LaVette Interprets Dylan Songs on New Album


Mark Seliger

On March 30, Verve Records will release soul singer Bettye LaVette’s new album, Things Have Changed, which is a collection of compositions by Bob Dylan .

Guests on LaVette’s 10th album include Trombone Shorty and Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards. The album was produced by Steve Jordan.

Over the past 20 years, in the studio and on the concert stage, LaVette has often delivered intense interpretations of songs by of The Who, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Fiona Apple and Dolly Parton. But Things Have Changed will mark the first time has she devoted an entire album to the material of one songwriter.

The program spans more than five decades of Dylan songs, from 1964’s immortal “The Times They Are A-Changin’” up to “Ain’t Talkin’,” the epic final track on his 2006 album, Modern Times.

“Other people write songs, but he writes vignettes, more prose than poetry,” LaVette said. “I didn’t find his words to be pretty so much as they are extremely practical or extremely logical.”

LaVette puts a new twist on one of Dylan’s most famous songs. “I had never really listened to ‘It Ain’t Me Babe,’” she said. “I had to make it more dismissive—not fast and hard, but like a Jimmy Reed tune.”

Other tracks on the album include “Political World,” “Seeing The Real You At Last,” “Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight” and “Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others),” which appeared on Dylan’s 1979 gospel album, Slow Train Coming.

Dylan’s original version of the title track, “Things Have Changed,” famously appeared on the soundtrack to Curtis Hanson’s 2000 film, Wonder Boys, and earned the singer-songwriter an Academy Award.

Jordan assembled a remarkable cast of musicians for the Things Have Changed recording sessions. Dylan’s longtime guitarist Larry Campbell, bass legend Pino Palladino and keyboardist Leon Pendarvis all contributed to the 12-song program. The group was in such sync that all the basic tracks were recorded in three days.

Later, Richards added guitar and is featured on “Political World” and New Orleans ace Trombone Shorty joined for “What Was It You Wanted.”

A native of Michigan, LaVette has been in show business for nearly six decades. Her first single, “My Man—He’s A Lovin’ Man” was released on Atlantic Records in 1962, when she was 16 years old.

She experienced a career resurgence thanks to a series of acclaimed albums on the Anti- label, including I’ve Got My Own Hell To Raise (2005), The Scene Of The Crime (2007) and Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook (2010).

[downbeat.com]

This is eerie... I’m watching the Leonard Cohen tribute concert and a woman I had never seen before knocked me out, covering his song In My Secret Life. Looked it up...it’s Bettye LaVette. I’m also doodling around on my iPad and checked in here to read this! Clearly I’m meant to listen to this lady!

Here’s In My Secret Life:

[m.youtube.com]

This should be good - look forward to it.

But rather than Political World, it would have been nice had Keith played on Things Have Changed - the tune itself.
In fact Keith should do a solo cover of his own as the lyrics seem tailor-made while the chords and tempo lend themselves to a fine riff slashing version.

Bob Dylan - Things Have Changed lyrics

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

Bettye does a nice take on Complicated......

Know exactly what you mean, SomeTorontoGirl. Was knocked out by Bettye's cover of "Love Reign O'er Me" at The Who's Kennedy Center honors a few years back. - [www.youtube.com]

And here's "Salt Of The Earth" from The British Rock Songbook. - [www.youtube.com]

Thanks Johnny! She’s awesome.

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Maindefender
Bettye does a nice take on Complicated......

Bettye's cover of Complicated is ace...once again shows what potential lies in the Stones "lesser known" tracks (see also the 100 Years Ago - thread).

Thanks for the news Johny.
jeroen

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SomeTorontoGirl
This is eerie... I’m watching the Leonard Cohen tribute concert and a woman I had never seen before knocked me out, covering his song In My Secret Life. Looked it up...it’s Bettye LaVette. I’m also doodling around on my iPad and checked in here to read this! Clearly I’m meant to listen to this lady!

Here’s In My Secret Life:

[m.youtube.com]

get Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook. her version of "Love Reign O'er Me" will blow you away! There is also a very good take on "Salt of the Earth".



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2018-01-07 01:31 by crholmstrom.

From City Winery NYC:

Bettye LaVette (Album Release) - 4/6



About:

Bettye LaVette is no mere singer. She is not a song writer, nor is she a cover" artist. She is an interpreter of the highest order. Her gift is being able to take a song, whether well known or obscure, from any genre and making it completely her own. The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Dolly Parton, Neil Young, Willie Nelson, and Bruce Springsteen are just a few of the artists who have had theirwork re-imagined by Bettye.

Now, in her 55th year in show business, she has been signed to Verve Records, and has recorded an album of all Bob Dylan songs. Things Have Changed is a masterpiece of interpretation of the songs of one of the greatest songwriters alive, by one of the greatest soul singers alive. Bettye has recorded Dylan songs in the past, but this is the first time that she has devoted an entire album to one writer. She will be performing the album in its entirety, along with other songs from throughout her career.

Her career began in 1962, at the age of 16, in Detroit, Michigan. Her first single "My Man - He’s a Loving Man", was released on Atlantic Records. She recorded for numerous major labels, including Atco, Epic, and Motown, over the course of the 1960s through the 1980s.

The 2000's started what she calls her "Fifth Career". Her CD, A Woman Like Me, won the W.C. Handy Award in 2004 for Comeback Blues Album of the Year. She was also given a prestigous Pioneer Award by The Rhythm & Blues Foundation.

