(Mercury Records)
Phillip Everly was born on January 19, 1939. He is one-half of the legendary duo, the Everly Brothers.
While The Beatles and Simon & Garfunkel are two of the acts most often cited as being influenced by the Everlys, the singing brothers have also had a profound impact on Bob Dylan.
In July, 1968, Bob Dylan was asked to write some songs for the film Midnight Cowboy, but submitted them too late for inclusion. One of these compositions was "Lay Lady Lay." In either late 1968 or early 1969, when the Everly Brothers were playing New York's Bottom Line, Dylan visited backstage. Phil asked if Dylan had any new songs. Dylan picked up a guitar and softly sang "Lay Lady Lay." The Everly's misheard the lyrics, so Don Everly declined, saying, "Thank you, it's a great song, but I don't think we could get away with that." In 1984, after the Everly Brothers reunited, they went into the studio with Dave Edmunds producing, and finally recorded "Lay Lady Lay," on the album, EB '84. For their next album, Born Yesterday, the Everlys covered Dylan's "Abandoned Love."
In April, 1969, Bob Dylan went into Columbia Music Row Studios in Nashville to start recording what turned out to be the 1970 double-album, Self Portrait. Among the songs Dylan tackled at the second and third sessions were a couple associated with the Everly Brothers - "Let It Be Me" and "Take A Message To Mary." Dylan later revisited "Let It Be Me," in 1981, for a European single B-side. Also, while jamming with George Harrison on May 1, 1970, Dylan covered "All I Have To Do Is Dream." This Everly Brothers classic may have been the inspiration for Dylan's "Basement Tapes" out-take, "All You Have To Do Is Dream."
Bob Dylan, "Take A Message To Mary," May 3, 1969.
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