Key Takeaways

• Bob Dylan’s Perspective: Dylan reflects on his memories of the Rolling Thunder Revue, expressing uncertainty about the past.
• Tour Experience: Many artists recall the tour as a unique and transformative experience filled with camaraderie and creativity.
• Musical Collaboration: The tour featured spontaneous collaborations with various musicians, enhancing the overall performance quality.
• Emotional Impact: Participants noted the emotional highs and lows of touring, contributing to a rich and complex atmosphere.

“I don’t remember a thing about Rolling Thunder,” Bob Dylan said in 2019’s Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story, directed by Martin Scorsese. “It happened so long ago, I wasn’t even born. So what do you want to know?”

It’s a fitting statement from a man who has spent years fudging facts and refusing to adhere to one singular understanding of his artistry. There has pretty much always been a confusing but captivating line between what the public knows about Dylan, what Dylan tells us and what the actual “truth” is.

Whatever Dylan’s memories are of his Rolling Thunder Revue Tour, a carnivalesque trek that began on Oct. 30, 1975 in Plymouth, Massachusetts, the reality is that plenty of other people were there for the ride. Below, we’ve rounded up 13 such people, all of whom have spoken about their experiences performing on the tour in subsequent years. Here’s what they recall…

Mick Ronson (Guitar):
“I were fookin’ gobsmacked. I’d never heard half of these numbers. And at first, I was completely baffled by them all. Really baffled and confused. Everyone else was already familiar with these songs and with each other and the way they played. I had a real problem fitting in, and I kept thinking I was terrible. I wasn’t comfortable at all. But Dylan, [Bob[ Neuwirth, [Rob] Stoner, T Bone [Burnett]. They were all wonderful, really took a bit of time with me. And as we went on, I really grew into the music…

And that’s the thing about Dylan. I’d follow him anywhere, no questions asked. That whole tour was this huge, huge adventure. A real treasure hunt. There was Joan Baez. [Roger] McGuinn. Ginsberg – he’s a grand lad, is Allen. There was Dylan. And there I was, too. For a lad from Yorkshire like meself, it were truly out of this world.” (via Uncut)

Joan Baez (Guitar, Vocals):
“The first Rolling Thunder was absolutely fun – and beautiful. There were scarves and flowers – a delight really. My strongest memory is that I went out every night to watch Bob’s set – it was wonderful. On the second [leg], I don’t know what was going on. The flowers had gone away and the scarves had disappeared and there were head wraps and it just wasn’t as glorious…

I think, ‘Oh gosh, I got to be there!’ There’s Woodstock, there’s the March on Washington in ’63. It’s the same: I got to be there.” (via Mojo)

Joni Mitchell (Guitar, Vocals):
“John Guerin [Mitchell’s drummer and one time boyfriend]’s grandfather owned a circus and the clowns used to be paid in booze, so I said ‘pay me in cocaine’ because everybody was out of their minds. I was the only straight person. Try being the only straight person. So I thought I might as well bite the bullet and see what this thing is about. Well, it had an incredible effect. It made me so aggressive, the next thing I knew I was ripping off cops. And I couldn’t sleep. I read Freud’s ‘Cocaine Papers.’ It was the only thing of his I could recall because Freud was such an idiot and a narcissist. He was a cocaine addict himself, so he was proselytizing it. He thought it was a cure for the inferiority complex. And I kept thinking, this is a warrior’s drug. You’d be like Scarface. You could have 10 bullet holes in you and you’d still be shooting. Initially what it does is it’s a new head and by tracing the dragon it creates epic thought, so much thought. I think too much anyway.’ (via Reckless Daughter: A Portrait of Joni Mitchell)

Listen to Joni Mitchell Perform on the Rolling Thunder Revue

Roger McGuinn (Guitar, Vocals):
“[Dylan] was often a visitor at my house in Malibu. He liked the house a lot and wanted to rent it from me. One time we were up there and he said: ‘I wanna do something different, man.’

