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Diamonds and Rust

Stories of love and loss surrounding the song Diamonds and Rust, written by Joan Baez about her relationship with Bob Dylan.

鈥淲ell, I'll be damned,
Here comes your ghost again鈥︹

Joan Baez, also known as the "Queen of Folk", is halfway through writing a song one day when she gets a call from Bob Dylan. It鈥檚 1974; almost 10 years after their relationship ended. The song went on to become the iconic 鈥楧iamonds and Rust鈥, an outpouring of memories from their time together in the early sixties.

Music writer Kevin EG Perry tells the story behind Baez and Dylan鈥檚 relationship, how they shaped each other鈥檚 worlds, and how this song came into being a decade later. Folk legend Judy Collins, also a good friend of Joan Baez, shares old memories of Newport Folk Festival alongside more recent memories of performing 鈥楧iamonds and Rust鈥 with Baez at her 80th birthday. And we hear from people whose lives have been touched by the song. Classicist Edith Hall listened to 鈥楧iamonds and Rust鈥 on repeat when she ended her first marriage, on the night that the Berlin Wall fell. And writer John Stewart looks back on a heady relationship from his early twenties, which was always bound up with the lyrics of this song. Decades later, this formative time in his life continues to resonate with diamonds, rust, and gratitude.

Producer: Becky Ripley

Available now

28 minutes

Last on

Wed 16 Oct 2024 21:00

Broadcasts

  • Sat 12 Oct 2024 10:30
  • Wed 16 Oct 2024 21:00

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