She has received Blues Music Awards for Best Contemporary Female Blues Singer and Best Soul Blues Female Artist. She recorded 4 CDs for hipster indie label ANTI- Records over the course of 8 years, 2 of which received Grammy nominations. Her 2015 CD, Worthy, was also nominated for a Grammy.

Although still not a household name, fans, critics and artists have nothing but high praise for her live show and her interpretive vocal skill. Now 72 years old, she is still performing with the ferocity of a woman half her age. She is one of very few of her contemporaries who were recording during the birth of soul music in the 60s and is still creating vital recordings today.

[www.citywinery.com]

"A masterpiece of interpretation", but only 4/6?

4/6 is the date of the show at City Winery...

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bye bye johnny
4/6 is the date of the show at City Winery...

Ah, ok!

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bye bye johnny
Know exactly what you mean, SomeTorontoGirl. Was knocked out by Bettye's cover of "Love Reign O'er Me" at The Who's Kennedy Center honors a few years back. - [www.youtube.com]

And here's "Salt Of The Earth" from The British Rock Songbook. - [www.youtube.com]

bbj, sorry i lifted your comments in mine a bit down the page. i was the lazy poster!

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DandelionPowderman

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bye bye johnny
4/6 is the date of the show at City Winery...

Ah, ok!

...Was thinking e-x-a-c-t-l-y the same...

From an interview with Barry Kerzner in American Blues Scene:

ABS: This new album you spoke of with Verve Records has all kinds of guests including Keith Richards and Trombone Shorty. Steve Jordan produced it, so it has to be incredible.

BL: He’s absolutely fantastic. I like it better than almost anything. I put more time into it than I have ever put into any music because I have to reconstruct and redesign the tunes. Bob Dylan writes in such a strange fashion. He doesn’t really write poetry. They keep calling him a poet but, he writes prose.

He writes things that, they’re not feelings, they’re matter of fact, and he’s complaining about them all of the time. I had to take the songs and change the gender in a lot of songs, and I had to change the words so that they would fit into my mouth.

I started working on it last November. We finished it in three days. I got them into my mouth; it’s just like talking. It doesn’t take me a week to finish a conversation with you. And, Dylan’s songs are really conversations, complaints. He complains about everything; he didn’t do any of it! None of it is his fault.

ABS: Interesting.

BL: He’s a very strange writer, and the more I looked into the songs, the more I knew about him. I was very surprised at two things. That he complains all the time and that he has a beef against… most women. The other thing is that he has a really soft and compassionate side which I found in “Emotionally Yours.”

I really thought a lot about him in doing the songs and I never — I’ve usually just taken the songs, and just put them into my mouth. But, this required so much more: Every day I worked on it, it made me know him better. So, I think I know things now that people don’t know about him, that I wish I didn’t know.

Everybody knew exactly what they were doing. I don’t like to record, and I don’t like to rehearse. So, when I get there I know all my stuff, and I want you to know yours.

I’m gonna start rehearsal with my band next month, and I can’t wait to hear them reproduce these sounds – there’s so many sounds on the album. There’s even a “squeezebox” on it; I said, ‘Oh my goodness!’ There’s a Harpsichord; every instrument known to man!

I’m so, so pleased. They’re gonna start streaming the single around my birthday, the 29th [January]; that week. The actual CD is gonna drop on March 30th.

Full interview - [www.americanbluesscene.com]

Bettye will be covering "Going, Going, Gone", should be real nice!!

Dynamite!!! Bettye is awesome...big fan

Her interpretation of Dylan as a complainer is fascination.

Bettye LaVette – Things Have Changed

Label: Verve Records
Release date: 30 March 2018

Tracklist
01. Things Have Changed
02. It Ain’t Me Babe
03. Political World (feat. Keith Richards)
04. Don’t Fall Apart On Me Tonight
05. Seeing The Real You
06. Mama You’ve Been On My Mind
07. Ain’t Talkin’
08. Times They Are A-Changin’
09. What Was It You Wanted (feat. Trombone Shorty)
10. Emotionally Yours
11. Do Right To Me Baby (Do Unto Others)
12. Going, Going, Gone

[www.bluesmagazine.nl]

Beautiful woman.
jeroen

Political World [feat. Keith Richards]

30-second snippet here: [www.amazon.com]

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Cristiano Radtke
Political World [feat. Keith Richards]

30-second snippet here: [www.amazon.com]

well, I think he might better fit into this (original promotion) video. Bob looks just as f**ked up as he does…
[www.youtube.com]

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Cristiano Radtke
Political World [feat. Keith Richards]

30-second snippet here: [www.amazon.com]

Very promising! Thanks for posting

Keith sounds great!

nice, appropriate reaggeish tune, remind me to dig and look for oh mercy

Her voice sounds great on PW... Just got tickets to see her on tour in Boston May 17th.

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Cristiano Radtke
Political World [feat. Keith Richards]

30-second snippet here: [www.amazon.com]

Oooh nice - love her voice and the funkiness of the tune!

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Rip this joint, gonna save your soul, round and round and round we go......

"It Ain't Me Babe"

[open.spotify.com]

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bye bye johnny
"It Ain't Me Babe"

[open.spotify.com]

Great, thank you bye bye johnny!