Marking the 15th anniversary of the Grammy-nominated album Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan, MVD Entertainment will reissue the film of the same title tomorrow (Jan. 19). Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan features what’s described in a press release as “an intense Bob Dylan performance from 1980 of ‘When He Returns’ as well as powerful performances and interviews with Aaron Neville, Shirley Caesar, Fairfield Four, Mighty Clouds of Joy and Dottie Peoples, reflecting on their faith and connections Dylan’s Christian music.”
Now, with the November 2017 release of Columbia Records’ Trouble No More: The Bootleg Series Vol. 13 / 1979-1981, the press release states, “A further exploration of that period has taken place, which began with this album and film. “It was an honor to have made an impression on the great man himself with these recordings,” said the film’s producer, Jeffrey Gaskill.
Pre-order the DVD here.
From 2009 to 2011 Dylan opened 40 concerts around the world with “Gonna Change My Way of Thinking” (his Grammy-nominated new version re-written and recorded for Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan with Mavis Staples) in concert halls in Los Angeles, New York, Hong Kong, London, Beijing, Shanghai, Adelaide and this performance in Tel Aviv.
Related: Read more about the Trouble No More boxed set of 2017
Dylan billboard from the gospel era
Just a month after his recording with Staples he kicked off a new tour in Stockholm, Sweden, and performed “Solid Rock” (what many consider the theme song to his gospel era concerts) for the first time in over 20 years. Dylan continued to perform this song as well as other gospel-era songs at numerous concerts across Europe and beyond. The two-time Grammy-nominated compilation was released on Sony/Columbia one year later, on April 1, 2003.
“This gospel music was Bob Dylan’s ultimate rebellion, and it took much more courage than strapping on an electric guitar,” said Gaskill. The film offers historical insights into this Bob Dylan era provided by Jim Keltner, Fred Tackett, Spooner Oldham and Regina McCrary, all of whom performed and recorded with Dylan at the time. Famed record producer Jerry Wexler, who produced the records, and music journalists Paul Williams and Alan Light, also disclose insights.
Watch the trailer for Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan
No Comments so far
Jump into a conversationNo Comments Yet!
You can be the one to start a conversation.