So you were there
when Dylan went electric in the studio?
Ye-es… I was technically there, but I’m afraid I don’t have
a lot to contribute as my mind was on other things, I’m sorry to report.
Not another bucket
incident?
No… well yes, I did end up with my foot lodged in a bucket
for a short time as it happens but that was only a minor distraction. The main
issue was a young man named Tim who I had to lock in a broom cupboard.
Were you working as a
security guard as well as a cleaner?
No. My duties were still domestic and cleaning related but
Tim required urgent soothing, poor thing, and the role fell to me simply
because nobody else was willing to step forward and take any responsibility.
Why was he in the
studio?
Well he was employed by the record label as a publicist, or
in some administrative capacity, and he was a very committed folk music devotee.
Bob Dylan had become something of a hero to these sorts of people so when Tim
discovered his idol was playing music in the building he was beside himself
with excitement and rushed down to the studio to witness folk music being
created.
Ah… I think I can see
the problem. And Dylan was electric?
Exactly. Instead of a lone folk musician with a battered
guitar, a harmonica and songs of social justice and American hardship, Tim
found his hero sporting an electric Fender Stratosphere1 and
fronting a rock and roll band. It was too much for the poor lad. Like most “folkies”
as they were called, he simply wasn’t capable of dealing with change and the
sight of Rock God Dylan was more than he could cope with. So for a few moments, the session was disrupted by the sight of a young folk fan having a complete
mental breakdown in the centre of the studio. He fell to the ground on all
fours, pounding the well-polished floor with his fists shouting “Why?” at the
top of voice, which isn’t conducive to the recording of music of any genre.
So what did you do?
Well I managed to lead him away by the hand, took him to a
cupboard and placed him inside with a candle and some wicker, which took the
edge off his panic. He was still visibly distraught so I recited some Woody
Guthrie lyrics and he eventually calmed to the point where he ceased convulsing
and was capable of speech once again.
Did Dylan notice?
Well, he could hardly not. When someone screams in panic at
the top of their lungs then it’s effectively impossible to ignore, even if you
are playing high volume rock and roll at the time. But I don’t think he ever
connected the outburst with the guitar around his own neck. He didn’t quite
appreciate the impact going electric was going to have on the world.
1. Simon is no doubt referring to the Fender Stratocaster.
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