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Bob Dylan's Big Freeze

The story of Bob Dylan's very first trip to London during the freezing winter of 1962-3. Presented by Bob Harris and first broadcast on Radio 2 in 2008.

Bob Harris tells the story of Bob Dylan's extraordinary two month stay in London during the freezing winter of 1962-3. We hear from the people who bumped into him and sent him on his way, from the folk clubs of Accrington to the tailors of Carnaby Street.

In the summer of 1962, Dylan had been spotted by Ö÷²¥´óÐã director Phillip Saville in a Greenwich Village basement and invited over to appear in Evan Jones's play, Madhouse On Castle Street. Receiving a fee of 500 guineas, Dylan duly flew to London to star alongside David Warner.

While he was in London, Dylan stayed with Martin Carthy, who remembers chopping up a piano for firewood during that long cold winter! While in London, Dylan became a regular figure on the burgeoning folk club circuit.

Eventually, under the pseudonym of Blind Boy Grunt, Dylan also cut an LP, recorded in basement of Dobell's record shop on Charing Cross Road with the help of a crate of Guinness.

Dylan's eight week stay resulted in a burst of original songs (including Don't Think Twice It's Alright, Bob Dylan's Dream) which were heavily influenced by his exposure to traditional English folk.

First broadcast on Radio 2 in November 2008,and repeated to complement the 6 Music Michael Kiwanuka Artist Collection.

1 hour

Last on

Tue 18 May 2021 00:00

Music Played

  • Bob Dylan

    Handsome Molly

    • Gaslight Tapes.
    • Compact Collect.
    • 7-6025.
  • Bob Dylan

    Sally Gal

    • Blind Boy Grunt.
    • Trade Mark Of Quality.
    • TMQ 73007.
  • Bob Dylan

    THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND

    • NO DIRECTION HOME.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • C2K = 93937.
  • Bob Dylan

    BLOWIN IN THE WIND

    • THE FREEWHEELIN BOB DYLAN.
    • CBS.
    • CD-32390.
  • Bob Dylan

    I WAS YOUNG WHEN I LEFT HOME

    • no direction home.
    • columbia.
    • 520-3582.
  • Susan Maughan

    BOBBY'S GIRL

    • HIT GIRLS OF THE 60'S IT'S MY PARTY.
    • PICKWICK.
    • PWKS-121.
  • Bob Dylan

    DON'T THINK TWICE IT'S ALL RIGHT

    • THE FREEWHEELIN BOB DYLAN.
    • CBS.
    • CD-32390.
  • Davey Graham

    ANGI

    • THE FOLK COLLECTION.
    • TOPIC.
    • TSCD-707/8.
  • Bob Dylan

    Dink's Song

    • No Direction Ö÷²¥´óÐã: The Soundtrack (A Martin Scorsese Picture).
    • Columbia.
    • COL 520358 2.
  • Bob Dylan

    Talkin' John Birch Paranoid Blues

    • Dylan Live 1964.
    • Columbia.
    • Columbia-2232358.
  • Bob Dylan

    Sally Gal

    • Blind Boy Grunt.
    • Trade Mark Of Quality.
    • TMQ 73007.
  • Bob Dylan

    Rambler, Gambler

    • NO DIRECTION HOME BOOTLEG SERIES VOL.7.
    • COLUMBIA/LEGACY.
    • COL-5203582.
  • Bob Dylan

    Bob Dylan's Dream.

    • THE FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN.
    • CBS.
    • CDCBS-32390.
  • Ramblin’ Jack Elliott

    1913 Massacre

    • HARD TRAVELIN' SONGS.
    • FANTASY.
    • N/A-01.
  • Bob Dylan

    Bob Dylan's Dream.

    • THE FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN.
    • CBS.
    • CDCBS-32390.
  • Bob Dylan

    Masters of War

    • The Freewheelin Bob Dylan.
    • CBS.
    • CD-32390.
  • Bob Dylan

    Sally Gal

    • Blind Boy Grunt.
    • Trade Mark Of Quality.
    • TMQ 73007.
  • Bob Dylan

    A HARD RAIN'S A-GONNA FALL

    • THE FREEWHEELIN' BOB DYLAN.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • CD-32390.
  • Martin Carthy

    LORD FRANKLIN

    • A COLLECTION.
    • TOPIC.
    • TSCD-750.
  • Martin Carthy

    SCARBOROUGH FAIR

    • A Collection.
    • Topic.
    • TSCD-750.
  • Bob Dylan

    GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY

    • THE FREEWHEELIN'.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • 512348-2.
  • Bob Dylan

    BOOTS OF SPANISH LEATHER

    • THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • 5198922-NA.
  • Bob Dylan

    THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING

    • THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING.
    • CBS.
    • CBS-462448 2/B.
  • Bob Dylan

    With God On Our Side

    • THE TIMES THEY ARE A-CHANGIN'.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • 5198922-NA.
  • Bob Dylan

    Honey, Just Allow Me One More Chance

    • THE FREEWHEELIN BOB DYLAN.
    • CBS.
    • CD-32390.
  • Bob Dylan, Eric Von Schmidt & Richard Fariña

    CHRISTMAS ISLAND

    • MIDWINTER.
    • FREE REED.
    • FRCD-31.
  • Bob Dylan

    DON'T THINK TWICE IT'S ALL RIGHT

    • THE FREEWHEELIN BOB DYLAN.
    • CBS.
    • CD-32390.
  • Bob Dylan

    BLOWIN IN THE WIND

    • THE FREEWHEELIN BOB DYLAN.
    • CBS.
    • CD-32390.
  • Bob Dylan

    THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING

    • THE TIMES THEY ARE A CHANGING.
    • COLUMBIA.
    • CD-32021.
  • Bob Dylan

    Blowin' In The Wind

    • The Best Of Bob Dylan.
    • Columbia.
  • Bob Dylan

    The Times They Are A-Changin' 

    • Columbia.

Broadcasts

  • Tue 25 Nov 2008 22:30
  • Sun 20 Nov 2011 03:00
  • Fri 6 Jun 2014 01:00
  • Christmas Day 2015 23:00
  • Wed 9 Dec 2020 03:00
  • Tue 18 May 2021 00:00