Pop quiz: which is the original version of “Mr. Tambourine Man” – Bob Dylan’s or the Byrds’?

Bob Dylan began writing “Mr. Tambourine Man” in February 1964 after visiting New Orleans during Mardi Gras. After returning to New York he finished writing and composing the song between the middle of March and the end of April.

Dylan recorded several versions of “Mr. Tambourine Man.” The first two were in June 1964, one with Ramblin’ Jack Elliott singing harmony and one as a publisher’s demo.

In early 1964 Jim McGuinn, Gene Clark, and David Crosby formed the Jet Set. In August their manager acquired a recording of “Mr. Tambourine Man” from Dylan’s publisher. The band changed the time signature and gave the song “a full, electric rock band treatment” to sound more like the Beatles. Bob Dylan even came to one of their rehearsals and was impressed by their rendition. Over Thanksgiving the band changed their name to the Byrds.

On January 15, 1965 Bob Dylan again recorded “Mr. Tambourine Man,” making six attempts. The final take was released on the album Bringing It All Back Home on March 22, 1965.

On January 20, 1965 the Byrds recorded the master take of their version at Columbia Studios in Hollywood, abridged and in a different key than Dylan’s song. “Mr. Tambourine Man” was the Byrd’s debut single, released April 12, 1965. It was also the title track of their debut album, released on June 21. With this song the Byrds created the musical subgenre of folk rock.

Seeing as Bob Dylan’s and the Byrds’ versions of “Mr. Tambourine Man” were recorded within five days of each other in January, 1965, you can be forgiven if you didn’t know which one was the original!