The long-lost master tapes of Bob Dylan’s first album are to be auctioned for over a million dollars. Stephen Handschu, a Detroit sculptor, has possession of them, and says he acquired them inadvertently from someone who worked at a recording studio used by Columbia Records. Despite being blind, Handschu has held on to the tapes for several years, moving them across many different residences, not knowing their value. It wasn’t until 2000 when recording engineer Scott Steinman finally played them that Handschu truly grasped their significance. The tapes contained not only songs but also a conversation between Dylan and producer John Hammond. Handschu has revealed that the auction of the tapes, which could raise as much as $1.2 million, is potentially life-changing for him. Some of the proceeds will go to a Detroit nonprofit organization. But he said, “I’m not counting chickens.” The auction will take place this week.
Source
Photo credit www.nytimes.com
Bob Dylan performs and shares conversations on vintage tapes from 1962
