The “Corny” Anthem of the 1960s That Paul McCartney Loved

Just because something is corny doesn’t mean that it’s not good, and no musician can attest to that more than Paul McCartney. Famously the Beatle who enjoyed writing “granny s***”, as John Lennon called it, McCartney has often explored campy storylines, sounds, and styles in his music. Unsurprisingly, the music he latched on to in the 1960s while he was writing some of his granny-est, corniest music was music he would also consider a little bit nerdy, maybe even the slightest bit obvious—including when it came to his favorite Bob Dylan song.

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Speaking to Mojo magazine, McCartney listed “Mr. Tambourine Man” as Dylan’s best. “I know it’s corny,” the musician began. “But I heard him do it at the Albert Hall, and I was aching for him to do it. Knowing Dylan, I thought he might not do it. Just to be awkward, just to be perverse. It was the infamous show where all the folkies thought he’d sold out.”

McCartney watched Dylan perform at the Royal Albert Hall on May 9, 1965, after a day of filming Help! with The Beatles. Just as the Fab Four member hoped, Dylan included “Mr. Tambourine Man” as the final song of the first set. Other songs in the first half of the show included “The Times They Are a-Changin’”, which was his opener, “To Ramona”, and “It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)”.

Paul McCartney Might Be Mixing Up Two Bob Dylan Concerts

Though historical records verify that The Beatles watched Bob Dylan at the Royal Albert Hall in early May 1965, this would have been two months before Dylan officially went electric at the Newport Folk Festival. While speaking to Mojo, McCartney mentions watching Dylan play the first half of his show as an acoustic solo act and the second half with a full, electric band. Concert records confirm Dylan was still exclusively performing folk music at the time.

Moreover, it wasn’t until the following May of 1966 that the really infamous “Judas” moment occurred. But that wasn’t at Royal Albert Hall, it was at the Free Trade Hall in Manchester.

Nevertheless, McCartney recalled seeing people up in arms about Dylan’s music. And frankly, given the stature of the venue he was performing in, it’s likely that some of the more DIY-minded folkies would consider Albert Hall to be selling out, acoustic or otherwise. “Somebody starts going, ‘He’s deserted the folk world!’” McCartney told Mojo. “Yeah, no wonder. Look at you, mate.”

McCartney said that the concert was the first time he ever heard Dylan perform “Mr. Tambourine Man” live. “A really good song,” he said. “Very much of the period. Totally nailed that year. I was lucky to be there.”

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