Skeleton Keys

Bob Dylan 1966

 

by

 

Olof Björner

 

A summary of recording & concert activities,

releases, tapes & books.

 

 

 

 

© 2000 by Olof Björner

All Rights Reserved.

 

This text may be reproduced, re-transmitted, redistributed and

otherwise propagated at will,  provided that this notice remains

intact and in place.

 

Download this document as a PDF file.


CONTENTS:

 

 

1      INTRODUCTION

2      THE YEAR AT A GLANCE

3      CALENDAR

4      THE 1966 WORLD TOUR

4.1       The musicians

4.2       The dates

4.3       The show

4.4       The live recordings

4.5       Interviews and press conferences

5      BLONDE ON BLONDE

5.1       The album

5.2       The recording sessions

5.3       The tracks

6      EAT THE DOCUMENT

7      SONGS 1966

8      SOURCES

9      SUGGESTED READINGS

9.1       General background

9.2       Books about 1966

9.3       Article compilations

9.4       Articles

 

 


1               INTRODUCTION

The year many regard as Bob Dylan's best, with the famous World Tour spanning North America, Australia and Europe and the recording of one of the best rock albums ever, BLONDE ON BLONDE. In July Bob Dylan falls off his motorcycle while riding around Albert Grossman's estate in Woodstock. Dylan and is hospitalized. All concert and radio/TV engagements for the rest of the year are first put forward, then cancelled. This marks the end of the surrealistic rock’n’roll phase. Dylan will reappear mote than a year later a very changed man and performer.

 

2               THE YEAR AT A GLANCE

 

 


 


[TOP]

3               CALENDAR

 

26 January

Dylan appears in the early morning talk show of Bob Fass, participating in a two hour long phone-in.

February

Release of the single One Of Us Most Know/Queen Jane Approximately

4 February

The North American tour continues with a show in Louisville, Kentucky.

14–17 February

Recording for BLONDE ON BLONDE is resumed in Nashville with local studio musicians.

8–9 March

Last BLONDE ON BLONDE sessions in Nashville, Tennessee.

12 March

Robert Shelton interviews Dylan on a flight between Lincoln, Nebraska and Denver, Colorado. The interview is published twenty years later in Shelton's book "No Direction Home".

26 March

Last concert in North America for almost eight years in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

April

Release of the single Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35/ Pledging My Time. In the US this stays 10 weeks on the charts, peaking as #2. In England it reaches #7 at best.

13 April

The World Tour proper starts with a show at the Sydney Stadium in Sydney, Australia. This show ends with Positively 4th Street, instead of Like A Rolling Stone.

21 April

Parts of the press conference at the Adelaide airport is broadcast at the local radio.

28 April

Press conference in Stockholm and interview by Klas Burling are broadcast by Swedish radio.

16 May

Release of BLONDE ON BLONDE.

17 May

The show at Free Trade Hall in Manchester is recorded on 3-track for a possible later live recording. It is later widely bootlegged as the “Royal Albert Hall” concert. The heckler shouting ‘Judas’ and the famous response ‘You’re a liar’ is probably the most famous artist – audience interaction in rock ‘n’ roll. The entire concert is eventually officially released in The Bootleg Series by Sony Music in 1999.

24 May

The show at Dylan's 25th birthday at the Olympia in Paris is recorded to be broadcast on French radio on May 29. At the last minute the broadcast is vetoed by Dylan.

27 May

Royal Albert Hall, London. This turns out to be the last  show of the 1966 World Tour and the last Bob Dylan concert until the “come-back” with The Band in January 1974.

April-May

The European leg of the World Tour is again filmed by  D.A. Pennebaker. It is later edited by Bob Dylan and Howard Alk. The premiere is delayed until February 8, 1971.

Late May

Vacation in Spain with Sara.

June

Release of single I Want You/Just Like Tom Thum's Blues, the B-side being a live version from Liverpool, 14 May. 1966.

Early Summer

Birth of first son, Jesse Byron.

July 29

While riding around Albert Grossman's estate in Woodstock, Dylan falls off his motorcycle and is hospitalized. All concert and radio/TV engagements for the rest of the year are first put forward, then cancelled.

August

Release of single Just Like A Woman/Obviously Five Believers.

 

[TOP]

4               THE 1966 WORLD TOUR

4.1         The musicians

 

During the first part of the tour in North America the band consisted of:

 

Robbie Robbertson (guitar),

Garth Hudson (organ),

Richard Manuel (piano),

Rick Danko (bass),

Sandy Konikoff (drums).

 

When the tour continued in Hawaii in April, Sandy Konikoff was replaced by Mickey Jones.

 

4.2         The dates

 

J means there is a recording this show or parts of it

 

February

 

 

 

 

 

4

Louisville, Kentucky

 

 

 

5

White Plains, New York

Westchester County Center

J

 

6

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Syria Mosque

J

 

10

Memphis, Tennesee

Ellis Auditorium Amphitheater

 

 

11

Richmond, Virginia

Richmond Shrine Mosque

 

 

13

Norfolk, Virginia

Arena,

 

 

??

New Haven, Connecticut

 

 

 

19

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

Auditorium,

 

 

20

Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Place des Arts

 

 

??

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

PNE Agrodome

 

 

24

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Academy Of Music

 

 

25

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Academy Of Music

 

 

26

Hampstead, New York

Island Gardens

J

March

 

 

 

 

 

3

Miami Beach, Florida

Convention Hall

 

 

5

Jacksonville, Florida

Jacksonville Coliseum

 

 

11

St Louis, Missouri

Kiel Opera House

 

 

12

Lincoln, Nebraska

Persching Memorial Auditorium

 

 

13

Denver, Colorado

 

 

 

??

Los Angeles, California

 

 

 

??

Santa Monica, California

 

 

 

24

Tacoma, Washington

 

 

 

25

Seattle, Washington

Center Arena

 

 

26

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

PNE Agrodome

 

April

 

 

 

 

 

  9

Honolulu, Hawaii

Honolulu International Center

 

 

13

Sydney, Australia

Sydney Stadium

J

 

15

Brisbane, Australia

Festival Hall

 

 

16

Sydney, Australia

Sydney Stadium

 

 

19

Melbourne, Australia

Festival Hall

J

 

20

Melbourne, Australia

Festival Hall

J

 

22

Adelaide, Australia

Palais Royal

 

 

23

Perth, Australia

Capitol Theatre

 

 

29

Stockholm, Sweden

Konserthuset,

J

May

 

 

 

 

 

1

Copenhagen, Denmark

KB-Hallen

 

 

2

Dublin, Ireland

Adelphi Theatre

J

 

6

Belfast, Northern Ireland

ABC

J

 

10

Bristol, England

Colston Hall

J

 

11

Cardiff, Wales

Sofia Gardens

 

 

12

Birmingham, England

Odeon

 

 

14

Liverpool, England

Odeon

J

 

15

Leicester, England

DeMontfort Hall

 

 

16

Sheffield, England

Gaumont Theatre

 

 

17

Manchester, England

Free Trade Hall

J

 

19

Glasgow, Scotland

Odeon

 

 

20

Edinburgh, Scotland

ABC Theatre

J

 

21

Newcastle, England

Odeon

 

 

24

Paris, France

Olympia

 

 

26

London, England

Royal Albert Hall

J

 

27

London, England

Royal Albert Hall

J

 

[TOP]

4.3         The show