Bob Dylan Spurns iTunes, Gives Amazon Exclusive Video Single From Next Album

No, that is not a picture of Bob Dylan making out with Jeff Bezos in the back seat of a car on the cover of Dylan’s next album, Together Through Life, but it might as well be. Dylan is giving Amazon a big wet, sloppy kiss by giving it the exclusive video for the first single from the album, “Beyond Here Lies Nuthin.” The video features some great old photo of Brooklyn by Bruce Davidson. But the video cannot be embedded because Amazon either hasn’t yet mastered that technology or it simply wants you to watch the video on its site for easier one-click pre-ordering (the album comes out April 28).

Dylan and Amazon aren’t exactly going steady. You can pre-order the album on iTunes as well. But three albums ago, the video exclusive for Modern Times went to iTunes. Dylan switched sometime after that, doing the same marketing maneuver with Amazon for his last album, Tell Tale Signs. Amazon will be promoting the album on its home page until Wednesday.

Steve Jobs is a big Dylan fan, so it must hurt not to get Dylan’s undivided digital love. But all is fair in love and marketing.