Outtakes of Bob Dylan's "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)" [The Blonde on Blonde Sessions]

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As promised, here is an informative (though not complete) compilation of rare outtakes of Dylan's "One of Us Must Know," recorded at Columbia Studio A in New York City in January of 1966. A few weeks after the final take was recorded on January 25, Dylan was so satisfied by this piece that he decided to release it as a single, and later included it on his groundbreaking double LP, Blonde on Blonde. Unfortunately, the song did not chart. But Dylan has regarded "One of Us Must Know" as one of his favorites.

Sessions musicians, as well as some members of The Hawks (later known as The Band), are playing here, and they are in fine form. By the later takes, each instrument has a unique, playful, and catchy melody of their own. Critic Jonathan Singer credits Griffin's piano for binding the song together: "At the chorus, Griffin unleashes a symphony; hammering his way up and down the keyboard, half Gershwin, half gospel, all heart. The follow-up, a killer left-hand figure that links the chorus to the verse, releases none of the song's tension."

This was the only song recorded in New York to make it onto the final cut, as Dylan opted to record the rest of his songs in Nashville to find the sound he was looking for. However, the vibe of the final cut fits into the album very well despite its differing origins.

There were 25 takes of "One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)," the most of any song on Blonde on Blonde, and possibly any Dylan record. Dylan worked tirelessly to make sure this composition was perfect, as you can hear in this video. Below are the track listings with appropriate timestamps:

TRACKLIST:
0:00 - Take 5
1:53 - Takes 6-8
3:36 - Take 9
6:30 - Takes 10-14
8:02 - Takes 16-17
8:36 - Rehearsal
10:21 - Take 25 (MASTER TAKE, VOCAL) [It's fascinating to hear Dylan's isolated singing. Of course, his voice was nasal in this period, but his pitch is spot-on and there are times when his voice has a perfect vibrato].

Enjoy this gem while you can!

Much Love & Peace,
~SP