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It Ain't Me Babe

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For other uses, see It Ain't Me Babe (disambiguation).
"It Ain't Me Babe"
1964 sheet music cover
Song by Bob Dylan
from the album Another Side of Bob Dylan
ReleasedAugust 8, 1964 (1964-08-08)
RecordedJune 9, 1964
StudioCBS 30th Street Studio, New York City
GenreFolk
Length3:33
LabelColumbia
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Tom Wilson
Audio
"It Ain't Me, Babe" on YouTube

"It Ain't Me Babe" is a song by Bob Dylan that originally appeared on his fourth album Another Side of Bob Dylan, which was released in 1964 by Columbia Records. According to music critic Oliver Trager, this song, along with others on the album, marked a departure for Dylan as he began to explore the possibilities of language and deeper levels of the human experience.[1] Within a year of its release, the song was picked up as a single by folk rock act the Turtles[2] and country artist Johnny Cash (who sang it as a duet with his future wife June Carter).[3] Jan & Dean also covered the track on their Folk 'n Roll LP in 1965.

Influences

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Dylan's biographers generally agree that the song owes its inspiration to his former girlfriend Suze Rotolo. He reportedly began writing the song during his visit to Italy in 1963 while searching for Rotolo, who was studying there.[1][4]

Clinton Heylin reports that a Times reporter at a May 1964 Royal Festival Hall concert where Dylan first played "It Ain't Me" took the chorus "no, no, no" as a parody of the Beatles' "yeah, yeah, yeah" in "She Loves You".[5]

Nat Hentoff's late October 1964 New Yorker article on Dylan includes an account of Hentoff's presence on the evening in June 1964 in the CBS recording studio when Dylan recorded this and a dozen or so other songs. After some description of the recording studio and booth exchanges among Dylan, his friends, and the session's producers, Hentoff describes the moment. "Dylan," Hentoff writes, "went on to record a song about a man leaving a girl because he was not prepared to be the kind of invincible hero and all-encompassing provider she wanted." "'It ain't me you're looking for babe,' he [Dylan] sang, with finality," Hentoff writes in his piece.

The melody in both phrases uses a scale descending through a minor third. (Dylan played at the Royal Festival Hall on Sunday, May 17, 1964. The Times reviewed the performance in the following day's edition under the heading of "A Minnesota Minstrel." However, the review makes no mention of "It Ain't Me, Babe.")

Notable renditions

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Covers

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The Turtles version

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"It Ain't Me Babe"
Swedish single sleeve
Single by the Turtles
from the album It Ain't Me Babe
B-side"Almost There"
ReleasedJuly 1965 (1965-07)
RecordedJune 1965 (1965-06)
StudioWestern Recorders, Hollywood
GenreFolk rock
Length2:11
LabelWhite Whale
Songwriter(s)Bob Dylan
Producer(s)Bones Howe
The Turtles singles chronology
"It Ain't Me Babe"
(1965) 		"Let Me Be"
(1965)
Audio
"It Ain't Me Babe" on YouTube

Background and recording

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By summer 1965, the members of Los Angeles-based surf rock band the Crossfires had graduated high school and were on the brink of breaking up in the face of their future careers.[9][10] In that period, the band had switched their sound towards a folk-inspired one, partly because it was more commercially viable for the times and partly because the members revered "Dylan like a God".[11] During the early summer of 1965, Ted Feigin and Lee Lasseff formed independent record label White Whale Records, who aimed "to release as few records as possible" and only recordings in artists "they believed in".[12] Disc jockey Red Foster saw the Crossfires perform at the Revelaire Club in Los Angeles,[13] and promptly contacted Feigin and Lasseff, who signed to the label.[12] They promptly re-christened the band's name to the Beatlesque name the Turtles and urged them to record something folk rock-influenced.[12][14] "It Ain't Me Babe" was suggested by the Turtles lead vocalist Howard Kaylan".[12] Additionally he also stated that Dylan saw the members of the band perform the song at the Revelaire Club and warmly gave them an enthusiastic response, urging them to record "It Ain't Me Babe" as "their [debut] single".[15]

The Turtles' rendition of "It Ain't Me Babe" derives heavily from the sound of the contemporary rock band the Byrds (who had also recorded Dylan songs) and was recorded in a folk rock arrangement in contrast to Dylan's original folk version.[10][11][12] The band's recording features both twelve-string guitar and tambourine, characteristic of the folk rock genre.[16] According to Turtles' lead vocalist Howard Kaylan, their recording of the song had been inspired by the Zombies, as he enjoyed the way "they did a soft and mysterious verse" that led into a quadruple (4
4) "chorus that really kicked ass".[9] By June 1965, White Whale had booked recording time at the Western Recorders studio in Hollywood, Los Angeles, which came to be the Turtles' first recording session under that name.[9][17] In addition to "It Ain't Me Babe", the Kaylan-penned songs "Almost There" and "Wanderin' Kind" were also recorded at the session.[12][18] As White Whale was a fledging record label, they were not able to afford session musicians and thus the members of the Turtles' perform on the single.[19] The session was produced by Bones Howe, who would come to produce the majority of the Turtles' early recordings.[9]

Release and reception

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White Whale released "It Ain't Me Babe" as both the Turtles' and the record label's debut single in the US during July 1965.[20][21] This followed shortly by the release of the single in Canada by Mercury Records in August 1965,[22] and in the UK on Pye Records in September 1965.[23] According to Kaylan, this made them label-mates with the Kinks and that it was "thrilling to have their songs released globablly".[24] The B-side of the single was the Kaylan-penned "Almost There", which band member Mark Volman stated was almost a "parody of the Kinks".[9][12]

"It Ain't Me Babe" debuted on the US Billboard Hot 100 on August 7, 1965 before peaking in the top-10 at number eight on September 18.[25][26] It would spend a further 11 weeks on the charts.[26] In the other US music trade publications Record World and Cash Box it fared similarly well, peaking at number 7 and 8 respectively.[27][28] Outside of the US, the single fared the best in Canada, where it reached number three on the RPM chart,[29] and Sweden, where it peaked at number five of the Tio i Topp chart on October 29, 1965.[30] According to Kaylan, this national success came so fast that "they did not know what hit them", adding that the band first heard the song on the radio after which they "screamed and hugged and lost their minds".[31] In September 1965, "It Ain't Me" became the title track of the Turtles' debut album of the same name,[4][9] and it has since been featured on most of the band's compilation albums, including Golden Hits in October 1967.[9]

Based on the Turtles' arrangement, "It Ain't Me Babe" became a folk rock standard in Los Angeles, producing covers by the likes of Nancy Sinatra, Jan and Dean and Dino, Desi & Billy.[16] Reception of the song has generally been positive, with AllMusic critic Joseph McCombs stating it to be part of the Turtles' "important bases".[32] On the contrary, Steve Leggett believes the Turtles' to have sounded like a "second-tier version of the Byrds" following the release of the single,[33] as does Gracie Williams who stated that the band turned into a "glorified cover band" with the single release.[34] Jim Beviglia of American Songwriter wrote that the band pulled off a "nice dynamic" between the contrasting verses and chorus.[35] Kaylan has retrospectively stated that the Turtles turned "It Ain't Me Babe" from a song about regret to a song expressing anger.[21]

Charts

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Weekly chart performance for "It Ain't Me, Babe"
Chart (1965) Peak

position

Australia (Kent Music Report)[36] 38
Canada (RPM 100)[29] 3
France (SNEP)[37] 44
Sweden (Kvällstoppen)[38] 14
Sweden (Tio i Topp)[30] 5
US (Billboard Hot 100)[25] 8
US (Cash Box Top 100)[28] 8
US (Record World 100 Top Pops)[27] 7

