BOB DYLAN | NAT HENTOFF PLAYBOY INTERVIEW

Full-length recording of an interview Bob Dylan gave Nat Hentoff in the fall of 1965, intended for use in a feature in Playboy magazine. When the resultant interview was eventually published in early 1966, it bore no relation to the conversation captured here.
When Dylan saw the proofs of the edited transcript Hentoff had sent in, he didn't like them. According to Hentoff:
"The final set of proofs came to him after they messed with it in Chicago. I don’t know what they did but I think they put some words in his mouth. … I got a call and he was furious. I said, ‘Look, tell them to go to hell.’ … And he said, ‘No, I got a better idea. I’m gonna make one up.’ … [So] he made up an interview. I helped, I must say. Some of the good straight lines in there are mine, but … it was run as was with absolutely no indication it was a put-on."
Read more in JUDAS! by Clinton Heylin
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[@susanadiasjohnson457]

This is as utterly fascinating now as when he did it. His ideas are surprisingly normal perspectives on just about everything. What strikes me as rarest of all is Bob's humility. He comes across as an ordinary, normal, real person who lives in small-town America just like millions of us do. No inflated ego whatsoever.Thanks so much for sharing this with us.

[@walt359]

dylan himself has always been real,normal and ordinary. It were the people around him that hyped him and typed him etc..

[@jgwire]

I was thinking the same thing -- it's great when he has a good interviewer and he decides to loosen up and tell it like it is -- he's very honest, almost conscientious. -- Bob cares but acts blasé about it all. He just seems like a regular guy in the 60s.........What a treasure.

[@harrodsongs]

Dylan was 24 at the time of this interview. Hentoff was 40. This is fascinating stuff. RIP Nat Hentoff.

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[@susanadiasjohnson457]

Below, I wrote my response to Bob's ideas in this interview. Now I want to commend the interviewer for his low-key, relaxed, comfortable style. He keeps the interview going with a smooth flow for two hours, something I've never encountered before. He puts not one single piece of his ego into it, allowing Bob to be himself. His questions seem to come naturally from what Bob is saying, unrehearsed, unscripted. I recommend this wonderful video to those involved in radio, tv, and live broadcast communication. P.S. Full disclosure: I strongly disagree with some of his opinions, but am in admiration of his honesty and authenticity. He says someone can't change the world, yet Bob is a major game changer on Earth.

[@JJKronos123]

Yeah I think Bob Dylan just hates being on camera. He seems a lot chiller in this interview.

[@janepiepes2243]

I like this interview. Mr Hentoff isn't irritating and Mr dylan seems to be talking a lot ...which is so nice.

[@triciamoore106]

Great interview always good to hear BOB Dylan talk about his music very cleaver man thanks

[@irishelk3]

That was brilliant, thanks.

[@josephdimon3144]

Bob Dylan always sounds older than he is

[@zeldasmith6154]

Do you know who took his picture? I like it.

[@philchristensen2787]

Bob. He’s been our travel companion for many years, and I’m so glad.

[@1984stef1984]

I saw him in concert the same day the Chicago Cubs won the World Series. He didn't speak one word...But he didn't need to...

[@chrischenery6625]

This is in and under all the time

[@marylinangeloff2929]

True! I saw him the week after he won the Nobel, he had his back to audience and did his show and left…but he didn’t need to say anything. He’s not a mere mortal…

[@sandrawadsworth5173]

Dylan was and is so intelligent!❤️

[@Robertbrucelockhart]

That supposed picture of Dylan looks less like him than any I’ve ever seen.

[@kimvirginia6450]

yes, i’m confused by it

[@kimvirginia6450]

i agree, i’m confused by it

[@michaelcelani8325]

@@kimvirginia6450 It was after he had recovered from the motorcycle accident, and had lost some weight. Plus it is a 3/4 profile shot.

[@frederickpando9444]

His nose looks smaller. Dylan has a pronounced nose. In that photo it doesn't appear that he does.

[@Robertbrucelockhart]

@@frederickpando9444 exactly

[@6teezkid]

So funny. He had no idea that he'd end up playing country at times. Even wearing country outfits.

[@RickHeilmanPeacewarrior]

His song Desolation Row says it all. "The Circus is in Town."

[@octagonseventynine1253]

They’re painting the vaccine passports brown lol

[@iamjesuschristintheflesh5866]

This song is about me

[@allencollins6031]

@@octagonseventynine1253 u nailed it.

