" edited by Ty Silkman from the archives of Rex Features, published by Reynolds & Hearn, 1 Jul 2009

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This yearly page now contains only the main Rarities List. Promotional Items (Albums and Singles) are now here. All Honourable Mentions are now here.

If you have any entries to add to the list or additions/corrections to existing entries, please let me know! Please note I cannot value your Dylan rarities - see the Mission page for reasons why. Contact the dealers on my Trading page for assistance!

Revised: 16 September, 2024.


Titles in red are not available on a currently released Bob Dylan CD (for these see bobdylan.com )

Key to symbols used:
Links to other World Wide Web pages -
Links to email addresses -
Performances currently available on commercial CD are marked by (these are the ones that count as obscurities rather than as rarities)

Audience recordings are indicated by (A).


"Dreamin' Of You"/"Down Along The Cove" (Live) - limited edition 7" single, Columbia 38-750225/88697502257 (USA/Europe), 18 Apr 2009:
This limited edition single is being released to publicise "Record Store Day" in the USA, 18 Apr 2009. Similar singles are also being released from Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen. The single is in a buff sleeve with a black/white seal and comes with an exclusive glossy 6" x 6" monochrome Dylan photo. The record has unique black/silver Columbia labels. For more information, see here . It appears that only 2,500 copies will be available from participating record stores in the USA. According to "The Daily Telegraph", 18 Apr 2009, the three singles were also available at participating stores in the UK. The single has two catalogue numbers: 38-750225 (the US format) and 88697502257 (the European format). The A-side is now confirmed as the full album version from The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 - Tell Tale Signs: Rare And Unreleased 1989-2006, not the 3:34 single edit (R-0354, see 2008).


Columbia 38-750225/88697502257 (USA/Europe) - picture found by Peter Schoefboeck


Columbia 38-750225/88697502257 (USA/Europe) - picture found by Fred Muller (front)


Columbia 38-750225/88697502257 (USA/Europe) - picture found by Fred Muller (rear)

Columbia 38-750225/88697502257 (USA/Europe) - promo photo, scan by Paul S. Levine

Columbia 38-750225/88697502257 (USA/Europe) - A-side scan by Paul S. Levine

Columbia 38-750225/88697502257 (USA/Europe) - B-side scan by Paul S. Levine

R-0697-4 Down Along The Cove - live, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN, 11 Jun 2004
This performance first appeared on the Sanctuary Records US 2CD set
Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004, see 2005. (The claim that this is previously unreleased in the USA is therefore incorrect!). It also appeared on CD singles in 2007. Cold Irons Bound from this set was released on CD3 of the Deluxe Edition of The Bootleg Series Vol. 8 - Tell Tale Signs: Rare And Unreleased 1989-2006 (see 2008).

Thanks to Peter Schoefboeck, Fred Muller and Paul S. Levine for information and scans.


"The Bob Dylan 60s Collection" - 10CD boxed set, Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2 (NL), 20 Apr 2009:
This set in card sleeves was made by Sony Music in Austria for the Dutch newspaper "De Volkskrant" to mark Bob's Apr 2009 shows in Holland. It includes the limited edition CD
Live At The Gaslight 1962, originally released in 2005. The box also contains a 16-page booklet by Dutch author Martin Bril called "Een man uit de verte [A man from afar]". Sadly, Martin Bril died on 22 Apr 2009 from cancer.


Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2 (NL) - box front scan by Tom Willems
Live At The Gaslight 1962 contains ten live performances taken from two separate shows at the Gaslight Café in New York in Oct 1962. As it is exactly the same as the CD released in 2005, full details of the rarities are listed on that page.

For scans of the regular albums in this set, see International Album Releases (Regular) - 2000s Multi-Packs. For the equivalent 2010 "De Volkskrant" 1970s Collection, see here.

Thanks to Tom Willems and Hans Seegers for information and scans.


Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2 (NL) - box rear scan by Tom Willems

Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2/2 (NL) - front of card sleeve, scan by Tom Willems

Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2/2 (NL) - rear of card sleeve, scan by Tom Willems

Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2/2 (NL) - CD scan by Tom Willems


Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2 (NL) - booklet front scan by Tom Willems


Columbia/Sony Music 88697 51773 2 (NL) - advert in "De Volkskrant", scan by Tom Willems

"Together Through Life" - 2CD+DVD release, Columbia 88697 51697 2 (USA), 28 Apr 2009; Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe), 27 Apr 2009:


Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe) - front of box with sticker, scan by Jean-Pol Hiernaux
The bonus DVD with "The Lost Interview" by Roy Silver includes the original Witmark demo of Blowin' In The Wind.

R-0776-2 Blowin' In The Wind - Witmark demo version recorded Witmark offices, New York, Jul 1962
This demo also turned up on a 1962 10" US Liberty Records acetate made for Witmark in 2007.

