5 JANUARY 1966
Bob Dylan’s ‘Positively 4th Street’ was now moving down the UK charts after peaking at #8. Much like his previous single - ‘Like a Rolling Stone’ - this was a gorgeous bit of music matched with bitter and derisive lyrics. It felt like Dylan was using his stardom to settle old scores and put people down. It was obviously aimed at someone he knew, but nobody was quite sure who and so it ended up offending quite a lot of people who thought it was about them.
In terms of contemporary influence, Dylan was very much royalty at this time, and the UK and US charts of 1966 were full of songs he had written, with their gorgeously rich sounds and biting lyrics, although most of these were cover versions by other artists.
Dylan’s people work hard to keep his stuff off YouTube, which is fair enough, so here is Johnny Rivers' 1968 version of ‘Positively 4th Street’, which is one that Dylan actually preferred to his own.
B-side: 'From a Buick 6'
Released: September 7, 1965
Highest chart positions: #8 (UK), #7 (US)
Recorded: July 29, 1965
Length: 3:54
Label: Columbia 43389
Writer: Bob Dylan
