The Bob Dylan Gospel Tour was a concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan that consisted of 79 concerts in North America in three legs, lasting from November 1, 1979, to May 21, 1980.
Background In February 1978, Dylan initiated a ten-month World Tour that consisted of 114 concerts in ten countries. On June 15, Dylan released the album Street-Legal, which received poor reviews from most American critics. Performances on his world tour also received negative reviews. The physical demands of touring were also taking a toll on the artist.Heylin 2001, p. 491. During a concert on November 17 in San Diego, someone from the audience threw a small silver cross on stage. Dylan later recalled in a 1979 interview:
Toward the end of his 1978 World Tour, Dylan began performing a new song during sound checks called "Slow Train"—a song with overtly Christian lyrics. During the final concert of the tour on December 16, 1978, in Hollywood, Florida, he performed another new song called "Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others)", with lyrics centered around a Biblical passage from Matthew 7:12, "All things, therefore, that you want men to do to you, you also must likewise do to them; this, in fact, is what the Law and the Prophets mean."Heylin 2001, p. 492.
According to Dylan, a turning point came one night in late 1978 when he received a "vision and a feeling" that his born-again Christian girlfriend Mary Alice Artres believed was a "visit from Jesus himself". Dylan later said, "Jesus put his hand on me. It was a physical thing. I felt it. I felt it all over me. I felt my whole body tremble. The glory of the Lord knocked me down and picked me up."
Artes was not the only born-again Christian in Dylan's touring band. Steven Soles and David Mansfield were already members of the Vineyard Fellowship, a Christian organization introduced to them by guitarist T-Bone Burnett. According to bassist Rob Stoner, it was Burnette who first began talking to Dylan about Jesus and the Fellowship.Spitz 1991, p. 527. Dylan also turned to Helena Springs with "questions that no one could possibly help with", and she encouraged him to pray. Dylan's girlfriend Artes was also a member of Vineyard Fellowship, and it was through her influence that Dylan eventually agreed to attend a three-month Bible study course with Ken Gulliksen.Spitz 1991, p. 529.
In the first months of 1979, Dylan was writing songs clearly influenced by his new-found Christian faith and Bible study. Dylan initially intended to produce the songs for singer Carolyn Dennis anonymously. "I wanted the songs out", Dylan later recalled, "but I didn't want to do it [myself], because I knew that it wouldn't be perceived in that way. It would just mean more pressure. I just did not want that at that time."Heylin 2001, p. 500. Eventually Dylan decided to record the songs himself, and assembled a strong group of musicians and production people, including Mark Knopfler and Muscle Shoals veterans Barry Beckett and Jerry Wexler, who would co-produce the album with Dylan. Between April 30 and May 11, 1979, Dylan recorded material for a new album at Muscle Shoals, Alabama. The new album of Christian songs called Slow Train Coming was released on August 20, 1979.
On October 18, 1979, Dylan and his new backing band appeared on the television show Saturday Night Live, performing three songs from the new album: "Gotta Serve Somebody", "I Believe in You", and "When You Gonna Wake Up".Heylin 2001, p. 511. Two weeks later, on November 1, 1979, Dylan and his new band initiated a new tour with a fourteen-concert engagement at the Fox Warfield Theatre in San Francisco.
Description
The Bob Dylan Gospel Tour was unique in two respects. While Dylan had always included religious themes and allusions in his songs, this tour marked the first time that he overtly embraced Christianity as a personal faith, and discussed that faith from the stage with his audience.Heylin 2001, pp. 511–18. Also, Dylan restricted the concert setlists to include only his new Christian songs. None of his past material was included. The tour was divided into three legs over a period of seven months. The first leg included 26 concerts from November 1 to December 9. The second leg included 22 concerts from January 13 to February 9. The third leg included 29 concerts from April 17 to May 21.
