Gotta Serve, Somebody

Forty years ago today, August 29, 1969, the coolest game in the history of tennis took place (at least until September 25, 1977, when a rather mixed up game of mixed doubles was contested between Martina Navratilova, Elton John, Billie Jean King, and Renee Richards, nee Raskind). On that date, in what Clinton Heylin refers to as a “friendly game,” Bob Dylan, John Lennon, George Harrison, Ringo Starr and members of The Band played some serve and volley at Forelands Farm on the Isle of Wight. Dylan and The Band were there to play the Isle of Wight Festival on the 31st, and four-fifths of the Beatles (Yoko dragged along the racquets) had helicoptered in for the day.

After listening to an acetate of the Beatles' soon-to-be-released Abbey Road album, shorts were donned and the court at Forelands was overtaken by rock royalty (The Band members, sans Levon, who was doing some weeding around the farm, “got next”). Bob chose George as his partner and the two picked the east court. Yoko sat cross-legged on the west court's baseline just beyond the doubles alley. After some erant volleying (it was tacitly made clear that Ringo would fetch any balls hit over the fence), the match commenced, with the losers having to promise to cover a Neil Diamond song on some future recording project. Dylan served first, and despite his new pudginess, proved rather athletic, especially when approaching the net. George didn't move much, but seemed to get to everything hit near him. Ringo surprised all with a smooth backhand, but he was soon winded from chasing after Lennon's terribly erratic ground strokes that often flew high and wide over the fence.

Upon Lennon's turn to serve, he deferred, telling Ringo to handle the heavy lifting. Bob, clinging to a 2-1 advantage and spooked by the thought of having to record “Cherry, Cherry” taunted John by saying, not so playfully, “You might be a Beatle, but you still gotta serve.”

“Who are you, the USLTA?” John spat back and proceeded to forego the overhead method and instead bounced the ball and hit a lame serve over the net to Bob, who pounced with a wicked outside-in shot to Lennon's backhand.

“Out!” Lennon shouted as the ball bounced over the baseline.

“Bullshit!” Bob roared.

“Mommy,” Lennon casually turned to Ono. “In or out?”

“Neither,” Yoko replied definitively.

“Point to server. Fifteen me, all you got is love, luv.”

“What the—“ Bob looked at George, who rolled his eyes slightly and shrugged his shoulders. Instantly, Bob understood the imminent fracturing of the Fab Four. Unnerved, Bob committed a few unforced errors and somehow Lennon held serve, as did everyone until Lennon's turn again when he started jonesing and doubled faulted the game. Dylan, by now hearing Lennon singing “I Am, I Said” a full eighteen months before it would be written, served out the match. George gave his partner a congratulatory bow, modestly downplayed his own skills, and said, “Bob, if not for you, I'd be learning the chords of 'Crunchy Granola Suite' tonight.”

As the players walked off the court and Robbie Robertson was seen to be showing Richard Manuel which side of the racket was top and which bottom, Bob mumbled to no one in particular, “I really dig that 'bang bang hammer' song. I'll have to go to Nashville and put some strings on it and some chick back-up singers.”

John elbowed Ringo, “Nob's off his boggin.”



Aaron Neville-Gotta Serve Somebody