Strumming with Dylan

 November 28, 1968 

Daycare Centers and Night School

 

Recording of  one of my top 5 songs of all time:  Handle With Care 

Jamming with George and Bob

 Rest in Peace Jeff Beck ...

Temples in Flames Tour

 

October 17, 1987 -  Bob Dylan along with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers went on a great tour called "Temples in Flames."   The tour ended in London and so there is no surprise that George Harrison (and Jeff Lynne) showed up backstage.   

George and friends at the Palomino

February 19, 1987  - The Palomino in Los Angeles
 

Bob at Bangledesh

 

August 1, 1971 

Happy 80th Birthday Bob!

 In honor of Bob Dylan's 80th birthday and the upcoming 50th anniversary of the Concert for Bangladesh, I thought it would be a good idea to share some photos of when Bob was on the stage for this historical concert. 

Zimmerman and Harrison

 

Rock Royalty wives have a chat

Bob Dylan's wife, Sara chat with George Harrison's wife, Pattie during the Isle of Wight music festival in 1969.

Country Raga?

Country Raga?
Dylan & Harrison  -  A Loose Session

By Miles

George Harrison sat in with Dylan at Columbia Studio B recently (early May) and during twelve hours of recording they laid down some oldies, some Beatles number and a number of new Dylan compositions, some of which were described as very beautiful love songs.  Bob Johnson's production was said to consist of him shouting "go!" every time it looked like Dylan was going to play something.  The engineer would then turn on the tape.

It was a loose session:  Russ Kunkel, who had flown in from L.A. to play drums, had never met Dylan or George before and wasn't familiar with the new numbers.  On one track he just blocked in behind Dylan, thinking it was a run through.  When they finished he was surprised when Dylan accepted the take as a master.  Another instance came when George thought aht one of Dylan's new numbers deserved a production job done on it and that they should work on it some.   After the first take Dylan asked, "Was it that rough?"  On being told that it wasn't that bed he decided to leave it at the first take.   If George can't persuade Dylan to work on his material then nobody can...So most of the tracks are first take only for that down-home, just-us-guys-hangin'-out-together sound.

The fate of these fabled tracks is unclear.  Presumably masterminds Al Grossman and Alan Klein will have to meet at last and work something out -- another historic meeting.  George fits in well with other groups:  his work with Delaney and Bonnie when they toured England, his track on Goodbye Cream, his productions and bass playing with the Apple artists, particularly Jackie Lomax, suggest that maybe he was being held back by the Beatles as well as john (who graduated to heavy rock), Ringo (who moved on to hollywood showbiz), Paul (stay at home musical genius).

 so far we haven't heard a solo album by George, his Electronic Music being his early experiments with a newly acquired Moog, and Wonderwalls being written for the movie.  A George solo album will be well worth waiting for, as well as completing the gap left by the other three Beatles solo albums.

George's direction, that of soul/gospel oriented, Indian sounding rock is unique and, if he has contributed musically to Dylan rather than jammed with him will provide us with a strange new combination;   country raga.  Far out eh?

Farewell to Gregg

Gregg Allman, Cher,  & Bob Dylan along with Paul and Linda enjoy some beverages on March 11, 1975.

Goodbye Leon Russell

When I think of Leon Russell I think of him in the film for the concert for Bangladesh.   Long before I knew his name, he caught my eye and I enjoyed watching him perform during that film.

I am sure that you have all heard by now that Leon Russell passed away early this morning.   He was a great friend of the Beatles.   Besides working with George, he also worked with John and Ringo.  

2016 has been quite a year---and as we continue through the 2010's, I shudder to think who is going to be next.

Not Beatles related, but I love this 1970 photograph of Leon

Back when Bob Dylan was just a guy performing for Bangladesh

Dylan and Evans

This is a very interesting photo of Mal Evans talking to Bob Dylan during the Isle of Wight Festival in 1969.  

Woodstock '68

A friend of this blog's facebook page shared this photo last week, and it was a new one to me.   George with David Boyle at Albert Grossman's house when George went to visit Bob Dylan at Woodstock in November of 1968.  

