This is (supposedly) a photo of Bob Dylan outside of the Delmonico Hotel on his way into the hotel to see the Beatles for the first time. Is that Neil Aspinall in the photo?
50 years ago Bob Dylan showed the Beatles how enjoyable it is to smoke pot. It wasn't the first time the Fab 4 smoked the drug. The first time was in 1960 when they were in Hamburg. I think people get confused and think that the Beatles had NEVER smoked it until they met Bob Dylan because Brian Epstein said "We have never smoked it before." But Brian, who wasn't with the Beatles in Hamburg, spoke for the entire group when he really was just speaking for himself. The Beatles had smoked marijuana a few times and George says in the Anthology that they tried it and didn't feel any effects.
But Bob Dylan did turn the Beatles onto the effects of the drug that night in the New York hotel room and it really changed the Beatles lives. Once pot was introduced and became part of the Beatles lives, their music began to change. John, George and Paul all were arrested at some point in their lives for having marijuana. It truly was a game changer for the Fab 4.
I am not a pot person. I don't smoke it. I don't enjoy being around people who are smoking it. But everyone is free to make their own choices and what someone does on his or her own time is none of my business.
I do think it is funny some of the stuff that happened that night.
- Ringo wouldn't pass the joint around (because he didn't know the proper rules)
- Brian kept saying that he was "so high I'm on the ceiling."
- Paul having Mal follow him around with a pencil and paper so that he could write down everything he said
- Ringo started to giggle and everyone was laughing at his giggling.
If you want to read a great re-telling of what happened by someone who was there. Check out this page!