On June 5, 1965, Joan Baez played a speÂcial conÂcert at the BBC TeleÂviÂsion TheÂatre in ShepÂherd’s Bush, LonÂdon. Although her fame at the time was newÂly eclipsed by that of her recentÂly estranged lover Bob Dylan, Baez was very much in her prime.
The conÂcert was recordÂed less than a month after Dylan’s 1965 tour of EngÂland, chronÂiÂcled in D.A. PenÂnebakÂer’s film Don’t Look Back, in which Dylan failed to invite Baez onstage despite the fact that she had introÂduced him to nationÂal audiÂences in AmerÂiÂca.
Baez plays sevÂerÂal Dylan songs in the BBC conÂcert, along with othÂer folk and pop songs from her reperÂtoire. IncludÂed is Baez’s first hit sinÂgle, her verÂsion of the Phil Ochs song “There but for ForÂtune,” which was released the same month in AmerÂiÂca but would not come out in the UK until the folÂlowÂing month. The conÂcert was origÂiÂnalÂly broadÂcast by the BBC as two sepÂaÂrate half-hour speÂcials, both endÂing with the clasÂsic French love song “Plaisir d’amour.” Baez’s mothÂer Joan Senior, or “Big Joan” as she was called (and who died this month at the age of 100), can be seen in the backÂground at the 33:30 and 104:43 marks applaudÂing and smilÂing proudÂly. The set list for the two back-to-back proÂgrams is:
- “I’m a RamÂbler, I’m a GamÂbler”
- “There but for ForÂtune”
- “CopÂper KetÂtle”
- “Mary HamilÂton”
- “Don’t Think Twice, it’s Alright”
- “I’m TrouÂbled and I Don’t Know Why”
- “We Shall OverÂcome”
- “With God on Our Side”
- “Plaisir d’amour”
- “SilÂver DagÂger”
- “Oh FreeÂdom”
- “She’s a TrouÂbleÂmakÂer”
- “The UnquiÂet Grave”
- “It Ain’t Me Babe”
- “Isn’t it Grand”
- “500 Miles”
- “Te Ador/Ate AmanÂha”
- “Plaisir d’amour”
RelatÂed conÂtent:
Joan Baez PerÂforms at Age 17
Two LegÂends TogethÂer: A Young Bob Dylan Talks and Plays on The Studs Terkel ProÂgram, 1963
Bob Dylan Shares a Drug-Hazed Taxi Ride with John Lennon (1966)
lifeÂtime away from rolling thunÂder ! Many lost souls in between !