'No Direction Home' - Bob Dylan House of The Rising Sun [1080p]

Maybe my favorite scene from this movie.
Dave Van Ronk explains how Bob Dylan picked the arrangements of the song "House of the rising sun' from him and appropriated it so well that Dave would not play the song anymore.
The last seconds of the video are just priceless when Dave is basically saying "Payback is a bitch" along with an evil laugh.

[murraymall]

I had the unbelievable honor of sitting at Dave van Ronk's feet while he played for a group of us on the grounds of Franklin & Marshall College. I was 23. It was like being in a dream. I couldn't talk; I was in awe of the man. A little past the middle of his, whatever you want to call it, he started a soft delicate song. He was a quarter of the way into it when a motorcycle rider, a slight distance away, pulled over to watch. A minute later, the cyclist revved his engine loudly & started to pull away. Van Ronk, not missing a beat, looked over at the cyclist & yelled, "You're in the wrong key!" I lost it! He looked at me, lifted his eyebrows slightly & smiled. Then, finished the song. That is one of the greatest stories and memories of my life.

[SirCamera]

Love Dave's clap and cackle at the end. "Revenge!!!"

[pat_biss]

Dave Van Ronk seems like such a chill guy...like he's clearly still a bit irritated, but in a good natured, humorous way.

[Anglynn]

greenwich village was is & will always be an amazing place producing some of the darkest and most talented musicians of the 20th century, whether you were there in 1863 or 1993 the place has always had a mystique about it & Van Ronk/Dylan both epitomized the entire Bleeker Street feel. It's truly something that one has to experience in person in order to get the Village's attitude for lack of a better term.

[michaeljenkins]

Van Ronk was clearly still furious. That must have been an awkward cup of coffee, when Bob admitted what he'd done.

[ToddAndelin]

Love seeing this clip. One of my favorite scenes

[JustinVK]

This documentary is so awesome! Scorsese is the man!

[JustVinnyMusic]

Well Van Ronk does say here it was a tempest in a teapot.  And he was not angry at the Animals, he was appreciative of the irony that audiences then forgot that Dylan recorded it and when he sang it audiences thought he got the song from the Animals.  This was a personal courtesy thing between two friends and artists, and  Dylan was the beneficiary of a lot of support and encouragement from Van Ronk and others in New York early on.  Van Ronk popularized that song in the 60's in an urban audience and Dylan knew it was his personal touch that was appealing.  That's why Dylan asked him in the first place. If Dylan did not already know it was going to be an issue he would not have asked him.  If he had been older, more mature, I don't think he would have actually recorded the song, he had ample repertory.  This was a decision made by the record company and Dylan just didn't have the maturity to say no.  This is totally common, going all the way back to the great crooners. They showed some courtesy in these matters.  They were both recording, Van Ronk established the song, and he of course would have liked to record it first.  The Animals were just another English group lifting ideas from American records.  Obviously nobody anticipated that song being a big hit on a major label.  And nobody would have anticipated even Dylan's recording career being as successful off the bat as it was.  But, in fact, this is a courtesy that has historically been mutually extended between artists.  Regardless of copyright issues.  This decision was probably prompted by the record company more because it was public domain and they would not have to pay any publishing, than on a creative basis anyway.  Likewise the Animals version.  If Van Ronk was a cagey operator he would have first written some original lyrics for the song. Also, according to copyright law, you do not have to change that many notes every so often to legally have an original creative work - and his version has never been put to the legal test - and there is a legal test.  It's quite possible that his version could be classified as unique and subject to protection.  No musician would be legally savvy enough to understand that then, but it's a test and it's not dependent on what it sounds like to a normal listener.  It boils down to so many notes every so many measures.  If there was not a real issue Dylan would never have asked him.  And I'm sure, five years later, he would never have thought of doing such a thing.  For Van Ronk, though, it was a big loss because it was an important song for him and Dylan obviously did not need it. 

[jonnybritain]

it's funny because loads of people still think that Bob Dylan wrote the song.

[maddymud]

@ 0:39 — Van Ronk tells the story of his arrangement being nicked

[georgebotti]

Well done, well wrote, Yoel. Thank you.

[minnesota_fats]

Transcription taken from, No Direction Home, a Martin Scorsese documentary on Bob Dylan; from his early years up until he went electric. This transcription is by no means perfect but it's 90/95% accurate.

Scene opens to a photomontage of a very young, 20-year-old Bob Dylan during rehearsal/recording on his first, self-titled album, Bob Dylan. House of the Rising Sun, Bob Dylan's version from that record is playing in the background, over the montage. The song fades out as scene cuts to interview with old Bob Dylan from like 2003/4 when the interview would have been conducted.

[Cut to interview with Bob Dylan]

Bob Dylan
The House of a Rising Sun is on that record. I'd never done that song before, but I heard it every night because Van Ronk would do it. So you know, I thought he was really on to something with this song. So I just recorded it.

[Cut to interview with Dave Van Ronk]

Dave Van Ronk
Bobby picked up the cord changes, for the song, from me. It really altered the song, considerably. But the lyric was pretty much the straight House of the Rising Sun lyric and melody. And, When he was doing it, I guess it was, his first album. He asked me, if, If I would mind, If he recorded my version of House of the Rising Sun. [Pause] Oh I had some plans, to record it, So I said, "I'd rather you didn't cause I'm going to record it myself soon". And Bobby said, "uh-oh." Pause. [Dave Van Ronk laughing]

[Cut back to photo montage of young Bob Dylan from before, Bob Dylan's House of the Rising Sun, from the first album is playing in the background, this time at a much lower volume as there's a voiceover from Bob Dylan.]

Bob Dylan
The mystery of being in a recording studio, did something to me, and those are the songs that came out.

[Cut back to interview with Dave Van Ronk]

Dave Van Ronk
After he recorded it, I had to stop singing the song cause People were constantly...Ahh accusing me of taking the song from Bobby's record. THAT! Was very very annoying! But I couldn't blame that on him. And I didn't. The whole thing was a tempest, but later on, When Eric Burdon and The Animals pick the song up from Bobby and recorded it. Bobby told me that He had to drop the song because everyone is accusing him of ripping it off from the Eric Burdon... Rich heavy laughter hahaha from David at this point.

[End of that scene]

[MusicForThePeopleofGenerationY]

There was a need for darkness in this time and we were quick to heed the call

You know what I’m saying
You could really get time deep with songs like that

When the wind blew in
It really can help humanize things
When everything’s going break neck and madness about this world

Nobody could figure it out
Heck I thought we should go black
But then it was like everything was getting dark everywhere just before and I joined in and I thought jeeze what a great idea
That’s exactly what I should do
And then I looked at the song I had just written yesterday and it was already written The Nocturne

[jakelindahl]

oh i see what you mean, but yeah i guess he just has the ability to change to a style he wants to become which is why hes so great

[throckmorton]

great musical anecdote—one of my favorites! another is al kooper's bit about like a rolling stone...

[george-uz]

Dylan's version is the greatest version of many great versions of this great song. (and should dispel any notion that Dylan is not a great singer)

[sellmeyoursoul]

Dylan had better sence of time, Ronk had a sweeter voice

[MrRollingStone]

That was a bit of a cheap trick to do but yet again van ronk was just re-recording an already timeless classic of leadbellys song. That's why I never understand people saying about dylan stealing. its folk tradition

[peerman]

Please tell me about your personal experience with Bob Dylan, and why you say he "was a scum bag".

[JohnBuckWLD]

DVR was married 2x, but never had any children