'Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas: The Two Dylans' - Jeff Towns

Championing arts and culture for all, nurturing partnerships, enhancing student experience.

Cultural Institute, Swansea University

‘Here’s to a full life, a heck of a life… a Dylan life!

Taliesin Create

’As the ultimate Rock ‘n' Roll Poets, Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas represent two sides of the same coin. Bob Dylan made the music. Dylan Thomas lived the lifestyle. Both perfected the art of performed literature. Bringing together two of the foremost writers on each artist for the first time, The Two Dylans takes us on a literary and literal path taken by Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas.There are so many strange and wonderful connections and coincidences; shared passions and associations that tie these two cultural icons – Bob Dylan and Dylan Thomas together. This provides a rich tapestry – from the ancient Welsh folk tales of the Mabinogion to the poems of the Beat Generation; from Stravinsky to John Cale; from Johnnie Ray to Charlie Chaplin. Rimbaud and Lorca, Sgt. Pepper’s and ‘The Bells of Rhymney’, Nelson Algren and Tennessee Williams and much more.And the wonderful connections between authors K G Miles and Jeff Towns makes it the perfect partnership to write this book. Fifty-two years ago, Jeff Towns opened his first bookstore in Swansea – he called it Dylans Bookshop – a youthful homage to the poet Dylan Thomas born and raised in Swansea. Eight years before, in 1962, (when he had never heard of Dylan Thomas), he bought Bob Dylan’s first ever LP called Bob Dylan with a track list; In My Time of Dyin’, Fixin’ to Die, See That My Grave is Kept Clean and so on; baker’s dozen of powerful songs. Jeff read that his new hero was born Robert Zimmerman but changed his name to Bob Dylan, a homage to Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. From that moment The Two Dylans became a constant backdrop to Jeff’s life. And the two Dylans kept on giving - both on the cover of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s album. Peter Blake who fashioned the cover of Pepper, was a huge fan of Dylan Thomas’ radio play Under Milk Wood. Jeff went to see Peter, they became friends and still are. Peter gave permission to use his wonderful Tiny Tina image for the cover of this book.London co-author K G Miles has been inspired by Bob Dylan since seeing Bob at his Isle of Wight Festival in 1969. He is now the co-curator the of the Dylan Room at London's Troubadour Club and was honoured to address the inaugural conference at the Tulsa Archive in 2019.‘…why, you can’t swing a cat without hitting a Dylan… male and female, such are the influences of these two cultural giants. Why did Dylan choose Dylan as his name, where do the worlds of these colossal culture vultures and wordsmiths collide? Some of the answers are found in the pages of this book and a lot more besides. I hope you enjoy the trip as much as I do.’ From the Foreword by Cerys MatthewsJeff Towns is one of the world’s leading Dylan Thomas experts. He is a speaker, documentary maker and media commentator, and antiquarian bookdealer by trade, based in the poet’s home-town of Swansea. Jeff was originally known, both locally and globally as Jeff the Books. He is now known affectionately and professionally as The Dylan Thomas Guy. www.dylans.comCo-author K G Miles is a leading authority on Bob Dylan and co-curator of the Dylan Room at London's Troubadour Club. Through writing, podcasts and Dylan tours, K G Miles is able to share his knowledge and experience of Bob