July 25: Bob Dylan Goes Electric at Newport in 1965

Redirecting to a newer version of this post….

Joseph Hass: Can you explain why you were booed at the Newport Folk Festival last summer when
you came on stage with an electric guitar and began singing your new material?
Bob Dylan: Like, I don’t even know who those people were. Anyway, I think there’s always a little boo in all of us. I wasn’t shattered by it. I didn’t cry. I don’t even understand it. I mean, what are they going to shatter, my ego? And it doesn’t even exist, they can’t hurt me with a boo.
(Joseph Hass interview – Nov 1965)

“They certainly booed, I’ll tell you that. You could hear it all over the place. I don’t know who they were… they’ve done it just about all over… I mean, they must be pretty rich to go some place and boo. I mean, I couldn’t afford it if I was in their shoes.”
~Bob Dylan ( San Francisco press conference in December ‘65)

“The reason they booed is because he only played for fifteen minutes, when everybody else played for forty-five minutes or an hour. They were feeling ripped off. Wouldn’t you? They didn’t give a shit about us being electric. They just wanted more.”
~Al Kooper

On July 25, 1965, Dylan performed with a rock band at the Newport Folk Festival. Some sections of the audience booed Dylan’s performance. Leading members of the folk movement, including Irwin Silber and Ewan MacColl criticised Dylan for moving away from political songwriting, and performing with an electric band. (wikipedia)

bob dylan newport 1965

Freebody Park
Newport, Rhode Island
25 July 1965
Newport Folk Festival

 

Setlist:

  1. Maggie’s Farm
  2. Like A Rolling Stone
  3. It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry (Phantom Engineer)
  4. It’s All Over Now, Baby Blue
  5. Mr. Tambourine Man


-Egil

One thought on “July 25: Bob Dylan Goes Electric at Newport in 1965”

  1. Gotta love it… “Everybody’s got a little boo in em” Have to agree with that!

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