Delays and shattered hopes: Uganda still waiting for oil riches

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBAUganda discovered oil beneath Lake Albert 14 years ago but so far none has been extracted

It was the promise of oil -- billions of barrels of black gold, discovered locked beneath Lake Albert -- and the riches to follow that brought electricity to Buliisa.

Roads, piped water, and other unthinkable luxuries came next, as the poor farming village on the great lake's northern shores transformed into a booming frontier town, and Uganda braced for newfound prosperity as an African oil giant.

But those fortunes never transpired.

The wells were never dug at Buliisa, the refineries never built and taps never turned.

Fourteen years after the discovery of sub-Saharan Africa's fourth-largest oil reserves, not a drop has been extracted.

Bureaucratic delays and contract disputes have ground progress to a halt.

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBABureaucratic delays and contract disputes have hampered progress in Uganda's oil exploration

And allegations of environmental damage and human rights abuses surrounding the oil fields have raised questions about resource exploration in one of Africa's great wildernesses.

"The beginning was bad, and we foresee that the oil will come, and make matters worse," said Mpangire Blasio Korokoni, who was evicted from his land at Kasenyi, a village near Buliisa, to make way for the oil project.

But Uganda is not giving up on its oil dreams, and the country is still banking on production starting by 2023.

- High hopes -

The discovery at Lake Albert in 2006 sparked high hopes in Uganda, where one in five of the country's 42 million people live in abject poverty.

Beneath the lake waters fed by the White Nile are an estimated 6.5 billion barrels of crude, about 1.4 billion of which were extractable.

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBAMpangire Blasio Korokoni was evicted from his land to make way for the oil project

The reserves are expected to last up to 30 years, with production peaking at 230,000 barrels a day.

The government forecasts earnings of $1.5 billion a year, a windfall that could have driven GDP per capita from $630 a year to more than $1,000.

However plans to tap the oil at Lake Albert, a vast, 160-kilometre (99-mile) long body of water separating Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo, have yet to materialise.

The planned projects are co-managed by French oil company Total, British outfit Tullow and China's CNOOC.

But optimism ebbed as the ambitious projects ran again and again into obstacles and, almost a decade and at least $3 billion later, progress has ground to a halt.

"When you discover reserves, you hope to start production seven to 10 years later," says Pierre Jessua, managing director of E&P Total Uganda, a subsidiary of Total.

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBAOne in five of Uganda's 42 million people live in abject poverty

"So we have encountered a number of delays."

Uganda has been slow to acquire technical expertise and legislate the necessary regulations.

Initially it said it would build a pipeline through Kenya, before changing its mind and deciding on a 1,443-km pipeline from Uganda to the Tanzanian port of Tanga for export.

Most recently, in August, Tullow abandoned plans to sell part of its stake in the fields and projects to CNOOC and Total due to a tax dispute with the Ugandan government.

"A lot of preparatory work has been done. The projects are technically ready. But some of the commercial negotiations are still ongoing," said Gloria Sebikari, an official of the Uganda Petroleum Authority.

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBA"When you discover reserves, you hope to start production seven to 10 years later," says Pierre Jessua, managing director of E&P Total Uganda, a subsidiary of Total

"But we remain hopeful."

Uganda is now aiming for the remaining hurdles to be resolved allowing for the crucial Final Investment Decision (FID) to be struck with partners this year, paving the way for production to start by 2023.

"There's a real desire, a real commitment on both sides. I'm quite optimistic that these discussions will be fruitful," Jessua, of Total, said.

"Now, on the timetable, I think we have to be cautious," he added however.

Uganda is relying on oil revenue to repay state debt that stood equivalent to 42 percent of GDP in 2018 -- a share that could rise to 50 percent of GDP by early 2021.

- Living in fear -

The oil projects have proven controversial beyond the boardroom.

Some 7,000 people were forced from their land in 2012 in Kabaale, about 150 km south of Buliisa, to make way for a refinery and international airport related to one of the projects.

The airport is the only site where construction has begun and is due for completion in 2023.

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBAThe impact of Uganda's oil ambitions on Murchison Falls National Park, in particular, has caused grave concern

Some of those expelled opted for land in return, but waited six years for lots they still don't have title deeds for.

"We don't own this land legally," said Innocent Tumwebaze, 30, one of those dispossessed.

"We are cultivating it, but with that fear. Because at any time, you don't know what could happen."

Total and its subcontractor Atacama Consulting have been accused by civil rights groups of making late or below-value compensation payments to 600 people who were tossed from their homes around Kasenyi, where the company plans to build a plant for processing crude.

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBAInnocent Tumwebaze says he worries because he doesn't legally own land he was given in return for making way for developments related to the oil projects

Total denies the allegations, saying it is "limiting relocations and providing support to those concerned".

Six Ugandan and French non-governmental organisations have filed a lawsuit in France against Total, accusing it of not undertaking a "duty of vigilance" when considering the impact on local people.

A court near Paris declared on January 30 that it could not try the case, referring it instead to a commercial tribunal.

- Wilderness fears -

The lawsuit also raised apprehensions about the long-term ecological consequences of mining for oil in a basin ecosystem home to half of Africa's bird species and more than a third of its mammals.

The impact on Murchison Falls National Park, in particular, has caused grave concern.

AFP / Yasuyoshi CHIBAAfter years of delays, Uganda is still banking on oil production starting by 2023

This green jewel is home to a wide array of species and the spectacular waterfalls of the same name, as well as protected wetlands and the White Nile, under which an oil pipeline will pass.

Isaac Ntujju, from Uganda's national environment authority NEMA, said the companies involved "do recognise that... the environment is very sensitive" and the need to be careful.

The government is expected to grant exploration licences to five further oil blocks in Uganda, including one which crosses into Queen Elizabeth National Park, a UNESCO listed biosphere.

"You are going to destroy a lot of biodiversity, a lot of wetlands, a lot of forests... These are impacts we haven't seen yet," warned Frank Muramuzi, executive director of the Uganda-based activist group Nape, one of the signatories to the French lawsuit.

'Printing money': booming mask producers in China meet global demand

AFP/File / STRWorkers produce face masks at a factory in Handan in China's northern Hebei province

As the coronavirus pandemic that originated in a central Chinese city has gone global, thousands of factories in China have nimbly turned to a new and very profitable market –- face masks for export.

At the height of China's outbreak in early February, Guan Xunze's company created a new mask factory in just eleven days.

The factory, with five production lines in northeastern China, made the much-needed N95 face masks which were in huge demand as infection numbers surged.

As cases in the country have dwindled, the 34-year-old -- who was previously in pharmaceuticals -- is now profiting from new markets and exporting masks to Italy, where the death toll has overtaken that of China.

AFP / WANG ZHAODemand for protective equipment is still soaring as nations across the globe battle the coronavirus outbreak

In the first two months of the year, a staggering 8,950 new manufacturers started producing masks in China, according to business data platform Tianyancha -- racing to fill the huge gap in demand.

But after the virus epicentre of Hubei province was placed on lockdown and the initial frenzy began to die down in China, virus outbreaks emerged in new hotspots elsewhere in the world.

Globally more than 400,000 have been infected with the deadly coronavirus, and demand for protective equipment is still soaring as nations across the globe battle the outbreak.

"A mask machine is a real cash printer," said Shi Xinghui, sales manager of an N95 mask machine company in Dongguan city, southeastern Guangdong province. "The profit of a mask now is at least several cents compared to less than one in the past.

"Printing 60,000 or 70,000 masks a day is equivalent to printing money."

AFP / WANG ZHAOIn the first two months of the year, a staggering 8,950 new manufacturers started producing masks in China, according to business data platform Tianyancha

Qi Guangtu has put more than 50 million yuan ($7 million) into his factory producing mask-making machines in the southern industrial hub of Dongguan.

It has been in 24-hour continuous production since January 25 -- two days after the dramatic lockdown of Wuhan, where the virus first emerged.

"Cost recovery is certainly not a problem," he said, adding that 70 sets of equipment have been sold for more than 500,000 yuan ($71,000) each.

He has more than 200 additional orders in hand, worth over 100 million yuan ($14 million).

"The machines pay for themselves in 15 days, " said Qi, saying the investment is worth it for his clients.

- Rising costs and blind investment -

Manufacturer You Lixin had never set foot in a mask factory before.

But as the market soared and he saw the opportunity, it took him just ten days from first deciding to enter the industry to delivering automated machines capable of producing masks.

"I slept two or three hours a day, so did my clients," he said.

AFP/File / STR, STRA worker produces face masks at a factory in Qingdao in China's eastern Shandong province

You's clients also slept in his plant, waiting desperately to collect their new machinery.

Some of them are garment factory owners in Wenzhou, eastern Zhejiang province, who had switched to producing face masks.

