After more than ten years in print since its first publication - in the UK, two weeks before the end of the 20th Century - Song & Dance Man III has now gone out of print. The seventh and final reprint came out in 2008 and is now out of stock.I'm sorry to see it go, of course, though it's done well to stay around that long - and when I give talks I'm often asked for it by people who, coming to Dylan in recent years, already own The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia but have never caught up with Song & Dance Man III.
I have just one spare paperback copy of the original UK printing from 1999 - the only one published under the old Cassell Academic imprint; all the subsequent printings, including the original US paperback of March-April 2000, are from the Continuum imprint. I'm going to put this copy up for auction on eBay this weekend, if anyone's interested. It's in excellent condition (and hasn't, as in the copy photographed above, got the bend, top right, on the front cover).
The 7-day eBay auction opens at 11.30pm British Summer Time tonight (Saturday), and therefore ends next Saturday at lunchtime on the US west coast, teatime on the east coast and late enough in Europe that people needn't miss it by still being in the pub/bar at the time.
Certainly an essential part of any Dylan-fan's library. The second version (1981) had a profound impact on the way I saw Dylan's art specifically, and Art in general.
ReplyDeleteI'm the proud owner of what must be a very rare
ReplyDeletehardback edition that the esteemed writer signed for me. I bought the book on Ebay not realizing that Michael was the seller. They're trying to get $75
for an unsigned paperback copy on Ebay right now,
so my copy must be a valuable book. Hey Michael,
when you coming back to the U.S.? I got some more
books I want you to sign!
Thank you both. Yes, the hardback was a limited edition of only 450 copies. As I recall, only 200 were made available in North America. The original price in the UK was 75 pounds sterling.
ReplyDeleteI believe I'm returning to the US in April, but no details yet. Hope to meet up with you again, Jack!
It's an indispensible book, for me. I know you're not going to do a Volume 4 and I understand the reasons, but this book is excellent on Bob up to 1997, and stands comparison in parts to the great Lomax book, The Land Where the Blues Began...
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