Dylan didn't want to crack up while recording 'Mostly You Go Your Way'

Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan performs at Bayfront Festival Park in Duluth on July 9, 2013.
Clint Austin | Duluth News via AP 2013

Today's Morning Edition music is from 50 years ago, when Bob Dylan was in Nashville recording songs that would end up on his iconic "Blonde on Blonde" album.

While the band was rehearsing "Mostly You Go Your Way," bass player Charlie McCoy suggested adding a little trumpet part that he would play. The idea was initially rejected because Dylan didn't like overdubs and there wasn't another musician on hand to play the bass while McCoy played the trumpet.

But according to Al Kooper who was there, McCoy demonstrated that he could play the bass with one hand while playing the trumpet with the other. Dylan agreed to this arrangement as long as he couldn't see McCoy while they were recording because it might crack him up.

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.