Re: Subject: Re: [Harp-L] dylan electric @ Newport '65

[Ken Ficara <kenficara@xxxxxxxxx>]

> This configuration played for only 15 minutes. Dylan's encore was on acoustic guitar.
>
> There are mixed reports about the booing and the calls for an encore. Since Dylan did play an encore, I believe that enough of the crowd embraced the new electric sound to warrant it.

The stories about that night are legion, but the fact that his encore
was *on acoustic guitar* doesn't imply any support for the electric
sound from the audience. Of course it's not really clear what was
going on and why people were angry. He was the headliner for a
festival of 40-minute sets, and played only 15 minutes of music that
was certainly unexpected and probably offensive to some portion of the
crowd. He left the stage and was coaxed back for the encore.

Whether the crowd was angry at the electric sound, or whether the
sound was awful (amplification of rock bands was in its infancy, and
whatever expertise there was would not have been found behind the
soundboard of an acoustic music festival), whether the vocals were
inaudible, whether Pete Seeger tried to cut the cables with an axe --
only those who were there know. What I know is that one track from
that evening showed up on the No Direction Home double CD (Maggie's
Farm) and except for the fact that the band keeps missing one of the
changes, it absolutely kicks ass. The BBB was a great, great band and
the thought of them backing Dylan is very tempting. (Especially if
halfway through the set, Paul Butterfield came out, yanked the harp
out of Dylan's rack, and started playing it for real!)

Ken



>
> The Iceman
>
> -----Original Message-----
>
>
> fjm writes:
>
> "Nope it was the Butterfield Band.
> EG1217 adds - from the Butterfield CD liner notes
> ""Their own extraordinary performances at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival,
> during which they also backed Bob Dylan in his historic first rock performance,
>
> combined to assure The Butterfield Band's success".
>
>
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--

Ken Ficara
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http://www.kenficara.com