18 July: Bob Dylan Mannheim Germany 1981 (45 min Video)

The Bob Dylan World Tour 1981 was a concert tour by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan. The tour lasted from June 10, 1981 to November 21, 1981 and consisted of 54 concerts in three legs: 31 in North America and 23 in Europe. The tour promoted the release of Dylan’s 1981 album Shot of Love.

The European leg of the tour started on June 21 in Toulouse in France and consisted of twenty three concerts, the largest number of concerts taking place in England where eight shows were performed.  All shows from July 1 onwards were recorded by members of Dylan’s crew.

The European tour ended in tragedy in Avignon, France where a member of the crowd fell into the electric cables before the first song and caused total power loss. Dylan and the band improvised an unplugged instrumental until the power was restored and ‘Saved’ was started from the beginning. In the accident two people were killed, but the show went ahead despite the incident. Dylan returned to the United States in October to perform twenty three concerts there. Dylan also performed four concerts in Canada. The tour came to an end in Lakeland, Florida on November 21 after fifty-four concerts. (Wikipedia)

Rhein-Neckar-Stadion
Mannheim, West Germany
18 July 1981

There were also a very good audience taping available a couple of years back, well worth seeking out.

• Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar)
• Fred Tackett (guitar)
• Steve Ripley (guitar)
• Willie Smith (keyboards)
• Tim Drummond (bass)
• Jim Keltner (drums)
• Clydie King, Carolyn Dennis, Regina Havis, Madelyn Quebec (background vocals)

The embedded video is ~45min and includes the songs in bold from the setlist:

1. Saved (Bob Dylan/Tim Drummond)
2. I Believe In You
3. Like A Rolling Stone
4. Till I Get It Right (Red Lane/Larry Henley)
5. Man Gave Names To All The Animals
6. Maggie’s Farm
7. Girl From The North Country
8. Ballad Of A Thin Man
9. We Just Disagree (Jim Krueger)
10. Shot Of Love
11. Forever Young
    –
12. Carolyn Dennis:
    Walk Around Heaven All Day (Rev. James Cleveland/Cassietta George)
    –
13. The Times They Are A-Changin’
14. Let’s Begin (Jim Webb)
15. Lenny Bruce
16. Slow Train
17. Mr. Tambourine Man
18. What Can I Do For You?
19. Solid Rock
20. Just Like A Woman
21. Saved By The Grace Of Your Love (Willie Smith/David Palmer)
22. Watered-Down Love
23. When You Gonna Wake Up
24. Heart Of Mine
25. In The Garden
    —
26. Blowin’ In The Wind
27. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
28. Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door

Check out:

• Alldylan @ Facebook
• –
• Bob Dylan: Live 1980 – 1989 (Video & audio)
  
• Bob Dylan: 8 essential videos from the 80’s
• –
• Olof’s “Still On The Road“

-Egil