The tour lineup for the first leg of the tour consisted of Bob Dylan (guitar, piano, harmonica, vocals), Spooner Oldham (keyboards, vocals), Terry Young (keyboards, vocals), Fred Tackett (guitar), Tim Drummond (bass), Jim Keltner (drums), Regina Havis (vocals), Helena Springs (vocals), and Mona Lisa Young (vocals).Heylin 2001, p. 520. Typically, shows opened with vocalist Regina Havis stepping to the microphone and delivering a monologue on Christian faith. She was then joined on stage by vocalist Helena Springs, pianist Terry Young, and his wife Mona Lisa Young who performed a half dozen gospel songs, such as "If I Got My Ticket Lord", "It's Gonna Rain", "Do Lord, Remember Me", "Look Up And Live By Faith", and "Oh Freedom".
After a brief interlude, Dylan and his backing band emerged and performed typically a 17-song set consisting of songs from the album Slow Train Coming and additional new Christian songs, most of which would end up on his follow-up album Saved. He opened most shows with "Gotta Serve Somebody", "I Believe in You", "When You Gonna Wake Up", "When He Returns", and "Man Gave Names to All the Animals", and the setlists did not vary significantly from night to night. Halfway through the set, following the song "Covenant Woman", one of his backing vocalists would take center stage and perform a gospel song while Dylan stood to the side and listened. These songs included "Put Your Hand in the Hand" (sung by Regina Havis), "What Are You Doing With Your Heart" (sung by Helena Springs), and "God Uses Ordinary People" (sung by Mona Lisa Young). Most shows ended with "Solid Rock", "Saving Grace", "Saved", "What Can I Do for You?", "In the Garden", "Are You Ready", and "Pressing On". Dylan performed most of the songs playing a black Fender Stratocaster guitar. He performed a few songs with just a microphone, and played piano on "When He Returns" and "Pressing On". Dylan's one harmonica solo on "What Can I Do for You?" was one of the highlights of his shows. The first leg of the tour ended with a two-night engagement at the Music Hall in Tucson.
After taking one month off for the Christmas holidays in Minnesota, Dylan resumed the tour on January 13, 1980, with a three-night engagement at Paramount Northwest Theatre in Seattle. For this second leg of the tour, Helena Springs was replaced by Carolyn Dennis (vocals) and Regina Peeples (vocals). The concerts were similar to those of the first leg, with similar setlists. The second leg of the tour concluded with a two-night engagement at the Municipal Auditorium in Charleston, West Virginia on February 9.
Dylan and his touring band immediately traveled to Muscle Shoals Sound Studio in Sheffield, Alabama to record the new songs they had been performing for the album Saved. Recording sessions lasted just five days, February 11–15.Heylin 2001, pp. 521–522. Producer Jerry Wexler later recalled, "The arrangements were built in, because the band had been playing the songs live. Most of the licks are their own licks, which they perfected on the road."
After taking the month of March off, Dylan and his touring band resumed the tour on April 17 with a four-night engagement at Massey Hall in Toronto. For the third leg of the tour, Carolyn Dennis was replaced by Clydie King (vocals), Gwen Evans (vocals), and Mary Elizabeth Bridges (vocals).Heylin 2001, p. 518. At the Toronto concerts, Dylan introduced three new Christian songs not included on Saved, "Ain't Gonna Go to Hell for Anybody", "Cover Down, Pray Through", and "I Will Love Him". The April 20 show at Massey Hall was filmed, but never officially released. After a four-night engagement at Le Theatre Saint-Denis in Montreal, the tour headed back to the United States northeast, and concluded with four concerts in the Midwest. The final show was held at Memorial Hall in Dayton, Ohio on May 21.
