Adam writes… Every year thousands of fans flock to London to get THAT pic on the Abbey Road crossing. And I love helping them to take their pictures.
Back in October 2023, I left my tour guide hat at home and headed for New York City, on a little album sleeve pilgrimage of my own. Come with me in search of the OTHER street crossing sleeve…
The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan was released in 1963. It is Dylan’s second album and the record that made his name…
Positively Jones Street
The sleeve location for Dylan’s second album can be found down in Greenwich Village. Jones Street connects Bleecker Street to the east with West 4th Street (see map, below).
When I Shoot My Masterpiece
The sleeve photography is the work of Columbia Records staffer Don Hunstein. The picture was taken in February 1963 and Hunstein only had a short time to get the shot. In 1997 he told the New York Times, “The light was fading so quickly that I was able to shoot only one colour roll and a few black and whites. We were lucky to get what got we got.”
Hunstein had already shot the sleeve for Dylan’s eponymous, and initially poor-selling debut and he would work on album sleeves across his career with artists as diverse as Igor Stravinsky and Tony Bennett. His recording studio work is of particular note and you can view a selection here: www.donhunstein.com/.
Hunstein served in the U.S Air Force during WWII. He passed away in 2017 aged 88.
A-Wondrin’ All the Way Down The Road
The woman on the sleeve is Suze Rotolo. Writer and political activist, she was Bob Dylan’s girlfriend at the time and is widely credited with influencing his early political direction. She is the subject of the track Don’t Think Twice It’s Alright. Of the wintry conditions, she once said:
“He wore a very thin jacket, because image was all. Our apartment was always cold, so I had a sweater on, plus I borrowed one of his big, bulky sweaters. On top of that I put on a coat. So I felt like an Italian sausage. Every time I look at that picture, I think I look fat.”
The Picture
Oh , and did I get the picture? With a little help from my wife and daughter, yes I did…
Playlist
A few tracks known to have been recorded at the time of the Freewheelin’ sessions…
Find Out More…
Suze Rotolo chats on NPR about her 2008 memoir A Freewheelin’ Time. Listen HERE.
A fascinating look at the making of the sleeve. Read HERE.
A pre-release pressing of the album with Dylan’s hand-written annotations on the sleeve and labels sold at Sotheby’s for $82,550 in April 2023.
Don’t Think Slice…
If you find yourself a little peckish while hunting-down this location, you are VERY handy for John’s Pizza on Bleecker Street. I lost count of the number of people on my London Music Tours who recommended this place to me. Serving pizza to hungry Villagers since 1929, it really lives up to the hype. Find it here…
And we found ourselves sitting at the table with the signed photo of Peter, Paul & Mary!
Bob Dylan In London
A review from the book review series My Back Pages of Troubadour Tales by Jackie Lees & K.G Miles.
Miles has also written a Bob Dylan in New York City book which was invaluable on our NYC trip.
Find Troubadour Tales Of New York here: mcnidderandgrace.com/k-g-miles-bobdylanbig_apple
(The other book in the pic above? I’ll return to the brilliant graphic novel Hip Hop Family Tree in a later post.)
The London Music Tours Bob Dylan in London walking tour goes out a couple of times a year and is always available as a private tour. Check out the schedule HERE.
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