One of the most bizarre performances of the Basement sessions is "Quit Kicking My Dog Around".
http://www.sendspace.com/file/cf1f43
This song has a very interesting history. It was written by Cy. Perkins & Webb M. Oungst (a pseudonym for the wife of the publisher)- although it might be older - and first recorded by Byron G. Harlan in 1912. The recording is available here:
The Internet Archive
Cylinder Preservation And Digitization Project
original sheet music
Harlan (1861-1936) was one of the most popular recording artists of the first two decades of the 20th century. As a solo performer, singing mostly sentimental ballads, and as a comic duet with his partner Arthur Collins he had countless hits:
[i]"A popular rube song [i.e. comic monologues] cut by Harlan is 'They Gotta Quit Kickin' My Dawg Aroun' '.He was the only recording artist associated with it, and versions on Victor 17065 and Columbia A1150 sold well. Edison issued versions in two-minute cylinder format and four-minute wax amberol format. Announcing its June release on wax Amberol 1023, the April 1912 issue of Edison Phonograph Monthly states. 'The Missouri Hound' Song, as this selection is familiary known in the Ozarks, though by no means a new song, has attained national prominence during the last few month. Its sudden popularity is due to its adoption by the Champ Clark cohorts as a presidential campaign slogan'".
[from: Tim Gracyk, Popular American Recording Artists, 1895-1925, Haworth Press, 2000)[/i]
In 1926 Gid Tanner And His Skillet Lickers recorded it for the Hillbilly market:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/qgiysz
Later it was collected by Alan Lomax and other folklorists. Rufus Thomas' "Stop Kicking My Dog Around" (1963), played by Bob on his Dog-radio-show (TTR 16) is also derived from this song.
The Lomax version as well as a transcription of Dylan's recording can be found on Manfred Helfert's Bobroots-site(although James Bland is named here as the author, that is doubtful):
http://www.bobdylanroots.com/dog.html
More info on the background:
http://bluegrassmessengers.com/master/hounddogsong3.html
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