Thanks to Paul Tillman for pointing out that even though R-0776 is listed on the DVD menu above, it cannot actually be selected (it's part of the Roy Silver interview running from 7:37 to 10:07). The DVD screenshot shows a plain black acetate with no label and handwritten text in white. The title on the acetate is given as "It's Blowing In The Wind".

R-0776 was also released in Oct 2010 on The Bootleg Series Vol. 9 - The Witmark Demos 1962-1964. This means it's no longer a rarity.

Thanks to Jean-Pol Hiernaux for information and scans.


Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe) - front sticker scan by Jean-Pol Hiernaux


Columbia 88697 51697 2 (USA) - front of box with sticker, scan by Moise Potié


Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe) - front of bonus DVD card sleeve, scan by Jean-Pol Hiernaux


Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe) - rear of bonus DVD card sleeve, scan by Jean-Pol Hiernaux

Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe) - bonus DVD scan by Jean-Pol Hiernaux


Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe) - bonus DVD menu (my copy)


Sony Music 88697516972 (Europe) - DVD screenshot by Jean-Pol Hiernaux

"Beyond Here Lies Nothin'"/"Down Along The Cove" (Live) - limited edition 7" single, Columbia 88697 52348 7 (Europe), 28 Apr 2009:


Columbia 88697 52348 7 (Europe) - front scan by Rob Lake
This limited edition single was given away free with initial purchases of Together Through Life in Scandinavia, Australia and New Zealand. The single available in Australasia still has "Made in the EU" on the rear sleeve.

R-0697-5 Down Along The Cove - live, Bonnaroo Music Festival, Manchester, TN, 11 Jun 2004
This performance first appeared on the Sanctuary Records US 2CD set
Bonnaroo Music Festival 2004, see 2005, and also on CD singles in 2007.


Columbia 88697 52348 7 (Europe) - rear scan by Rob Lake


Columbia 88697 52348 7 (Europe) - A-side scan by Ian Woodward


Columbia 88697 52348 7 (Europe) - B-side scan by Ronald Born


Columbia 88697 52348 7 (Europe) - detail of rear, scan by Sergio Mariano Romay

Thanks to Allan Johansen, Rob Lake, Ian Woodward and Ronald Born for information and scans. Thanks to Sergio Mariano Romay for pointing out the text "Promotional Only - Not For Sale" on the rear sleeve.


Various Artists - "Dylan Mania, Une Collection Obsessionelle De Béatrice Ardisson [Dylan Mania, An Obsessional Collection From Béatrice Ardisson]" - promo compilation CD, Naïve NS 91585 (France), May 2009/commercial compilation CD, Naïve NS 91579 (France), 5 May 2009:


Naïve NS 91579 (France) - picture from www.amazon.fr (commercial copy)

This French collection of mainly specially-recorded Dylan covers compiled by musician/composer Béatrice Ardisson contains a Dylan track called "Apothecary" (also listed in some sources as "Animals, Birds And Cigarettes") which is Bob's rap outside the pet shop from the 2005 Martin Scorsese No Direction Home documentary (see VHS & DVD 2000s Part 3). The track is not listed by Amazon France but is on the CD as part of track 16 (although not on the download version), preceded by an instrumental version of Hurricane by the Vitamin String Quartet. The Dylan track is provided "avec l'amiable autorisation de Jeff Rosen [with the friendly authorisation of Jeff Rosen]".

R-0548 Apothecary - excerpt from soundtrack of 2005 Martin Scorsese documentary No Direction Home

The download and CD versions differ in that three tracks are available for download only, whereas three tracks including A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall by Bryan Ferry are on the CD version only. This is the latest in a series of Béatrice Ardisson "Mania" compilations from the same record company including 2007's Bowie Mania. The copies shown are a promo CD in a card sleeve (NS 91585) and a commercial copy in a digipak with two front stickers (NS 91579). The pink front sticker says "LES PLUS GRAND TUBES DE BOB DYLAN REVISITÉS A LA MODE MANIA [The Greatest Hits of Bob Dylan Revisited in the "Mania" Style]". The front of the digipak has a central hole (the white bubble) revealing the inside picture (the same as in the Bowie Mania packaging).


