Memories of past life - Bob Dylan

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I am not one of those people that kiss and tell. I respect the artists I have work with even if some of them have not been as friendly as they could be. Bob Dylan was not one of them; his professionalism and warm heartedness endeared him to everyone.

Arriving from England to make two Bob Dylan music videos in Los Angeles I was excited to work with such a great musician. They were ‘When the Night comes Falling from the Sky’ and ‘Emotionally Yours’. The production company had made base camp at United Methodist Church on Highland just below the Hollywood Bowl. Filming was to start on Cherokee Avenue just off Hollywood Boulevard. Just before Bob Dylan arrived for the scene I had entered a store selling nuts and dried fruit. The owner a tall thin man with an enormous black moustache was obviously not happy with a film crew outside his store. We had a permit to shoot on the street but the production company hadn’t given any under the table money to the store owners. I asked the angry store owner, “Do you have Brazil nuts?” His response was to pull out from under the counter a large black handgun and ordered me to be out of his store. Shaking and obviously white with fear I told the police officer that we had hired for the day. He placed his hand on his gun in its holster and began to walk towards the store. I thought I had walked onto a western movie set. Stopping a few feet in front of he turned and said in a deep base voice, “Did he shoot you?” Still shaking my legs feeling weak I said “no”. He gave a laugh and replied, “That okay then welcome to America.”

After we had shot the scene in the street it was time to take Bob Dylan back to base camp. The problem was the car designated to him had disappeared. Rather than wait for the car to arrive, Bob Dylan decided to walk instead. Since it was only two blocks away he set off strumming his guitar. Hollywood Boulevard was busy with tourist who couldn’t believe that this legendary music icon was just walking down the street playing his guitar. One-man mouth open in amazement walked into a plate glass door while staring at Bob. Several teenagers on bikes passed by. One recognized Bob Dylan and turned to shout at his friends. A car had stopped on the street the driver taking a picture of Bob. The man’s fall backwards was worthy of the great comedic actor Buster Keaton in one of his films. The impression of the man’s face smeared across the glass door. The Bike rider didn’t see the car and hit the back of the car falling off his bike. The rider’s friends circled the fallen bike rider on the floor. They were laughing at the prostrate cyclist. Bob was totally unaware he had caused so much chaos. Lost in his music as he walked back to safety of the base camp. Oh why didn’t I bring the cameraman with me?


When the night comes falling from the sky

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M2tIj4Jd_R0&feature=fvsr

Emotionally Yours

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=giidVZLhYAc

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