Bob Dylan at Newport with A Complete Unknown writer Elijah Wald

Elijah Wald joins us to take a deep dive into Bob Dylan’s famous Newport Folk Festival appearance, featured in his book Dylan Goes Electric! available in the UK & over in the US now.

The Newport festival started in 1954 originally as a jazz festival. By 1958 the likes of Ray Charles & Chuck Berry appeared as tastes began to change.

Future Bob Dylan manager Albert Grossman became involved in the festival & in 1959 the festival adopted a folk program with folk stars of the day appearing including Joan Baez & the Kingston Trio.

Pete Seeger built the folk revival of the 60s & introduced a non-profit concept to Newport, offering a fee of $50 per act appearing on the bill.

Bob Dylan makes his first appearance at Newport in 1963 although his songs are better known than he is at this point, with Blowin’ in the Wind a hit for Peter, Paul & Mary.

Bob would return in 1964, still playing more traditional sounding material & Johnny Cash also appeared, a controversial choice in some quarters. Over 70,000 people attend the 1964 festival.

Like a Rolling Stone is released five days before the 1965 festival & Dylan arrives with a new band led by guitarist Mike Bloomfield.

Elements of the gig remain shrouded in conjecture & bad weather almost prevented Bob from appearing at all.

Dylan takes to the stage introduced by Peter Yarrow but plays for only seventeen minutes with the band. Before returning to sign off with ‘It’s All Over Now Baby Blue’ & Mr. Tambourine Man.

The book was subsequently turned into a Hollywood movie directed by James Mangold & starring Timothee Chalomet. Elijah tells us the story of how the adaptation came to be & how Bob Dylan himself played a hand.

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