“People know I’m out there”: Did Patti Smith turn down Bob Dylan’s Rolling Thunder tour?
Whenever stories of Bob Dylan are shared, be it on the internet, on stage or simply at the pub between fans, one word seems to always crop up: unapologetic. If not that word, it’s some form of derivative that ultimately speaks to his hard-lined approach to life that rarely sees him cowering to the demands of other people.
Ultimately, he’s earned the right to operate in that way, but perhaps more importantly, he set that stall out from the very beginning. After his breakout sophomore album, the commercial powers that be sought to hem him into a lucrative role of off-beat folk icon. But instead, he plugged his guitar in and defied all conventions, sparking a domino effect of career decisions that allowed him to pursue unwavering authenticity.
Minus the odd charity fundraising single and TV appearance here or there, he’s made his own decisions and has gained a fierce reputation in the process. Even The Beatles were a little weak at the knees when they shared a room with the icon, and would probably have doted on any of his requests at the drop of a hat.
But while that may be the case, there are plenty of artists who share Dylan’s uncompromising disposition. In fact, it seems to be a common thread among many great innovators, which ultimately makes sense, for the very idea of pursuing something yet untested and at times unthinkable requires a mind that is stubborn to societal conventions.
So surely the man who walks through life with the word ‘no’ sat at the tip of his tongue can only expect the same response to his requests? Well, he found out in 1975, when he staged his Rolling Thunder Revue tour. While the main purpose of his tour was to put his shows back in the centre of some of America’s most intimate venues, it featured a glittering line-up of collaborators, from Joan Baez, Joni Mitchell and Ramblin’ Jack Elliott.
After Dylan invited Smith to play at Gerde’s Folk City, in an unexpected and unprompted audition, she was taken to one side for a formal invitation. She recalled, so these lawyers take me into this room, and he’s standing there, looked great, and his lawyers say, “Bob is having this Rolling Thunder Revue and he wants you to go on it.” And he says, “Erm…yes. I think it would be very good for your career — get you exposure.”
She added, as per Barry Miles’ book, Wanted Man: In Search of Bob Dylan, “And I thought it was a riot, him talking to me like that! And I said, Whaddya mean? Exposure? I’m getting well exposed! You didn’t discover me under a rock, you know — people know I’m out there!” It was a Dylan-esque response to the invite that did not raise any confusion over her stance.
She continued, explaining how she told Dylan’s representatives, “I ain’t interested in singing country harmony with you, I did that in a bar, where country harmony belongs.” She added, “Well, he saw my point. I’d got everything I need from him — he’s inspired me for so long, I guessed it was time to turn the beat around.” Alas, this remark from back in 1977 had a touch of bravado, as she would later reveal.
She mulled over the offer, and the tour departed without her. She later reached out to Far Out and explained, “In truth, I was cut from the tour, and it was a friendly leave taking.” Dylan’s offer was seemingly off the table, and Smith never recalled anything other than friendly ”communication in those days” with Bob. Even this amenable acceptance was a resounding display of artistic defiance from Smith, who not only mentioned that Dylan was an inspiration but also proved it by practising the same amount of steadfast belief in her own trajectory and ability to do it on her own.
Dylan was her hero and still is. After her friendly exchange, aghast by his presence, both luminaries decided it was best if she went her way and he went his. “Dylan opened up,” she reflected, highlighting how the tour gave the folk star a new lease of life.
Concluding with her devotion to his unwavering artistry, “I hope I’ve done something here to remind how intense he is, and how much that intensity has only been successfully revealed through abstract expressionism in rock’n’roll. I look at him and I don’t see a guy giving out leaflets, holding a banner. I see a machine gun.”
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