1984-1985

1984-1985
In 1984 and 1985 Dylan made himself more accessible to the media than ever before. With music videos, TV shows and press video cameras at gigs - Not to mention (and perhaps we shouldn't) Live Aid and the much better Farm Aid.

	28/2/84 - Grammy Awards '84 ** (5m) Bob joins Stevie Wonder to present an award. Very 'naff. There is also a short newsfilm clip of Dylan backstage with Wonder after the presentation.
	March 1984 - Infidels Promotional Video - ****1 song (5m) Jokerman. Much better. Overlaying the lyrics was a great idea. One of the very best Dylan video's. Check out Expecting Rain's feature on 'Jokerman*' for more info and stills.
	22/3/84 - David Letterman Show - Rehearsal ***4 songs+ (20m) I once knew a man/Licence to kill/Jokerman/Treat her right/My Guy Instrumental* Lively practice for what was to follow...
	22/3/84 - David Letterman Show - ***** - 3 songs (15m) Don't start me to talkin'/Licence to kill/Jokerman Mine (and others) favourite. Dylan shows what he can do when he's in the mood. Brilliant. click here for RealVideo clip
	28/5/84 - Tour Europeo - Arena Di Verona - Italian TV Documentary ** (35m) Jokerman/All Along The Watchtower (from 28/5) Like A Rolling Stone/The Times They Are A-Changin'/Blowin' In The Wind/Tomnstone Blues (from 29/5) Contains footage from the two Verona shows, the Sirmione Press Conference of the 28th and some 'walking round town surrounded by photographers' footage. Released as an 'official' video in Italy in 1989. click here for RealVideo clip
	31/5/84 - Hamburg TV News - *31/5/84 - Hamburg - 4 songs (20m) Like a rolling stone/Hattie Carroll/Blowin' in the wind/Tombstone blues* - Santana and Baez guest in this footage. Includes extracts from the earlier Press Conference.
	3/6/84 - Munich TV News - * 1 song (5m) "Blowin' in the wind" rounds off a TV special that focuses on the stage building and the audience. My copy only in B&W.
	7/6/84 - Brussels TV News - 2 songs (i) Clips from 'Tangled Up In Blue' and 'Like a Rolling Stone*' illustrate this short news piece on the Brussels show. My copy is B&W.
	9/6/84 - Gothenburg TV News - * 1 song (2m)(i) A few distant seconds of "Mr Tambourine Man" . Also news clips for concerts in Basel, Rome, Milan and Offenbach are available but I know nothing about them at the moment.
	17/6/84 - Antoines Descaines Interview - Nice, France - **** - (13m) Bob opens up (a little) to Antoines. One of the most watchable of the filmed Dylan interviews.
	28/6/84 - Barcelona - Spanish TV ***4 songs (20m) Rolling Stone/Mr Tambourine man/Don't think twice/Blowin' in the wind* Good performance, nicely shot for Spanish TV. With Carlos Santana on "Blowin'". A potted video history is shown over "Rolling Stone"
	5/7/84 - Newacatle - TV News (2m) Fragements of Jokerman* in two news segments covering the Newcastle show.
	7/7/84 - Martha Quinn MTV Interview - Backstage, Wembley Stadium ***(35m) Full tape of a friendly interview (only 2 minutes or so was actually shown on MTV). No major revalations, but Martha's a sweetie and Bob seems happy to chat.
	7/7/84 - Wembley Stadium - *(50m) Highway 61/Hard rain/It ain't me, babe/Leopardskin pill-box hat/It's all over now, baby blue/Tombstone blues/Senor/The times they are a-changin'/Blowin' in the wind* The MTV cameraman that filmed the Martha Quinn interview follows Dylan on to the stage for this film, shot mostly from the side or rear and with poor sound. Unsurprisingly, this has never been shown on TV.
	8/7/84 - Davey Hammond Interview - Irish TV - RTE2 - *(4m) Bob says some nice things about the Clancy Brothers for a Clancy Brothers documentary film, 'It's a long way from Tipperary and Armagh. The interview was filmed prior to the Slane concert which also became notorious for a drunken riot in a pub prior to the concert and attracted local and US news coverage. At one time officially released on video.
3 December 1984 - Release of 26th Album, Real Live
	28/1/85 - We are the World - Promotional Video - 1 song (6m) (53) Bob sings his two lines in the U.S. Band Aid song. The 20/20 documentary shown later in the year includes Bob in a few 'making of' scenes recording his lines.
8 June 1985 - Release of 27th Album, Empire Burlesque
	13/7/85 - Live Aid - *3 songs (15m) Ballad of Hollis Brown/When the ship comes in/Blowin' in the wind/We are the world* What could have been Bob's finest hour is marred by back-stage noise and poor support from Ron Wood and Keith Richards. Bob doesn't help by suggesting that some of the money go to help poor farmers in the US. He has the good sense to walk off half way through the finale.
	1985 - Sun City - Promotional Video*1 song (5m) Another fleeting appearance as Bob mumbles a couple of lines in the Steve Van Zandt anti-apartheid song.
	1985 - Empire Burlesque Promotional Video - 1 song (5m) Tight connection to your heart* Pretty awful, being so bad it's almost funny. In fact, I love it!
	22/8/85 - Promotional Video source film - *(100m) For masochists only. 100 minutes of out-takes of Bob and the band performing 'When the night comes falling from the sky' and 'Emotionally yours'. I've watched it so you don't have to. My copy fairly poor black & white.
	*22/8/85 - Empire Burlesque* Promotional Video - 1 song (6m) When the night comes falling from the sky Nothing special. Dave Stewart directs and features in this black and white performance promo.
	22/8/85 - Empire Burlesque Promotional Video - 1 song (5m) Emotionally yours* Another weak effort really, Ronie Wood joins in at the end.
	19/9/85 - 20/20 Bob Dylan TV Special - ABC-TV****(40m) This contains a nice interview at Dylan's home in Malibu for a special aired on 10 October 1985. Includes some LA Farm-Aid rehearsal footage, an out-take from 'Don't Look Back' and some 'making of' clips for the 'We are the world' song. A rare thing - a Bob Dylan documentary worth watching. The raw footage of the interview (around another half hour or so) is now also available.
	19/9/85 - Farm Aid Rehearsal - ***(40m) Petty, Dylan and the band run through a few numbers prior to Farm Aid. Some nice moments. Presumably shot by the 20/20 documentary crew?
	22/9/85 - Farm Aid - ***4 songs (20m) Shake/I'll remember you/Trust yourself/Maggie's farm* Farm Aid was a direct result of Dylan's comments at Live Aid. An all-star ensemble including Willie Nelson and Tom Petty. Apparently, "Clean cut kid" and "Lucky old sun" are also available, but 'zoomed out'. click here for RealVideo clip
	29/9/85 - Charles Young Interview - MTV ***(9m) A happy looking, relaxed Dylan chats amicably to Young about this and that. A pleasant piece of film.
	13/11/85 - Biograph Launch - New York *(5m) Tribute to Dylan's 25 years in the music industry. Compliments from Billy Joel and Roy Orbison shown on various TV News programmes. Bob is presented with a Woody Guthrie sketch and a commemorative disc.
	22/11/85 - Andy Kershaw Interview - Whistle Test - BBC TV **(10m) Dylan and Dave Stewart play instrumentals and Andy Kershaw asks some stupid questions. Bob puts up the shutters whilst Stewart steps in to explain the 'Live Aid' problems.