Empire Burlesque is the twenty-third studio album by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, released on June 10, 1985 on Columbia Records.
Accompanied by multiple session musicians—including members of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, Mike Campbell, Benmont Tench, and Howie Epstein—the album has a distinct "80s style" aesthetic.
A session with Ronnie Wood (formerly of Faces and currently with The Rolling Stones), Anton Fig (best known as the drummer for David Letterman's house band), and John Paris was held at Delta Sound Studios on July 26.
During one session between July and September 1984 (at the Power Station), Dylan demoed a song called "Go 'Way Little Boy", with Ron Wood and "cowpunk" rockers Lone Justice.
Acceptable takes were recorded for both songs, though, despite positive feedback from his peers, Dylan ultimately omitted "New Danville Girl" from Empire Burlesque.
Benmont Tench, Mike Campbell and Howie Epstein, from Tom Petty's Heartbreakers, joined Heffington for the session.
On February 19, he held a session with Roy Bittan on piano and Steve Van Zandt on guitar, both members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
They recorded at least one usable take of "When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky", but Bittan and Van Zandt would not return for the remainder of the sessions.
Along with female vocalists Queen Esther Marrow, Debra Byrd and Carolyn Dennis, the group recorded "Never Gonna Be the Same Again".
On February 23, Dylan returned to the Power Station with Sly & Robbie, his back-up singers and a number of session players, including Al Kooper, who filled in on guitar.
"A song about being torn apart by irreconcilable demands," according to Clinton Heylin, in revision it was stripped of "just about every religious allusion from the original."
The track, which features Mick Taylor on guitar (from Dylan's 84 Tour), was also chosen as the first single for Empire Burlesque.
A Baker-produced version of the song was recorded by Grayson Hugh for the closing credits of the 1991 film Fried Green Tomatoes.
In the interim Bob gave the song to Carla Olson of the Textones as a thank you for her appearing in his first-ever video, for Sweetheart Like You.
She included it on the Textones' debut album Midnight Mission and Ry Cooder was featured on slide guitar.
An evocative song filled with apocalyptic imagery, it was originally an upbeat, piledriving rocker recorded with Steven Van Zandt and Roy Bittan, both members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band.
According to earlier interviews and Dylan's autobiography Chronicles, it was written virtually on demand when Arthur Baker suggested something simpler for the album's final track.
He returned to his hotel in Manhattan after midnight, and according to Dylan: "As I stepped out of the elevator, a call girl was coming toward me in the hallway—pale yellow hair wearing a fox coat—high heeled shoes that could pierce your heart.
The brief, chance encounter inspired Dylan to write "Dark Eyes", which was quickly recorded without any studio embellishment.
As mentioned, some lines were lifted from old Humphrey Bogart pictures, but at least a few were taken from the sci-fi television show Star Trek.
Author Clinton Heylin wrote that "one of the best couplets—'I'll go along with the charade / Until I can think my way out' (from "Tight Connection to My Heart")—actually comes verbatim from a Star Trek episode, 'Squire of Gothos'."
In his Consumer Guide column for The Village Voice, critic Robert Christgau wrote, "At best [Dylan]'s achieved the professionalism he's always claimed as his goal...he's certainly talented enough to come up with a good bunch of songs.
As promotion for Empire Burlesque, music videos for "Tight Connection to My Heart", "When the Night Comes Falling from the Sky", and "Emotionally Yours" were produced and broadcast on MTV, with Paul Schrader (best known for his work with Martin Scorsese) directing the video for "Tight Connection to My Heart (Has Anybody Seen My Love)".