Harrison and Zimmerman

Traveling with the Wilbury's

Concert for Bangladesh reviews

I enjoy reading the concert reviews from the fans and I don't recall ever reading any from the Concert for Bangladesh.   I found these gems in the October 1971 issue of the Harrison Herald fan club newslettter.   

Harrison and Friends in Concert

From Susan M. –

It was fantastic!  I’ve never seen George look so good.  His white suit was gorgeous.  His hair looks good on him now—even his beard I didn’t mind.  He seemed so nervous at first but as the show went on he relaxed.  He kept turning his back to the audience and kept his eyes on his guitar a lot.  When he first came out to introduce Ravi he got a standing ovation.   He had on brown pants and vest and a grey shirt.  After Ravi, they showed a film on Bengladesh  (sic).  It was so sad but I hope it got the message across to the audience.  Then came the band—whicih consisted of Ringo and Jim Keltner on drums, Leon Russell on piano, Klaus Voorman on bass, Eric Clapton and Jesse Davis on lead guitar, Billy Preston on organ, plus Badfinger and Derek and the Domino’s and others.  And of course there was George—gosh was he ever beautiful.  They went right into “Wah Wah”.  The audience was really good, you could hear the music clearly – there were only screams or applause at the beginning or end of each song.  The songs included “Something” “While my guitar gently weeps,” “Awaiting  on you all”  “Hear me Lord” “My sweet Lord,”  “Here comes the sun”, “Beware of Darkness,” and of course “Bengla Desh” (sic).  Ringo did “It don’t come easy” and got a tremendous reaction.  Billy Preston did “That’s the Way God Planned it” and Leon Russell did “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.”  I forgot to mention that Ringo looked terrific—dressed all in black and his hair was back and he has a heavy beard.  The surprise guest was Bob Dylan.  The reaction from the audience was unbelievable.   It was such a feeling seeing Ringo, George, Dylan and Leon Russell all on one stage sharing the spotlight.  I mean you really had to pinch yourself to see if it all was real.  Anyway, I will never forget that day as long as I live.  I can’t wait to see the film of it and hear the album!  Oh, I forgot to tell you something – towards the middle of the concert, George started introducing the band.  He mentioned that he hoped he hadn’t forgotten anyone, and then Eric Clapton said into the mike, “and George Harrison.”  The audience gave such an ovation, and George turned his back on the audience—he’s so modest!   George is truly wonderful and he has proved that for once and for all by doing such a beautiful thing.  As one disc jockey said – George is a superb human being and is one of the highest in the forms of humanity.

  

From Julie A.

Before the 2:30 afternoon show was to start, George stepped up on stage as if popping out of nowhere.  He announced that he was thankful everyone had come to help the cause for which this show represented.  He further announced Ravi would be on first and that he and his friends would be out a little later.  The show got underway at 2:45.  Ravi and his troup appeared.  They did 2 numbers lasting 15 minutes each.  Then the stage went black.  Suddenly, 2 large projection screen starting showing a movie.   George’s recording of “Bangla Desh” was played over the PA system and used as a soundtrack to the rather gruesome movie which showed all the people in East Pakistan suffering.   Suddenly a stream of spot lights focused on each of the performers.  Ringo, wearing a single-breasted black suit with short wide lapels appeared seated at his drum kit all the way in the back.   There was another drummer seated alongside of him.   George had Billy Preston laying organ on his right and Leon Russell at the piano on his left.  Out front, center stage was George with Eric Clapton and Klaus Voorman.  Badfinger sat all the way to one side with 3 guys playing horns standing beside them.   A group of 5 or 6 girls formed a small vocal chorus behind Billy and his emence  (sic) organ.   Going right into “Wah Wah” George really belted it out.  Seemingly in an almost non-stop fashion, he went right into “While my guitar Gently Weeps.”  Puffing almost out of breath, he proceeded to introduce everyone.  Ringo got a standing ovation.  George was wearing a very little beige suit with a long sleeved orange shirt.   George did “Something” with Eric helping out on the guitar.  He also did “Here comes the Sun”  on an acoustic with  a member of Badfinger helping out.    Ringo did “It don’t come easy.”  About mid-way thru the show, George says to everyone, ‘and now I’d like you to meet my good friend Bob Dylan.”  The audience went wild with applause.  He was on about 20 minutes doing some of his better known songs.  George, Eric, Leon and Ringo backed Dylan.  Ringo banged on a small silver tambourine while George, Eric, and Leon backed on guitars.   At this time all the other performers had walked off and just the 4 of them were up there with the stage to themselves.   Dylan finished his part and faded off stage quickly.  The others came back on stage and did a variety of other numbers.  At 4:50 George went into “My Sweet Lord” which was also played on acoustic guitar.  The show ended with George doing “Bengla Desh.”  While the other members played on, George went over, picked up his jacket, said his ta’s to everyone and dashed off the stage.  I remember during one of the fast numbers, George started doing a little of the “Harrison shuffle” for which he is famous from AHND days.  The show ended exactly at 5:09 but the audience stood, clapped, whistled and stomped the floor shouting “more more!”  This went on for about 20 minutes.  Finally convinced that no one was returning to the stage, some people began to file out of the Garden.  The teaming rain that was coming down outside didn’t seem to dampen anyone’s spirits as they flowed out the exits.

