Bobtalk

December 1, 1978
Memphis, Tennessee
Mid-South Coliseum
Concert

Thank you. I don't know how many of you remember those old time carnivals that used to come through. In the 50’s, remember them? Every one of them used to have what they called a geek. Remember the geek? You know what a geek is? I’ll tell you. He’s a man, you pay 25 cents to see a geek in a sideshow. The man eats a live chicken. He bites its head off, finishes that. Then he proceeds to eat the rest of the live chicken. Heart, blood and everything. (voice in audience: Oh my God!). Anyway, this man, most people who travel in the carnival don't pay too much attention to him. He usually eats by himself, stays by himself. Anyway, I was talking one morning to the bearded lady. (…..). And she’s telling me that this geek...Charlie was his name…he was really very strange, but he used to think of other people as being very freaky. And she told me that and that just freaked me out. Anyway, that has always given me a lot of encouragement as I travel around the world, thinking what this person thinks and what that person thinks. (before Ballad Of A Thin Man)

Thank you. I was riding on a train one time from Mexico, up to San Diego. Anyway, I fell asleep on this train I woke up…at the time I woke up the train had stopped at a place called Monterey. And there was a family with about 15 children getting off the train and this old man was stepping up to get on to the train. So he was coming down the aisle, I was watching him through the glass, like a mirror. I’d seen him get on and watched this figure moving up the aisle. And he takes a seat across the aisle from me. I just couldn’t (…..) turned to look at him, he was about 150 years old and he was wearing a blanket. That's all he was wearing was a blanket. And I turned to look at him and I see his eyes were burning like they was on fire and there was smoke coming out of his nostrils. And I think, this is a man I wanted to talk to. (before Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power))

Thank you. They sang that so sweet. (after Rainy Day Women #12 & 35)

Thank you. All right, a few years ago I went over to the South of France. The day I was born it happens to be a high holy gypsy holiday. The gypsies all get together on that particular day and they, they have a party for about a week. It’s like Christmas time. And I went over and checked it out. And I was fortunate enough to meet the king of the gypsies over there. A young man with 16 wives and 125 children, I swear. And a lot of girlfriends too. Anyway, he took me under his wing and I stayed with them about a week and partied with them. At the end of that week I just…I’ve done just about everything two or three times and it was time for me to go, and they were going back home, where gypsies go. So he said, "What would you like?" as we were both going in different directions. He said "What would you like, Bob, (…..)?" I couldn't think of anything beside….I asked for one more cup of coffee (‘cause) I’d drunk so much of, that week. So they give it to me black. So I took it and headed on down the road to the valley below.

Ladies and gentlemen, on the drums tonight, give him a warm hand, from Kingston, Jamaica, Ian Wallace. On the bass guitar, Jerry Scheff. On the keyboards, from Trinidad, the one and only Alan Pasqua. All right. On the lead guitar, the oldest member of this group, born in 1921, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Billy Cross. The youngest member of this group, on the violin and the mandolin, sometimes electric lead guitar. Only fifteen years old, he's been with me now for five years. He doesn't smoke dope, drink whiskey, chase women. All that's gonna change tonight. David Mansfield. All right. On the rhythm guitar, a man from Bogota, Colombia. Doesn't speak any English, but he plays his heart out on the guitar, doesn't he? Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steven Soles. He gave up a career as a racing car driver to join this band. Now he drives the bus. On the tenor saxophone, a legend in his own time. A man who made many of Phil Spectors’ great records. Used to play with Duane Eddy. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steve Douglas. On the backup vocals tonight, three young ladies I just don't think I could do without anymore. They make me sound so good. I know I don't have the greatest voice in the world, but they make it better than it is. Anyway, Jo Ann Harris. All three of these girlfriends are my girlfriends. In the middle, Helena Springs. And on the left, Miss Carolyn Dennis. From Detroit, on the conga drums, also a legend in her own time, the most amazing Miss Bobbye Hall. We gotta get out of here pretty soon, so thank you for coming. (before It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding))

Thank you very much. We'll be back soon. I'm not ready to be put out to pasture yet, so we may be back sooner than you think. In the meantime, thanks for coming. Goodnight. (after Forever Young)

All right, thank you. Here's a song I took off an old Memphis Minnie record. (before I’ll Be Your Baby Tonight)

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