Dylan with music lovers throughout the world. Twitter: @barberville_﻿____________________________________________________________________________A hwythau'n cynrychioli'r Prif Feirdd Roc a Rôl Go Iawn, mae Bob Dylan a Dylan Thomas hefyd yn cynrychioli dwy ochr yr un geiniog. Bob Dylan gynhyrchodd y gerddoriaeth! Dylan Thomas fu'n byw'r bywyd! Bu'r ddau'n perffeithio'r grefft o gyfansoddi llenyddiaeth. Gan ddod â dau o'r ysgrifenwyr mwyaf blaenllaw ar y ddau artist ynghyd am y tro cyntaf, mae The Two Dylans yn mynd â ni ar lwybr llenyddol a llythrennol a ddilynwyd gan Bob Dylan a Dylan Thomas.Mae cynifer o gysylltiadau a chyd-ddigwyddiadau rhyfedd a gwych; hoffterau cyffredin a chysylltiadau sy'n cysylltu'r ddau eicon diwylliannol Bob Dylan a Dylan Thomas â'i gilydd. Mae'n cynnig tapestri cyfoethog - o chwedlau gwerin hynafol y Mabinogi i gerddi Cenhedlaeth y Bitniciaid; o Stravinsky i John Cale; o Johnnie Ray i Charlie Chaplin. Rimbaud a Lorca, Sgt. Pepper’s a ‘The Bells of Rhymney’, Nelson Algren a Tennessee Williams a llawer mwy.Ac mae'r cysylltiadau gwych rhwng yr awduron K G Miles a Jeff Towns yn creu partneriaeth wych i ysgrifennu'r llyfr hwn. Pum deg a dwy o flynyddoedd yn ôl, agorodd Jeff Towns ei siop lyfrau gyntaf yn Abertawe - gan enwi'r siop yn Dylans Bookshop - teyrnged fywiog i'r bardd Dylan Thomas a gafodd ei eni a'i fagu yn Abertawe. Wyth mlynedd cyn hynny, ym 1962, (pan nad oedd wedi clywed am Dylan Thomas hyd yn oed), prynodd LP cyntaf Bob Dylan o'r enw Bob Dylan a oedd yn cynnwys rhestr o ganeuon gan gynnwys y canlynol; In My Time of Dyin’, Fixin’ to Die, See That My Grave is Kept Clean ac ati; tair ar ddeg o ganeuon pwerus. Darllenodd Jeff fod ei arwr newydd wedi cael ei eni'n Robert Zimmerman ond ei fod wedi newid ei enw i Bob Dylan i dalu teyrnged i'r bardd o Gymru, Dylan Thomas. O'r eiliad honno, daeth Y Ddau Dylan yn gefndir parhaus ym mywyd Jeff. A bu'r ddau Dylan yn parhau i roi - ar glawr albwm Sgt. Pepper y Beatles. Roedd Peter Blake, a ddyluniodd glawr Pepper, yn ffan mawr o ddrama radio Dylan Thomas, Under Milk Wood. Aeth Jeff i weld Peter, daethant yn ffrindiau ac maent yn ffrindiau o hyd. Rhoddodd Peter ei ganiatâd i ddefnyddio'i lun Tiny Tina gwych ar gyfer clawr y llyfr hwn.Ysbrydolwyd y cyd-awdur K G Miles o Lundain gan BOob Dylan ers gweld Bob yn ei Ŵyl ar Ynys Wyth ym 1969. Bellach ef yw cyd-guradur Ystafell Dylan yng Nghlwb Troubadour yn Llundain a chafodd y pleser o siarad yn nghynhadledd agoriadol Archif Tulsa yn 2019.‘…why, you can’t swing a cat without hitting a Dylan… male and female, such are the influences of these two cultural giants. Why did Dylan choose Dylan as his name, where do the worlds of these colossal culture vultures and wordsmiths collide? Some of the answers are found in the pages of this book and a lot more besides. I hope you enjoy the trip as much as I do.’ O'r Rhagair gan Cerys MatthewsJeff Towns yw un o arbenigwyr mwyaf blaenllaw'r byd ar Dylan Thomas. Mae'n siaradwr, yn wneuthurwr rhaglenni dogfen, yn sylwebydd yn y cyfryngau, ac mae'n gweithio fel gwerthwr hen lyfrau yn nhref gartref y bardd yn Abertawe. Yn wreiddiol, adwaenid Jeff yn lleol ac yn fyd-eang dan yr enw Jeff the Books. Bellach fe'i hadwaenir yn annwyl ac yn broffesiynol fel The Dylan Thomas Guy. www.dylans.com Mae'r cyd-awdur K G Miles yn awdurdod blaenllaw ar Bob Dylan ac yn gyd-guradur yn Ystafell Dylan yng Nghlwb Troubadour yn Llundain. Trwy ysgrifennu, podlediadau a theithiau Dylan, mae K G Miles yn gallu rhannu ei wybodaeth a'i brofiad o Bob Dylan â'r rhai sy'n dwlu ar gerddoriaeth ym mhedwar ban byd. Twitter: @barberville