Entertainment For Lively Minds

Word RSS FeedsWord Magazine on YouTubeWord Magazine on Last FMWord Spotify PlaylistsWord Magazine on FacebookWord Magazine on Twitter

Bob Dylan in 1960s BBC Play

Mr Sparks's picture

Last weekend, my wife and I went to a friend's birthday party. Philip (husband of the celebrant) has a massive (mainly jazz) record collection and still tapes concerts from the radio and he mentioned that he has some rare stuff as a result.

"Mind you", he said, "I did have some rare Bob Dylan that I recorded on a Grundig reel to reel in the early 1960s. Bob Dylan appeared in a BBC TV play and I recorded three or four songs. The BBC wiped their tapes and if only I'd kept that tape, I'd have made a fortune." As it happens, he sold the reel to reel to his cousin complete with tapes and the cousin obviously saw no merit in Bob Dylan and taped over it.

It just got me wondering about how much valuable stuff gets lost, because no one thinks it is of any use or value.

Anyone else had a similar experience?

PS - A quick look at the BBC website will give you a bit of info about the play - I had no idea this ever happened and I find it quite remarkable.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcfour/music/bobdylan/madhouse.shtml

0

Fortune??

Loads of info about this here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madhouse_on_Castle_Street

The only copy of said play was junked in the late 60s, although some parts of the audio still exist (which is what your mate would have recorded).

Wouldn't like to pontificate about any lost "fortunes" though - I remember reading when they launched their "Treasure Hunt" appeal (qv) that the Beeb weren't in the habit of paying much if anything for returned material. A clean digitized copy of your source and a pat on the back were on offer, though.

0
PhilC | 16 June 2010 - 12:21pm

The tracks from the play (such as they are) are available

on the 'Where Are You Now My Blue Eyed Son' b**tleg set.

There's versions of Blowin' In The Wind and The Ballad Of The Gliding Swan but, trust me, they're for completists only!

0
stimpy | 16 June 2010 - 12:29pm

Which is probably why...

his cousin taped over it!

0
Mr Sparks | 16 June 2010 - 7:57pm

I often have a look around this site.....

.....http://missingepisodes.proboards.com/index.cgi#active

I'm a bit of a TOTP buff and they seem to be knowledgeable on all the lost stuff and also new rarities whenever they appear from under somebodies bed.

0
Almost Simon | 16 June 2010 - 1:04pm

Here it is...


0
stimpy | 17 June 2010 - 2:05pm

Well done for sourcing that!

See what you mean about being for completists, though!

0
Mr Sparks | 17 June 2010 - 6:06pm

I've had the bootleg for a good while

but I didn't realise the two 'Madhouse' tracks were part of a greater lost whole.

0
stimpy | 17 June 2010 - 7:18pm

That Madhouse Dylan documentary was a classic

I remember it was shown around the same time as the Martin Scorcese Dylan documentary, and I was blown away.

Told a really focused story, and really set the scene well with good background info about the winter of 1962. Really well made film.

0
Stephen Merrick | 17 June 2010 - 6:23pm
Privacy Statement    ©  2006 - 2012 Development Hell Ltd