December 8: Bob Dylan – Night of The Hurricane, New York 1975

bob dylan night of the hurricane

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]The people from the Hurricane Carter movement kept calling me and writing me. And Hurricane sent me his book, which I read and which really touched me. I felt that the man was just innocent, from his writings and knowing that part of the country. So I went to visit him and was really behind him, trying to get a new trial.
~Bob Dylan (to Bill Flanagan, March 1985)

Tonight is billed as “The Night of the Hurricane,” and Dylan is in a good mood, dedicating one song to Al Grossman, who is in the audience and “‘is not running for President” (a dig at Muhammad Ali’s attempts to turn the benefit into a political rally). Baez hams it up during her set with Dylan, and Robbie Robertson joins the Revue for a great “It Takes a Lot to Laugh.” Although not as inspired a performance as Montreal, the concert ends the tour on a high note. The traditional end-of-tour party is at the Felt Forum after the show. The partying continues at a restaurant near the Westbury Hotel.
~Clinton Heylin (Bob Dylan: A Life in Stolen Moments Day by Day 1941-1995)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]

The last show of the 1975 tour @ Madison Square Garden, New York City – 8 December 1975.

The show was a benefit concert for the imprisoned boxer, Hurricane Carter, hence the name of the show: “The Night of the Hurricane.” Special guests for the night: Robert Flack and Muhammad Ali.

Madison Square Garden
New York City, New York
8 December 1975
Night of The Hurricane

  • Bob Dylan (vocal, guitar)
  • Bob Neuwirth (guitar)
  • T-bone J. Henry Burnett (guitar)
  • Roger McGuinn (guitar)
  • Steven Soles (guitar)
  • Mick Ronson (guitar)
  • David Mansfield (steel guitar, violin, mandolin ,dobro)
  • Rob Stoner (bass)
  • Howie Wyeth (piano, drums)
  • Luther Rix (drums, percussion)
  • Ronee Blakeley (vocal)

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December 7: Bob Dylan received the Kennedy Center Honors Lifetime Achievement Award in 1997

As recipients don’t give a speech and musicians don’t perform, here are some other artists honoring Bob Dylan on December 7, 1997.

Bruce Springsteen performing “The Times They Are A-Changin'”

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Helen Baylor – What Can I Do For You – The Best Dylan Covers

What can I do for you? is a song by Bob Dylan from the album, Saved. Saved is the twentieth studio album by Dylan, released on June 23, 1980, by Columbia Records.

Helen Baylor (born January 8, 1953 as Helen LaRue Lowe) is an American gospel singer. She covered Dylan’s song for the Bob Dylan tribute album, Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan. Gotta Serve Somebody: The Gospel Songs of Bob Dylan is a tribute album independently produced by Jeffrey Gaskill of Burning Rose Productions, Ltd. and released under license on the Sony/Columbia label in 2003. The compilation features traditional and contemporary gospel singers performing songs written by Bob Dylan during his “born again” period (1979–81).

Gotta Serve Somebody was Grammy nominated for Best Traditional Soul Gospel Album and also Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals for the Bob Dylan and Mavis Staples duet but neither of the prizes was won. The New York Times called the record “The best African-American covers of Dylan songs since Jimi Hendrix.” Helen Baylor sings one of the finest songs on the album.

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December 4: Watch Bob Dylan @ Oakland Coliseum 1988

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]The tape of the benefit performance shows that Dylan’s voice had recovered significantly during his six weeks off; unfortunately, it also suggests again that the two-guitar acoustic set format was not very stimulating for Dylan as a performer in 1988. These are again lackluster, uninspired performances, interesting solely because this was only the third time in his career that Dylan is known to have performed “Pretty Boy Floyd” on stage and because, as he had at the October shows, Dylan added Lo “With God on Our Side” a verse about the Vietnam War that he didn’t write – the Neville Brothers had added it when they recorded the song on an album produced by Daniel Lanois earlier that autumn.
~Paul Williams (Bob Dylan: Performing Artist Volume 3: Mind Out Of Time 1986 And Beyond)[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Oakland Coliseum
Oakland, California
4 December 1988
An all acoustic evening of music to benefit The Bridge School.

  • Bob Dylan (vocal, guitar)
  • G.E. Smith (guitar)

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December 3: Watch Bob Dylan’s Press Conference @ KQED-TV Studios, San Francisco, 1965

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_message message_box_color=”mulled_wine” icon_fontawesome=”fa fa-quote-left”]Oh, I think of myself more as a song and dance man, y’know[/vc_message][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Legendary press conference.

The San Francisco Press Conference was set up by Ralph Gleason at KQED-TV, an educational station, in the bay area of San Francisco and took place on December 3rd 1965. It was broadcast on KQED later that day, just before Dylan and The Hawks played their first night at the Berkeley Community Theater.
Source: The Fiddler Now Upspoke, pp. 359-374.

KQED-TV Studios
San Francisco, California
3 December 1965
San Francisco Press Conference

Released on the DVD Dylan Speaks, Eagle Media MDV622, 30 October 2006.
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December 2: Bob Dylan Nashville 1978 (12min video)

Here is a clipped “Mr. Tambourine Man” and full versions of “Masters Of War” & “Changing Of The Guards”.

The videos were broadcasted in 1979 by Italian TV in the TV special “Il Profeta é Stanco”.

Municipal Auditorium
Nashville, Tennessee
2 December 1978

  • Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
  • Billy Cross (lead guitar)
  • Alan Pasqua (keyboards)
  • Steven Soles (rhythm guitar, backup vocals)
  • David Mansfield (violin & mandolin)
  • Steve Douglas (horns)
  • Jerry Scheff (bass)
  • Bobbye Hall (percussion)
  • Ian Wallace (drums)
  • Helena Springs, Jo Ann Harris, Carolyn Dennis (background vocals)

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