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Moshe · 09.12.2007, 02:58 PM

9/12/2007

Todd Haynes Talks Dylan Covers In 'I'm Not There'

In a Rolling Stone piece not yet online (seeing a trend?), "I'm Not There" director Todd Haynes and music supervisor Randall Poster ("Rushmore,"Velvet Goldmine") talked about the Bob Dylan music covered in the biopic and track down the elusive titular track.

We just revealed the producers behind every track on the soundtrack CD.

Apparently getting their hands on a workable version of the obscure bootleg, "I'm Not There," wasn't an easy task. "We had to dig to the ends of the earth to dig up a version we could use," Poster told RS. Evidently, their search ended at Neil Young's California Ranch where the tracks had been locked away since 1968 - a Dylan associate sent him a master copy accidentally.

Of the various covers in the film Todd Haynes singled out the track done by the husky-throated Pearl Jam singer. "Eddie Vedder did an awesome job with 'All Along The Watchtower,' " Haynes said. "But that's a hard task for anybody. It's very exciting to take songs that are much lesser-known and make them something really special and unique."

Indeed the soundtrack (due October 30) tends to skew towards the more obscure Dylan tracks and doesn't feature classics such as, "Like A Rolling Stone," "Blowin' In The Wind," (though the disc does feature Antony and the Johnsons on "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and Mason Jennings tackling "The Times They Are A Changin' ", but these are the only super-obvious tracks on the disc).

Haynes enlisted Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo to assemble the crack team of musicians behind the Million Dollar Bashers (check the dates, we revealed their identities first) act as the backing band for five tracks on the album (Haynes directed Sonic Youth's "Disappearer" video which is collected on the DVD video "Sonic Youth - Corporate Ghost: Videos, 1990-2002 (2004)").

The most important member of that band might be longtime Dylan bassist and touring musical director Tony Garnier. "Tony had some really helpful hints about the songs" Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelly said, of helping the Bashers capture the "wild mercury" of the sound of Dylan's 1966 tour featuring the Band.

Poster said one of his personal music highlights was My Morning Jacket's Jim James' take on "Goin' To Acapulco" (from the Band abetted The Basement Tapes), which as reported, he actually sings in the film with Dylan's white-faced Rolling Thunder Revue-era makeup. "Filming that scene was one of those great moments," said Poster. "Just being there and feeling the power of the music - I think everyone felt it."

Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett, who plays the main Bob Dylan character in the film, Jude (or at least she's garnering all the accolades) told the W magazine one of main reasons she took the role was because of Hayne's work on the Barbie-doll starring "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story." "It was really emotionally honest, this Barbie doll barfing into the toilet," she said without a trace of irony (she apparently strapped down her breasts for the role of Dylan to match his then near-emaciated state).

[PS. You can watch all of "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story" on google video, and can download the whole thing at Illegal Art]

09.12.2007, 02:58 PM	#37
Moshe Super Moderator Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 5,934	9/12/2007 Todd Haynes Talks Dylan Covers In 'I'm Not There' In a Rolling Stone piece not yet online (seeing a trend?), "I'm Not There" director Todd Haynes and music supervisor Randall Poster ("Rushmore,"Velvet Goldmine") talked about the Bob Dylan music covered in the biopic and track down the elusive titular track. We just revealed the producers behind every track on the soundtrack CD. Apparently getting their hands on a workable version of the obscure bootleg, "I'm Not There," wasn't an easy task. "We had to dig to the ends of the earth to dig up a version we could use," Poster told RS. Evidently, their search ended at Neil Young's California Ranch where the tracks had been locked away since 1968 - a Dylan associate sent him a master copy accidentally. Of the various covers in the film Todd Haynes singled out the track done by the husky-throated Pearl Jam singer. "Eddie Vedder did an awesome job with 'All Along The Watchtower,' " Haynes said. "But that's a hard task for anybody. It's very exciting to take songs that are much lesser-known and make them something really special and unique." Indeed the soundtrack (due October 30) tends to skew towards the more obscure Dylan tracks and doesn't feature classics such as, "Like A Rolling Stone," "Blowin' In The Wind," (though the disc does feature Antony and the Johnsons on "Knockin' On Heaven's Door" and Mason Jennings tackling "The Times They Are A Changin' ", but these are the only super-obvious tracks on the disc). Haynes enlisted Sonic Youth's Lee Ranaldo to assemble the crack team of musicians behind the Million Dollar Bashers (check the dates, we revealed their identities first) act as the backing band for five tracks on the album (Haynes directed Sonic Youth's "Disappearer" video which is collected on the DVD video "Sonic Youth - Corporate Ghost: Videos, 1990-2002 (2004)"). The most important member of that band might be longtime Dylan bassist and touring musical director Tony Garnier. "Tony had some really helpful hints about the songs" Sonic Youth drummer Steve Shelly said, of helping the Bashers capture the "wild mercury" of the sound of Dylan's 1966 tour featuring the Band. Poster said one of his personal music highlights was My Morning Jacket's Jim James' take on "Goin' To Acapulco" (from the Band abetted The Basement Tapes), which as reported, he actually sings in the film with Dylan's white-faced Rolling Thunder Revue-era makeup. "Filming that scene was one of those great moments," said Poster. "Just being there and feeling the power of the music - I think everyone felt it." Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett, who plays the main Bob Dylan character in the film, Jude (or at least she's garnering all the accolades) told the W magazine one of main reasons she took the role was because of Hayne's work on the Barbie-doll starring "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story." "It was really emotionally honest, this Barbie doll barfing into the toilet," she said without a trace of irony (she apparently strapped down her breasts for the role of Dylan to match his then near-emaciated state). [PS. You can watch all of "Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story" on google video, and can download the whole thing at Illegal Art]
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