Bob Dylan’s earliest demo recording is set to go under the hammer.
The singer – whose biopic is a contender for Oscar glory on Sunday – is said to have recorded the tape live at New York’s Gaslight Café in 1961.
The original reel-to-reel tape features recordings of six early tracks, including “Song to Woody” and “He Was a Friend of Mine.” It is estimated to fetch over $20,000.
Boston-based RR Auction says Terri Thal, Dylan’s first manager and author of “My Greenwich Village: Dave, Bob and Me,” originally produced the tape to demonstrate Dylan’s burgeoning talent to nightclub managers.
She explained: “In Springfield, the manager wasn’t interested in a new, unknown performer. He wanted Dave (Van Ronk, folk musician), which was fine, but I had gone there primarily to try to get a booking for Bob.”
Bobby Livingston, executive vice president at RR Auction, said: “This tape is a revelation—a rare look into Bob Dylan before he was a household name.”
The auction features over 70 Dylan-related lots, including a Hohner Marine Band harmonica – estimated to fetch over $8,000 – played by Dylan during his transformative 1966 world tour, a tour immortalized by the infamous “Judas!” incident.
In response to the heckler’s accusation, Dylan delivered his now-legendary retort—”Play it f**king loud!”*—before launching into Like a Rolling Stone.
Dylan biopic “A Complete Unknown,” directed by James Mangold, has been nominated for eight Academy Awards at the 97th Oscars. It is a contender for Best Picture and Actor in a Leading Role for Timothée Chalamet’s turn as the singer.
The RR Auction sale concludes March 12.
