Bob Dylan Center

On this day in 1988, Bob Dylan released his 25th studio album, “Down in the Groove.” The record features an eclectic lineup of collaborators, including Eric Clapton, Sly & Robbie, Mark Knopfler, Randy Jackson, members of the Grateful Dead and more. It also marked the start of Dylan’s songwriting partnership with Robert Hunter, co-writing “Ugliest Girl in the World” and “Silvio” — the latter featuring backing vocals from Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Brent Mydland. “Silvio” became a live staple and was later included on “Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Volume 3.”

The album was compiled from the highlights of five recording sessions held between March and June 1987, with each session featuring a new band that Dylan had assembled. The first, on March 5, included musicians from John Trudell’s “aka Graffiti Man,” led by guitarist Jesse Ed Davis. This reunion may have been sparked by a February 19 show at the Palomino Club in Los Angeles, where Dylan, George Harrison, and John Fogerty saw Taj Mahal and the Graffiti Band perform with Trudell.

Picture: “Down in the Groove” album cover, on display in the Columbia Records Gallery at the Bob Dylan Center.