Traveling Wilburys on Cloud 9

This photo was taken in October of 1987 and here is what Tom Petty had to say about it in an interview:

Questions:   Was it while touring with Dylan that you heard an advance tape of George Harrison’s Cloud Nine, produced by Jeff Lynne?

  Tom:  Yeah. And I loved it. We played in Birmingham [England] with Bob and then a few weeks later we played London for a few nights. I think we were there for three or four nights in Wembley. On the first night in Birmingham, George Harrison and Jeff Lynne came to visit. And Bob was not feeling well. He was not really around before the show, and then he didn’t want to hang around afterwards too much.

It was funny—that first night we were in London, when we had that great time, a hurricane hit. In London. Completely unannounced and unpredicted by the weather bureau. I always thought that [hurricane] had something to do with changing my life. This literal hurricane.

The Hindus think that when you meet someone and you feel really close to them immediately, that maybe you knew them in a past life. And that was how it was with George. We met each other and instantly became really close. Instantly we became very close. And I remember him saying to me, ‘You know, I’m not going to let you out of my life now.’ And it wasn’t about The Beatles or anything
like that. We really got along well. And shared a sense of humor. And we became very close friends. And Jeff, too.

So we hung out, and one night we really had a nice time, after the gig we hung out for hours with George, and Ringo was there and Derek Taylor [music journalist, former Beatles publicist, and collaborator on George Harrison’s autobiography, I, Me, Mine]. And all of their wives. And we hung out, and we had a lot of laughs. And then the next night was my birthday. I have a photo.

They brought me a little birthday cake. And there’s a photo of me and George and McGuinn and Bob and Mike, and we’re all backstage laughing. And it looks pretty accurate. Victor Maymudes, who was Bob’s roadie, was there. We had a really good time. And George gave me this cassette, and said, ‘This is the album. Let me know if you like it.’

So I took it home. That was the last gig of the tour, London. And that was when I told Bob, I can’t carry on because I have to go home and rebuild my life. The house had burnt down and all of this, and I’ve kind of got to put my life back together, so I’m going to have to bow out. Which I think he understood, but he was kind of sad about it.

So I came back, and it was Thanksgiving Day. I was at the house in Beverly Hills, and some people were coming over. And I like to have softball games. And so I was going to have a softball game at the house. But I didn’t have enough mitts to play ball. So I was going to drive down to the Sav-On in Beverly Hills and buy a dozen ball mitts so everybody could play ball. Which was the only place open on Thanksgiving Day. So I’m at the traffic light, and I look over to my left, and there’s Jeff Lynne. Who I’d only just recently seen in England. So I honked my horn, and he turned around, and we pulled over. And I said, ‘Wow, what are you doing here? And I love that album; the album’s great.’

He said, ‘I’m working with Brian Wilson.’ And he said, ‘Where do you live?’

I told him where I lived, and he said, ‘That’s weird. I live really close to there.
So we should get together.’

