Royal Festival Hall, London, 17th May 1964 From the bootleg “Fantasy Records Acetate”

Is that the audience singing along or reverberation in the Royal Festival Hall.

Bruce Langhorne, Carolyn Hester, Bob Dylan and Bill Lee Columbia Studio A, New York City, September 29, 1961

Mr. Tambourine Man refers to guitarist Bruce Langhorne who carried a large tambourine. The rumored drug reference may have been a secondary meaning but Dylan did mean the fun loving Langhorne.

The title character of Bob Dylan’s song “Mr. Tambourine Man” is inspired by Langhorne, who used to play a large Turkish frame drum in performances and recordings. The drum, which Langhorne had purchased in a music store in Greenwich Village, had small bells attached around its interior, giving it a jingling sound much like a tambourine. Langhorne used the instrument most prominently with Richard and Mimi Fariña. Some photos of Langhorne with his drum can be seen here. The drum is now in the collection of Seattle’s Experience Music Project.

Langhorne was a popular session guitarist who played a jazz flavoured electric guitar and appeared on both Bringing It All Back Home and the earlier The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan.

While purists wanted Dylan straight up no chaser, I can remember Corrina Corrina as a cool jazzy song back in 1963. I spent many hours trying to replicate Langhorne on my guitar with little success.

I tried to find Corrina Corrina to play for you but all the YouTube versions have an odd accoustic cover. Guess the Bob Dylan purists are still out there. Click here and you can hear a short snippet with the great Langhorne electric guitar on Corrina Corrina.