THE DYLAN TAPES: STEPHANIE TRUDEAU TALKS ABOUT HER NEW BOOK OF ANTHONY SCADUTO'S 1970 INTERVIEWS, SHARES AUDIO CLIPS OF ECHO HELSTROM AND GRETEL HOFFMAN (Part one) by Harold Lepidus

THE DYLAN TAPES: STEPHANIE TRUDEAU TALKS ABOUT HER NEW BOOK OF ANTHONY SCADUTO'S 1970 INTERVIEWS, SHARES AUDIO CLIPS OF ECHO HELSTROM  AND GRETEL HOFFMAN (Part one) by Harold Lepidus 

Hello and welcome to the Boston Harold Video Podcast. My very special guest today is Stephanie Trudeau, who recently brought to fruition an essential book to the library of any Bob Dylan fan. It's titled THE DYLAN TAPES - FRIENDS, PLAYERS, & LOVERS TALKIN' EARLY BOB DYLAN. 

(University of Minnesota Press)

Chances are that if you are a serious Bob Dylan fan, you are at least familiar with Anthony Scaduto's book, BOB DYLAN - AN INTIMATE BIOGRAPHY, from the early 1970s. Even back then, Dylan's history was something of a mystery. Mr. Scaduto was researching and interviewing people - who had known the singer-songwriter early in his career - during a time when Dylan had pretty much retreated from public appearances, and concentrated mostly on studio recordings and family life. Even though Dylan was treasuring his privacy, he did have this to say about Scaduto's book: "I like your book. That's the weird thing about it."

Anthony Scaduto, back in the day. 

Courtesy (c) Stephanie Trudeau

Bob Dylan - An Intimate Biography was the first real in-depth unauthorized biography of Dylan, or really of any major popular music act of the modern era. A few years ago, Scaduto found the reel-to-reel tapes he used to record the many interviews he conducted while doing research for the 1972 book. With the help of his wife, Stephanie, the two planned on publishing the transcribed highlights. 

Sadly, Tony died in 2017. Eventually, Stephanie decided to continue on with the project. 

THE DYLAN TAPES, like Tony's 1972 bio, is essential. I recently had the opportunity to sit down and interview Ms. Trudeau via Zoom. Unfortunately, due to many technical difficulties, it's taken me a while to finally be able to share at least part of this experience with you. Some of the problems I've been able to fix (more or less), while others had to be show as is. For that, I apologize. 

Courtesy: (c) Stephanie Trudeau

This is only part one of three. Besides talking about Tony, and how the book came about, Stephanie has generously agreed to share some audio samples used in Mr. Scaduto's original interviews circa 1970. 

The first two people to be included here knew Bobby Zimmerman back in Minnesota before he became famous:

Gretel Hoffman: In 1960, she met Bobby Zimmerman at the Ten O'Clock Scholar coffeehouse, in the Dinkytown neighborhood of Minneapolis. The two played guitars together and she says she taught Bobby how to play "House of the Rising Sun." Her husband, David Whitaker, gave Dylan a copy of Bound For Glory, Woody Guthrie's autobiography. Dylan told Gretel he was an "Okie," but that probably has nothing to do with why the Bob Dylan Center ended up in Tulsa. 

Echo Helstrom: Five of the six audio excerpts shared by Stephanie are included below. Echo and Bobby were high school sweethearts.  It has been said that she is the inspiration for Dylan's  composition, "Girl From The North Country." 

 Introductory interview with Stephanie Trudeau: 

Gretel Hoffman talks about Dylan creating his own myths: 

                      

Echo Helstrom talks about Dylan's desire to keep his past a secret: 

To me, this is the most fascinating audio clip. Scaduto gets the scoop that Dylan appeared at his high school reunion from Echo: 

Echo talks about Little Richard being an early influence, before Woody Guthrie:

                                                              

Echo talks about her reaction when Dylan performed an apparently (semi?) improvised song about her:

 

Echo 4

                                                                

Echo shares her reaction at finding out Dylan has abandoned Rock & Roll for Folk Music.  

                                                                        

Part two coming soon.

If you are sharing any part of this podcast, please give credit to Ms. Trudeau, or this page. 

Also, please do not post the entire content of this article anywhere on social media. 

Thanks in advance.

Check out other Stephanie Trudeau interviews here:

June 14: The book signing will feature a conversation with Stephaie Trudeau and documentary filmmaker and long-time Dylan fan, Sue Hagedorn. 

May 26 (Replay available now): SubText Books is pleased to present a virtual event with Stephanie Trudeau on Thursday, May 26th at 7:00pm to celebrate The Dylan Tapes by Anthony Scaduto and edited by Stephanie Trudeau (University of Minnesota Press). Trudeau is in conversation with Susan Hagedorn.

Buy the book:

• AMAZON US:
• AMAZON UK:
• AMAZON DE: 

Thanks for Seth and Linda for their help. 

(c) 2022 Harold Lepidus (except 1970 audio, courtesy Stephanie Trudeau.)