Dylan’s 1979 album which inspired the 1979-80 tour of the same name
A documentary film that features footage from Bob Dylan‘s so-called “born again” period will have its premiere at the 2017 New York Film Festival on Oct. 2. The annual festival’s lineup was announced today (Aug. 28). Trouble No More, from director Jennifer Lebeau, includes “lost” footage from Dylan concerts in Buffalo, NY and Toronto, Canada, during his 1980 Slow Train Coming tour.
The New York Film Festival, celebrating its 55th year, describes Trouble No More: “This very special film consists of truly electrifying video footage, much of it thought to have been lost for years and all newly restored, shot at shows in Toronto and Buffalo on the last leg of the ’79-’80 tour (with an amazing band: Muscle Shoals veteran Spooner Oldham and Terry Young on keyboards, Little Feat’s Fred Tackett on guitar, Tim Drummond on bass, the legendary Jim Keltner on drums and Clydie King, Gwen Evans, Mona Lisa Young, Regina McCrary and Mary Elizabeth Bridges on vocals).”
Interspersed between concert performances are scenes featuring acclaimed actor Michael Shannon as a preacher delivering hair-raising sermons, written by Luc Sante.
Those attending Dylan’s Slow Train Coming tour were initially surprised that the repertoire focused solely on his new recordings. A December 16, 1978 setlist shows such classic rock favorites as “Mr. Tambourine Man,” “Tangled Up in Blue” and “Like a Rolling Stone” among its 29 songs. At that point, he was playing mostly arena dates.
The 1979-80 Slow Train Running tour was a different story altogether. Dylan booked auditoriums and the evenings’ typical 17-song setlist was confined to material from his new recordings and other gospel numbers like “Precious Angel,” “When You Gonna Wake Up” and set opener “Gotta Serve Somebody.”
Related: John Hammond: The Lost Interview (Signing Bob Dylan)
Dylan’s Slow Train Coming album was released on August 20, 1979, and was the first of a so-called Christian trilogy, with 1980’s Saved and 1981’s Shot of Love following.
“Gotta Serve Somebody” represents Dylan’s last big single as a solo artist, reaching #24 on the Hot 100 and earning him the Grammy Award for Best Rock Vocal, Male in 1980.
Watch the tuxedo-clad Dylan perform “Gotta Serve Somebody” at the 1980 Grammy Awards
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4 Comments so far
Jump into a conversationThe album title is “Slow Train Coming,” not “Gotta Serve Somebody.”
Corrected and Editorial assistant fired!
How can I get a copy of this doc? I assume it’ll be for sale later on, right? Thanks!
Very likely!