‘Okay, let’s do—let’s get together.’ Because I really liked Jeff—he’s a great guy. And very warm, and has a really great sense of humor.

So we fast-forward a little bit. And I think Jeff probably came over after that in a day or two. And we hung out a little bit. And fast-forward a little more and it was right before Christmas. And there were a lot of magical things going on in my life. I was with my daughter Adria, and we were out Christmas shopping. We had driven over to Studio City, there was this one restaurant there on Ventura called Le Seur, a French restaurant that was a really good restaurant. It was really good, and it was the kind of place you went to on special evenings. It was kind of our special night restaurant. And I wanted to give Adria a big afternoon out. And we were shopping and buying gifts. And we were driving past Le Seur and she said, ‘Wouldn’t it be something if you could just eat lunch at Le Seur?’

And I said, ‘Why not, let’s go.’

She said, ‘You’re kidding.’

I pulled in the parking lot and we came in. I sat down in my chair, and the waiter came over and he said, ‘There’s a friend of your’s here and he’d like you to come over to the table.’ And that’s all he said.

I said, ‘Oh,’ and I got up and walked around—there was kind of this private dining room—and as I walk in, there’s George [Harrison]. And he was having lunch with some people from Warner Brothers. And Jeff. And as I walked into the room, Jeff was writing my number down for George. And George said, ‘How strange, I’d just gotten your number and somebody told me you’d walked into the restaurant at the same time.’

I said, ‘Yeah, that’s far out.’

He said, ‘Where are you going?’

I said, ‘Well, I was just gonna eat.’

He said, ‘Where are you going after you eat?’

And I said I was going home, and he said, ‘Can I come with you?’

‘Well, I guess so, why not?’

And he said, ‘Well, I’ve got my car but I’ll follow you to your house.’ He said, ‘I’m staying at the Hotel Bel-Air,’ which wasn’t too far away. He said, ‘We’ll just hang out, okay?’

And I said okay. He followed me to my house, and we hung out that afternoon. And this is kind of strange, because when I talk about George, he’s so famous, and so much of an icon. But he really had the ability to make you forget about that and be a real good friend, and we had a lot of fun. A lot of laughs, a lot of playing the guitars.

The next day, the door rings, and George is back with his family. We spent Christmas Eve together. Actually, we spent several Christmases to come. He would usually be on his way to Hawaii at Christmas, and he would stop in L.A. And our two families became close. Dhani [George’s son] became a close friend of Adria’s, and they’re still good pals.

I can't hide....

Photo by Henry Grossman

This is a photo of Bob Dylan outside of the Delmonico Hotel on his way into the hotel to see the Beatles for the first time.   Is that That is Neil Aspinall in the photo?!

50 years ago Bob Dylan showed the Beatles how enjoyable it is to smoke pot.   It wasn't the first time the Fab 4 smoked the drug.   The first time was in 1960 when they were in Hamburg.   I think people get confused and think that the Beatles had NEVER smoked it until they met Bob Dylan because Brian Epstein said "We have never smoked it before."    But Brian, who wasn't with the Beatles in Hamburg, spoke for the entire group when he really was just speaking for himself.    The Beatles had smoked marijuana a few times and George says in the Anthology that they tried it and didn't feel any effects. 

But Bob Dylan did turn the Beatles onto the effects of the drug that night in the New York hotel room and it really changed the Beatles lives.    Once pot was introduced and became part of the Beatles lives,  their music began to change.   John, George and Paul all were arrested at some point in their lives for having marijuana.    It truly was a game changer for the Fab 4.

I am not a pot person.  I don't smoke it.   I don't enjoy being around people who are smoking it.   But everyone is free to make their own choices and what someone does on his or her own time is none of my business.

I do think it is funny some of the stuff that happened that night.

• Ringo wouldn't pass the joint around (because he didn't know the  proper rules)
• Brian kept saying that he was "so high I'm on the ceiling."
• Paul having Mal follow him around with a pencil and paper so that he could write down everything he said
• Ringo started to giggle and everyone was laughing at his giggling.

If you want to read a great re-telling of what happened by someone who was there.  Check out this page!