Introduction
After witnessing how Mike Campbell’s production breathed new life into Don Henley’s career, Bob Dylan yearned for similar success but found himself defeated by an uncooperative drum machine.
In 1984, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers guitarist Mike Campbell created a demo using a drum machine and synthesizer. When Petty felt the composition didn’t match their upcoming album “Southern Accents,” producer Jimmy Iovine suggested Campbell share it with Eagles drummer Don Henley, who was crafting his second solo record. The result became “The Boys of Summer” – a Billboard top 5 hit that defined Henley’s solo career.
This breakthrough not only introduced Henley to fresh audiences but caught the attention of Bob Dylan, with whom Campbell occasionally collaborated. In a recent Vulture interview, Campbell revealed Dylan’s fascination with the song’s success.
“I was at a session when he told me, ‘Wow, The Boys of Summer is a big hit,'” Campbell remembers. Dylan immediately inquired, “Did you use the drum machine on that?” and “Do you still have it?” When Campbell confirmed, Dylan eagerly requested, “Could you bring it down tomorrow? I’d like to have a hit, too.”
Unfortunately, lightning didn’t strike twice. Dylan struggled tremendously with the technology, primarily because he couldn’t grasp the fundamental concept of playing along with the machine.
“He didn’t play along with the drum machine and got frustrated,” Campbell explains. “I don’t know how he didn’t comprehend that. He was playing freestyle.”
The situation grew awkward quickly. “After a few minutes Bob and the engineer looked over at me, and Bob said, ‘That doesn’t sound right.’ He looked at me like it was my fault,” Campbell recounts. “I explained, ‘Well, Bob, when you turn the machine on, you have to follow it so the record stays on beat.’ He responded, ‘You mean it won’t follow me? Well, what good is it?’ He was completely serious.”
Campbell found this moment profoundly revealing: “I thought that was the most illuminating thing about Bob. He had Jim Keltner, Ringo Starr, Levon Helm, and all these legendary drummers in the studio but still felt he needed the drum machine. It’s truly a thin line between child and genius. I love the guy.”