Bob Dylan wanted to record an album with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, which would have created the biggest supergroup in rock history, according to a book written by veteran producer and engineer Glyn Johns.
"He said he had this idea to make a record with the Beatles and the Stones," Johns writes in his new memoir, "Sound Man," according to Rolling Stone. "And he asked me if I would find out whether the others would be interested. I was completely bowled over. Can you imagine the three greatest influences on popular music in the previous decade making an album together?"
Johns writes that he reached out to the Beatles and Stones about Dylan's idea, but it was never able to come to fruition due to the protests from one member of each legendary group.
"Keith [Richards] and George [Harrison] thought it was fantastic," he writes, according to Rolling Stone. "But they would since they were both huge Dylan fans. Ringo [Starr], Charlie [Watts] and Bill [Wyman] were amicable to the idea as long as everyone else was interested. John [Lennon] didn't say a flat no, but he wasn't that interested. Paul [McCartney] and Mick [Jagger] both said absolutely not."
Rolling Stone noted that Johns does not give a timeframe for his anecdote, but the magazine places it around the summer of 1969.
Dylan and Harrison did collaborate together, with Harrison sitting in on Dylan's sessions for the song "If Not For You," which was released on Dylan's "New Morning" album in 1970. Harrison recorded a version of his own for his classic album "All Things Must Pass," also released in 1970.
Dylan and Harrison would later work together again in The Traveling Wilburys, a supergroup that also included Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne of Electric Light Orchestra.
Johns, whose book about his 50-year career is published this week, worked as a producer or engineer on albums by the Stones ("Beggars Banquet," "Sticky Fingers," "Let It Bleed"), The Beatles ("Let It Be," "Abbey Road"), The Who ("Who's Next," "Quadropenia," "The Who By Numbers"), The Band ("Stage Fright"), Neil Young ("Harvest"), The Clash ("Combat Rock") and The Eagles ("Desperado"), among others, according to Rolling Stone.
