"Johnston had fire in his eyes. He had that thing that some people call 'Momentum.' You could see it in his face and he shared that fire, that spirit."
- Bob Dylan
"He created an atmosphere in the studio that really invited you to do your best, stretch out, do another take, an atmosphere that was free from judgment, free from criticism, full of invitation, full of affirmation. Just the way he'd move while you were singing: He'd dance for you."
- Leonard Cohen
To rock fans in the 1960s, Bob Johnston's name must have seemed like a trademark of quality. The producer, who passed away at the age of 83 last week, had his hand in a fair share of indisputable classics by Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Simon & Garfunkel and Leonard Cohen, among others. Occasionally modest to a fault, Johnston usually characterized his approach to production as staying out of the way: "It Wasn’t Art, All I Did Was Turn the Tape On" is the title of a chapter in his memoir. But he did certainly have a knack for getting iconic performances out of his artists. Below are just a few highlights.
Bob Dylan: "I'll Keep It With Mine" [Blonde on Blonde outtake]
A glimpse behind the curtain during the first sessions for Dylan's 1966 double LP masterwork, Blonde on Blonde. The songwriter fumbles around on piano for a bit, sounding unsure and aimless. Then we hear Johnston's encouraging voice: "What you were doing," he says simply. The musicians fall in behind Dylan, creating an impromptu arrangement that, while still ramshackle, has a touch of magic to it.
Colonel Jubilation B. Johnston and His Mystic Knights Band and Street Singers: Moldy Goldies
One of the strangest and most obscure releases on Johnston's CV, this 1966 album features many of the same Nashville session men who played on Blonde on Blonde. Think of it as a gonzo extension of the drunken marching band sound of "Rainy Day Women #12 & #35", as the producer leads his crew through stumbling and staggering deconstructions of "Monday Monday", "Hang on, Sloopy", "Secret Agent Man", and others. A gloriously weird mess.
Simon & Garfunkel: "Scarborough Fair/Canticle"
From the ridiculous to the sublime. Another '66 Johnston production, Simon & Garfunkel's chamber folk smash, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary & Thyme, is one of the most perfectly realized LPs of its era. The duo's version of "Scarborough Fair" might have suffered from overexposure over the years, but listen with fresh ears and its deep blend of harpsichord, chimes, fingerpicked guitar, and S&G's pristine harmonies will still reveal haunted, hidden depths.
Leonard Cohen: "Bird on the Wire"
A Canadian poet already well into his thirties by the time he worked with Johnston, Leonard Cohen was an unlikely pop star. But the producer managed to bring out the best in the songwriter, putting Cohen's signature baritone front and center, filling out the picture with spare and skeletal string arrangements. Johnston also spent several years backing Cohen on tour, and his irreverent presence in the documentary "Bird on a Wire" is a pleasure—Bob can be seen singing a verse of the doc's title track quite beautifully at about 1:55 here.
Johnny Cash: "Folsom Prison Blues"
"I really thought the place was going to explode," Johnston wrote of the recording of Johnny Cash's timeless live album, At Folsom Prison. Recorded in front of a literally captive audience of inmates, the LP captures the electric atmosphere of the gig, as the Man in Black works the crowd into a frenzy with hardbitten, violent anthems and then cools them down with gospel favorites. Columbia Records was none too enthusiastic about At Folsom Prison at first, but it ended up jumpstarting Cash's then-faltering career.
Bill Wilson: "Pay Day Giveaway"
Bill Wilson never became a household name like those mentioned above, but his excellent 1973 LP, Ever Changing Minstrel, earned some well-deserved attention a few years back when it was reissued by the Tompkins Square label. For the sessions, Johnston brought together some Blonde on Blonde alums to re-create a little bit of the "thin, wild mercury sound" of his days with Dylan. "Pay Day Giveaway", a country funk burner, is one of the standouts.