RWB hopes that the bard of Hibbing is taking delight in doing and producing so much these days that all the world’s annoying Dylanologists simply can’t keep up. Nice going for a 65 year old (who is kicking off his latest concert tour today with an outdoor show in Kilkenny, Ireland).

Belatedly, then, here’s a brief rundown on “The Theme Time Radio Hour with your host Bob Dylan” which first aired on XM Radio on Wednesday, June 14th, 2006. This week’s theme: FATHER.

The show began with Dylan playing and talking over the Horace Silver Quintet (Bob mentions seeing Horace live in his memoir Chronicles) performing “Song For My Father.” Dylan points out that:

Steely Dan fans might recognise this as the central riff from their hit song “Ricky Don’t Lose That Number.” But we’re not here to talk about them. We’re here to talk about celebrating fathers, on Theme Time Radio Hour.

Then, Dylan plays what is somewhat surprisingly the first Jimmie Rodgers song of his series so far, “Daddy and Home” (see Jimmie sing it at YouTube). Bob recites the labels commonly given to Rodgers: “the singing brakeman, the yodelling cowboy, the father of country music.” Dylan of-course was central in putting together a tribute album for Jimmie, “The Songs of Jimmie Rodgers,” in 1996/97, on which he and thirteen other artists performed, from Aaron Neville to Van Morrison. In the notes to that album, Dylan writes of Rodgers as “a blazing star whose sound was and remains the raw essence of individuality in a sea of conformity … though he is claimed as the father of country music, the title is limiting and deceiving in the light of today’s country music and he wouldn’t have understood it … his voice gives hope to the vanquished and humility to the mighty.” And there’s a lot more. These days, Dylan doesn’t have to write that kind of stuff: he’s got his own radio show!

On this particular show he wasn’t averse to playing a few “father” songs with dubious paternities, like Shep & The Limelights’ “Daddy’s Home,” and Julie London’s considerably more sugary than patriarchal “Daddy” (which Dylan reminds us was sung by the cartoon character “Red Hot Riding Hood”).

More quotables: Dylan after playing Bobby Blue Bland’s “Dust Got Into Daddy’s Eyes”:

At number 23 on the R&B charts, amazing and astonishing, astounding, extravagant, and stupendous. Monstrous, but believable. Those ain’t teardrops; that’s dust that got into Daddy’s eyes. Bobby Blue Bland.

About Bob Nolan of the group Sons Of The Pioneers, Dylan said he was:

… a mystical songwriter, perhaps the very best. Some of his best known songs included “Tumbling Tumbleweed,” “Cool Water.” His songs are extremely malleable and ductile. There’s no songwriter, living or dead, who wrote and performed like Bob Nolan.

I’d also note that what Dylan said in general terms about the Sons Of The Pioneers group is almost word for word what you’d find on the “Country Music Television” website: “The Sons Of The Pioneers were the foremost vocal and instrumental group in western music, and the definitive group specializing in cowboy songs, setting the standard for every group that has come since.” Dylan says:

The Sons Of The Pioneers. One of the foremost instrumental and vocal groups in western music. They specialized in cowboy songs, becoming the standard for every group that came since.

Just different enough to evade a plagiarism suit, or not? Well, let the lawyers fight it out.

Another Dylan musing:

Divine love and compassion is often expressed by the relationship of parent and child. The Jewish and Christian scriptures call God our Heavenly Father, and in some types of Buddhism, the Buddha is called “Father of the World.” And similar statements are found in the Vedas and Confucian classics. Whoever your father is, here’s the Swan Silvertones to sing about him. A song about the big father.

Following is a wonderful Swan Silvertones’ track, “Father Alone.” Dylan mentions that they include the Rev. Claude Jeter, and says, “no relation to Derek. As far as I know.” That reminds me of what is probably too controversial a subject to ever wade into on this peace loving website, but one which makes me wonder all the same: Is Bob Dylan a Yankee fan?

The email this week was from “Johnny Depp of Paris, France,” and asked “Who was the father of modern Communism?”

Well, Johnny, Karl Marx was the father of modern communism. He also fathered seven children, four of whom survived to adulthood. His only son, Frederick Dumus (sp?) was illegitimate. I wonder if he calls his Daddy on Fathers’ Day?

I know I’m supposed to analyze things here, but you tell me what all that means. I guess like with most things in life, it’s best to laugh and move on.

There were two guest spots: one from the ubiquitous Charlie Sheen talking about his father Martin (who Dylan persistently promotes as an incredible actor) and the other from none other than Elvis Costello, who talked about his father, musician and singer Ross McManus. Elvis mentioned his Dad’s success in the 1960s with a song called “Patsy Girl,” which was a big hit in Germany. Deejay Dylan graciously obliges by playing the very track itself.

The last tune Dylan plays is by Hank Williams. Dylan introduces it thusly:

… “My Son Calls Another Man Daddy.” The battle of the bulge of all songs. Hank Williams also recorded under the name Luke the Drifter, and he was also a famous father. But here he is talking about his son calling another man Daddy. And the right to his love, he’s been denied.

God only knows how it hurts when something like that happens.

Indeed. God (our aforementioned heavenly father) does know that.

…

Playlist:

Horace Silver Quintet – Song For My Father
Jimmie Rodgers – Daddy and Home
Shep & The Limelights – Daddy’s Home
The Everly Brothers – That Silver-Haired Daddy of Mine
Bobby Blue Bland – Dust Got In Daddy’s Eyes
Julie London – Daddy
John Hiatt – Your Dad Did
Sons of the Pioneers – My Daddy
The Winstons – Color Him Father
Leroy Carr & Scrapper Blackwell – Poppa’s On The Housetop
Jack Rhodes & His Lone Star Buddies – Mama Loves Papa
The Temptations – Papa Was A Rolling Stone
Lowell Fulsom – Father Time
The Swan Silvertones – Father Alone
Ross McManus – Patsy Girl
Hank Williams – My Son Calls Another Man Daddy

Theme Time Radio Hour with your host, Bob Dylan, on XM Radio.

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