(Warning - Strong language) "Hurricane", WTTW-TV Studios, Chicago, Illinois; 10 September 1975. Bob Dylan (vocal & guitar), Scarlet Rivera (violin), Rob Stoner (bass), Howie Wyeth (drums). Broadcast by WTTW-TV 13 December 1975 in the program The World Of John Hammond, which was part of the Soundstage series.Broadcast simultaneously on WBAI-FM radio in New York City, New York (Courtesy Olof)
On the afternoon of June 30, 1975, while Bob Dylan was driving around Greenwich Village with his friend, Sheena, he spotted a gypsy-like woman with a violin case. Here's a contemporary account from People Magazine:
On a sultry, slow July afternoon, a gypsy called Scarlet Rivera left her Lower East Side Manhattan flat, violin case in hand. She was heading for a friend's place to kill time before a rehearsal with an obscure 10-piece Latin band that paid her $100 a week. "Then this car comes up and cuts me off," says Scarlet, picking up the story. "Some ugly green car. The guy driving asked me if I really knew how to play the violin." He never showed his face, but the impassive profile was unmistakable. "Actually he had this woman next to him ask me," Scarlet corrects herself. "He asked her to ask me for my phone number, but I told her to tell him that I didn't give out my number to somebody stopping me on the street." No, not even to Bob Dylan. "Come downtown and rehearse with me," the Tambourine Man finally said for himself. "I'm heading uptown," Scarlet snapped and brashly requested a ride. She was beckoned in, Dylan turned downtown and hijacked her to his studio. The rest is rock legend.
At the rehearsal studio, Rivera accompanied Dylan on new songs that would end up on his next studio album, Desire. According to Rivera, Dylan played guitar while she tried to follow on violin. These songs included "One More Cup Of Coffee", "Mozambique", and "Isis". Dylan then switched over to the piano, and tried more songs in different keys. The sound of the violin gave the material a hypnotic, Middle-Eastern feel.
After the rehearsal, Dylan took Rivera to see a "friend" playing in a club, who turned out to be Muddy Waters. Dylan ended up joining Waters on stage that evening. Afterward, Dylan, Rivera, Waters, and his band all went to Victoria Spivey's home is Brooklyn, where Rivera and Dylan kept jamming, talking, and listening to old records.
(Columbia Records)
When Dylan started recording Desire on July 14, Rivera was there by his side during all six sessions. Rivera then appeared with Dylan when he recorded the PBS special, The World Of John Hammond, on September 10. According to Rivera, there was less than 24 hours notice. They rehearsed in the dressing room, going over "Simple Twist Of Fate" and a few other details, like what key the songs were in.
Rivera was also part of the Rolling Thunder Revue of 1975 and 1976. She can be seen in Dylan's movie Renaldo and Clara, and well as the television special, Hard Rain (if they were available). Beside Desire, Rivera can be heard on the albums Hard Rain, Bootleg Series Volume 1-3, Biograph, and Rolling Thunder Review Live 1975, and on the single "Rita May". She can also be seen in the unreleased version of Hard Rain. "Isis" from the show can be seen in the clip below.
"Isis", from unreleased "Hard Rain" TV special
Rivera's stint with Dylan led to a recording contract with Warner Brothers Records. She continues to record and perform to this day, exploring New Age, Celtic, World, and other types of music.
(Some of the information above is from books written by Clinton Heylin).
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Comments
Scarlett Rivera now plays with the Bob Dylan tribute band Highway 61 Revisited along with Winston Watson.
Epic album and tour. Amazing. Listen to Bob Dylan Live 1975 Bootleg Series Volume 5
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