The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 is a box set by Bob Dylan issued on Columbia Records.
It is the first installment in the Dylan bootleg series, comprising material spanning the first three decades of his career, from 1961 to 1989.
It has been certified with a gold record by the RIAA as of August 1997, and peaked at  on the Billboard 200 and  in the UK.RIAA website retrieved 02-12-10.
Background
Dylan has been subject to bootleg recordings throughout his career; the first bootleg of the rock era, Great White Wonder, consisted of pirate recordings drawn from various sources.
With the approach of Dylan's 30-year mark in the record industry, Columbia Records initiated the proper release of material that had circulated regularly on Dylan bootlegs, starting with this box set in 1991 to satisfy demand for Dylan's unissued material.
Content
The Bootleg Series Volumes 1–3 contains rarities and unreleased works from the sessions for 1962's eponymous debut Bob Dylan to 1989's Oh Mercy.
Of the 58 total tracks, 45 are session outtakes from recording sessions for Dylan studio albums.
Of the remaining 13 tracks, one is an outtake from the session for the "George Jackson" single of 1971, two are further releases from the Basement Tape sessions of 1967, five are live recordings, and five are demo records, three of latter being later duplicated on Volume 9 of the series.
The material is spread across three compact discs, five vinyl records, or three cassette tapes.
In the case of the compact disc and cassette versions, each individual disc or cassette is labeled in the set as a distinct volume.
Subsequent albums in the Bootleg Series were standardized to a double-disc volume in their primary non-limited edition format, excepting for Volumes 14 and 15, and all continue the compact disc volume numbering.
Unlike ensuing installments in the series, none of Volumes 1–3 are available individually in physical form.
A remastered version in smaller packaging was issued on August 19, 1997, on Legacy Recordings, the reissue imprint of Sony Records.
Reception
In his 2006 Bob Dylan Encyclopedia, author Michael Gray states that "most artists couldn't muster a single outtake to hold alongside any of this; Dylan can provide 58 recordings almost every one of which is of numinous excellence."
Gray, Michael.
The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia.
Continuum International Publishing: London, 2006, , p.
73. Track listing
All songs written by Bob Dylan, except where noted; all arrangements by Bob Dylan.
Personnel
Bob Dylan — vocals, guitars, harmonica, piano
Barry Beckett – keyboards (disc 3, track 5)
Roy Bittan — keyboards (disc 3, track 15)
Mike Bloomfield — electric guitar (disc 2, tracks 8–10)
Russell Bridges — bass guitar (disc 2, track 16)
Harvey Brooks — bass guitar (disc 2, tracks 8–10)
Charlie Brown, III — guitar (disc 2, track 19; disc 3, track 1; possibly disc 2, track 18)
Tony Brown —  bass guitar (disc 2, tracks 18–20)
Gary Burke — conga drum (disc 3, track 4)
T Bone Burnett — guitar (disc 3, track 4)
Kenny Buttrey — drums (disc 2, track 16)
Buddy Cage — pedal steel guitar
Alan Clark — keyboards (disc 3, tracks 10–12), organ (disc 3, track 13)
Roddy Colonna — drums (disc 3, track 16)
Richard Crooks — drums (disc 2, track 19)
Charlie Daniels — bass guitar (disc 2, track 15)
Rick Danko — bass guitar (disc 2, tracks 11–14, 17), backing vocals (disc 2, track 13)
Carolyn Dennis — backing vocals (possibly disc 3, tracks 8 & 9)
Rick DiFonzi — guitar (disc 3, track 16)
Tim Drummond — bass guitar (disc 3, tracks 5 & 7, possibly 8 & 9)
Sly Dunbar— drums (disc 3, tracks 10–13, 15)
Erik Frandsen — slide guitar (disc 3, track 3)
Glen Fukunaga — bass guitar (disc 3, track 16)
Full Force — backing vocals (disc 3, track 11)
Al Gorgoni — guitar (disc 2, track 7)
Bobby Gregg — drums (disc 2, tracks 7, 8, 10 & 11)
Paul Griffin — keyboards (disc 2, tracks 7, 8, & 10)
Emmylou Harris — backing vocals (disc 3, track 2)
George Harrison — guitar (disc 2, track 15)
Regina Havis — backing vocals (possibly disc 3, tracks 8 & 9)
Levon Helm — drums (disc 2, tracks 13, 14, & 17), backing vocals (disc 2, track 13)
Garth Hudson — organ (disc 2, tracks 12–14, 17)
Ben Keith — pedal steel guitar (disc 2, track 16)
Jim Keltner —  drums (disc 3, track 7, possibly tracks 8 & 9)
Clydie King — backing vocals  (disc 3, track 7, possibly tracks 8 & 9)
Mark Knopfler — guitar (disc 3, tracks 5, 10–14)
Sandy Konikoff — drums (disc 2, track 12)
Al Kooper — organ (disc 2, tracks 8–11)
Barry Kornfeld — guitar (disc 2, track 19; disc 3, track 1; possibly disc 2, track 18)
Danny "Kootch" Kortchmar — guitar (disc 3, track 7)
Russ Kunkel — drums (disc 2, track 15)
Daniel Lanois — guitar, 12-string guitar, bass guitar, percussion (disc 3, track 16)
Joseph Macho Jr. — bass guitar (disc 2, track 7)
David Mansfield — mandolin (disc 3, track 4)
Richard Manuel — piano (disc 2, tracks 12–14, 17), backing vocals (disc 2, track 13)
Tom McFaul — keyboards (disc 2, track 19)
Bob Neuwirth — guitar (disc 3, track 4)
Cyril Neville — talking drum (disc 3, track 16)
Kenny Rankin — guitar (disc 2, track 7)
Steve Ripley — guitar (disc 3, track 7)
Scarlet Rivera — violin (disc 3, tracks 2 & 4)
Robbie Robertson — guitar (disc 2, tracks 11–14, 17)
Mick Ronson — guitar (disc 3, track 4)
Mason Ruffner — guitar (disc 3, track 16)
Robbie Shakespeare — bass guitar (disc 3, tracks 10–13, 15)
Steven Soles — guitar (disc 3, track 4)
Rob Stoner — bass guitar (disc 3, tracks 2–4)
Sugar Blue — harmonica (disc 3, track 3)
Fred Tackett — guitar (disc 3, track
Mick Taylor — guitar (disc 3, tracks 10–13)
Benmont Tench — organ (disc 3, track 7, possibly tracks 8 & 9)
Steven Van Zandt — guitar (disc 3, track 15)
Jennifer Warnes — backing vocals (disc 3, track 6)
Eric Weissberg — guitar (disc 2, track 19; disc 3, track 1; possibly disc 2, track 18)
Pick Withers — drums (disc 3, track 5)
Peter Wood — keyboards (disc 3, track 16)
Howie Wyeth — drums (disc 3, track 2 & 4)
;Technical personnel
Jeff Rosen — production and compilation
Vic Anesini, Bob Irwin — digital remastering
Josh Abbey, Jim Ball, Tim Geelan — mixing
Steven Berkowitz — production coordination, marketing
Christopher Austopchuk, Nicky Lindeman — art direction
Don Hunstein, Morgan Renard — photography
John Bauldie — liner notes
References
External links
Information about The Bootleg Series