References

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  1. ^ a b Trager, Oliver (2004). Keys to the Rain: The Definitive Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. Billboard Books. pp. 14–15, 314–315. ISBN 0-8230-7974-0.
  2. ^ Sounes, Howard (2001). Down the Highway: The Life of Bob Dylan. New York: Grove Press. pp. 157, 177. ISBN 0-8021-1686-8. OCLC 45639109.
  3. ^ Margotin, Philippe; Guesdon, Jean-Michel (2015). Bob Dylan All the Songs: The Story Behind Every Track. New York: Black Dog & Leventhal. ISBN 978-0-316-35353-3. OCLC 948752096.
  4. ^ a b Gill, Andy (2011). Bob Dylan: The Stories Behind the Songs 1962–1969. Carlton Books. p. 85. ISBN 978-1-84732-759-8.
  5. ^ Heylin, Clinton (2001). Bob Dylan: Behind the Shades Revisited. HarperCollins. p. 154. ISBN 0-06-052569-X.
  6. ^ Springer, Mike (2012-06-14). "Inside the 1969 Bob Dylan-Johnny Cash Sessions". Open Culture. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
  7. ^ Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 19 - Blowin' in the Wind: Pop discovers folk music. [Part 2]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  8. ^ "Kesha Slays Bob Dylan's 'It Ain't Me Babe' at 2016 Billboard Music Awards". Billboard.
  9. ^ a b c d e f g Sandoval, Andrew (2002). Solid Zinc: The Turtles Anthology (CD). US: Rhino. R2 78304. Retrieved January 13, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
  10. ^ a b Stanley, Bob (2013). Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop (1st ed.). UK: Faber & Faber. p. 184. ISBN 978-05-712-819-85.
  11. ^ a b Dunbavan, Peter (2017). An Avid's Guide to Sixties Songwriters (1st ed.). United Kingdom: AuthorHouse. p. 356. ISBN 978-15-246-334-55.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g Sandoval, Andrew (2016). All The Singles (CD). US: Manifesto. MFO 48040. Retrieved January 13, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
  13. ^ Bush, John. "The Turtles Biography by John Bush". AllMusic. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  14. ^ Kaylan, Howard; Tamarkin, Jeff (2013). Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc (1st ed.). US: Hal Leonard. p. 24. ISBN 978-14-803-429-34. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Google Books.
  15. ^ Kaylan, Howard; Tamarkin, Jeff (2013). Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc (1st ed.). US: Hal Leonard. p. 27. ISBN 978-14-803-429-34. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Google Books.
  16. ^ a b Ruhlmann, William. "It Ain't Me Babe Review by William Ruhlmann". AllMusic. Archived from the original on November 15, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  17. ^ Kaylan, Howard; Tamarkin, Jeff (2013). Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc (1st ed.). US: Hal Leonard. p. 26. ISBN 978-14-803-429-34. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Google Books.
  18. ^ Kaylan, Howard; Tamarkin, Jeff (2013). Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc (1st ed.). US: Hal Leonard. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-14-803-429-34. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Google Books.
  19. ^ Bronson, Harold (2013). The Rhino Records Story: Revenge of the Music Nerds (1st ed.). US: SelectBooks. p. 108. ISBN 978-15-907-913-56. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
  20. ^ "White Whale Swims Past The Million Mark" (PDF). Cash Box: 6. November 20, 1965. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 28, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  21. ^ a b Barnes, Ken (1995). The Story Of Rock & Roll (CD). US: LaserLight Digital. 12 601. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Internet Archive.
  22. ^ "Canada" (PDF). Cash Box: 53. August 28, 1965. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 30, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  23. ^ Kaylan, Howard; Tamarkin, Jeff (2013). Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc (1st ed.). US: Hal Leonard. p. 28. ISBN 978-14-803-429-34. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Google Books.
  24. ^ Kaylan, Howard; Tamarkin, Jeff (2013). Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc (1st ed.). US: Hal Leonard. p. 28. ISBN 978-14-803-429-34. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Google Books.
  25. ^ a b "Billboard Hot 100" (PDF). Billboard: 22. September 18, 1965. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 19, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  26. ^ a b "Chart History - The Turtles". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved January 13, 2025.
  27. ^ a b "100 Top Pops" (PDF). Record World: 19. September 25, 1965. Archived (PDF) from the original on February 17, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  28. ^ a b "Cash Box Top 100" (PDF). Cash Box: 4. September 18, 1965. Archived (PDF) from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  29. ^ a b "RPM 100" (PDF). RPM: 5. September 20, 1965. Archived from the original (PDF) on September 2, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025 – via WorldRadioHistory.
  30. ^ a b Hallberg, Eric; Henningsson, Ulf (2012). Tio i topp med de utslagna "på försök" 1961-74 [Tio I Topp With the Eliminated on Try 1961-74] (in Swedish) (2nd ed.). Sweden: Premium. p. 386. ISBN 978-91-89136-89-2.
  31. ^ Kaylan, Howard; Tamarkin, Jeff (2013). Shell Shocked: My Life with the Turtles, Flo and Eddie, and Frank Zappa, etc (1st ed.). US: Hal Leonard. pp. 27–28. ISBN 978-14-803-429-34. Retrieved February 14, 2025 – via Google Books.
  32. ^ McCombs, Joseph. "The Best of the Turtles Review by Joseph McCombs". AllMusic. Archived from the original on August 25, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  33. ^ Leggett, Steve. "Save the Turtles: The Turtles' Greatest Review by Steve Leggett". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 22, 2023. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  34. ^ Williams, Gracie (March 29, 2021). "From Johnny Cash to Joan Baez: 5 best covers of Bob Dylan's 'It Ain't Me Babe'". Far Out. Archived from the original on January 22, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2025.
  35. ^ Beviglia, Jim (October 29, 2024). "Covering Dylan: 5 Takes on "It Ain't Me Babe"". American Songwriter. Archived from the original on November 12, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  36. ^ David Kent (2006). Australian Chart Book 1993 – 2005. Turramurra, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book Pty Ltd. p. 345. ISBN 0-646-45889-2.
  37. ^ "Les Tubes de chaque Artiste commençant par T" [The Hits of Each Artist Starting With T] (in French). InfoDisc. Archived from the original on November 15, 2024. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  38. ^ Hallberg, Eric (1993). Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P3: Sveriges Radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor [Eric Hallberg Presents Kvällstoppen in P3: Sveriges Radios Top List of the Week's 20 Most Sold Records] (in Swedish). Sweden: Drift Musik. p. 199. ISBN 978-91-630-2140-4.
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