214 BOB DYLAN Let's Begin 1981

[@Slothrop67]

Wow! I've never heard the song or performance. Incredible! A new favorite.

[@kimberlycolins1970]

This is just beautiful, the vocals, the moment shared onstage with Clydie King, Tim Drummond on bass, everyone seems so happy. Pure love and happiness here.

[@Slothrop67]

I've never seen this video before but all I can say is wow!!!

[@martajadwiga4501]

Bob is such a fantastic singer. Beautiful song. Thank you for posting it.

[@692MOM]

Bob is singing from the heart, he truly loved Clydie especially during this time period.

[@GD-me2lv]

Dylan loves songs. That's all you need to know. And when he is singing a song, the last thing on his mind is what anybody thinks about it. He sings for singing's sake. Period. A true artist.

[@_arman_]

as good as any performance by Bob... and I'll even go as far as to say one of the best

[@0otee]

First x hearing this great Love song! Love the singing, yep❤️💫🌹👌Thanks for sharing Anja❣️Thanks Dylan❤️💥as always

[@Voodoochil111111]

I see the beginnings of his boxing stance and movements here. Beautiful song.

[@patriciathewisher2315]

Beautiful

[@codydavidyates72]

Love seeing William Montgomery on bass.

[@michaelwinters6760]

Absolutely incredible

[@sharonholland7062]

Nice . Let us begin. Thanks for posting this.

[@SimonRobeyns]

His vocals are so touching here. Very powerful stuff.

[@grossolee]

Hi, is it possible to have the lyrics? I can't find them. I understood something like ... How did we ever survive? Till the darkest lonely midnight Tell me how Did I stay alive? ... And of course the chorus, but notjing more. I read that it's been written by Jinmy Webb.

[@MrThermostatic]

@@grossolee "Through the dark and lonely midnight"

[@Th0mas130y]

So sweet

[@dbcurtis9827]

beautiful and brilliant

[@patriciathewisher2315]

I’d sure as f**k have begun anything with Bob in 81, if he’d only have given me that job as his backing singer. But there you go. We all make mistakes.

[@Samu93c]

Pure genius. Thank you, Bob. You're my idol. This performance is brilliant.

[@keepingitrandom]

With Clydie King sharing vocals & the late, great Tim Drummond on bass.

[@ulpana]

Turns out LA session vocalist Leah Kunkel (of the Coyote Sisters) is where Dylan in his duets with Clydie King during his 80's tours got the song. A Jimmy Webb tune! kzbin.info/www/bejne/pJ7KlWuHappoZ6s Dylan's taste in cover songs is all over the map. I thought "Let's Begin" might've been among the many Dylan wrote and never recorded. The vulnerable duet with Clydie King on a bootleg from a show in Seattle had me choking up when a record store friend pulled it out of the understock, I think it was the Pacific NW tour preparing for the Dylan Budokan Live double album (that Clydie King isn't even included on, although Dylan's soon-to-be wife and mother of his daughter from second marriage is among the chorus in that amazing band, held back only by a deadbeat drummer who was supposed to be crackerjack Greenwich Village drummer and Dixieland piano plunker, Howie Wyeth, from Dylan's mid-70's return to Greenwich Village clubs like THE OTHER END where he invited the musician friends he'd take along on his bi-centennial Rolling Thunder Revues. Howie Wyeth, though, OD'd himself to death and his rhythm section bassist\partner Rob Rothstein Stoner got hired after the STREET LEGAL recording sessions by Dylan to road manage). In addition to Clydie King on that bootleg tour preceding Budokan was Phil Spector session saxophone\flute legend Steve Douglas who rarely went out on the road since he had heart trouble and in fact passed away on a recording date with J.J. Cale in the early 90's. Another key contributor to the paradigm-shifting sound for Dylan was percussionist of choice for the best studio artists, Bobbye Hall, who did make it to the Budokan shows in Japan. Except for the listless backbeat that Bobbye Hall really saves with her tasty heat on hand percussion. From the recent spate of publicity for the release by Columbia of the new 1980's Dylan official bootleg and mostly live tracks of the Gospel period was a claim that CBS nixed Dylan's proposal to put out a project that would've included the women's chorus including his wife and with Clydie King singing lead. Sure hope Columbia adds it to the wonderful catalog of official bootlegs including the new one from that transitional Bardo phase out of the gospel tours that most song critics consider among Dylan's weakest studio efforts, although I found some brilliant corners in there... At that point Dylan's reedy voice and the Steve Douglas soulful reeds and flute, or Steve Madaio's trumpet and especially Clydie King and her chorus of singers all blended so well with Dylan in the studio and on tour as the still true bootlegs bear witness. Mitch Ritter\Paradigm Shifters Lay-Low Studios, Ore-Wa Media Discussion List

[@seanmcardle4007]

Brilliant!

[@paulocesarbritoguimaraes7068]

Maravilhoso...

[@99tonnes]

What show was this? I saw him in Earl's Court, 1 July '81, but I think he was wearing a grey hoodie that night. Not sure, it was a while ago...

[@SuperPenn21]

Avignon 25 july 1981

[@gershonhoffman8228]

Jimmy Webb song, I believe.