Saturday Night at the Oldies: Women and Girls

Where would we be without them? Languishing in the sphere of the merely possible. On the other hand, "Pretty girls make graves." (Jack Kerouac, Dharma Bums)

Roy Orbison, Pretty Woman. Mercy! See how many of the sidemen you can identify. A great song that blends the tender and romantic with the thrustingly Dionysian.

James Burton wins the dueling Telecasters contest, but Bruce Springsteen is no slouch of a guitar slinger.

Bob Dylan, Just Like a Woman. I won't say anything lest I gush, my romanticism loosened by a delicious blend of tequila and Aperol. The polished Blonde on Blonde version. Van Morrison pays tribute here.

Bob Dylan, Girl from the North Country

The interplay of guitar and harmonica in this early masterpiece is perfect. The girl on the Freewheelin' album cover is Suze Rotolo. She died on 25 February 2011 at 67 years of age. 'Dylanologists' usually refer to the following as songs she inspired:

Don't Think Twice.  This Peter, Paul and Mary rendition may well be the best.  It moves me as much now as it did 61 years ago in 1963 when it first came out.  It was via this song that I discovered Dylan.  The 45 rpm record I had and still have showed one 'B. Dylan' as the song's author.  I pronounced it as 'Dial-in' and wondered who he was.  I soon found out. Numerous trips to the home-town public library made of me a proto-'Dylanologist.'

One Too Many Mornings

Tomorrow is  a Long Time

Boots of Spanish Leather.  Here is Joan Baez's version.   There is some irony in Baez's renditions of songs inspired by Rotolo: Dylan's affair with Baez was a factor in his break-up with Rotolo.

Ballad in Plain 'D'.  There's quite a story behind this song. I'll tell you about it some other time.

Finally, a song written and sung by Baez about Dylan: Diamonds and Rust. 

Van Morrison, Brown Eyed Girl. This one goes out to Kathy H.

Aretha Franklin, Natural Woman. Written by Carole King. Her version.

Rolling Stone, Honky Tonk Woman

Santana, Black Magic Woman

Eric Clapton, Have You Ever Loved a Woman?

Peter and Gordon, Woman 

Elvis Presley, Santa Lucia

Andrea Bocelli, Ave Maria (Franz Schubert)

And many more . . . .