“The story is nuts. I was sat in the control room when our receptionist rang through and said, ‘Bob Dylan’s on the phone’”: How Eurythmics legend Dave Stewart became friends with his hero – after what he thought was a prank call

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dave Stewart, co-founder of Eurythmics, performs onstage at Honda Center on January 28, 2024 in Anaheim, California / US legend Bob Dylan performs on stage during the 21st edition of the Vieilles Charrues music festival on July 22, 2012 in Carhaix-Plouguer, western France.

Eurythmics legend Dave Stewart grew up listening to Bob Dylan – so you can imagine his surprise when, one day in the studio, he received a call from his hero out of the blue.

Stewart’s affection for Dylan and his music is well-documented, and the guitarist took that to new heights this month with the release of Dave Does Dylan – a fully fledged cover album that takes on 14 of Robert Zimmerman’s most beloved hits.

But Stewart’s connection to Dylan stems far beyond a surface-level appreciation for the man and his music. Instead, after spending years idolizing the man, he received a call from him out of the blue.

“The story is nuts because, having been such a fan, in 1985 I was in the studio with Feargal Sharkey,” he says in the new issue of Guitarist. “He went out and I was sat in the control room when our receptionist rang through and said, ‘Bob Dylan’s on the phone for Dave Stewart.’”

It seemed too good to be true, and Stewart was skeptical. He couldn’t believe it at first, and thought it was a prank call. Turns out it was the start of a longstanding friendship.

“I thought it was just Feargal larking about. Anyway, when I picked up the phone, it was one of those voices that nobody could imitate. That night, we met up, had a meal, drank sake. Later, when he came to England, we’d be sitting around my kitchen table. It just slowly became normal.”

The pair took their friendship to the stage and played together multiple times over the years. One of Stewart’s fondest memories comes from a gig in Japan, which demonstrated the sheer global reach of Dylan and his music.

“I’ve been on stage with him a few times. I’ve got this great film of us in Tokyo. I’ve got this tiny video camera and I’m about 12 inches away from his face as he’s singing Like A Rolling Stone.

“When I get to the chorus, I swing it round to the audience and all these Japanese people scream: ‘How does it feel?’ Amazing.”

Visit Magazines Direct to pick up the latest issue of Guitarist, which features interviews with Dave Stewart, Jeff ‘Skunk’ Baxter, Molly Tuttle and Mark Morton.