When I asked what he meant, he said: ‘I dunno, maybe something like a circus.’ Six months later I was in New York and bumped into him in the Village. That’s when he invited me to go on the tour. He wanted to revive the spirit of Greenwich Village with Rolling Thunder. It was like a traveling artists’ colony. There were about 300 people on the road with him.” (via Classic Rock)

Ramblin’ Jack Elliott (Guitar, Vocals):
“It was like a bunch of kids who’d run away with the circus. They’d never tell us what town we were going to. We’d find out minutes after we got there. It was a big military secret. We were coddled and protected and it was kind of fun; it was like being a kid again. We probably had too much to drink and it seemed like we had a lot of rollicking fun the whole way.” (via Rolling Stone)

Scarlet Rivera (Violin):
“I really connected with Joni Mitchell. Sometimes I sat with her on the bus. She was a huge inspiration on that tour for me, somebody that I looked up to. I was very withdrawn, but it was nice to be able to step out and connect with her. I’m still friends with her today. I see her in L.A. from time to time…

There was a magic to the first leg of the tour. There was a great sense of harmony amongst all the players. Although the music was as good on the second leg, I think it was a little bit less harmonious. Some element of tension wove itself in that wasn’t there in the first one. Perhaps it was because Bob was going through his divorce or maybe there was some more tension with the guitar players and the band. I don’t know. There was a little bit less of that magic fairy dust glow on the second one for me.” (via Flagging Down the Double E’s)

Ronee Blakley (Vocals):
“I liked our shows better when they were tighter. Sometimes the audience and the journalists like the shows where more stars appear. It’s more exciting for the audience when guest stars and friends would show up, whether it was Kinky [Friedman], Rick Danko, Roberta Flack. If you ask me, sometimes the show itself was better when it just went straight through with us the way we did it.

Bob never had an off night. He was always great. I never heard him make a mistake. I would often go out and watch from the audience in the dark after the lights went down. Nobody could see me; most of us watched a lot of the show.

We were like a family in a way; it was pretty special. Bob did not hang out with us all the time but for us rest we would be together every day, every night riding on the bus; we didn’t know where we were going because it was secret; we’d only be told on day where we headed.” (via Flagging Down the Double E’s)

READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Bob Dylan Album

Rob Stoner (Bandleader, Bass, Vocals):
“Well, it was a challenge; and I really enjoyed that challenge man when we would get different people up there; we got different people up there all time; we’d go to – we’d – for instance we went to Toronto; we got Ronnie Hawkins in show; we went Quebec; we got Gordon Lightfoot in show…I mean we would pick up cool local people – and enjoyed that man; And without rehearsal – we would have meeting before show; they’d tell me what keys tunes were in; maybe write out quick chart; go over it with couple key guys band; then go up stage wing it; And no train-wrecks worked out great; And yeah Joni her tunes very challenging really enjoyed working her; she’s true genius.” (via The 13th Floor)

Luther Rix (Drums, Percussion):
“I thought that Bob was pretty cool guy; didn’t get hang with him much but once while he’d come over talk me for few minutes; think he felt like ought especially because hadn’t really chance get know each other nice enough guy.

I remember one time as tour winding up said him ‘I’m really looking forward getting back sleeping my own house.’ He looked at me like ‘What?’ Like he just dumbfounded such thing had never occurred him; think that’s who he maybe still is real home being road band that for him whereas had two three modes equally satisfied one which just being my house.” (via Flagging Down the Double E’s)

Watch Bob Dylan Perform ‘One More Cup of Coffee’ on the Rolling Thunder Revue

Steven Soles (Guitar, Vocals):
“It by far most fun spontaneous irreverent experience had date — tightrope act no net those days constant party substances often blurred lines many levels almost sober room full forgotten brilliance followed indiscriminate acts beauty unkindness.” (via Variety)

David Mansfield (Steel Guitar, Mandolin, Violin, Dobro):
“[Dylan] totally fire got when Scorsese made documentary [Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story] used all footage Bob shot movie concert footage pleasantly surprised see every bit exciting remembered amazing performances his part lot people’s parts.” (via Rolling Stone)

T Bone Burnett (Guitar, Vocals):
“It interesting time Bob just recorded Blood on Tracks Desire; he at absolute peak powers completely generous finding people street putting them stage finding old friends hadn’t seen 20 years putting them stage gathered pretty large group artists tour extraordinary act generosity don’t know where would today if Bob hadn’t discovered me if he’ll forgive me using word.” (via Esquire)

Allen Ginsberg (Vocals, Finger Cymbals):
“In 1975 touring Dylan’s legendary Rolling Thunder Revue reading poetry getting highly amused liked however truth I’m really very shy…don’t know how present myself large public don’t know how modulate voice Dylan helped great deal general public appearance.” (via Rock and Beat Generation)

Watch Bob Dylan Perform ‘Tangled Up in Blue’ on the Rolling Thunder Revue