The Beatles getting stoned for the first time thanks to Bob Dylan is just one of rock’s classic stories. Paul McCartney looked back on that moment in a new interview in honor of Dylan’s 80th birthday.
Speaking with Uncut magazine (as transcribed by NME), Sir Paul begins, “I’m not sure whether he’s very keen on me telling this, but here we go. It was at the Delmonico Hotel on Park Avenue and 59th in New York City in August, 1964. We were in a hotel room, all being good lads having our Scotch and Coke – it was an afterparty, I think.”
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Macca continues, “Dylan arrived and he went into the bedroom with his roadie. Ringo [Starr] went along to see what was up. So he finds Dylan, rolling up, and he has a toke. He came back in and we said, ‘What was it like?’ So Ringo says, ‘The ceiling is kind of moving down…’”
McCartney concludes, “We all ran into the back room going, ‘Give us a bit, give us a bit!’ That was the very first evening we ever got stoned!”
While this story is certainly funny, it’s highly recommended you check out Dana Carvey’s story about meeting Paul McCartney and getting stoned with him shortly after getting hired on Saturday Night Live. Carvey recalls his tale in his 1995 HBO standup special Critics’ Choice and can be viewed here. (WARNING: Some NSFW language in the video.)
