Summary
Bob Dylan performed on the Dave Letterman Show three times. One of them is Dylan's all-time worst video performance and one of them is his best.
Bob Dylan performed on the Dave Letterman Show three times. One of them is Dylan’s all-time worst video performance, and one of them is his best.
By Stephen Pate – Updated January 27, 2024 – I felt a wave of nausea wash over me as I watched the infamous Letterman 10th Anniversary performance by Bob Dylan. The rendition of “Like A Rolling Stone” was nothing short of a train wreck, and it all seemed to stem from Paul Schaffer’s overblown arrangement that never entirely synchronized with Dylan’s style.
Bob Dylan had always disdained television appearances, and for good reason. He detested unauthorized videos of his performances circulating on the internet, as who would want to see themselves at their worst? But on February 6, 1992, he was talked into appearing on Dave Letterman’s 10th Anniversary show, perhaps against his better judgment.
Late Night With Dave Letterman 10th Anniversary 1992
On February 6, 1992, Dylan was talked into appearing for Dave Letterman’s 10th Anniversary show. He should have insisted on pre-recording the spot with his band.
In hindsight, Dylan should have insisted on pre-recording the performance with his band. Studio bands, with the possible exception of Jimmy Fallon’s and the SNL house band, often seemed to stifle the raw essence of rock and roll artists when performing live. The house band and the network’s sound engineers and anemic mixes had a knack for making things worse.
I re-watched the performance as I pondered whether Dylan was being intentionally difficult or if something else was at play. The issue became glaringly apparent: Paul Schaffer. With his over-energetic, grinning bandleader persona, he seemed to pump the song with all his might. The band and backup singers followed Paul’s lead, while Dylan appeared lost in the chaos. As Mavis Staples belted out a gospel coda under Schaffer’s direction, Dylan stood there, wearing a bewildered expression that seemed to ask, “What was that?”
I couldn’t help but give a special shout-out to Carole King, who played the piano with the enthusiasm of a blonde pixie bouncing off the bench.
Though individually brilliant, this all-star ensemble of musicians appeared to have forgotten how to follow the singer instead of the bandleader for that one ugly song. Dylan had refused to rehearse with this big band, asserting, “I don’t need this band to play my music. Me, I got four pieces. That’s all I need. All this other stuff don’t make no sense.” Dylan was right, but Schaffer and his manager, Jeff Kramer, managed to talk him into it. Paul Schaffer had a knack for surrendering the groove to bombast whenever he got the chance, always eager to prove his coolness.
Dylan was right, but Schaffer and his manager, Jeff Kramer, talked him into it. Paul Schaffer surrenders the groove to brag when he gets a chance. He’s Mr. Showman out to prove he’s cool.
“Like A Rolling Stone” by Bob Dylan, Late Night with Dave Letterman
In his book, Schaffer claimed, “Dylan loves me.” But despite the presence of an all-star lineup of exceptional musicians, many of whom had previously played with Dylan, including Chrissie Hynde, Jim Keltner, Roseanne Cash, and Anton Fig, “Like A Rolling Stone” came off as a parody.
The 1992 band included Chrissie Hynde on guitar, Steve Vai on guitar, Carole King on keyboards, Edgar Winter on horns, Jim Keltner on drums, and a backup vocal lineup featuring Roseanne Cash, Nancy Griffith, Emmylou Harris, Michelle Shocked, and Mavis Staples, not to mention the James Brown horn section. Paul Shaffer played keyboards, Sid McGinnis on guitar, Will Lee on bass, Anton Fig on drums, and Doc Severinsen on trumpet.
Dylan and Letterman 1984
In contrast, the 1984 Letterman performance of “Jokerman” with “Don’t Start Me Talkin” was miles ahead of the 1992 debacle. The band, mainly consisting of The Plugz (Justin Poskin, Justin Jesting, Tony Marsico, and Charlie Quintana), had jammed with Dylan for almost a year before backing him on Letterman. The performance flowed seamlessly, with Dylan delivering an improvised harp solo that added to the magic.
