The F.V.'s: Mr. Tambourine Man (1981)

The A-side of UK punk/new wave band The F.V's lone single from 1981 is a less-than-reverential run-through, some might use the word evisceration, of "Mr. Tambourine Man". This take on the song uses even less of Dylan's words than The Byrds (even seemingly adding a verse at the end) but adds some gang vocals and some quirky keyboard stabs, sorta like a cross-between early XTC and later Sham 69. (Somewhere Dylanologist Clinton Heylin is retching.)


(The b-side kicks along nicely as well and reminds me of Canadian punk band, The Diodes)

I'm a sucker for the brute energy that suffuses this era but the other reason this great little obscurity fascinates me is as another connection between Dylan and punk rock. Dylan's mid-sixties work and its influence on Lou Reed, then Patti Smith and then Joe Strummer (and to a lesser degree John Lydon) makes him a crucial punk progenitor in my book. Of course, as an adolescent, I often listened to my tapes of London Calling and Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits back-to-back, which might explain this strange obsession.

Mr. Tambourine Man 7" link is in the comments.

Speaking of comments, give us you quick review of this version of Mr. Tambourine Man.

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The scan, the rip and the first post on this mysterious release (any further info from our readers would be greatly appreciated) are the work of Razor at Short Sharp Kick in the Teeth. If you haven't been to his blog you are missing one the great historical undertakings this out-of-control internet thing has to offer.