Bob Dylan recorded ‘Blood on the Tracks’ while unwell

Session musicians have revealed that Bob Dylan was suffering from a cold during the recording sessions for his album ‘Blood on the Tracks’. Keyboardist Gregg Inhofer noted that while Dylan was unwell, he appeared to embrace the challenge of the recording process. Specifically, during the recording of ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ on December 30, 1974, the singer’s vocal performance was described as some of his best despite the illness.

Guitarist Kevin Odegard corroborated these accounts, stating that the first take of ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ was perfect. Odegard described Dylan’s ability to maintain high creative energy and provide cues to musicians even while unwell. This phenomenon of legendary artists recording while ill is not unique to Dylan, with similar instances noted in the recording histories of artists such as Selena Quintanilla and John Lennon.