Bob Dylan Almost Recorded an Elvis Presley Cover Album

Bob Dylan and Elvis Presley are two drastically different artists. While they loved rock music, they were polar opposites in their performing styles and sound. Elvis was bombastic and energetic on stage while releasing pop-rock hits, and Dylan focused more on introspective songs with folk-rock connections. Still, they admired each other, and Dylan almost recorded an album of Elvis covers. 

Bob Dylan nearly made an Elvis Presley cover album

Dylan rarely gushed over other musicians, but Presley influenced him like many other rock stars of the 1960s. The “Blowin’ in the Wind” singer once said that listening to Elvis for the first time made him want to be a singer who wasn’t defined or controlled by anyone else. 

“When I first heard Elvis Presley’s voice, I just knew that I wasn’t going to work for anybody and nobody was going to be my boss,” Dylan told U.S. Weekly. “Hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail.”

Once Dylan became a star, he earned Elvis’ attention. Elvis once recorded a cover of his song “Tomorrow Is a Long Time”. Dylan considered this a “highlight” of his career and told Rolling Stone that it’s the “recording I treasure the most.” 

“Elvis Presley recorded a song of mine. That’s the one recording I treasure the most,” Dylan said. “It was called ‘Tomorrow Is A Long Time.’ I wrote it but never recorded it.”

Bob Dylan almost returned the favor to Elvis Presley by recording an album of Elvis covers. He record three songs: “Lawdy Miss Clawdy,” “Money Honey,” and “Anyway You Want Me”. However, Dylan abandoned the project before it became a complete record. It’s unfortunate the project never was completed, as Dylan’s interpretations of Elvis’ music would have been intriguing to listen to. 

Dylan ‘didn’t talk to anyone for a week’ after Elvis died

Bob Dylan didn’t have a friendship with Elvis Presley, but his love for his music made him feel a personal connection to the Memphis singer. Elvis’ downfall was challenging for many artists to see, as the king of rock suffered from addiction and health issues that led to his career spiraling downward. 

He died in 1977 at 42, shocking the world and his biggest fans. Dylan was a massive fan and reportedly cut himself off from everyone for a week after Elvis died. His children’s art teacher, Faradi McFree, said via Far Out that Dylan didn’t talk to her for a week after telling her of Presley’s death. 

That’s all I have to say – he didn’t talk to me for a week,” she shared. “He really took it bad…He was really grieving. He said that if it wasn’t for (Presley) he never would have gotten started. He opened the door.”

Dylan confirmed that McFree wasn’t the only person who got the silent treatment, as he took the week to reflect and grieve in isolation. 

“I went over my whole life,” he said. “I went over my whole childhood. I didn’t talk to anyone for a week.”