Desire (Bob Dylan album) McGuinn, Joni Mitchell, and Joan Baez who not only contributed during Dylan's set, but also played mini-sets of their own. Bruce Springsteen was invited to perform, but declined when Dylan informed him that he could not use the E Street Band to back him. The fall of 1975 would ultimately produce a widely criticized film, "Renaldo and Clara", but the concerts themselves were well received. Often regarded as one of Dylan's finest series of shows, this first leg of the tour was eventually documented on "". On January 5, 1976, "Desire" was released, garnering a fair share of critical acclaim.
The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan had heard Dylan perform in Greenwich Village, and invited him to take part in a BBC television drama: "Madhouse on Castle Street". Dylan arrived in London on December 17. In the play, Dylan performed "Blowin' in the Wind" and two other songs. Dylan also immersed himself in the London folk scene, making contact with the Troubadour folk club organizer Anthea Joseph and folk singers Martin Carthy and Bob Davenport. "I ran into some people in England who really knew those [traditional English] songs," Dylan recalled in 1984. "Martin Carthy, another guy named [Bob] Davenport. Martin Carthy's incredible. I learned a