Dylan rerecords ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ for auction of one disc
Christie’s may get £1m for the single – recorded in Ionic Original, the 1st new analog format in 70 years, which the songwriter’s collaborator calls ‘pinnacle of recorded sound’
Michael Horovitz is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel
Bob Dylan has rerecorded a single edition of his iconic song “Blowin’ in the Wind” as part of the debut of Ionic Original, the first new format in analog music since polyvinyl plastic discs were developed 70 years ago.
Working with longtime collaborator T Bone Burnett, Dylan rerecorded his classic 1960s protest song within the last year, according to the Guardian newspaper.
Only one disc has been produced and will be auctioned off at Christie’s in London on July 7, where bidding is expected to range from 600,000 ($758,000) to 1 million pounds ($1.3 million).
Dylan wrote the song in 1962 and originally released it on his second studio album, “The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan,” in 1963.
The track quickly became associated with the civil rights movement in the US. Dylan performed the song in 1963 at a voter registration drive in Greenwood, Mississippi, and the song was sung in civil rights marches across the country.
According to a statement by Burnett, the new format is the “pinnacle of recorded sound,” describing it as akin to “a painting.”
The disc is made from “lacquer painted onto an aluminum disc, with a spiral etched into it by music,” the statement explained.
Peter Klarnet, a senior specialist at Christie’s, told the Guardian that Dylan’s song is “one of the most important songs written in the last century,” and that he shared Burnett’s love of “sonic excellence.”
Born Robert Allen Zimmerman and raised Jewish in Minnesota, Dylan has maintained Israel ties throughout his life. He visited the country several times in the late 1960s and 1970s and even took steps toward joining a kibbutz. He played three shows in Israel, in 1987, 1993, and 2011. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement pressed him to cancel his most recent performance — to no avail.
Israelis can thank Dylan for the 2014 Rolling Stones concert in Tel Aviv, the band’s first visit to the country. According to Stones guitarist Ronnie Wood, Dylan gave them the idea.
Dylan’s career has spanned six decades, releasing his first studio album “Bob Dylan” in 1962. “Blowin’ in the Wind” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1994.
JTA contributed to this report.
