I enjoyed reading the informed article 'The Scottish folk origins of Dylan’s best loved tracks', Ruairdh Mackenzie, Sunday National 15/12/2024
It reminded me that a few years back I was listening to a Radio Six Music program – Cerys Matthews: A Birthday Tribute to Bob Dylan, May - 2014
She was having a chat with one of Dylan’s legion of serious music fans. They were discussing the influence of British or Anglo-folk on Dylan’s music. Mathews asked whether Irish folk had a major influence on Dylan’s music.
The fan replied, “well apart from being close with the Clancy Brothers during their time in Greenwich village, not so much, but that Scottish folk music....." Mathews interrupted and stopped him, not once, but TWICE. And then she said, “Oh we cant single out one region of the UK for particular attention.”
I was very disappointed as I was looking forward to a discussion on Scottish traditional folk music’s influence on Dylan’s music.It took me aback and I thought, clearly those in England view Scotland as a region, merely due equal attention of other regions of England – say Yorkshire or Northumberland – and not a nation or country in its own right. This is truly shocking and clearly politically driven.
Afterwards I felt convinced there must be messaging from the BBC to the effect of – “any reference to Scotland as a unique or separate nation should be avoided. In all respects only the viable UK should be promoted as an entire whole – that is Wales, Scotland and NI are merely regions of the United Kingdom.” Of course I could be entirely wrong about this??! I did receive a response from the BBC asking where in the program I heard these comments.
Dylan’s early songs were adapted from Scots folk tunes – He wrote his early classis of ‘A Hard Rain a Gonna Fall’ based on the 17th century Scots border ballad Lord Randal. His ‘Times They are a Changing’ is based on Hamish Henderson’s Banks O Sicily.
Interestingly Mackenzie writes that when Dylan arrived in Greenwich village as a young 20yr old, he shared a flat with Scots singer Jean Redpath. She taught Dylan about Burns and Scots traditional music. “Giving Dylan the poetry and tunes to rise to the top of the New York folk music scene.”
On his 30th studio album Time Out of Mind, the final track is Highlands,
Well my hearts in the highlands, gentle and fair,
Honeysuckle bloomin in the wildwood air,
Bluebells bloomin where the Aberdeen waters flow
Well my herats in the highlands
I’m goonna go there when I feel good enough to go.”,
So ten years later I get some answers to the my questions over Scottish tradiitonal folk music’s influence on Dylan’s song writing! I’ve been studying both Bob Dylan and Robert Burns genius song writing over the past decade. Dylan later names Burns "A Red Red Rose" as the song that most influenced his work.
‘A Complete Unknown’ film with Timothy Chalamet, due out 17th Jan 2025 in the UK
Sunday National - The Scottish folk origins of Bob Dylan’s best-loved tracks
https://www.thenational.scot/culture/24795016.scottish-folk-origins-bob-dylans-best-loved-tracks/
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Timothy Chalamet in A Complete Unknown |