Rare Bob Dylan 1961 Demo Recording Fetches $39,325 at Boston Auction
Bob Dylan's 1961 Gaslight Cafe demo recording has sold for $39,325 at Boston's RR Auction. This earliest known demo, recorded by Dylan's first manager Terri Thal, captures the artist's formative musical period in Greenwich Village.
Bob Dylan's earliest demo tape recording
The rare 1/4-inch Reeves Soundcraft Plus-100 tape features six tracks recorded on an Ampex reel-to-reel machine:
- Original compositions:
- "Man on the Street"
- "He Was a Friend of Mine"
- "Talkin' Bear Mountain Picnic Massacre Blues"
- "Song to Woody"
- Traditional covers:
- "Pretty Polly"
- "Car, Car"
Grammy-winning engineer Steve Addabbo of Shelter Island Sound performed the digital transfer of this historic recording.
Other notable Dylan items sold at the same auction include:
- "Cassandra" Mixed Media Painting: $79,539
- Handwritten "All Along the Watchtower" Lyrics: $61,599
- "View from Porthole" Mixed Media Painting: $66,448
- Bob Neuwirth's Stage-Worn Hurricane Carter Benefit "Nudie Suit": $54,206
- Signed Royal Albert Hall Photograph (1966): $20,788
- Stage-Used Hohner Marine Band Harmonica (1966 World Tour): $19,456
The total auction sales reached $1,186,580, marking a significant moment in music memorabilia history. The auction, which ran from February 21 to March 12, showcased Dylan's lasting impact on American musical heritage.