Fans of Nashville Skyline are hoping session tapes between Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash will receive an official release.
Though the pair recorded an hour of duets, little of it has been released in an official capacity. The album’s opening song, Girl from the North Country, features Cash and Dylan singing together, though fans want more. Though a few songs were released on The Bootleg Series Vol. 15: Travelin’ Thru, 1967–1969, fans hope to hear more from the sessions rather than appearances from The Johnny Cash Show. Recordings of the pair covering Ring of Fire and Wanted Man are available on YouTube, though it is believed Cash and Dylan recorded more songs during their time together in the studio.
A post to the r/TodayILearned subreddit had users hungry for more of the pair’s work, as some shared their hopes of an official compilation. The post reads: “Johnny Cash strolled into a recording session by Bob Dylan and they recorded almost an hour of duets, only one of which has ever been officially released.” Though more songs have been released since the post was made, many of the songs remain unreleased.
One user wrote: “I’m listening to them now, and they’re amazing. I have no idea what the rights clearances are on getting this released, but the record labels could make a fortune if they did.”
Another suggested the rights were held by Columbia Records. They wrote: “They both recorded for Columbia in the 60s, so they likely own the rights. As such, making an official release would simply be a formality.”
A third added: “It might also depend on who was paying for the recording time, whether either or both men were under exclusive contract to Columbia, and a number of other factors. Bob might have given the tapes to Johnny as a gift (it was Dylan’s recording session). They might have mutually agreed to never release it because they did it just for fun.”
Though some fans were keen to hear an official compilation, others believed Cash and Dylan did not have the right vocal chemistry. One user wrote: “From what I am hearing, Bob’s voice doesn’t mesh well with Johnny’s.
“Cash has a baritone that resonates and is powerful. His tone is strong and demands to be heard. Dylan has a weak and airy voice that pleads with the listener, ‘please listen to me.’ Dylan just isn’t built to sing with someone like Cash. To me these duets are a novelty, an interesting side note to musical history. It’s fun that they admire each other, but that’s about it.”
Another added: “They clearly enjoy just jamming together, even if they aren’t a great musical pairing. I’m particularly amused that Johnny Cash, who knew his hymnal backwards and frontwards, closed Just a Closer Walk querying, ‘What’s one you know, Bob?’ after Bob Dylan slurred/echoed his way through every single chorus and skipped the verses altogether.”
A third wrote: “Well I’m just one opinion, but I think they’re amazing, both of them. For my untrained ear, they feel like both of them were very good harmonizers, at least when they wanted it to be, and think they’re both fans of the other.
“They’re certainly more than just cool- they are amazing works of music. They ought to get released pretty soon. Can I somehow help? — I’d do it, of course, at no charge to anyone.”
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