Paul McCartney and The Beatles were influenced by Bob Dylan and incorporated many of his songwriting traits into theirs. While McCartney didn’t record many covers during his career, he did share which Dylan songs he would want to cover if given the opportunity.
The Beatles covered many Bob Dylan songs during the ‘Let it Be’ sessions
In January 1969, The Beatles met for rehearsals at Twickenham Film Studios as part of a planned documentary that portrayed the band’s return to live performance. The rehearsals are infamous, as the fab four were on the verge of splitting. The documentary was later remastered by Peter Jackson with Get Back, featuring restored footage of the band playing together.
During these sessions, the four decided to cover several songs by Bob Dylan. Many of the songs they covered include “Like a Rolling Stone,” “I Shall Be Released,” “All Along the Watchtower,” and “Blowin’ in the Wind.” While these versions were never officially released, there are audio recordings of these sessions so fans can still hear the band’s interpretations of these classic Dylan tracks.
Paul McCartney shares which Bob Dylan songs he would like to cover
In an interview for his website (shared by Far Out), Paul McCartney discussed which Bob Dylan songs he would potentially want to cover. McCartney doesn’t record many covers or perform them live. However, he does have a few that he’d be open to recording his own version of.
“That’s a very difficult question to answer,” McCartney shared. “As there are so many great songs. ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’ comes to mind because it’s something you could cover. Singing Dylan songs can be difficult because something like ‘Like A Rolling Stone’, it’s so Dylan that it would be hard to get the spirit that he puts on it. ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’ is another good one, you know. I’d put that on a list as well.”
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Dylan did cover McCartney’s “Things We Said Today” for the compilation album The Art of McCartney. So, the former Beatles would be returning the favor.
Dylan is ‘in awe’ of McCartney’s work
While The Beatles are the most covered musical act ever, Bob Dylan is somewhere near the top. His music has been covered countless times over the years by famous artists, including Adele, Jimi Hendrix, Bruce Springsteen, Neil Young, and Elvis Presley. McCartney has yet to record an official Dylan cover, but Dylan would be open to the idea as he appears to be a massive fan of McCartney’s work.
“I’m in awe of McCartney. He’s about the only one that I am in awe of. He can do it all. And he’s never let up,” Dylan said in a 2007 Rolling Stone interview. “He’s got the gift for melody, he’s got the rhythm, he can play any instrument. He can scream and shout as good as anybody, and he can sing a ballad as good as anybody. And his melodies are effortless, that’s what you have to be in awe of. . . . He’s just so damn effortless. I just wish he’d quit. Everything that comes out of his mouth is just framed in melody.”
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