Classic Pop Icons

Joan Baez’s ode to Bob Dylan, “Diamonds & Rust,” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons. “Diamonds & Rust” was the opening track of her hit album of the same name, released in April 1975, and was also released on single three months later

Joan Baez first met Bob Dylan when he was performing at the Gerde’s Folk City club in Greenwich Village in 1961. Baez, who was at the time the more established performer, quickly recognised and was inspired by Dylan’s songwriting talent. She began including Dylan songs in her own set and also invited him to perform with her, including at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963. Their relationship and Dylan’s own fame blossomed, but cracks would soon appear and they broke up after a tour of the UK in 1965.

Baez and Dylan at the Newport Folk Festival in 1963

In the 2005 documentary “No Direction Home,” Baez refers to the difficulties of the 1965 UK tour, noting that:

One source of conflict between the two was their differing views on political activism. Much to her frustration, Dylan shied away from the direct political action that she embraced. Baez felt that his voice carried weight and could be used to greater effect. Seven years later, she addressed this point head-on in the song “To Bobby.”

Dylan’s failure to invite Baez on stage during the UK tour was another indicator that it was time to move on. She had hoped that he would do so to help her career, just as she had done for him earlier. Dylan speaks with regret about this in “No Direction Home”:

“Diamonds & Rust” reflects upon Baez’s affair with Dylan almost 10 years after the break up and is written as a direct message to him. Dylan isn’t referred to by name in the song, but is readily identifiable as “the unwashed phenomenon” and “the original vagabond.” When Dylan asked Baez about the song shortly after its release, Baez coyly pretended that it had been written about her ex-husband, David Harris. She has since publicly stated that it is about Dylan and I’m sure he knew that all along.

The song begins with a phone call from her former lover, which triggers a series of memories of their time together, from the mundane “I bought you some cufflinks,” to the heartfelt “I once loved you dearly,” and the remembered slight “My poetry was lousy, you said.” The overall message is that, while the relationship is looked back at fondly, it also had its ups and downs – the metaphorical “diamonds and rust.”

The call from Dylan that is mentioned in the first two verses is not merely a poetic device. Baez has said that this call actually did occur and was indeed the inspiration for the song. Dylan had called her up and read out the lyrics of “Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts,” which would appear on his album “Blood On The Tracks.”

It’s evident that a decade after their break up, Baez was in a reflective and nostalgic mood when recording the album “Diamonds & Rust,” for it is not only the title track that relates to Dylan. The song “Winds Of The Old Days” also directly references the relationship and she performs a cover of Dylan’s then recently released “Simple Twist Of Fate.”

The pair teamed up on stage again shortly after “Diamonds & Rust” as Baez joined Dylan’s Rolling Thunder Revue in 1975–76, during which the Dylan-directed movie “Renaldo and Clara” was shot. They also toured together in 1984.

In 1987, Baez told 60 Minutes:

Joan Baez – “Diamonds & Rust”

Authorship

“Diamonds & Rust” was written by Joan Baez in November 1974.

Recording date/location

“Diamonds & Rust” was recorded in January 1975 at A&M Studios, Hollywood, California.

Musicians

The following musicians featured on “Diamonds & Rust”:

• Joan Baez – vocals, guitar, Moog synthesizer, ARP synthesizer
• David Paich – harpsichord (electric)
• Joe Sample – electric piano
• Dean Parks – guitar
• Larry Carlton – guitar
• Wilton Felder – bass
• Jim Gordon – drums.

Chart performance

“Diamonds & Rust” peaked at number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 on November 9, 1975. This was Baez’s biggest self-composed hit and one of only two top 40 hits in the US. The other was “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down” in 1971.

The album “Diamonds & Rust” reached number 11 on the Billboard album chart.

Covers

With the lyrics so clearly about Baez and Dylan’s relationship, any cover will inevitably suffer from a less personal association with the material, but here’s two solid efforts:

Judas Priest – “Diamonds & Rust”

Judas Priest released a rock cover of “Diamonds & Rust” on their third album “Sin After Sin” in 1977. An earlier recording of the song also features on “The Best of Judas Priest – Living After Midnight,” and the remastered edition of “Rocka Rolla.” The song has also been a staple of their live act since the ’70s, with versions from the last decade (example here) tending to take a more stripped back, acoustic approach that is closer to the Baez original.

When recently asked what she thought of the Judas Priest cover, Baez said:

There’s something poetic about Judas Priest covering a song about Bob Dylan, as they were named after the Dylan song “The Ballad Of Frankie Lee And Judas Priest,” which appeared on his album “John Wesley Harding.”

Blackmore’s Night – “Diamonds and Rust”

Blackmore’s Night recorded “Diamonds & Rust” for their 2003 album “Ghost Of A Rose.”

Blackmore’s Night is a duo featuring Deep Purple’s Ritchie Blackmore on guitar and Candice Night on lead vocals. Their cover is similar in spirit to the Baez original, with a pleasing vocal from Night and some excellent guitar lines from Blackmore.

Thanks to Jon Saunders for the Song of the Week suggestion.

There will be a new Song of the Week on July 4.

“Diamonds & Rust” appears on the album of the same name and various compilation albums. There’s also a 2008 concert version on the DVD/CD deluxe edition of “How Sweet the Sound” which includes a PBS documentary and bonus CD.

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