Bob Dyan first radio interview

 with Oscar Brand on Folk Song Festival for WNYC, October 29, 1961

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DYLAN PERFORMS "SALLY GAL"

 BOB DYLAN:
I learned it from a farmer in South Dakota, and he played the autoharp. His name is Wilbur. Met him outside of Sioux Falls when I was there visiting... people an' him... and heard him do it...
I was looking through  a book one time, I saw the same song and I remembered the way he did it. So this is the song.

OSCAR BRAND:
Thank you, Bob Dylan, for "Sally Gal," and we expect you back before the end of tonight's "Folksong Festival."

-- BREAK IN TAPE --

OSCAR BRAND:
... return to our guest this evening. His name is Bob Dylan, and November the 4th he will be at Carnegie Chapter Hall in a very exciting concert of songs that he's collected since his first days when he was born in Minnesota. And then he went down to the Southwest, he traveled around the country with carnivals, and as we heard earlier he's collected a lot of many songs from many people.

Bob, I know that that means, when you travel that much that you hear a lot of songs. But doesn't it also mean that you forget a lot of songs that way?

BOB DYLAN:
Oh, yeah... I learned... I forgot quite a few, I guess, an' once I'd... when I forgot 'em, I usually heard the name of 'em and looked 'em up in some book an' learned 'em again.

OSCAR BRAND:
Can you read music?

BOB DYLAN:
No, I can't, but this here song's a good example. I learned it from a farmer in South Dakota, and he played the autoharp. His name is Wilbur. Met him outside of Sioux Falls when I was there visiting... people an' him... and heard him do it... I was looking through a book one time, I saw the same song and I remembered the way he did it. So this is the song.

DYLAN PERFORMS "THE GIRL I LEFT BEHIND"

OSCAR BRAND:
Thank you very much, Bob Dylan. And very best of luck on your concert, November 4th, at Carnegie Chapter Hall, in which I know that, as your audience realizes, there'll be a lot of exciting material new and beautifully presented. And thanks very much Israel Young of the  Folklore Center for bringing Bob down and for sponsoring the concert he's gonna have, too.