‎50 years ago today, quite a culture-chamging event happened in Britain. In the depths of the Great Snows of 62/63, while we all froze and huddled in bed in duffle-coats, the BBC broadcast the play Madhouse in Castle Street. And those who had heard the buzz turned on the TV and watched it, and saw Bob Dylan for the first time singing Blowing in the Wind(unless you'd been in the right little gig in the right Londaon pub a few weeks previously). Fantastic. (A few years later, in spite of Dylan, and the fact that the very trendy David Warner was in it) the BBC in its infinite wiasdom wiped the tapes. I thank my lucky stars I watched it at the time. The ripples spread swiftly from it, Dylan wannabees sprung up like toadstools in all the clubs, and music started to change, swiftly and perceptibly. Bliss was it in that dawn to be alive.
And coincidentally, as a coincidental treat, we have this had Martin Carthy on Desert Island Discs on Radio 4, reminiscing about that era and Dylan's visit very eloquently. Including the piano-burning story!