[@jgwire]

I've heard it -- but it didn't register. I'll take deeper dive into it. I liked the song....one of his best earliest effforts. @@allencollins6031

[@Anthony-hu3rj]

@@octagonseventynine1253 And now 3 years later what is on your mind?

[@jameskennedy721]

He is amazingly vague , and surprisingly shy and defensive .

[@verastiopul302]

Wow ,he is gorgeous, charming,funny,modeste, awesome artist

[@verastiopul302]

They have a ventilateur ,air conditioning or washing machine noise, can you take it of? 🎧

[@ThomasDeLello]

How many times did Bob Dylan say "you know" in this interview...???

[@gilchasin1022]

Well, y'know, whether or not we're the worse for it, y'know, i mean in yer opinion, y'know, that was the pause most of us of a certain age fell back on to y'know like gather our thoughts together or close or further distance with ourselves & whomever y'know we might have been taking with, y'know....Whatever.....uhm, came a little later... but certainly didn't prevent him from winning some minor awards, y'know, that I doubt you were ever in the running for, or y'know ever will be.... I mean, y'know.

[@ThomasDeLello]

@@gilchasin1022 I know...

[@drewaldrich711]

you know

[@Slinkygal]

@@gilchasin1022 I know what you mean, y'know.

[@DelsinM]

@@gilchasin1022 1,324

[@mariat4812]

Only interview with intelligent questions has been Martha Quinn mtv. Brilliant responses Bob.

[@kandiceblu1]

I agree with that.. he was smiling for most of that interview... and you never see that ..he was so relaxed and comfortable

[@verastiopul302]

I think he is like this now too ❤️🤠🤩

[@jgwire]

I agree, He's always just passing through.........

[@beesollom-yp1pp]

WHAT A GREAT TALENT INNOVATOR CREATOR THOUGHT PROGRESSIVE =====

[@Philosophy42DaysUth]

Bore no relation? Did they just use excerpts or redo the interview? :(

[@frederickpando9444]

Dylan rewrote his answers to the questions. I have a book on Dylan that has the feature articles from news papers and magazines from the 1960s up to the early 1970s. The book has the Playboy interview. Dylan's rewritten answers to the interview questions reads like a comedy routine.

[@Philosophy42DaysUth]

@@frederickpando9444 Wow! Very interesting!!!

[@Philosophy42DaysUth]

@@frederickpando9444 That shows Dylan had a lot of power, and Playboy didn't really have "journalistic integrity" -- not that they should have given what they were about, of course!

[@alanjudd7537]

​@@frederickpando9444 Yea' I agree' But Fred, as we, (Dare I say) ''Mature''?,,, We Often ''Change' and even ''Re'change, our sense of values, etc, especially if you have a Load of Decades under your (ever-expanding) Belt. or in Short Fred. One can For better or Worse ''Change One's Mind' Whenever We Like, Sometimes it is 'Subconscious'Other times' we have to make a conscious effort, to get where we want. early interviews esp' Dylan where So 'Stiff' and er, What do You call it Fred? Any One ???

[@Turtle152]

They did the 2nd interview because Dylan was given an advance copy of the first one, and was angry because they'd altered some of his statements.

[@beesollom-yp1pp]

BUDDY HOLLY PEGGY SUE I AM 9 YEARS OLD AT MY FRIENDS HOUSE 8AM IN THE MORNING WE ARE LISTENING TO THE RADIO ====== THE SOUND COMES THROUGH NEVER HEARD THIS KIND OF SOUND =====PUT MY BODY IN MODE OF MOVEMENT NEVER FELT BEFORE ====NEVER FORGET IT =====PEGGY SUE === THIS IS WHAT BOB WAS TAKING ABOUT ====THE MUSIC ====HE IS AWARE SOOOOOOO PRACTICAL HONEST TO THE CORE A REALIST A THINKER A INTELECTUAL OF A SORT ===A MODERN STUDS TURKEL AT THAT TIME=== "TRY TO HANDLE SOME ONE ELSE LIFE" ----IS WHAT HE SAYS IN ANOTHER WORDS IF YOU CAN NOT TAKE CARE OF YOUR SELF =====PLEASE DO NOT THINK YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF ANYBODY ELSE ======HE WAS NEVER A HIPPY ==NEVER THOUGHT THAT WAY=== A MIDWESTERN PRAGMATIC == QUITE COMICAL -----

[@cheryldanieri7359]

😏Bob in 1966 at Time Stamp 12:29 on LIVE AUDIO..That BADASS said 'PHUCK'💪

[@SuperManiacstudios]

"Amphetamine, she's got a real kick to her" - Kurt Vile

[@6teezkid]

I hate that he let Tambourine Man go to be recorded by that corny group.

