Bob Dylan - Mr. Tambourine Man [EARLIEST KNOWN RECORDING 1964 - The Eric Von Schmidt Tape]

Since I do not profit from these videos, I rely on donations to keep this channel running. Please consider subscribing to my Patreon: https://patreon.com/swinginpig. The complete, unedited and lossless Von Schmidt tape has already been uploaded there. My next project will be focusing on restoring an extremely under-appreciated home recording of Eric Von Schmidt, which features the earliest-known recording of Mr. Tambourine Man, as well as other fantastic renditions of Dylan's most well-known compositions. Von Schmidt accompanies Dylan on vocals, guitar, and harmonica. I like to imagine Dylan and Von Schmidt, two friends from the village, jamming out in the Florida Keys with a bottle of booze at their side. That vibe really comes through in this recording, I think. Dylan wrote "Mr. Tambourine Man" in early 1964, inspired by a road trip and a stop in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. He completed the song sometime in April of that year, recorded it on this tape, then premiered it on May 17th, 1964 at the Royal Festival Hall in London. Since he arrived in England on May 10th, I would expect this recording to date from very early May, possibly mere days after the song was completed. This recording was released on the 50th Anniversary Collection 1964, of which only 1,000 copies were pressed on vinyl. The recording sounds pretty rough, so I'm working on using AI to remaster it and bring out Dylan's vocals, especially. Love & Peace, ~SP

Added 7 Aug 2026