Naïve NS 91579 (France) - front of sealed digipak with stickers (my commercial copy)


Naïve NS 91579 (France) - sticker from front of sealed digipak (my commercial copy)


Naïve NS 91579 (France) - rear of sealed digipak (my commercial copy)


Naïve NS 91585 (France) - CD scan by Gerd Rundel (promo copy)

Bowie Mania (Naïve Records, France, 2007) - picture from www.amazon.fr

Béatrice Ardisson - picture from last.fm web-site

Naïve NS 91585 (France) - front of card sleeve, scan by Gerd Rundel (promo copy)

Naïve NS 91585 (France) - rear of card sleeve, scan by Gerd Rundel (promo copy)

Naïve NS 91585 (France) - detail of rear of card sleeve, scan by Gerd Rundel (promo copy)

Naïve NS 91585 (France) - detail of CD, scan by Gerd Rundel (promo copy)

Naïve NS 91579 (France) - detail of CD (commercial copy)

Naïve NS 91579 (France) - outside of unfolded digipak with centre hole (commercial copy)

Naïve NS 91579 (France) - inside of unfolded digipak with centre hole and CD (commercial copy)

Naïve NS 91579 (France) - outside of unfolded booklet (commercial copy)

Naïve NS 91579 (France) - inside of digipak under CD tray with reversed text (commercial copy)

Naïve NS 91579 (France) - inside pages of booklet with Dylan information (commercial copy)

Naïve NS 91579 (France) - mirror image of inside of digipak under CD tray (commercial copy)

Naïve NS 91630 (France) - front of card sleeve, scan by John Willy Bakke


Naïve NS 91630 (France) - rear of card sleeve, scan by John Willy Bakke


Naïve NS 91630 (France) - bonus CD scan by John Willy Bakke

Naïve NS 91630 (France) - detail of rear of card sleeve, scan by John Willy Bakke

Naïve NS 91630 (France) - detail of bonus CD, scan by John Willy Bakke

John Willy Bakke's copy, purchased in 2010, has a bonus disc in a card sleeve containing the three tracks previously available as download only. The bonus disc, which was shrink-wrapped with the album, is described as a promo on both the rear of the card sleeve and the disc itself, but was in fact sold commercially.

Thanks to John-Willy Bakke and David Plentus for information and to Gerd Rundel for scans.


"I Feel A Change Comin' On" - promo CD-R single, Columbia (no catalogue number) (USA), 21 Jul 2009:


Rear of card sleeve with sticker, scan by Gerd Rundel
This one-track CD-R promo single in a generic card sleeve with a rear label dated "7/21/2009" (21 Jul 2009) contains a rarity, a radio edit (3:51) of the track from Together Through Life. It came with a flyer promoting Bob's US tour dates in July, August and October 2009.

R-0645 I Feel A Change Comin' On - radio edit (3:51) of album version (5:25) from Together Through Life

Thanks to Gino Galvez for information that the edited version omits the first instrumental break of the album version plus the last two verses. Thanks to Hervé from France and Gerd Rundel for information and pictures.


CD-R in card sleeve with cut-out, scan by Gerd Rundel


CD-R scan by Gerd Rundel


Flyer photo by Hervé from France

Joan Baez - "How Sweet The Sound" - compilation CD: Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA), 13 Oct 2009:


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - front of digipak with sticker (my copy)
This compilation CD accompanies the DVD of the same name about Joan Baez (see VHS & DVD 2000s Part 4). Both the CD and the DVD contain a rarity, I Pity The Poor Immigrant from the 1976 Hard Rain TV Special, see VHS & DVD 1970s.

R-0757-2 I Pity The Poor Immigrant - duet with Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, live with the Rolling Thunder Revue, Fort Collins, CO, 23 May 1976


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - rear of digipak


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - inside of digipak, picture under CD tray


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - outside of digipak unfolded


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - CD


Razor & Tie 7930186035-9 (USA) - front of DVD+CD set with sticker (my copy)


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - outside of booklet unfolded

Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - inside of digipak unfolded with CD in tray


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - detail of CD


Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - first inside pages of booklet

Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - centre of booklet (Baez sisters)

Razor & Tie 7930183035-2 (USA) - last inside pages of booklet (Joan with Bob)

The CD has tracks from 1958 to 2009 and comes in a digipak with an 8-page stapled booklet. All pages are shown because of the Dylan interest.

Thanks to Ian Woodward, Tim Dunn and Paul S. Levine for information about this item.


Various Artists - "NCIS: The Official TV Series Soundtrack Vol. 2" - TV series soundtrack CD, CBS CBSR029 (USA), 3 Nov 2009:


CBS CBSR029 (USA) - front of sealed copy with sticker (my copy)
R-0758 California - early version of Outlaw Blues from Bringing It All Back Home with different lyrics (which appear in "Writings and Drawings" under this title, lyrics on bobdylan.com here), recorded at Columbia Studios, New York, 13 Jan 1965

California is no longer a rarity since it was released in Nov 2015 on The Best of The Cutting Edge 1965-1966: The Bootleg Series Vol. 12. Full details of this album have therefore been moved to International Album Releases (Various Artist Compilations) 2009.

 

Thanks to Harold Lepidus, Rick Petreycik, Bob Stacy, Roger Stewart, David Plentus and Paul S. Levine for information about this item.