[@elfinia]

Not so corny. The Byrds prettied the song up for the ladies :-)

[@rickheilman]

The Byrds did great covers and gave exposure to songs that helped guide my life. For years My Back Pages was probably one of my favorites by the group. My brother and sister are both fans of Dylan also.

[@maryoconnor9360]

If Dylan was angry about this interview - he had a good reason to be.... has anyone ever noticed that he doesn't over react at the drop of a hat..... without a substantial reason , ya know ?

[@jgwire]

No, I'm sorry , I don't know. Why would he be angry about this interview. He's rather cooperative and doesn't turn into a one word answering jerk. This guy is real -- of course he is -- WE are the ones making all the fuss. But he initiates it.

[@tallilaholzel4677]

Lieber Bob, es ist leider zu anstrengend, wenn man auch nur einiges verstehen will.

[@NotoriousLightning]

Ich bin Peter. Du bist Paul. Ich bin fleissigh. Du bist faul.

[@jnagarya519]

E-Gad -- interruped by a "Grammarly" ad.

[@johnholland723]

My dad used to say E-gad!".Thank you

[@strawberrycough22]

Just let him create Stop and wait

[@thomasminarchickjr.7355]

Playboy was supposed to be hip??? This guy interviewing Dylan sounds a million miles from hip.

[@gilchasin1022]

The tenor, so t speak, of the times was just shifting, in part due to Dylan. You don't know how difficult it was for true creativity to get heard or seen in that lily-white- label-you-a-commie-R-rigid- think-straight-world -- hmm, come to think of it still is, if the current state of the music industry, what passes for news or the reactionary voices of our Senate/Congress are any examples. Nat Hentoff was a great jazz critic who did his job admirably by helping to bridge cultural & generational gaps & by helping to bring Bob to a wider audience, however stiff he, Hentoff, comes off by 'hipness standards' & by current interview standards.

[@_Singularity_]

He conducts a good interview, especially compared to Dylan’s other interviewers of the period. Check out his interview with Klas Burling from the same year for an example

[@charold3]

No, Hentoff was a smart man, good writer, good journalist (in short supply today), though for whatever reason, this story was bungled, I understand.

[@jnagarya519]

You obviously know nothing about Nat Hentoff. Dylan probably had a choice of who would be the interviewer. Hentoff is an excellent choice. For one, at the time the general expectation was that pop stars had all the answers. For another, Hentoff wasn't in that category. Dylan from time to time goofed on the interviewer; "The Beatles" dealt with the bordom of nth-repeated dumb questions already answered a million times by goofing. In one interview, they were asked how they got the name "Beatles" -- and they responded, "We could have been called 'The Shoes'," which they then began discussing among themselves, as if it were serious. And Dylan doesn't impart much, if any, insight or wisdom: mostly, though, he's honest, regualrlay admitting, "I don't know," when that is that fact. One can get an idea of his thinking. But beyond that not much substance. Se the 1965 bSan Frncisco press conference: "I kind of think of myself as a song-and-dance man."

[@ajcarr1965]

Hentoff was jazz critic for the Village Voice for a very long time. He was a hipster who knew his way around the Village music scene long before Dylan got there.

[@strawberrycough22]

You're words are not importants

[@keithnoakes1316]

Dylan's lyrics were more significant than his music.

[@octagonseventynine1253]

I disagree. You can’t separate one from the other. Of all the covers of his songs only a handful of them beat the originals.

[@janepiepes2243]

I, also, disagree. Imo, his music is clever, beautiful, charismatic and as I have basically informally " proven, " his music is Danceable. Try to think of each song that comes to your mind...or systematically look them up. Can you dance to that song.? Actually, it's gonna be tricky to find one that is Not danceable. He has rythmn, melody, and harmony in his bones, imo. He is ... The Song and Dance Man.

[@gilchasin1022]

@@octagonseventynine1253 if even a handful!

[@octagonseventynine1253]

@@gilchasin1022 only the Hendrix one comes to mind right away, I love the Manfred Mann version of Mighty Quinn too

[@Y-two-K]

I think his music is great but his lyrics are phenomenal.

[@iamjesuschristintheflesh5866]

I can save their souls