Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 1 day ago

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“When people say fuckin‘ shit, they don‘t think of a big turd, or two people makin‘ it anymore” - Patti Smith in May 1976, as told to Mick Gold

In the spring of 1976, Patti Smith made her debut in London. She wasn't even 30, yet. We're going inside her hotel, the Portobello, a Bohemian place popular with the fashion biz and musicians. Several journalists are inside the room asking Patti questions. For nearly two hours Patti holds court on her love of the French poet Rimbuad that spawned her creative path while still a young woman in New Jersey, her publicized relationship with Bob Dylan once she arrived on the scene, and her ability to dip into her unconscious pretty much anytime she wanted to.

It's vintage Patti Smith, unvarnished and unfiltered. We get to be flies on the wall that day.

More Patti gems, her influence on Bob Dylan and more: blankonblank.org

Hear the full interview: rocksbackpages.com

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Credits

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
David Gerlach

ANIMATOR
Patrick Smith

SERIES PRODUCER
Amy Drozdowska

COLORIST
Jennifer Yoo

SOUND DESIGN
Mixology Post / Doug Moss

MUSIC
Patti Smith
"My Generation"
"Land"

via APM
Sharon Kantor "Where Are You Now"
Sean Baca "That Train"
Mark Alberts "Play It Loud"
"All Right Now" Eric John Labrosse,
Mitchell Paul Rietman, Eric Mone, Timothy Francis Sentz