This song was actually originally called "Rock Me Mama" and was recorded in Mexico in 1972 for the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid movie. However, it was never released and was never actually finished either. The only part existing at that point was the chorus.
The verses were added in by a guy named Ketch Secor, the lead singer of a bluegrass band called Old Crow Medicine Show, who released this finished version of the song a few years ago. It's by far their most popular song and is incredible to hear played live. Recently, Ketch went on a radio station and explained the origins of the song:
"It'd be my pleasure to dispel the myth and rumor about the song Wagon Wheel, or "Rock Me Mama" as Bob Dylan himself called the song when he recorded it down in Mexico in 1972 for the soundtrack of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. This song was not released, and it was not finished either, this is a demo of a practice session of him, Rob Stoner, and a couple of gals doing the chorus over and over again while the bass player learns the bass line. That's what I heard on a German bootleg about nine years ago in high school. And I wrote the lyrics to the song because I loved the chorus so much and I sung it in my head for maybe a year straight, and then just penned what I penned, which is something of an autobiographical story about just wanting to get outta town, gettin outta school, and just wanting to go play music. It's sort of autobiographical like that. But yeah, it's sort of a Bob Dylan co-write with about 25 years inbetween."
Anybody have a copy of that bootleg, or any other original version of this song?
This song was actually originally called "Rock Me Mama" and was recorded in Mexico in 1972 for the Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid movie. However, it was never released and was never actually finished either. The only part existing at that point was the chorus.
The verses were added in by a guy named Ketch Secor, the lead singer of a bluegrass band called Old Crow Medicine Show, who released this finished version of the song a few years ago. It's by far their most popular song and is incredible to hear played live. Recently, Ketch went on a radio station and explained the origins of the song:
"It'd be my pleasure to dispel the myth and rumor about the song Wagon Wheel, or "Rock Me Mama" as Bob Dylan himself called the song when he recorded it down in Mexico in 1972 for the soundtrack of Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. This song was not released, and it was not finished either, this is a demo of a practice session of him, Rob Stoner, and a couple of gals doing the chorus over and over again while the bass player learns the bass line. That's what I heard on a German bootleg about nine years ago in high school. And I wrote the lyrics to the song because I loved the chorus so much and I sung it in my head for maybe a year straight, and then just penned what I penned, which is something of an autobiographical story about just wanting to get outta town, gettin outta school, and just wanting to go play music. It's sort of autobiographical like that. But yeah, it's sort of a Bob Dylan co-write with about 25 years inbetween."
Anybody have a copy of that bootleg, or any other original version of this song?
bob dylan - rock me mama
bob dylan - rock me mama
sendspace.com/file/br2qp1
sendspace.com/file/br2qp1
Good to hear the facts.
Good to hear the facts.