Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash Record ‘Girl from the North Country’

L-R: George Harrison, Johnny Cash, Roger McGuinn, Bob Dylan. (MARIA BASTONE/AFP/Getty Images)

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On this day in 1969, two of rock and roll’s pioneers, and bona fide legends, got together for a historic recording session in Nashville. Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash got together to record some material together, but we still have heard only one recording from the session of both of them together.

A re-recording of Dylan’s “Girl From the North Country.”

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The track is a unique kind of performance for Dylan, his familiar rasp largely absent in place of a smoother vocal tone. It’s hard to even recognize Bob’s voice at first.

But Johnny’s deep, booming voice is as powerful as one would expect, especially when delivering words as powerful as those penned by Dylan in his early career.

The stripped-down acoustic guitars tailored to both gentlemen remain, as well as Dylan’s poetic lyrics which had already made the song famous. It’s a quite beautiful take on a song that was already destined to become a classic.

Fans of classic rock, country and folk would certainly love to hear more duets from that almost mythic session between Dylan and Johnny Cash. This one tune will have to do for now, but what a great recording it is.