Bobtalk

November 26, 1978
Houston, Texas
The Summit
Concert

In the Midwest in the 50’s they used to have carnivals that came through town. Every carnival had what they would call a geek. You know what a geek is? I’m gonna tell you what a geek is. A geek is a man who eats a live chicken. He bites the head off, eats that. He eats the rest of it, heart, liver, everything. It cost a quarter to see this man, and he sweeps up all the feathers with a broom. Anyway he was low down. He's not just funky, real low down. Anyway I was having breakfast one day with the bearded lady. She was telling me this man was very strange indeed because he used looked at everyone else, who were coming to see him as being freaks. You don't know who’s comin to see him next time. I’ve always remembered that as I travel here and there. (before Ballad Of A Thin Man)

Thank you. I was riding on a train one time, from Mexico to San Diego. I fell asleep one whole day and then I woke up. And I was dreaming the train was at Monterey. This family was getting off the train with about fifteen children and all. I was looking through the glass and it was like a mirror, you know. And I saw this old man get on the train He sat down next to me on the other side of the aisle. Wearing a blanket. Anyway I took a glance at him, I could seed both his eyes, they were burning like they were on fire and there was smoke coming out of his nostrils. I said this is the man I want to talk to. Anyway I looked at him again, trying to find something to say. (before Señor (Tales Of Yankee Power))

Thank you. Well about four years ago on the day I was born happened to be a high holy gypsy holiday. So I went over to check it out. The gypsies have a party for a week, in the South of France. Well I went because I had nothing else to do, and I partied for a week. So I met the king of the gypsies there. He was a young man with 16 wives and 120 children. So after this week of partying with the gypsies, it was time to go our separate ways. And ... I'll never forget this one man played Russian Roulette with five bullets in the chamber! Yes, he did. And someone else was playing guitar right next to him. Anyway, things went on and it was time for me to go. So I, they said, "What you want Bob, as you're leaving us." Seeing that I’d been there for at least a week and done everything at least twice. I just asked for a cup of coffee. Just one more cup of coffee for the road. They put it in a bag and they gave it to me. And was standing there looking out at the ocean. And it was like looking at it in the valley below where I was standing.

Thank you. This girl broke my heart. Left me for an older man. So I wrote this song. To wish her luck. (before Girl From The North Country)

Thank you. That was David Mansfield on All Along The Watchtower. On the smoking violin.

Ladies and gentlemen on the drums tonight, all the way from Kingston, Jamaica, give him a warm hand, Ian Wallace. On the bass guitar, Jerry Scheff. On the keyboards, from Trinidad, the one and only Alan Pasqua. On the lead guitar, electric lead guitar, the oldest member of this group, born in 1921, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Billy Cross. All right, on electric mandolin and the electric violin, the baby of the group, he's only fifteen years old. He’s been with me now for five years however. Doesn't smoke dope, drink whiskey or chase women. All that's gonna change tonight. David Mansfield! On the rhythm guitar, Steven Soles. All right, on the tenor saxophone a man who is a legend in his own time, he really is. He used to play with Duane Eddy. Does anybody here remember Duane Eddy? He played on many of Phil Spector’s greatest records. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Steve Douglas! On the backup vocals tonight, three young ladies I really could not do without. On the right, my ex-girlfriend, Jo Ann Harris. I like to eat and she doesn't like to cook. So, in the middle, my current girlfriend, Helena Springs. And on the other side, my fiancée, from Kansas City, Carolyn Dennis. All right on the conga drums, from Detroit, Miss Bobbye Hall. (before It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding))

All right, thank you. I wanna sing a song that took ten minutes to write and ten years to live. (before Tangled Up In Blue)

All right we gotta get out of here now. We'll be back though. Sooner than you think. I'm not ready to be put out to pasture yet. So, we'll leave you with this song. I wrote for one of my babies when he was a baby. He's not a baby anymore and he's certainly not here tonight. But I wanna play it anyway. (before Forever Young)

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