"They were facing orders they had insufficient capacity to deliver, and they couldn't make the deliveries," You said.

"The panic intensified as the crisis accelerated at that time."

The high levels of mask production has dramatically pushed up prices for raw materials.

AFP / WANG ZHAOThe high levels of mask production has dramatically pushed up prices for raw materials

According to Guan, the price of fabric has risen astronomically -- from 10,000 yuan to 480,000 yuan per tonne.

Producer Liao Biao struggled to bring back the components of mask machine piece by piece from outside Hunan Province in late January, with the cross province border closed.

Finally, to pay an expert tester for the mask machines, Liao paid more than ten times the normal price.

"Investment is blind now," You said.

- World's factory -

But despite the rising costs of production, the profits still make the industry appealing.

According to China's official figures, China's daily mask production has passed 116 million now, with many meeting overseas demand.

Guan has already delivered one million masks to Italy, while Shi currently has more than 200 orders from South Korea and countries in the European Union.

AFP / Noel CelisAccording to China's official figures, China's daily mask production has passed 116 million now, with many meeting overseas demand

"Dongguan remains the world's factory," said Shi.

"The first peak of orders was during the middle of February. Now there is a second wave because of the pandemic," said Shi.

Liao is also seeking to export his masks to Europe and Canada.

"The demand for masks has been alleviated at home -- now we can have some surplus to support other countries," said Liao.

"We are willing to help others."

And Guan is optimistic about the future of the industry beyond the outbreak.

"Most people will have the habit wearing a mask after this outbreak," said Guan.

"I'll stay in the industry."

India's coronavirus heroes come under
attack

AFP/File / Manjunath KiranDoctors, nurses, delivery drivers 

and other coronavirus frontline workers have been attacked and harassed in India

They have been hailed as India's coronavirus "heroes", but doctors, nurses, delivery drivers and other frontline workers have been attacked and in some cases evicted from their homes by panicked residents.

Some e-commerce giants have even halted deliveries partly due to the harassment of staff, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi said abuse of hospital workers had become a "huge issue".

Reports of attacks and abuse have come from across India, increasing with the imposition this week of a 21-day nationwide lockdown. In at least one case, police were accused of beating a delivery driver carrying medicines.

Sanjibani Panigrahi, a doctor in the western city of Surat, described how she was accosted as she returned home from a long day at a hospital that is treating COVID-19 patients.

She said neighbours blocked her at the entrance to her apartment building and threatened "consequences" if she continued to work.

AFP/File / DIPTENDU DUTTA

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has described the 

harassment of coronavirus frontline medical workers as a 'huge issue'


"These are the same people who have happily interacted with me (in the past). Whenever they've faced a problem, I've helped them out," the 36-year-old told AFP.

"There is a sense of fear among people. I do understand. But it's like I suddenly became an untouchable."

This week, doctors at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences appealed to the government for help after health workers were forced out of their homes by panicked landlords and housing societies.

"Many doctors are stranded on the roads with all their luggage, nowhere to go, across the country," the letter said.

Modi called on Indians to stop treating medical workers as pariahs, describing those fighting the virus were "god-like".

"Today they are the people who are saving us from dying, putting their lives in danger."

- Fake news and paranoia -

Health workers are not the only ones facing the brunt of the frightened population in an environment where misinformation and rumours are thriving.

AFP/File / Sajjad HUSSAIN

Reports of attacks and abuse of India's frontline health and transportation workers have increased with the imposition of a 21-day nationwide lockdown

Airline and airport staff, who are still being called on for evacuations of Indians stuck overseas and management of key cargo deliveries, have also been threatened.

Indigo and Air India have condemned threats made against their staff.

An Air India flight attendant told AFP her neighbours threatened to evict her from her apartment while she was heading to the United States, saying she would "infect everyone".

"I couldn't sleep that night," she said, afraid to reveal her name over fear of further stigmatisation.

"I was scared that even if I did go home, would someone break open the door or call people to kick me out?"

Her husband had to ask the police for help.

Others have not been as lucky, the flight attendant said, with one colleague -- who declined to speak to AFP -- forced out of her home and now living with her parents.

AFP/File / Dibyangshu SARKAR

Airline and airport staff, who are still being called on for evacuations of Indians stuck overseas and manage key cargo deliveries, have also been threatened

"With all the fake news and WhatsApp forwards, they don't know what is going on, so there's this paranoia that makes them behave like this," she said.

