THE 'REEL' BOB DYLAN DRUMMER FINDS HOME FOOTAGE OF HISTORIC '66 TOUR.Byline: Dana Bartholomew Staff Writer SIMI VALLEY - The boos began after the opening snare shot by Bob Dylan drummer Mickey Jones. Then came the catcalls cat·call n. A harsh or shrill call or whistle expressing derision or disapproval. v. cat·called, cat·call·ing, cat·calls v.tr. To express derision or disapproval of with catcalls. v. . The foot stomps. The jeers jeer v. jeered, jeer·ing, jeers v.intr. To speak or shout derisively; mock. v.tr. To abuse vocally; taunt: jeered the speaker off the stage. . Finally, from a balcony, came the shout heard round the rock 'n' roll rock 'n' roll: see rock music. world: ``Judas!'' Dylan had abandoned his acoustic guitar for an electric - considered a sin by folk music purists. The day: May 17, 1966. The site: the Manchester Free Trade Hall, England, known as ``the scene of the crime.'' The moment: the most raucous night of Dylan's first electric world tour. That tour, now heralded in a documentary of Jones' unreleased home movies, is the buzz of Dylan fandom. The 91-minute ``1966 World Tour, The Home Movies,'' will screen Nov. 16 at the University of Judaism and be followed by a re-creation of the immortal Manchester show. ``Boy, I tell you what, when I slammed that snare drum to kick off 'Tell Me Mama,' the place went crazy,'' recalled Jones, 61, now an actor living in Simi Valley. ``It was a reckoning - there was such fury, anger. ``And now we consider it the greatest rock 'n' roll tour in history.'' His footage of the frowzy frow·zy also frow·sy adj. frow·zi·er also frow·si·er, frow·zi·est also frow·si·est 1. Unkempt; slovenly: frowzy clothes; a frowzy professor. 2. headed troubadour troubadour One of a class of lyric poets and poet-musicians, often of knightly rank, that flourished from the 11th through the 13th century, chiefly in Provence and other regions of southern France, northern Spain, and northern Italy. almost never came to light. Jones, a rough-hewn actor known for such roles as Peter Bilker on the ABC-TV series ``Home Improvement,'' was rummaging through his garage and stumbled upon three 8mm movie reels he shot from Hawaii to London to New York City New York City: see New York, city. New York City City (pop., 2000: 8,008,278), southeastern New York, at the mouth of the Hudson River. The largest city in the U.S. . ``We struck gold,'' said Dylan disciple Joel Gilbert, who plays Dylan with the Thousand Oaks-based Highway 61 Revisited, a tribute band featured in the film and its scheduled screening this month. ``I was ecstatic.'' The resulting film, interspersed by commentary from Dylan's rapid-fire drummer, offers an intimate peek into a cataclysmic cat·a·clysm n. 1. A violent upheaval that causes great destruction or brings about a fundamental change. 2. A violent and sudden change in the earth's crust. 3. A devastating flood. period of rock 'n' roll history. There's Dylan, in shades, on a private tour of Hamlet's Castle in Denmark. Or Dylan and his baby-faced band greeted by worshipful wor·ship·ful adj. 1. Given to or expressive of worship; reverent or adoring. 2. Chiefly British Used as a respectful form of address. fans in Ireland. Or Dylan mesmerizing mes·mer·ize tr.v. mes·mer·ized, mes·mer·iz·ing, mes·mer·iz·es 1. To spellbind; enthrall: "He could mesmerize an audience by the sheer force of his presence" audiences from Brisbane to Stockholm on his solo acoustic guitar prior to electrifying e·lec·tri·fy tr.v. e·lec·tri·fied, e·lec·tri·fy·ing, e·lec·tri·fies 1. To produce electric charge on or in (a conductor). 2. a. performances with the band of such numbers as ``Like a Rolling Stone.'' For folk fans, Dylan was a sell-out. But for those plugging in to the British rock 'n' roll invasion, Dylan become the world's coolest man. ``He couldn't wait to get the acoustic guitar off his neck,'' said Jones. ``He'd put that black (electric guitar) around his neck, he was like a changed person - he was stalking, he was like a caged animal in the dressing room. He couldn't wait to get out there.'' Historian C.P. Lee of the University of Salford The University of Salford is a university situated in the city of Salford in Greater Manchester, England, United Kingdom. It was founded in 1896 as the Royal Salford Technical Institute, and gained its Royal Charter and full university status in 1967. in Manchester, England, said Jones' movies offer a fresh take on a tumultuous period. ``To my way of thinking, it's better than writing a diary,'' he told one reporter. Pete Howard, a Dylan historian and editor and publisher of ICE magazine in Santa Monica, said Jones offers an insightful and colorful memoir of the rush of hotel rooms, airports and European concert stages that included billing with the Beatles in 1964. ``It's certainly the popular buzz,'' he said. ``The Dylan community is really excited about it because it forms the most significant portion of his entire career on the most significant tour in world history.'' Agent Elliott Mintz, who represents Dylan, could not be reached for comment. Jones, a Texas native, launched his professional career as a pompadoured drummer with Trini Lopez (``If I Had a Hammer''), and Johnny Rivers, recording such hits as ``Maybelline'' and ``Secret Agent Man.'' But then Dylan heard his telltale bass drum thump at The Whiskey-A-Go-Go and tapped him to join the Hawks - later to become The Band - on an electric tour of the world. ``You gotta remember, I was not only Bob's drummer, I was Bob's fan. Many times I would go out with my movie camera and shoot part of his acoustic set and I would get lost watching Bob perform ... unbelievable.'' At the end of the tour, Dylan called and told Jones he'd broken his neck in a motorcycle crash near his Woodstock home. And Jones, disenchanted dis·en·chant tr.v. dis·en·chant·ed, dis·en·chant·ing, dis·en·chants To free from illusion or false belief; undeceive. [Obsolete French desenchanter, from Old French, by the band's drug use, called it quits. After hitting the skins for a decade with Kenny Rogers and The First Edition, he pursued an acting career that has included parts in ``Sling Blade,'' ``Best Little Whorehouse in Texas'' and the TV hit ``M*A*S*H.'' The screening of his world tour film will urge audiences to heckle heck·le tr.v. heck·led, heck·ling, heck·les 1. To try to embarrass and annoy (someone speaking or performing in public) by questions, gibes, or objections; badger. 2. To comb (flax or hemp) with a hatchel. the band just as it did in 1966 within the dingy dingy used as a description of fleece wool; the wool is lacking in brightness. Manchester concert hall, when Dylan rebuked his ``Judas'' tormentor by saying, ``You're a liar, I don't believe you.'' ``We'd have the biggest laughs when we'd hear them boo,'' said Jones. ``The more they booed, the heavier my right foot got.'' IF YOU GO: Mickey Jones' ``1966 World Tour, The Home Movies'' will be shown at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 16 in the Gindi Auditorium at the University of Judaism, 15600 Mulholland Drive, Bel-Air. Tickets are $20. For information, call (310) 440-1547, or go to www.1966tourhomemovies.com. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1 -- 2; 1 color only) Actor/musician Mickey Jones, above, holds an 8mm movie reel containing footage he shot while drumming with Bob Dylan during the musician's famous 1966 electric world tour, below. The footage has been turned into a documentary. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer Box: IF YOU GO (see text) |
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