1989 SONGS IN MY HEART

1 A SHORT SUBJECTIVE RETROSPECTIVE

Another highly prolific year for Bob Dylan! After the recording of his best record for several years in April, a new enormous tour was kicked off in Sweden at the end of May. The name "The Never-Ending tour" was suggested by Dylan himself in an interview with Adrian Deevoy in the December issue of Q magazine. An amazing 99 shows were played in Europe, Canada and US. The new record, Oh Mercy, received high praise everywhere, most reviewers giving the producer, Daniel Lanois, lots of credits.

2 The Year at a glance

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3 CALENDAR

12 February	Bob Dylan joins the Grateful Dead on stage at their show at the LA Forum. He plays guitar on 8 songs and is finally persuaded (?) to sing on Knockin' On Heaven's Door.

March-April	OH MERCY recording sessions in New Orleans.

27 May	The European tour starts with a show in the park of the Christinehof castle in the south of Sweden.

1 July	After 21 shows in Europe, the tour continues in US in Peoria only two days after the last show in Athens, Greece.

10-9 September	The summer tour concludes with two shows at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. Nothing from the new album has been aired during this part of the tour.

19 September	OH MERCY is released.

21 September	The Edna Gundersen interview is published is USA Today.

24 September	Dylan participates in the "L'Chaim To Life, Telethon '89" on Chabad TV. Together with his son-in-law Peter Himmelman and Harry Dean Stanton on guitars he plays flute and recorder (!) on three songs. The "group" is called 'Chopped Liver'.

10 October	The fall tour starts with four shows at the Beacon Theater in New York. A number of the Oh Mercy songs are played at last. Before the tour is over they have played 6 songs from the new album, leaving the two first and the two last for the future.

20 November	Dylan records People Get Ready in Bloomington, Indiana for the movie FLASHBACK. The soundtrack is released in 1990.

December	Q magazine publishes a long article by Adrian Deevoy called 'The Wanted Man', also containing an interview.

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4 RECORDINGS

Here’s a list of recordings from 1989 other than concerts. For details please refer to the corresponding session pages in Still On The Road.

12 February	Guest appearance at a Grateful Dead concert
May	Rehearsals for the European Tour in New York City
24 September	L'chaim To Life, Telethon '89
20 November	Recording session in Bloomington, Indiana resulting in People Get Ready.

5 OH MERCY

Please refer to the Still On The Road session page for session details and participating musicians.

It can be noted that all songs on Oh Mercy have been performed live! Live debuts:

Political World	New Haven 12 January 1990
Where Teardrops Fall	New Haven 12 January 1990
New Haven 12 January 1990	New York City 10 October 1989
Ring Them Bells	Poughkeepsie 20 October 1989
Man In The Long Black Coat	New York City 13 October 1989
Most Of The Time	New York City 10 October 1989
What Good Am I?	New York City 10 October 1989
Disease Of Conceit	Troy 27 October 1989
What Was It You Wanted	New Haven 12 January 1990
Shooting Star	East Troy 9 June 1990

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