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To date, Stewart has released covers of eight dylan songs – though he claims there are many more that have never seen the light of day. apart from “just like a Woman” and “Girl From the north country”, Stewart generally steers clear of more obvious song choices, favouring instead deep cuts and rarities. here they are.
WICKED MESSENGER FACES, FIRST STEP (1970)
dylan’s original John Wesley Harding recording lasts two minutes and two seconds – this version on the Faces’ debut runs to twice the length and stretches the song out to incorporate mclagan’s winding hammond solo and Wood’s expansive soloing.
ONLY A HOBO GASOLINE ALLEY (1970)
a lesser-known dylan song from 1963 (it originally appeared on the folk compilation Broadside Ballads Vol 1), Stewart brings a little more soul and grit to his version, ably supported by discreet acoustic playing from ron Wood.
TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME EVERY PICTURE TELLS A STORY, 1971
a live recording from 1963, not formally released until 1971’s Bob Dylan’s Greatest
Hits Vol II. Stewart retains dylan’s acoustic melody but adds elegant pedal-steel guitar (Wood, again) and violin. also recorded by elvis Presley.
MAMA, YOU BEEN ON MY MIND NEVER A DULL MOMENT, 1972
Written by dylan in 1964 about his breakup from Suze rotolo, Stewart recasts it as a sprightly mid-tempo number, foregrounding dylan’s wistful lyrics against slide, pedal and acoustic guitars.
GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY SMILER, 1974
Barely recognisable from dylan’s original, Stewart’s heavily orchestrated version drills down to the emotional core of the song: full of delicate sadness and regret at past times gone.
JUST LIKE A WOMAN TONIGHT I’M YOURS, 1981
Stewart’s weakest dylan cover, not helped by a shouty performance and the intrusion of some ghastly violins wailing at the end. nice pedal steel, though, reportedly from jeff “Skunk” Baxter.
FOREVER YOUNG OUT OF ORDER, 1988
not so much a cover as a co-write… Stewart wrote a song called “Forever young” that shared similarities with dylan’s Planet Waves track: Stewart’s manager arnold Stiefel told The LA Times, “the idea of the song is similar.” dylan graciously accepted 50/50 split of royalties and a co-write credit.
SWEETHEART LIKE YOU A SPANNER IN THE WORKS, 1995
From Infidels, dylan’s mid-tempo drama is pretty faithfully treated by Stewart. in the interests of squaring a circle, Stewart’s 17th studio album also includes “leave virginia alone” – written by another dylan admirer, tom Petty.
IF NOT FOR YOU STILL THE SAME… GREAT ROCK CLASSICS OF OUR TIME, 2006
a straightforward love song from New Morning. Stewart keeps the warmth and charm of the original. also covered by George harrison on All Things Must Pass and, as her debut single, olivia newton-john.