T. Praveen Keerthi, general secretary of the Indian Commercial Pilots Association (IPCA), told AFP they had received more than 50 complaints from airline crew.

"Airline staffers are being stopped from entering their own residential premises by security guards," he said.

"We also have families and children that we leave at home to help fellow citizens... The least we expect is for our colleagues to not be harassed and ostracised."

Airport workers involved in moving essential supplies have also faced attacks as have delivery workers transporting medicines and groceries.

E-commerce giant Flipkart temporarily suspended services this week.

The Walmart-owned group said it only resumed home deliveries after police guaranteed "the safe and smooth passage of our supply chain and delivery executives".

burs-amu/qan/aph

 Northern Ireland sportswear factory 

scrubs up in virus fight

AFP / Paul FaithA sportswear factory in Northern Ireland is now producing scrubs for local operations of Britain's health service

As other factories fall silent due to the coronavirus, the din of production continues at O'Neills sportswear factory in Northern Ireland, where staff have pivoted to making scrubs and facemasks for besieged healthcare workers.

"You always feel proud of your product," business development manager Orla Ward told AFP.

"But this is just on another level because you really are getting it to the people that need it most at this really critical time."

AFP / Paul FaithRanks of the skilled machinist staff are separated from each other under 'social distancing' guidelines

Around 750 staff at the factory in Strabane, which makes kits and leisurewear primarily for Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA) sports, were temporarily laid off as the COVID-19 crisis unfolded.

Teams and groups playing GAA sports -- such as hurling and Gaelic football -- began to postpone events and matches as the British and Irish governments restricted gatherings in a bid to stem infections.

"Our business was just basically drying up," Ward explained.

AFP / Paul FaithThe news has been a small mercy for the town of Strabane, where the factory is the biggest employer

"Over the period of basically two weeks our order book went from extremely busy to practically nothing whatsoever."

But with the factory switching to produce scrubs for local operations of Britain's National Health Service (NHS), 150 staff have been able to return to work.

The news has been a small mercy for the town of Strabane, where the factory is the biggest employer.

- 'Tsunami' of patients -

It has also had an effect on a national scale, boosting Britain's efforts as it prepares for a "tsunami" of new coronavirus patients.

Healthcare workers across Britain have complained of a lack of protective equipment for staff, who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19.

AFP / Paul FaithHealthcare workers across Britain have complained of a lack of protective equipment for staff, who are at higher risk of contracting COVID-19

"The managing director had been speaking to people here in the local hospital and realised that they were in desperate need of scrubs," said Ward.

Ranks of the skilled machinist staff were back at their stations on Thursday, separated from each other under "social distancing" guidelines designed to slow the spread of the virus.

 

AFP / Paul FaithThe Strabane factory is currently working to meet an order of 5,000 scrubs

Surrounded by spools of vibrant thread and wearing masks made in the factory, they sewed the maroon fabrics which will soon be worn by frontline NHS staff.

Production began at the O'Neills Strabane location on Wednesday after the fabrics were dyed, given antibacterial treatment and shipped from Dublin -- where the firm is headquartered.

The Strabane factory is currently working to meet an order of 5,000 scrubs -- consisting of a set of trousers, a top and a mask.

"I think there's absolutely a great sense of pride that we can do this," said Ward.

"When you're faced with a challenge, look how quickly and how well you can step up to the plate and really help."

CANCON
Robbie Robertson on the Power of ‘The Weight’ During the Pandemic

The Band’s 1968 classic has found a new audience in the wake of the coronavirus, thanks to a globe-spanning cover. “It’s good medicine,” says Robertson

By PATRICK DOYLE  ROLLING STONE

In 1968, the Band recorded “The Weight,” a song full of images and characters that Robbie Robertson said he had been storing in his imagination for years. Robertson admits in his autobiography, Testimony, that he struggled to articulate to producer John Simon what the song was even about, but it’s become the Band’s most well-known classic, and it still echoes loudly today. Playing for Change, a group dedicated to “opening up how people see the world through the lens of music and art,” recently spent two years filming artists around the world, from Japan to Bahrain to Los Angeles, performing the song. Robertson takes part, and so does Ringo Starr. Web traffic for the video has surged in recent days as the world confronts the coronavirus, and it has been a top story on RollingStone.com.

We spoke to Robertson, who called from his home in L.A., about the video, how he’s been self-isolating, plus other projects, including his work on the next Martin Scorsese film, a Stage Fright box set, and his recent appearance at a Last Waltz tribute concert in Nashville late last year.


Once Were Brothers, a film about Robertson’s life directed by Daniel Rohr, hit theaters just as they were shutting down. Now, the film will be available online earlier than planned, streaming on Apple and Amazon on April 3rd.

How have you been spending your time hunkering down?

I’m writing volume two of my autobiography. I’m somewhat buried in that. I have some artwork as well that I have to sort out. And although everything’s been delayed, I’ve even started some early discovery and thinking of the music for Martin Scorsese’s next movie, Killers of the Flower Moon. It’s an American Indian story, so I’ve got a lot to do on this. And the rest of it, I guess, is just really kind of adapting and dealing with being on house arrest.

I wanted to ask about the Playing for Change cover of “The Weight” that you performed on. It has 6 million views, and it’s been a top story on our site for the past few days, even though it’s been out for several months. Why do you think the song is resonating right now?
The number of people that I know that have responded to this, and some people that I barely know that have come out of the woodwork … it’s almost like it’s good medicine. And it’s so suitable right now. I thought to my myself, “This is definitely the ultimate in global self-distancing.” This is a way to protect yourself from anything: playing music with people around the world. My son, Sebastian, was behind this. When he mentioned this to me, I was kind of like, “Oh, OK, if you want to do it, of course I’ll cooperate.” But I didn’t know what they were going to do. One day they said, “Will you come and play a little bit?” So I took an hour and went over, and then it slipped my mind. And then they sent me a rough cut of it, and I got chills. The unity that it conveys, not only here but around the world, that is such good medicine.

The people in it are just fantastic. Ringo is such a great sport to be part of this. And Ringo doesn’t like to be a part of anything. He’s like, “Peace and love. Don’t bother me.” And he did this, and he did it with such charm.

When it came out, there was a really nice response to it, but it’s just grown and grown. In the last week or something, it got a million more views on it. And people are sending me messages from Cambodia. I’m just delighted it’s serving a purpose today. This was an idea that I had to write this song many years ago. And so it’s such a blessing that something like this can make a contribution this many decades later. I couldn’t be happier.


Ringo’s drumming sounds like an old friend, the same way Levon Helm’s drumming felt. They’re maybe the two greatest drummers in rock & roll.

In their own way, you’re absolutely right. There was something that Levon did in a stripped-down, simple but complex kind of manner that other drummers couldn’t do. There was a thing about his playing that was so straight between the eyes, that you thought, “Oh, it’s just that.” And then when you go to do that, it doesn’t have that quality. One of the people that understood that better than anybody else was Ringo. And Ringo has that quality as well. When he plays with that group, there is no acrobatics. He’s not trying to do anything. He’s playing the song. He is really there in service of the song. And they both had that to such a beautiful extreme, and they never, ever sounded like session drummers.

It’s amazing this song can translate to places around the world, onto instruments that a lot of people here have never seen before.

I felt the same way. There’s a guy on a sitar! There’s a guy playing an oud, one of my favorite instruments. Those girls Larkin Poe did a song of mine, “Ophelia.” They’re in the video. Somebody sent me their version of my song “Ophelia” a while back. And they did a hell of a version of it. They’re from Tennessee or somewhere, I don’t know. Then I heard another track of theirs, and I thought “They’re really good.” And then they end up playing on this track. That made me feel good. And Lukas Nelson is terrific, an amazing musician. So anyway, I don’t know, it’s just pretty magical.



What does it feel like to have written that song? Do you feel like the person who wrote “The Weight,” or does it feel like it was around before you?

After I wrote it and we recorded it, it did have a sense to me of a timeless quality. Because it wasn’t obvious in the storytelling. It’s kind of lost in time in the most wonderful way. And when I heard this version of it, I thought, “This still sounds like that.” It doesn’t sound old. It just sounds like it’s got this quality to it, that it could be new, or from 100 years ago. And that was one of the signature things of the Band — that this music did live in its own time zone, and I was always proud of that. Consciously or subconsciously, I always reached for that in writing when I could.

What kind of music are you listening to right now? When something like this is happening in the world, what music do you turn to?

It’s all for me about discovery and research. So I was listening to some of Tchaikovsky’s sixth symphony earlier today, because of something that I’m writing. I was listening to some American Indian Western music from the 1920s a couple of days ago, thinking about Killers of the Flower Moon. I have a very curious ear, so I’m always interested in new stuff that’s going on. It’s scattered all over the place. I don’t have a playlist. I don’t have anything that I’m devoted to.

What impact do you think [coronavirus] will have on musicians? They’ve lost a couple of months of dates already. David Crosby said he might lose his house if this goes on any longer. It must be very difficult on anyone who makes a living as a performer.
Yeah, that’s very true. When this industry kind of went into a tailspin, everything led to live performance being a business that people could make a living at. And when it hits a wall like this, it’s going to be a realization, just like so many other millions of businesses. I’m hoping that it’s just like, “Wait a minute, we’re just on pause. We’re going to push ‘play’ here again as soon as we possibly can.” But right now, everybody has to take a deep breath and say, “We’re on pause. And don’t take my house right now, please.” You’re absolutely right. I don’t live in that zone of live performance. I’m in a different line of work. But I can certainly relate to that. I spent a great part of my life there as a road dog. But right know we’re just holding our breath.

“I’ve never seen anything like this. This is a throwback, and a poison has risen to the surface.”

Does our current moment remind you of any other time that you have lived through?
No. I’ve never seen anything like this. That’s why for a while I was thinking, “Well, somebody’s just going to have to wake me up in the morning and say, ‘Oh, my God, you were having a bad dream.’ ” And then after a few days, I realized that wasn’t gonna happen. So this is the unknown. And right now it’s just darkness. And at some point, we just want to see a light come shining through and get brighter and brighter.

That’s what I was getting at before: Right now, we can only see what this is preventing life from being, and trying our best to adapt to that. But out of these things, there’s always been something spiritual, magical, unsuspecting, that could possibly come from this. And I think that’s what we’re all secretly hoping for: that this could bring some people closer together. This country, I’ve never felt this kind of division. I’m from Canada, too, I look at it through just a little bit of a different eye. And I’ve never seen this kind of ugliness. I haven’t seen anything like this since George Wallace. This is a throwback, and a poison has risen to the surface, in these times, that we can’t can imagine, and it is everywhere. And it’s like, “Oh, no, this was there. It was just sleeping. And it ain’t sleeping anymore.” And it’s really, really sad to see this kind of regression, and this kind of fallback into such anger. It’s all built on anger, and that just leads us to the most ugly place. And so, maybe out of this thing, there can be some kind of feeling of unity. And that’s why the song, the Playing for Change [version of] “The Weight” — if anything screams of unity, that does. And I hope it spreads.

Are you are you thinking of doing a 50th-anniversary edition of Stage Fright in line with the Music From Big Pink and The Band box sets?

Yes, I am. I started on this, but there’s some things too that I’m trying to do, some artwork and some pieces of that period that I’m trying to put my hands on, and some stuff that I would like to do musically for this. And there’s some things that have been buried in the archive for a long time that fit with this really well. So, yeah, I’ve got ideas. Doing these these celebrations, doing the Music from Big Pink box set and doing The Band box set, and now doing this, it really feels good. I like the celebrating of the music, and doing something fresh, and doing things that we couldn’t do back then. I’m really enjoying that process.

Were you were you planning to play more Last Waltz shows before all the live music got shut down?

Well, they were talking about doing Jazz Fest. And they were asking me if I would participate in it. I went to the one in Nashville, which was the end of their last tour, that they had at the big arena in Nashville. And it was incredible. It was just an amazing array of talent. The guys putting together the show told me, “You’re not gonna believe the audiences that come to this.” So I thought, “Well that sounds good. It sounds like people are enjoying it and everything.” No, no no. It was like a religious experience, and so much fun. And so, anyway, at the end, I got up and sat in with them. The people were just so, so appreciative, and consequently so was I. So they asked me if I would do Jazz Fest, and I was like, “I don’t know. I’m not really looking to make this a part of my everyday life.” So I was thinking about it, and then the [coronavirus] came up. They were just about to announce whether I was going to participate in it, and then it had to get bumped. So we’ll have to see what happens in the fall.

It must be interesting for you, for people to be re-creating a concert you played 40 years ago.

And there’s people that do this around the world, in Scandinavia, Australia, and Japan, and all places. And I didn’t know, that’s pretty special. I don’t remember many concerts that people do that for.

I just was reminded of Bill Graham’s book. There’s an anecdote that said you did not want them serving Thanksgiving dinner during the filming of The Last Waltz. Is that true or false?

Well, you know, I was so busy thinking about playing music with all these different artists and not screwing up, and the filming of it with Marty. Marty was depending on me for so much in this. And so there was so much going on in an impossible period of time to pull this off. There was 100 things that could go wrong, and a few things that could go right. And Bill Graham comes to me and says, “I’ve ordered 5,000 pounds of mashed potatoes and turkey,” and I’m like, “You’re what? There’s gonna be gravy everywhere?” So in the beginning, I just thought, “This is just in the way of what I’m trying to do here.” And Bill said, “Don’t worry about it, I’ll handle it. I’m going to serve Thanksgiving dinner to 5,000 people. You don’t have to do a thing.” And I was like, “OK, let’s not talk about it anymore. But if you can do it …” And he says, “I know how to do this.” And I just had confidence in Bill. But you can imagine when he told me about how many gallons of gravy they were going to need, this was the last thing that I needed to hear.

Beyond JFK: 20 Historical References in Bob Dylan’s ‘Murder Most Foul’

The 17-minute epic touches upon obscure Civil War ballads, classic movies, and even songs by the Who, the Animals, and Billy Joel

By ANDY GREENE  ROLLING STONE

Dave J Hogan/Getty Images

Bob Dylan fans woke up this morning to the stunning news that the songwriter had released a 17-minute epic titled “Murder Most Foul.” “Greetings to my fans and followers, with gratitude for all your support and loyalty over the years,” Dylan wrote. “This is an unreleased song we recorded a while back that you might find interesting. Stay safe, stay observant, and may God be with you.”

It’s his first original song since 2012’s Tempest, though he has released three albums of cover songs associated with Frank Sinatra since then. The closest analogue to “Murder Most Foul” in Dylan’s vast catalog is Tempest’s title track, a 14-minute song about the Titanic.

“Murder Most Foul” centers around another historic tragedy: the assassination of John F. Kennedy. It’s packed with references only JFK buffs will likely recognize, like the “triple underpass” near Dealey Plaza, the removal of his brain during the autopsy, and the “three bums comin’ all dressed in rags” captured on the Zapruder film that conspiracy theorists have been obsessing over for decades. Cleary, Dylan has spent a lot of time reading books and watching documentaries about this.

As the song goes on, however, it veers away from JFK and touches upon several other historic events of the era. It’s sort of like Billy Joel’s “We Didn’t Start the Fire” mashed up with the Rolling Stones’ “Sympathy for the Devil.” Dylan fans will be picking this one apart for years, but here are 20 non-JFK references in the song.

1. “Living in a nightmare on Elm Street”
Elm Street is the actual road in Dallas where Kennedy was assassinated. Fifteen years later, Wes Craven’s horror classic Nightmare on Elm Street, about a deranged psychopath who slaughters children in their dreams, hit movie theaters. The connection to JFK’s death is most likely not a complete coincidence, though Craven never commented on the matter.

2. “Frankly, Miss Scarlett, I don’t give a damn”
This comes straight from the mouth of Clark Gable’s character of Rhett Butler in Gone With the Wind. In the original Margaret Mitchell book, Butler says, “My dear, I don’t give a damn.” This was changed to, “Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn” in the movie. In “Murder Most Foul,” Dylan puts yet another tiny spin on it.

3. “Tommy, can you hear me? I’m the Acid Queen”
These are two lines from the Who’s 1969 rock opera, Tommy, about a deaf, dumb, and blind pinball wizard. The Acid Queen is a woman hired by his family who tries to restore his senses, either by dosing him with LSD or having sex with him. The song isn’t quite clear.




4. “Wake up, little Susie; let’s go for a drive”
“Wake Up Little Susie” is a 1957 hit by the Everly Brothers, written by Felice Bryant and Boudleaux Bryant. After the assassination of Kennedy, it seemed like a relic from a distant, innocent past.

5. “I’m just a patsy like Patsy Cline”
Lee Harvey Oswald told the press he was “just a patsy” after he was apprehended. Patsy Cline is a country legend who also died tragically young in 1963.

6. “What’s new, pussycat? What’d I say?”
“What’s New Pussycat” is a 1965 Tom Jones hit written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David. “What’d I Say” is a 1959 Ray Charles R&B classic. Their only real connection is that their titles both pose a question.

7. “Wolfman Jack, speaking in tongues”
Wolfman Jack was a raspy-voiced radio DJ whose popularity peaked in the early Sixties. In 1973, he portrayed himself in the George Lucas film American Graffiti as the cultural embodiment of the era in which the film took place.

8. “Take me to the place Tom Dooley was hung”
Tom Dula was a Confederate war veteran who was convicted of murdering a woman named Laura Foster. He was hanged in 1868, but questions linger to this day about his guilt. He was the inspiration for the folk song “Tom Dooley,” which was covered by the Kingston Trio in 1958. Dylan’s rise in the early Sixties made groups like them seem hopelessly passé.

9. “Play ‘Please, Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood’ “
“Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood” is a 1964 Nina Simone song that the Animals turned into a rock hit the following year. Animals keyboardist Alan Price left the group shortly after it was recorded. He appears alongside Bob Dylan throughout the documentary Don’t Look Back.


10. “Play Don Henley, play Glenn Frey/Take it to the limit and let it go by”
Don Henley and Glenn Frey are the main songwriting team in the Eagles, and sang most of their hits. “Take It to the Limit,” however, features Eagles bassist Randy Meisner on lead vocals. He left the band in 1977, and the only time he’s performed with them since then was at their 1998 induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

11. “Play it for Carl Wilson, too/Looking far, far away down Gower Avenue”
Carl Wilson was one of the founding members of the Beach Boys. In 1976, he sang background vocals on the Warren Zevon song “Desperados Under the Eaves,” which contains the line, “Look away down Gower Avenue, look away.” Dylan is a longtime fan of Zevon. In 2002, shortly before Zevon’s death, he played many of his songs in concert.

12. “Play Etta James, too. Play ‘I’d Rather Go Blind’ “
Blues singer Etta James had a big hit with “I’d Rather Go Blind” in 1968, which she wrote with Ellington Jordan and Billy Foster.

13. “Play ‘Blue Sky’; play Dickey Betts”
“Blue Sky” is a 1972 Allman Brothers Band song from their album Eat a Peach. It’s one of the last songs that Duane Allman worked on before his death. But as Dylan notes, it was written by Dickey Betts.

14. “Play something for the Birdman of Alcatraz”
The Birdman of Alcatraz is a 1962 Burt Lancaster film about a real-life convicted murderer, Robert Stroud, who became fixated on birds after his arrest.Dylan may reference him in the song because he died one day before JFK. C.S. Lewis andAldous Huxley died on the same day as Kennedy, though their deaths receive almost no attention. 

 

15. “Play ‘Down In The Boondocks’ for Terry Malloy”
Terry Malloy is the dockworker who Marlon Brando portrayed in the 1954 classic On the Waterfront. “Down in the Boondocks” is a 1965 Billie Joe Royal song written by Joe South, who plays guitar on Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde.

16. “Play ‘Anything Goes’ and ‘Memphis in June’ “
“Anything Goes” is the title song from a 1934 Broadway musical, with lyrics by Cole Porter. “Memphis in June” is a 1945 Hoagy Carmichael song. Dylan previously referenced it in his 1985 track “Tight Connection to My Heart.'”
 
17. Play ‘Lonely at the Top’ and ‘Lonely Are the Brave'”
“Lonely at the Top” has been used as a title for songs by Randy Newman, Bon Jovi, Mick Jagger, and even Chamillionaire. The Randy Newman title is, by far, the most famous, and probably the one Dylan is referencing here. Lonely Are the Brave is a 1962 Kirk Douglas Western based on Edward Abbey’s novel The Brave Cowboy.

18. “Play ‘Love Me or Leave Me’ by the great Bud Powell”
Bud Powell was a wildly innovative jazz pianist of the Fifties and Sixties who died of tuberculosis in 1966, when he was just 41. “Love Me or Leave Me” is a 1928 Walter Davidson/Gus Kahn song from the Broadway play Whoopee! It was covered by everyone from Ruth Etting to Nina Simone to Ella Fitzgerald. It’s unclear, however, if there’s a version by Bud Powell. He certainly didn’t write it.

19 . “Play ‘Marching Through Georgia’ and ‘Dumbarton’s Drums’ “
“Marching Through Georgia” is a Civil War-era song about William Tecumseh Sherman’s March to the Sea, a brutal and destructive military campaign that crippled the Confederacy near the end of the war. “Dumbarton’s Drums” is a Scottish song dating back to the 18th century.

20. “Play ‘The Blood-Stained Banner,’ play ‘Murder Most Foul’ “
“The Blood-Stained Banner” is a nickname given to the third and final official flag of the Confederacy. It was unveiled just weeks before Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House, ending the Civil War. “Murder Most Foul” is the title of this new Dylan song that is so long and epic, it wraps up with a reference to itself.