Photographer Al Clayton was present during the last session for Bob Dylan’s Self Portrait (1970) album. These black and white pictures here finds Dylan at ease, conversing with musicians and listening to a playback at Columbia Records’ studio in Nashville. Dylan’s son Jesse can be seen playing on the floor.
The above photo was fashioned into the cover design for Dylan (1973), an album made up of nine rejects, essentially covers, culled from other album sessions between 1969-1970. Columbia Records hastily compiled it with no input or consent from Dylan following his departure from Columbia for a brief stint at David Geffen’s fledgling Asylum Records, and slapped the rather unimaginative title on it. In Europe the album was released with the title A Fool Such as I.
For Clayton, approaching Dylan wasn’t easy. In an interview published in The Sunday Times, the photographer recounted: “Dylan was unusual. My first impression was of an extremely shy person; he seemed on the edge of paranoia, really frightened. We didn’t get into what he was frightened of, it would be very deep, I think, psychologically. I tried to talk to him, but whenever I would bring up a topic, he would say: “I don’t know anything about that.” He was completely withdrawn, and very unto himself.”
Although Al Clayton took pictures all over the world, his work focused heavily on subjects related to the people, culture, and music of the American South. Clayton also photographed for Rolling Stone and major record companies, producing album covers for Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tammy Wynette, George Jones, Townes Van Zandt and many others. He was also responsible for one of the most famous photos in country music, taken on Guy Clark’s porch in 1972 of Clark, wife Susanna Clark , Townes Van Zandt, and Daniel Antopolsky.
Townes Van Zandt (left), Susanna and Guy Clark with Daniel Antopolsky (far right). East Nashville, Tennessee, 1972.
Further Reading:
♥ Bob Dylan and The Band – The Best of the Basement Tapes
♥ Bob Dylan – Electric Black Nite Crash
THE PRESS | Music Reviews 
For all his many decades of notoriety and fame, Dylan has always remained rather enigmatic.
He’s very much an enigmatic figure EML. Even today. This album isn’t one of his finest but Mary Ann is a good song. Thanks for retweeting buddy.
Interesting story.
Thanks for reading, and commenting.
Have always liked that photo of Townes, Guy, Susanna, and Daniel. Was fortunate to see Townes and Guy play live many times in Austin. Excellent documentaries have been produced on each of them. Your site is cool.
Thanks very much for the kind words David, and for reading. How very cool to see Townes and Guy play live, I have never been that fortunate. Will look up those docos, what marvellous artists.
The docs are: BE HERE TO LOVE ME and WITHOUT GETTING KILLED OR CAUGHT