Dave Stewart, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, Songwriter Hall of Famer, Eurythmics co-founder, producer, and renowned songwriter — has released the album “Dave Does Dylan“. Featuring just Stewart on vocals and guitars recorded in one take, the album finds him performing seemingly inspired renditions of Dylan’s songs.
Dylan has said of Stewart: “Captain Dave is a dreamer and a fearless innovator, a visionary of high order, very delicately tractable on the surface but beneath that, he’s a slamming, thumping, battering ram, very mystical but rational and sensitive when it comes to the hot irons of art forms. An explosive musician, a deft guitar player, innately recognizes the genius in other people and puts it into play without being manipulative.“
Stewart is a little more detailed in his descriptions of Bob in his memoir, ‘Sweet Dreams Are Made of This: A Life In Music’:
“When I was first learning the guitar, I was about 14 or 15 years old — which would’ve been like 1964 or ’65.
I was insistent on getting into folk clubs and I would play Bob Dylan songs from his albums that my brother had left behind when he went to college.
The audience was always a bit shocked that this kid, who looked so young, was singing these lyrics — especially in that kind of folk club.
It was mostly old folk music that was being played from the local area about the coal mines and the shipyards, which I loved too…and Dylan would have loved also. I started to sing and play these Dylan songs anywhere I could; in other folk clubs, even on the street all over the northeast of England. From then on, I got every Bob Dylan album — and still do to this day — on Vinyl and in every possible variation.
One day in 1985, I received a phone call from Bob Dylan while I was in the studio in Los Angeles.
At first, I thought it was my friend joking when the receptionist said ‘Bob Dylan on the phone for you,’ but I could tell as soon as he spoke, it was Bob.
We met up that night and we talked about everything; films, music, life, etc… and we ended up in a great Mexican place in South L.A. He knew everybody and he said, ‘Hey, why don’t we make a video tomorrow or the next day?’
It was already two in the morning, but I agreed and I helped make various videos with him during which we became great friends. Years later, I filmed “Blood In My Eyes,” which is a video I shot on two 8mm cameras — just the two of us walking around Camden town.
I’ve played on stage with Bob in London, L.A., and Tokyo, and I find conversations with him —whether on the phone or when together— relaxed and easy.
As you can imagine, he is full of great observations and wisdom, all wrapped up in a poetic language. I’m so, so grateful for getting to know him personally and to now record this album of songs after years of singing them to friends and myself.
It’s been a long road and these lyrics and melodies have kept me company through the best and the worst of times.
I hope my album can do the same for Dylan fans out there—who understand the mastery and the mystery Bob has bestowed on us, and still does to this day.”
Tracklist
1. Simple Twist Of Fate
2. I Want You
3. Emotionally Yours
4. Forever Young
5. To Ramona
6. Make You Feel My Love
7. Lay, Lady, Lay
8. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright
9. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
10. Knockin' On Heaven's Door
11. Spanish Harlem Incident
12. Shelter From The Storm
13. She Belongs To Me
Companies, etc.
- Engineer – Jesse Samler
- Executive-Producer – Dave Kaplan, Scott Seine
- Guitar, Vocals, Producer – Dave Stewart
- Lacquer Cut By – Cicely Balston
- Mastered By – Simon Francis
- Photography By – Ana María Vélez Wood, Michelle Shiers
- Written-By – Bob Dylan
Notes
Released: Apr 12, 2025
Genre: Rock, Folk, World, & Country
Run Time: 51:14
Label: Surfdog Records
%20(2025).jpg)
