When did The Beatles first hear Dylan?

 

The two most influential pop acts of the 1960s were initially wary of each other. As the world was going Beatles-mad, Bob told pals he had no time for 'bubblegum music'. Paul, for his part, dismissed the 'folk crap' he had not actually heard.

Meanwhile, the rivals were busy checking each other out.  

The Beatles hear Bob

In Paris in January 1964 was the first time I ever heard Dylan at all. Paul got the record [The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan] from a French DJ. For three weeks in Paris, we didn’t stop playing it. We all went potty about Dylan. John Lennon quoted in Anthology

Bob, for his part, joined 70 million fellow Americans in watching that Ed Sullivan Show a few weeks later. And in August 1964, he pitched up at their hotel when they were next in New York.

The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan 

Released in May 1963, Dylan's second studio album marked his emergence as a major singer-songwriter. Several tracks ('Blowing in the Wind, Times They Are a-Changing, A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall, etc. 

All had original or updated lyrics, though some leaned heavily on traditional tunes (Girl from the North Country, for example, is a reworking of Scarborough Fair). This was a revelation for The Beatles, who had previously performed traditional songs (the sea shanty, Maggie Mae, for example) but had never considered their potential for experimentation 

Protest 

Though many assumed Dylan was posing a political challenge, the deeper resonance was cultural. The keyword in the title Freewhelin' expressed, seemed like a direct challenge to the previous 'greatest' generation. 

They had gone to war to defend freedom - here was a young man clearly enjoying it. He had his girl and his guitar - and he wasn't settling down anytime soon. For The Beatles, already tiring of their suits and showbiz image, this was something they could sign on to.