Hunter: You couldn't be easier to work with than Dylan. I brought a book - I think it had 15-17 songs in it - to the Dead before we made In The Dark, of which several were selected for In The Dark -- "Push Comes To Shove," "Black Muddy River"... perhaps only those two were selected. I took about three of them for the Liberty album and Dylan took two of them for his album. Set 'em, and sent me a tape. That's what I call easy to work with.
Gans: So you submitted these to Dylan, and he chose them? And there was no other communication, really?
Hunter: No, he just flipped through the songbook that was sitting there at Front Street, liked these tunes, put 'em in his pocket, went off, set 'em to music, recorded 'em, and. . . First time I met him he said (Dylan voice): "Eh, I just recorded two of your tunes!" And I said, "Neat!" (laughs)
Gans: He didn't even ask first?
Hunter: Bob Dylan doesn't have to ask a lyricist if he can do his tunes! Come on, man! I gotta just say this for the record. You got your Grammies, you got Bammies, you got your Rock 'n'Roll Hall of Fame--as far as I'm concerned, Bob Dylan has done two of my songs, and those other things sound far away, distant, and not very interesting.
Robert Hunter, February 1988:
Hunter: You couldn't be easier to work with than Dylan. I brought a book - I think it had 15-17 songs in it - to the Dead before we made In The Dark, of which several were selected for In The Dark -- "Push Comes To Shove," "Black Muddy River"... perhaps only those two were selected. I took about three of them for the Liberty album and Dylan took two of them for his album. Set 'em, and sent me a tape. That's what I call easy to work with.
Gans: So you submitted these to Dylan, and he chose them? And there was no other communication, really?
Hunter: No, he just flipped through the songbook that was sitting there at Front Street, liked these tunes, put 'em in his pocket, went off, set 'em to music, recorded 'em, and. . . First time I met him he said (Dylan voice): "Eh, I just recorded two of your tunes!" And I said, "Neat!" (laughs)
Gans: He didn't even ask first?
Hunter: Bob Dylan doesn't have to ask a lyricist if he can do his tunes! Come on, man! I gotta just say this for the record. You got your Grammies, you got Bammies, you got your Rock 'n'Roll Hall of Fame--as far as I'm concerned, Bob Dylan has done two of my songs, and those other things sound far away, distant, and not very interesting.
So grateful for the comment! Your generosity astounds me.