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Jack White Visits Chelsea to Aid Dylan Revenge Plan

We ran into Jack White the other night at the Chelsea, wearing a cowboy hat with a big white feather that made him appear even taller than he is, and a huge fur coat of a kind only a true rock star such as himself could pull off.  If he was trying to go incognito, I must say he failed rather miserably!  We wondered why he would grace our hotel with his presence, and now we know:  he’s working on an album with Bob Dylan and wanted to soak up some of the rarified ambience of the legendary performer’s former haunt.  Well, we’re confident that –even with BD in charge – he was not disappointed. 

    The two artists are working on an album of songs that Hank Williams left uncompleted at the time of his death —  which is kind of funny since, isn’t it part of Dylan’s legend that he tried to steal a trunk of songs out of Woody Guthrie’s basement after the old folkie croaked?  I think those songs were later recorded by Wilco – much to Bob’s consternation, I’m sure – but now, in a way, he has his revenge. 

    Oh, another Chelsea connection:  Hank William’s granddaughter, Holly Williams, used to live here.

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14 responses to “Jack White Visits Chelsea to Aid Dylan Revenge Plan”

  1. Daily Intelligencer - New York Magazine Avatar
    Daily Intelligencer – New York Magazine

    Jack White Visits Bob Dylans Old Haunt in Chelsea

    Chelsea: Jack White stopped by the Chelsea Hotel the other day, in full fur-coat regalia, to soak up some of Bob Dylan’s residual energy from the place in order to prepare for his upcoming album with the rock hero. [<a href=”http://leg…

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  2. Tim Avatar
    Tim

    It isn’t part of any Dylan legend that Bob tried to “steal” Guthrie’s unfinished songs “after he croaked”. He would never do such a thing. He was, as he wrote in Chronicles, offered those unfinished songs by Woody but when he made the trek from the hospital to the Guthrie household, the family wasn’t so sure, so he didn’t press the issue. Years later, when some of those Guthrie songs were being considered to be “finished” by other artists, Bob was considered, but, in Woody’s daughter’s wisdom, wasn’t chosen because Bob played for the Pope and that didn’t seem like something Woody would have done to her. So she got Billy Bragg and Wilco to do them. As Bob noted in both Chronicles and more than once on his Theme Time Radio Hour show, he quite enjoyed the results.
    And Jack might be working on something with Dylan, but Dylan sure isn’t in NYC right now with him working on it, as he played tonight in Sao Paulo, Brasil.

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  3. inthealley Avatar
    inthealley

    Steal …… STEAL???? Have you taken the trouble to check out the title of Bob’s last but one title (i.e. “Love & Theft”) ……… Dylan came to NY to SEE Woodie. He describes his role in sitting with the ailing Guthrie as being to be a walking Woody juke-box for his hero.
    Dylan acquired a lot of things in the 60s, and that included (on occasions) lifting other people’s records. He loved Harry Smith’s Anthology of American Folk Music, and Smith often persuaded people to swap good versions of 78s for cracked-up ones he had, because he NEEDED them more …. the results were the set that became fountain-head of virtually all good American music since. Dylan is a bit like Smith – a great source of knowledge and inspiration for those who come after. If Nora had had ANY sense she would have given the trunk to Bob. As much as I love and admire Billy Bragg, he ain’t no Bob Dylan (as he would be the first to agree).

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  4. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    Interesting information, except for the snarky comment, “isn’t it part of Dylan’s legend that he tried to steal a trunk of songs out of Woody Guthrie’s basement after the old folkie croaked?”
    In fact, it isn’t part of Dylan’s “legend.” As anyone who has read Chronicles knows, Woody Guthrie offered the trunk of songs to Dylan while he was still alive, but, because of a series of misadventures, Dylan was unable to collect them. Nora Guthrie later offered them to Wilco, more to Dylan’s amusement than consternation.
    Those interested in more information on Dylan’s Hank Williams project might enjoy my post of the subject…
    That Fateful Day: The Lost Songs of Hank Williams

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  5. Todd Avatar
    Todd

    Get your info right–Dylan didn’t try to steal Woody’s old songs, they were offered up to him by Woody, but he never made it out there to get the songs because he got caught in a storm. (You need to re-read Dylan’s autobiography) Wilco, got the songs years later, and I don’t think Dylan has any problem with Wilco at all! Dylan and Wilco had back-to-back sets on the Bonnaroo 2004 stage, and there was no animosity! This article is BS, there is no revenge. Dylan and Jack White have been good friends for a while, and are just two musicians making music. Look at Dylan’s career, he has been making interesting collaborations for decades!!!

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  6. Nate Avatar
    Nate

    This article is a crock…
    Where did you get the notion that Bob’s out for revenge? Who told you that Bob tried to steal Woody’s lyrics?

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  7. Avatar
    Anonymous

    I just assumed the “steal” part was a joke, as was”revenge.”

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  8. Old & Crappy Avatar
    Old & Crappy

    Hey you paid commenters, Bob had an affair with Edie too!

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  9. jman Avatar
    jman

    not funny or amusing. this is just about hype, not about the great contributions of Guthrie and Dylan to our culture.
    Woody Guthrie did not ‘croak’. Unless of course the author cool referring to his own loved one’s as ‘croaking’ this is quite rude and, as I said, part of a hype which has clearly gotten this author more replies than he would have gotten otherwise.

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  10. Avatar
    Anonymous

    Chelsea residents are great fans of Bob Dylan.

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  11. mike Avatar
    mike

    The author of this should expect a lawsuit if Dylan sees this article. Good luck with that…not.

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  12. LP Avatar
    LP

    Clearly this is a joke. Dylan’s revenge plan? And all you people fell for it?

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  13. Swithin Avatar
    Swithin

    Interesting storey……

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  14. Alarming News Avatar
    Alarming News

    Photo(s) of the Day

    I remember you well in the Chelsea Hotel. Staircase looking up: Staircase looking down: I remain completely fascinated by the Hotel Chelsea. I had been in the lobby a few times but never up the stairs and in the rooms….

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