Bob Dylan and a crew of musicians booked for the session by producer Tim Wilson entered Columbia Records Studio A in New York City on this day in 1965 to work on a song Dylan had distilled from a 10 page rant he'd written.  Just back from a European tour and feeling disillusioned to the point that he was giving serious thought to quitting the music business, Bob and the band did 5 takes of the song.  None of them hit the mark to Dylan's ears.  The next day, Al Kooper (Blues Project, Blood, Sweat & Tears)  joined them in the studio as a guest of Wilson.  

 

At a point during that day's recording, Kooper, who at the time was primarily a guitarist, mentioned he had what he thought wold be a good part for the organ. The skeptical Wilson was said to be dismissive, but he allowed Kooper in on a subsequent take. Dylan loved what he heard and ordered Wilson to boost the organ in the mix during playback. The front-and-center sound of the improvised part played on that Hammond organ became the musical signature of Dylan's master work - and had a part in keeping Bob a musician. 

 

Talking with Rolling Stone the following year, Dylan said, "Last spring, I guess I was going to quit singing. I was very drained,  and the way things were going, it was a very draggy situation... But 'Like A Rolling Stone' changed it all."