This was pulled from an email from my former colleague Frank and I thought it quite appropriate for today…
On this day, folk legend Bob Dylan performs for the first time with electric instruments. His fans, who were used to hearing him play folk songs on an acoustic guitar, were so disappointed that they booed him off the stage. (Still debated if they were booing or reacting to the inadequate PA system…)
Dylan first heard the Beatles and returned to his early interest in rock and roll. By 1964, he was writing rock and roll songs, and in the spring of that year he gave a series of rock concerts in England that were smashing successes. That year, he released Another Side of Bob Dylan, which included rock songs, and in May 1965 he released Bringing It All Back Home, which included electric guitars. The record was a hit in England but not in the United States. Later that year, he released his breakthrough rock and roll album in the United States, Like a Rolling Stone. However, he was still known primarily as a folk singer, and at the annual Newport Folk Festival, organizers expected him to continue his powerful solo folk performances.
On July 25, 1965, Dylan surprised the audience and organizers when he came onstage with musicians–including an electric bassist and electric guitarist–and launched into “Maggie’s Farm.” The crowd erupted in catcalls, calling him a sellout, and organizers like Pete Seeger fumed. After three songs, Dylan left the stage, later returning to sing two folk songs.
Of other interest… the infamous band for the event was:
Mike Bloomfield – Guitar
Sam Lay – Drums
Jerome Arnold – Bass
Al Kooper – Organ
Barry Goldberg – Piano
Here is that performance:
