In 1971, music icons Bob Dylan and George Harrison joined forces to raise funds for refugees, performing at Madison Square Garden. Recently restored footage from their rehearsal offers a rare glimpse into their collaboration as they prepared for the historic concert.
On stage, both artists are dressed casually in denim—George with his signature full beard and Bob with his distinctive curly hair. They strum their acoustic guitars in sync, fine-tuning their harmonies while the tech team adjusts the sound equipment. Sharing the spotlight, the two frequently glance at each other to stay aligned as they sing.
The rehearsal captures an unpolished yet captivating version of “If Not For You,” where even the occasional lyrical slip-up feels intimate and genuine. At one point, Dylan pulls out his iconic harmonica, weaving a soulful solo as they continue working through the arrangement. Despite the laid-back approach, their raw talent shines through, making their practice session sound as impressive as a polished performance.
As the song ends, George leans over to share some quiet suggestions with Bob. Behind the scenes, a production manager recalls, “Bob would come in and rehearse with the band to decide which songs he was going to do. It was all figured out at the last minute.” George himself reflected on the chaotic preparation, saying, “Right up until he walked on stage, Bob wasn’t sure he would go through with it.”
George also shared how overwhelmed Dylan felt when they first saw the scale of the event. “The night before the show, when we walked into Madison Square Garden and saw the cameras and the crowd size, Bob was like, ‘Hey man, this isn’t my scene, I can’t do this.'” Nevertheless, the pair delivered a memorable performance, raising $250,000 from the concert and even more through the record sales to aid refugees in need.