"Must Be Santa"/"'Twas The Night Before Christmas" - stereo 7" vinyl promo single, Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA), Nov 2009:
This promo single on red vinyl is being given away with copies of the album by skyroo.com in the USA.


Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - A-side in sleeve, picture from www.skyroo.com

The A-side of the single is the album track from Christmas In The Heart.

R-0786 'Twas The Night Before Christmas (Clement Clarke Moore) - B-side of Columbia US 7" red vinyl single, 2009
This is taken from Bob Dylan's
"Theme Time Radio Hour" Christmas show broadcast on 20 Dec 2006, with Bob reciting the poem to accompanying music performed and written by John Fahey, a guitarist who has released several albums of Christmas music.

The accompanying music is actually taken from The New Possibility: John Fahey's Guitar Solo Christmas Album (Takoma Records TAKCD 8912-2, USA, 2000). This album was originally released in 1968, and then again in 1993 with six extra tracks taken from his 1975 album Christmas with John Fahey, Vol. II.


Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - A-side scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach

Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - front of sleeve, scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach

Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - rear of sleeve, scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach

Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - detail of rear sleeve, scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach

Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - B-side scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach

Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - A-side label scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach


Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - B-side label scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach


Columbia CS7-762438/88697624387 (USA) - detail of B-side label, scan by Gerd Rundel/Juliana Mach/Johann Mach


John Fahey - The New Possibility (Takoma Records TAKCD 8912-2 (USA, 2000), picture from www.amazon.com


An 1830 reprinting of the poem from wikipedia.com

Clement Clarke Moore (1779-1863) is the commonly accepted author of this poem, originally titled "An Account Of A Visit From St. Nicholas", which was first published anonymously in the "Sentinel" newspaper, Troy, New York, on 23 Dec 1823. Some academics think it was actually written in 1807 or 1808 by Major Henry Livingston Jr. (1748-1828), a poet who was a relative of Moore's wife. The poem has been performed by many artists including Perry Como and Aretha Franklin and was also made into a 1974 Rankin-Bass animated film.

Thanks to Harold Lepidus for information about this item and to Gerd Rundel, Juliana Mach and Johann Mach for scans.


Various Artists - "The People Speak" - TV documentary soundtrack CD, Verve B0013762-02 (USA), 8 Dec 2009:
Early reports were that this CD would be released in the USA on Hip-O Records, a label of Rhino Records. It is actually on Verve, a label of Universal Music, and there is no mention of Hip-O Records on the CD or inserts. For the DVD release, see VHS & DVD 2007-09.


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - picture from "Badlands" web-site
R-0790 Do Re Mi (Woody Guthrie) - new recording for this compilation, recorded at the Malibu Performing Arts Center, Malibu, CA, 2009, with Ry Cooder on guitar and Van Dyke Parks on piano

The front insert is a 16-page stapled booklet, and there is also a single-sided insert promoting the History Channel TV broadcast and a 2010 DVD release. Other artists include Bruce Springsteen, Eddie Vedder performing Masters Of War, Pink, Randy Newman, Jackson Browne, Taj Mahal and Rich Robinson performing Only A Pawn In Their Game.


US DVD (broadcast edition) - picture from www.amazon.com


New Video 3396121194 (USA - front scan by Jack from Canada (Extended Edition DVD)

Book picture from www.amazon.com


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - front with sticker (my copy)


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - outside of front insert booklet unfolded


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - rear of sealed copy


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - rear insert

Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - reverse of rear insert (under clear CD tray)


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - inside page of front insert booklet with Bob


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - insert promoting TV broadcast and DVD release


Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - CD

Verve B0013762-02 (USA) - detail of CD

Bob performed two Woody Guthrie songs, Vigilante Man and Do Re Mi, for inclusion in a documentary film project called "The People Speak" broadcast on the History Channel in the USA on 13 Dec 2009. The documentary was inspired by two books: "A People's History of the United States" by Howard Zinn (1980, revised edition 2003) and "Voices of A People's History of the United States", edited by Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove (2004). Only Do Re Mi is included in the broadcast and on the CD, but Vigilante Man may be included in one of a number of supplementary videos which will be made available online. Amazon lists two DVDs of “The People Speak” to be released by New Video on 9 Feb 2010, Vigilante Man is not included in either the Broadcast or Extended Editions.

Thansk to Jack from Canada for information and scan.


Promotional/Regular Items for 2009



Living In Another Country: International Stereo Releases

Stereo promo albums and singles for 2009 which don't contain rare material but which are still very collectable are now included with promo releases of regular albums and commercially released singles on the appropriate page in International Stereo Releases.


Together Through Life (2009)


Christmas In The Heart (2009)


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