Tour dates DateCityCountryVenueSetlistFirst legNovember 1, 1979San FranciscoUnited StatesFox Warfield Theatre1November 2, 1979November 3, 1979November 4, 1979November 6, 1979November 7, 1979November 8, 1979November 9, 1979November 10, 1979November 11, 1979November 13, 1979November 14, 19792November 15, 19791November 16, 19793November 18, 1979Santa MonicaSanta Monica Civic Auditorium4November 19, 1979November 20, 1979November 21, 1979November 25, 1979TempeGammage Center5November 26, 19796November 27, 1979San DiegoGolden Hall4November 28, 1979December 4, 1979AlbuquerqueKiva AuditoriumDecember 5, 1979December 8, 1979TucsonTucson Music HallDecember 9, 1979Second legJanuary 11, 1980PortlandUnited StatesParamount TheatreJanuary 12, 1980January 13, 1980SeattleParamount Northwest Theatre4January 14, 1980January 15, 1980January 16, 1980PortlandParamount TheatreJanuary 17, 1980SpokaneSpokane Opera HouseJanuary 18, 1980January 21, 1980DenverRainbow Music Hall7January 22, 19804January 23, 1980January 25, 1980OmahaOrpheum TheaterJanuary 26, 1980January 27, 1980Kansas CityUptown TheaterJanuary 28, 1980January 29, 1980January 31, 1980MemphisOrpheum TheaterFebruary 1, 1980February 2, 1980BirminghamJefferson Civic Center8February 3, 1980February 5, 1980KnoxvilleKnoxville Civic Auditorium4February 6, 1980February 8, 1980CharlestonCharleston Municipal Auditorium9February 9, 198010Third legApril 17, 1980TorontoCanadaMassey Hall11April 18, 1980April 19, 198012April 20, 198011April 22, 1980MontrealLe Theatre Saint-DenisApril 23, 1980April 24, 1980April 25, 1980April 27, 1980AlbanyUnited StatesPalace TheatreApril 28, 1980April 30, 1980BuffaloKleinhans Music HallMay 1, 198013May 2, 1980WorcesterMemorial Theater11May 3, 1980May 4, 1980SyracuseLandmark TheatreMay 5, 1980May 7, 1980HartfordBushnell Memorial Hall14May 8, 198011May 9, 1980PortlandPortland City HallMay 10, 1980May 11, 1980ProvidenceOcean State Performing Arts CenterMay 12, 1980May 14, 1980PittsburghStanley TheatreMay 15, 1980May 16, 198015May 17, 1980AkronAkron Civic Theatre16May 18, 198017May 20, 1980ColumbusFranklin County Veterans Memorial Auditorium11May 21, 1980DaytonMemorial Hall14
Setlists Setlist 1 – Gotta Serve Somebody, I Believe In You, When You Gonna Wake Up, When He Returns, Man Gave Names to All the Animals, Precious Angel, Slow Train, Covenant Woman, Gonna Change My Way of Thinking, Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others), Solid Rock, Saving Grace, What Can I Do for You?, Saved, In the Garden, Blessed Be the Name, Pressing On Setlist 2 – Gotta Serve Somebody, I Believe In You, When You Gonna Wake Up, When He Returns, Man Gave Names to All the Animals, Slow Train, Covenant Woman, Gonna Change My Way of Thinking, Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others), Solid Rock, Saving Grace, What Can I Do for You?, In the Garden, Saved, Blessed Be the Name, Pressing On Setlist 3 – Gotta Serve Somebody, I Believe In You, When You Gonna Wake Up, When He Returns, Man Gave Names to All the Animals, Precious Angel, Slow Train, Covenant Woman, Ain't No Man Righteous, No Not One, Gonna Change My Way of Thinking, Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others), Solid Rock, Saving Grace, What Can I Do for You?, In the Garden, Saved, Blessed Be the Name, Pressing On Setlist 4 – Gotta Serve Somebody, I Believe In You, When You Gonna Wake Up, When He Returns, Man Gave Names to All the Animals, Precious Angel, Slow Train, Covenant Woman, Gonna Change My Way of Thinking, Do Right to Me Baby (Do Unto Others), Solid Rock, Saving Grace, Saved, What Can I Do for You?, In the Garden, Blessed Be the Name, Pressing On