Revision – A fascinating side note came from Charlie Quintana, drummer of The Plugz, who revealed that they had jammed in Dylan’s home studio for a year without pay or a clear understanding of why Dylan had invited them. Then, seemingly out of the blue, they received a call from Dylan’s management and were whisked away to NYC, put up in a fancy hotel, and escorted to NBC Studio to perform. Dylan even surprised the band with the setlist, putting everyone on edge, including himself, when he started playing the wrong harp. Nevertheless, it was still a captivating television moment.
Letterman and Dylan 1993
In 1993, Dylan returned to Letterman with his band a year earlier to deliver a flawless rendition of “Forever Young.” With only a Hammond organ and the ever-energetic Paul Schaffer, who tried to outplay Dylan, Dylan was in control this time, and the performance was nothing short of priceless.
“Forever Young” by Bob Dylan, Late Night with Dave Letterman
If you’re a fan of Dylan’s band-style performances, I highly recommend watching the excellent DVD “Bob Dylan: Unplugged,” recorded in 1994. The songs featured on this DVD showcased Dylan’s exceptional vocal performances, and he managed to create a fantastic groove with his mostly unplugged band. I’ve enjoyed this performance on both LaserDisc and DVD, which never fails to impress.
Bob Dylan MTV Unplugged song list
Tracklist with original release album dates:
1: Tombstone Blues
2: Shooting Star
3: All Along the Watchtower
4: The Times They Are A-Changin’
5: John Brown
6: Desolation Row
7: Rainy Day Women # 12 & 35
8: Love Minus Zero / No Limit
9: Dignity
10: Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door
11: Like a Rolling Stone
12: With God on Our Side
Terance Wright
I was at the Letterman 10th anniversary dress rehearsal. The band was so loud that you couldn’t hear Dylan. The song was half over until I realized what they were doing. It even sounded worse when the show aired. It wasn’t all Paul Shaffer’s fault. On the aired version they brought Bob’s voice upfront and he sounded terrible, was he bad on purpose? Would he do that on national TV? Who knows.
Stephen Pate
Thanks for sharing that.
Jairo Jairosoft Moreno
Actually that “Like A Rolling Stone” with that huge lineup of stars thanks to Paul Schaffer doesn’t sound that bad. Perhaps Bob started off with less enthusiasm than expected, he certainly couldn’t generate as much enthusiasm and animation as Paul Schaffer. But Bob gradually got stronger and stronger and finished well. It’s that kind of song anyway, you can’t really start off strong and expect to sustain it throughout the song, so it’s probably best to start off relaxed and build up to the crescendo. It’s a fairly long song with lyrics that require expressing, and why have him sing it note for note like it’s in the recording. He phrases and adjusts the melody differently each time he sings it, or at least it seems like that.
Tots McGee
Paul definitely didn’t coerce Bob into not speaking english for the 10th year anniversary performance. I actually think it’s a beautiful performance. The contrast between an overly energetic cheery Paul + band & a sloppy despondent Bob is truly one of a kind. It’s clearly not pleasing for everyone, but I think this was comparable to a talented painter making a modern masterpiece simply by splattering parting on a canvas.
Stephen Pate
Thanks for your comment. Terance Wright’s comment helps to make sense of the mess. Thanks also for bringing me back to this story because the video link was bad and I’d learned more about The Plugz backing since Charlie Quintana died.
There is so much to learn about Dylan in his super long career.
Mike B
I like the 1992 performance. What I don’t like is all the shots you take at Paul Shaffer. he is a distinguished graduate of the best school of music in Canada, a huge fan of Bob Dylan, a fellow Jew, and as far as I can see, he did a super job of having all the components in place and operating in a coordinated manner. Who knows why Mavis Staples did what she did at the end? Perhaps if Dylan had attended the rehearsal with the other musicians, the result might have been different. For me, I like it just fine the way it is.
Stephen Pate
Thanks for your comment. There is no racial bias in my comments. Both Dylan and Shaffer are Jews but that irrelevant to the music. Dylan refused to rehease on purpose.