Bob Dylan wanted Robbie Robertson to play on his Rough and Rowdy Ways album, but the former Band guitarist turned down the invite citing other commitments. Speaking with Rolling Stone, Robertson said he would have loved for it to happen but was "...slammed with work" related to his own album's release and the scoring he was doing for Martin Scorsese on The Irishman.
He apparently declined the offer after a phone call from Dylan that included him reading Robbie some lyrics, and said he planned to let Dylan know, "God, I'm sorry I Wasn't available then, but let's see if we can cause some trouble down the line."
Had it worked out, it would have been Robertson's first studio session with Dylan since the Band backed Bob on Planet Waves in 1974.