Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, and Iggy Pop Join All-Star Lineup for New Versions of Bob Dylan Classic
via Ringo Starr / YouTube
Remembering a Historic Day
July 16 marks 80 years since the first nuclear bomb was detonated at the Alamogordo Bombing Range in New Mexico. To recognize this event and raise awareness about the dangers of nuclear weapons, two new versions of Bob Dylan’s 1963 protest song “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” have been released. The digital EP includes a wide range of artists like Ringo Starr, Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, and Tom Morello.
One version of the song has different artists singing parts of the original lyrics, while the other version, called “Hard Rain (Drone),” features spoken-word performances over a slow, haunting backing track.
The Artists Behind the Music
The Kronos Quartet, a long-time classical string group, recorded the main music for both tracks. They were joined by many other singers and musicians, forming a group known as The Hard Rain Collective.
The new songs were released to go along with the Nobel Laureate Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War, held July 14–16 at the University of Chicago. On the evening of July 16, the Kronos Quartet will perform “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall” at the event with singer Alison Russell, who also sings on the recorded version.
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A Closer Look at the Lineup
The version with vocals includes Willie Nelson, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Stephin Merritt of Magnetic Fields, Satomi Matsuzaki of Deerhoof, and Alison Russell. Joining the Kronos Quartet are Jay Dee Daugherty (Patti Smith’s drummer), Chris Geddes (keyboardist for Belle & Sebastian), and members of Deerhoof.
The spoken-word version includes voices from Ringo Starr, Nelson, Iggy Pop, Anderson, Morello, Matsuzaki, Merritt, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sleaford Mods, and Pussy Riot’s Nadya Tolokonnikova. Laurie Anderson also played violin and synthesizer on the track.
Both songs also feature a choir made up of singers from Brooklyn, New York.
The Message Behind the Music
David Harrington, leader of the Kronos Quartet, said that Owen Gaffney from Nobel Prize Outreach asked the group to reimagine Dylan’s song. “That invitation set into motion a chain reaction of effort unique in our work,” he said.
Harrington added, “Even though we live in perilous times, there are also thrilling, courageous voices and wondrous instruments of celebration.” He said the goal was to show the song’s lasting impact and bring people together, with performers from 15 countries, ages 7 to 92.
Listen to the Bob Dylan’s Classic new version below:
