Radio Interview - 11/xx/66

By the time the fall of 1966 rolled around, the Dead were a household name in the San Francisco music scene. Although they had not yet seen national exposure, they were continuing to gain a strong following in the Bay Area due in large part to their participation at the Acid Tests. By all accounts they were quickly becoming one of the have-to-see bands toward the end of '66.

Within the first two weeks of November in 1966, Jerry, Pigpen, Bill, and Bobby were invited to the

KRFC studio to give a group interview on the show "Perspective," hosted by Steve O'shea. KRFC was a newly re-formatted Top-40 Rock & Roll radio station. As is clear through this Dead interview, the station was making it a priority to tap into the burgeoning music scene in the San Francisco Bay area. O'Shea mentions during the interview that he had seen the Dead in person at least three times at the Fillmore. Later in June of 1967, the station organized and hosted the Fantasy Fair and Magic Mountain Music Festival featuring bands such as the Airplane, the Doors, the Byrds, and Steve Miller. Many credit the Fantasy Fair to be the first music festival in the United States. It was held the week prior to the Monterey Pop Music Festival.

At the time of airing, only a part of the interview survived. Luckily, a re-airing in the spring of 1967 was recorded in full, which circulates today. We know this interview occurred within the first two weeks of November because the band mentions an upcoming show at the Fillmore with the James Cotton Blues Band. Deadbase lists the Jame's Cotton Blues band as on the docket with the Dead at
the Fillmore Auditorium on Saturday and Sunday November 19 and 20 (DB50, 419). One band member (probably Kreutzmann) puts the day of the show as the, "weekend after next," and O'shea adds that it is "the Sunday next," indicating they are about 10 days to two weeks out. That would put the interview somewhere between November 6 and November 10 of 1966.

Garcia wearing the Pigpen t-shirt circa '68

In this recording we can hear the Dead in their relative infancy relating stories of their first year-plus as a band. Their opinions and life as the Grateful Dead is told in its complete innocence. There was no brand to protect or promote, no issues or philosophies to cover and mold, and no giant overhead pressing weight onto the band members. What we hear is a group of friends talking about making music together, enjoying the trip they are just starting out on. This interview provides perhaps the best and most highly unbiased take on the Dead in their beginning. Opinions and stories had not yet been corrupted by time, and are likely the true stories of the first year of the band.

Notes:

• I found it interesting to hear Pigpen talk rather than singing. I am not sure that I've heard him speak before now.
• Steve O'Shea refers to the Pigpen t-shirt that was being produced. The band ends up giving O'Shea a shirt, to which he replies that he has to figure out where he can wear it.
• Pigpen makes reference to the hangers on, which O'Shea calls a fan club. This may or may not include Rock Scully, Danny Rifkin, Rosie McGee, etc

Listen to the entire interview on track two, hosted on archive here: https://archive.org/details/gd1966-11-00.FM.interview.ordon.sorochty.125586.flac16
 
Read the interview transcript at Dead Sources: http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2012/02/1966-radio-interview.html

Have something to add? Something to correct? Please comment below!

10/2/66 - San Francisco State Acid Test

Handbill from the Whatever It Is Festival, 1966

The next stop on my Grateful Dead audio trip isn't very much of a Grateful Dead show. In fact it isn't a Dead show at all. Its a collection of clips of the Merry Pranksters from the San Francisco State Acid Test, known as the Whatever It Is Festival. Taking place in the SF State gymnasium, the event lasted for parts of three days. The Dead played the last two, though there was a rumor that the bands tried to have a midnight concert on the Friday night kickoff of the event which was shut down by the police.

In The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, Tom Wolfe gives an excellent description of this test from the eyes of the Pranksters. Says Wolfe:

"The festival is in the gymnasium - full of scaffolding and people filling the ceilings with movies and light projections - Control Towers - and the Grateful Dead on the bandstand, all careful homage to the original Acid Tests, and then suddenly - Kesey - will be there, broadcasting into the gymnasium from a campus radio station.. ... Except that by the time they get all the wiring hooked up, and start rapping, Cassady with a microphone inside the hall... it is about 4 am. Kesey is hidden in the studio talking over the hugest Prankster hookup of wires... but there were no millions, or even hundreds left in the gymnasium because it was so late it was down to a group of hard-core heads" (313-14).

This all seemed so exciting within the Prankster world because it marked Kesey's return from his fugitive stay in Mexico, after being busted for marijuana use earlier in '66. He had planned this Test to be his coming out party to mark that he had returned to the San Francisco scene. Too bad the Pranksters were the Pranksters, missing their mark by several hours.

Now, one may wonder why I've included this audio as a mention when listening to the Grateful Dead. It only tangentially involves the Dead. We know they were there that night, but know little about their set. We do know from McNally that during the two nights that the Dead performed, they were forced to play one without their showman, Pigpen, who was inadvertently (or not) dosed. He was forced to go home as he was unable to perform.

Blair Jackson adds in Garcia, that, "The Dead dutifully supplied some of the music portion of the evening, and a few members of the group hung around to hear Kesey's ramblings in the wee hours of the morning" (113). The fact that the band was in the house during these recordings, part of the party, and were experiencing the Prankster weirdness in real time, probably high, is of significance to me. In moving linearly through the Dead's recording history, those events and music that influenced them along the way is of interest. For myself and my interests, that was enough.

If you are interested in seeing what the festival was like, a news report was was given on the Friday night of the event by station KRON Channel 4. You can view that archived report here: https://diva.sfsu.edu/collections/sfbatv/bundles/209388

As is true with much of the Dead from 1966 and 1967, that was not the end of the story. If you take a look at the notes of the file on archive, it includes an interesting name as the organ player: Jerry Garcia. Hmmm. My first thought was, "cool." At the same time I thought it hard to believe that Jerry was playing organ during these ramblings, not to mention that there was absolutely no way to verify this fact. Well, just in case it is Jerry playing the organ, this recording instantly becomes more significant to me. But again, there's no way to verify it. That is, until you find this event in Long Strange Trip. At the end of a nicely detailed paragraph, McNally drops, "the show finally began around midnight, and given Pig's absence, the music lacked energy and focus, although the audience was treated to Garcia playing organ behind Kesey" (McNally 166).

I'll let that sit for a second

"... Although the audience was treated to Garcia playing organ behind Kesey."

There's the verification that a random liner note lacks. McNally confirms that the random organ player behind Kesey is in fact Jerry Garcia. That tidbit is significant if only for the fact that we get the opportunity to hear him perform something on a night where all Grateful Dead material is lost to the ages. In fact the speaker mentions Jerry on Track 4 at 6:12: "I've even got Jerry Garcia coming that way, he'll try to (distorted)." There is a good jumble of music after this is mentioned, some of which must be coming at Jerry's hands.

If you are a true completist, this is one you might consider listening to. If you're only in this trip for the music, move on past.

https://archive.org/details/gd1966-10-02.sbd.bershaw.5413.shnf

The audio presented here is very odd. I mean, VERY odd. You have to be dedicated and supremely interested in the times to take this on. Although Jerry is mentioned twice, I found it difficult to discern his organ playing throughout the entire "show." Whatever the choice, here is the tracklist:

The Head Has Become Fat Rap
A Mexican Story: 25 Bennies
A Tarnished Galahad
Get It Off The Ground Rap >
It's Good To Be God Rap >
Nirvana Army Rap >
The Butcher Is Back
Acid Test Graduation Announcement
Send Me To The Moon >Closing Rap
Ken Kesey's dialogue (isolated remix)
Prankster Music/Sound Collage #1(sequence 1)
Kesey Rap > Prankster Music/Sound Collage #2 (sequence 2)
Sound Collage #3 > Prankster Raga(sequence 3)
Closing Jam
Prankster Electronics

Notes:

• Jerry mentioned @ 6:12 on Track 4 "Get it Off the Ground Rap"
• Jerry mentioned @10:38 on Track 10. Either, "It sounds like Jerry Garcia's made it," or "It's not like Jerry Garcia's made it."

9/16/66 - Grateful Dead Live at the Avalon Ballroom

09/16/66
Avalon Ballroom - San Francisco, CA
Set 1:
I Know You Rider
It Hurts Me Too
It's All Over Now Baby Blue
Dancin' In The Streets
Midnight Hour
Good Morning Little School Girl
Lindy
Stealin'*
The Same Thing*

 *date from a show other than the previous songs

The Grateful Dead show at the Avalon Ballroom played on September 16, 1966 is one of the most important 1966 shows in terms of its historical implications. The set-list and available audio, however, is not as clear cut as the importance of the date itself. The audio provided for this post is still in debate as to when it truly dates. Some contend that based on Jerry's playing and overall tightness of the band, it more aptly belongs to the late December Avalon shows of 12/23 and 12/24. Deadbase 50 notes that although the actual set-list and date is open to question, the Avalon as a venue is correct. For the sake of my audio history, however, I have chosen to leave the available recording as 9/16/66 simply because this date is where the audio has been placed for nearly 50 years. I'm not one enough in the know to change it. Until definitive evidence is uncovered that can accurately pinpoint when this was played, it'll stay at 9/16/66.  Regardless, the music posted for this date is a must-listen for all Deadheads.

Historically, the show slated for the Avalon Ballroom on September 16 was the first show for which the Skull & Roses artwork was used in conjunction with the Grateful Dead. Artists Stanley Mouse and Alton Kelly based their poster creation on Edmund Joseph Sullivan's illustration for "The Rubaiyat of Omar Kayyam" (1859). The show poster (pictured above) is certainly a work of art in itself. It seems fitting to be able to put some music to the actual show that coincides with the Skull & Roses initiation into the Dead's circle.

The songs attributed to 9/16/66 have long been in circulation, and have even been publish. They circulate primarily because they were released as two bootleg albums by Sunflower Records, and MGM subsidiary. Those records, Vintage Dead and Historic Dead have long been favorites in the Dead community. Vintage Dead was released by MGM in October of 1970, followed by Historic Dead in June of 1971. They provide excellent and clear copies of the Dead at their '66 best. I feel as though we are lucky to have had these bootlegs made, helping preserve a unique time in the Dead's history where there is a dearth of available recordings.


One listen to this show, and the terms "Vintage Dead," and "Historic Dead" seem very apt! This truly is 1966 at its best. Having taken a long break from 1966 material, my first impression on this show was how youthful the Dead sound, particularly Garcia. Pigpen, who is clearly the leader of the band at this point, comes through strong on this recording as well.

There were several points in the recording that stand out to me. In the first tune, "I Know You Rider," Jerry is simply flying. His playing is crisp and super-quick. One can literally feel the exuberance and energy flowing through his left hand as he rips his solo to shreds. It's also interesting to note that the "headlight" verse is sung in this song, as opposed to earlier 66 versions, but is also sung by the entire band rather than Jerry only."Baby Blue" is another excellent tune here. I was again caught by the pristine recording, which captures the texture of Jerry's youthful voice.

It should be noted that the Midnight Hour here clocked in at a little over 18:30. Pigpen sounds great. This tune demonstrates the fact that Pigpen was in fact the showstopper and band leader in 1966. Although it's easy to hear the budding star in Garcia, the Pigpen recordings on this tape take the blue ribbon.

"Stealin'" and "The Same Thing" are almost certainly from a date other than the other songs presented in this recording. The audio input is clearly different starting with "Stealin'." The Matrix show of 11/29 has been mentioned as a possible placement for these tunes. Regardless, they were clearly used as filler for Historic Dead.

If you want to hear crisp audio from 1966, please give this a whirl!
https://archive.org/details/gd1966-09-16.sbd.davenport.95970.flac16



I should also note that I am hoping to get this blog back and running regularly. I am doing my best to reorganize the notations I've made in the literature that allows me to scaffold the meaning and events behind each show I encounter. I feel I provide value in doing so. It takes time, however. I am also working at organizing and cataloging all of my Garcia material as well as early band interviews. Please have patience as I try and resurrect my lost blog from the ashes.

I would also love more people to leave comments to keep me going and provide more insight into the shows I review. Please comment and leave your own reviews. Correct my reports and critique my writing.

8/xx/66 - Grateful Dead Live at Unknown

Jerry & Pig, Summer 1966. Photo by Herb Greene

The next show in line available on archive is a small selection from an unknown date, labeled as "Live at Various 8/1/66. That date is simply not correct, and I don't believe that it's the dead live at various, but is rather a small selection from a single unknown show.

One commenter relates that Dick Latvala said that this tape originally came from a box with the label "Longshoreman's Hall 1st Night." Bear Stanley added that it likely dates the show to April of '66 after the band had returned from Los Angeles.


Grateful Dead
Unknown - Likely Longshoreman's Hall
San Francisco, CA
8/xx/66

Setlist:
1. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl >
2. You Don't Love Me >
3. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl

The tape that remains from this mysterious date is an excellent listen. This may be the first Dead Sandwich we've encountered in the record as we move forward. The sound has a tad of hiss to it, and I thought Pigpen's voice was just a small tick off. The music, however, does come through clear. Schoolgirl, although not explored deeply, has some real authority to it. Jerry's guitar is crisp and quick

The real highlight for me was the transition into and out of "You Don't Love Me." I wasn't watching the tracks change on archive, and did not notice that they had transitioned into another song until Jerry started his lyrics. I had to go back and re-listen to catch the seemless change. If you want a reason to listen to this tape, it's for that alone.

In the closing of Schoolgirl, the band picks up the pace during Pigpen's rap, at around the 2:00 mark. They keep it up for a few minutes before slowing back down. Schoolgirl is cut at the end. I am not sure how much music is missing.


Listen to this '66 selection at archive: https://archive.org/details/gd66-xx-xx.sbd.jools.19514.19529.sbeok.shnf

The Scorpio Recording Sessions, summer 1966

Sometime in June of July of 1966, the Dead took to the studio for the second time to get some material down in San Francisco's Scorpio Studios owned by Gene Estribou. By all accounts it was not an enjoyable experience.

That summer they also had their first recording experience, with a man named Gene Estribou, who had built a studio in his home at 737 Buena Vista West, a few blocks from the Dead's office at 710 Ashbury. (It was actually their second recording experience after recording as the Emergency Crew in December of 1965). Estribou's  building was spectacular. It had been built in 1897, and in the course of its history, Ambrose Bierce had lived there and Jack London had written White Fang on the premises. Unfortunately, the studio was on the fifth floor, and most of Weir's memories of the session centered on hauling the lead sled up four flights of stairs. To Lesh, Estribou seemed to be a wealth "dilettante" who wanted to break into the business, but the session was at least an opportunity to get something on tape. They recorded the old jug songs "Don't Ease Me In" and "Stealin," and other songs, including a Pigpen number called "Tastebud," and one by Lesh called "Cardboard Cowboy." The first two were duly released as a 45 rpm single on Scorpio Records that August. Garcia later guessed that not more than 150 copies were pressed, and since they were sold only on Haight Street, primarily at the Psychedelic Shop, the record made little impact (McNally 153).

The existing spots of the Scorpio Sessions seem to be spread in several different places. First there is a compilation of 30 takes in the studio, found on archive.org. 

Grateful Dead

Scorpio Studios

San Francisco, CA

June - July 1966

Stealin (Tracks 1 - 4, 29)

I Know You Rider (Tracks 5 & 30)

Don't Ease Me In (Tracks 6 - 20)

You Don't Have to Ask (Tracks 21 - 23)

Tastebud (Tracks 24 - 28)

There is not a lot of variety to the takes, and listening to them all is only for those looking to gather in a complete history. For instance, most of the Don't Ease tracks are very similar instrumentals. For those just wanting a taste, I would suggest Tracks 4, 5, 19, 23, 27, & 28. These demos resulted in a 2 sided record of Stealin and Don't Ease Me In.

I Know You Rider, Track 5, is a great example of their 1966 sound. The song captures the way they sounded when performing that song live. It's worth checking it out. Also, the tracks labeled as "Tastebud" are actually "Cardboard Cowboy."  I'm not sure as to why they are not labeled correctly. Track 30 - I Know You Rider is only instrumental, with no vocals. 

Listen to the outtakes on archive: https://archive.org/details/gd66-06-xx.sbd.vernon.9513.sbeok.shnf

Some Scorpio tracks were also commercially released in 2001 as part of the "Birth of the Dead" CD.  I did not compare these tracks to the outtakes above, so some are probably repeats. I present them in two formats as this was the way that I listened to them.

Grateful Dead

Scorpio Studios

San Francisco, CA

June - July 1966

Released on Birth of the Dead (track #'s match the CD)

7. Stealin (Instrumental)

8. Stealin (with Vocals)

9. Don't Ease Me In (Instrumental)

10. Don't Ease Me In (with Vocals)

11. You Don't Have to Ask

12. Tastebud (Instrumental)

13. Tastebud (with Vocals)

14. I Know You Rider

15. Cold Rain & Snow (Instrumental)

16. Cold Rain & Snow (with Vocals)

You can listen to the entire "Birth of the Dead album on Youtube. The tracks start at approximately 17:35. The Tastebud examples on this recording are correct, as opposed to the outtakes.

7/29 & 7/30/66 - Grateful Dead Live at P.N.E Garden Auditorium, Vancouver, British Columbia

At the end of July in 1966, the Dead headed out of California to perform for the first time in their collective venture. Except they didn't only venture out of California, but clear out of the United States to play a Trips Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia. There they joined the bill with Quicksilver Messenger Service, Big Brother and the Holding Company (with newly acquired Janis Joplin), and the Daily Flash. These two shows are significant for that fact alone. However, we must also remember that outside of their own circles, Jerry, Pig, Bobby, Phil, and Bill were generally unknown musicians.

Both McNally and Lesh recalled these shows in their respective works:

Said McNally:

"That summer (1966)  they left the Bay Area for their first out-of-town shows, and their trip swiftly went sour. They began in late July with three shows at the British Columbia Festival, at the rather large Pacific National Exhibition Garden Auditorium, in Vancouver. .....  When they got to the gig, Garcia recalled, they were told they could play only one set a night and "got screwed around one way or another." He found the stage to be so inordinately high that he insisted their equipment be moved back so they could avoid the edge" (McNally 153).

In his autobiography, Lesh recalled that, 

"Soon after our move (to Olompali), we received an offer to play three days of a "Trips Festival" in Vancouver, British Columbia. It seemed like a good opportunity to bring our music to a new audience, since we'd been preaching to the choir, so to speak, for a while now.... When we got there, we discovered that the stage was so high as to cause nosebleeds, and the acoustics, of course, were bloody awful. We played one of the worst performances I can remember" (Lesh 91).

Lesh also related a tidbit on the trip up about the song Caution. Taking the train toward the Canadian border, he and Bill took a smoke break between the cars of the train. "At one point, we were standing out there entranced by the rhythm of the wheels clickety-clacking over the welds in the rails; Billy and I looked at each other and just knoew - we simultaneously burst out, "We can play this!" This later turned into "Caution (Do Not Stop on the Tracks," one of our simplest, yet farthest-reaching musical explorations" (Lesh 91).

There is some debate about the set lists of these two dates, as well as which shows belong on which date. According to the text on archive.org, the two shows I've posted below came directly from a Grateful Dead Archive box labeled with these two dates. Your guess as to which set goes with which date is as good as mine. I prefer to think of them in the order that I present them below simply because of the way the band is introduced. On the first night, they are announced as, "A band from San Francisco, The Grateful Dead." Phil is heard replying to the lack of applause with "Our fame precedes us." These added together seems to allude to this being the first time the band is announced to the Vancouver crowd. On the second set, they are simply introduced as "The Grateful Dead" without any further explanation. The listener, of course, can decide for themselves.

Grateful Dead
P.N.E Garden Auditorium
Vancouver, BC, Canada
7/30/66

Set 1
1. Standin' On the Corner
2. I Know You Rider
3. Next Time You See Me
4. Sitting On Top Of The World
5. You Don't Have To Ask
6. Big Boss Man
7. Stealin'
8. Cardboard Cowboy
9. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
10. Cream Puff War
11. Viola Lee Blues

 In comparing the two shows of the Trips Festival, this was easily the most enjoyable to listen to. The band seems more loose and willing to air it out. McNally mentions that prior to this show the band took LSD on a trip to the Pacific coast, almost missing the start of the show. Could this be a reason for the relative loose-ness of the playing? We again see the Garcia tune "Cream Puff War," which comes off strong. I cannot get enough of this song. Viola Lee Blues is their most exploratory song of the set, and is performed well. Certainly worth the listen.

The primary attraction to this show for me is the appearance of the song "Cardboy Cowboy." This is one of two known performances of the song, which comes off as a strange and steriotypical 60's psychedelic song. Weir introduces the tune as "No Left Turn Unstoned." According to David Dodd, this alternate name refers to a sign in front of Ken Kesey's La Honda home around 1966 (Dodd 23). The song will not appear again in the known audio archive of the band.

Why Listen: Cardboard Cowboy, Cream Puff War, Viola Lee.

Here is the streaming audio: https://archive.org/details/gd66-07-29.sbd.vernon.9051.sbeok.shnf



Grateful Dead
P.N.E Garden Auditorium
Vancouver, BC, Canada
7/30/66

Set 1
1. Dancin' In The Streets
2. King Bee
3. One Kind of Favor
4. You Don't Have to Ask
5. Hey Little One
6. Beat It On Down The Line
7. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl
8. Minglewood Blues

The first thing that struck me was that when the Grateful Dead were announced, one can hear nary an applause from the audience. The band really was an unknown on this venture. There is also some interesting banter when testing the mics prior to the beginning of the show. According to Phil, the word of the day is "Nark," which Bob tells the crowd is what a dog with hairlip says. The sound on Dancin' is a bit rough, and if played too loud will cause some distortion. The early state of the band is clear in this recording, as the harmonizing isn't quite there. Apparently the lack of audio quality from this string of shows provided the band with the ammunition to ask Bear Stanley to take a break as their soundman. Dennis McNally writes that they were fed up with his constant tinkering, delays, and inconsistent sound.

The standout on this recording is Pigpen. His organ is loud in the mix and comes across very well. His harmonica is also quite good during Schoolgirl.  Also of note is Minglewood, which on this date is very raw. It sounds as though Bob channels his energy into shouting the song. To me it's reminiscent of his 80's screeching, but just an early incantation of it. It's interesting but not very good. The song is also not the rocker it later becomes. It's quite the interesting comparison.

Why listen: King Bee, Good Morning Little Schoolgirl.

You can listen to this set here: https://archive.org/details/gd1966-07-29.sbd.GEMS.94633.flac16

Should I come back?

I wonder if anybody else reads this blog?

I stopped following this path after I lost hearing in one ear and was hesitant to listen via headphones. I then totaled my car, which allowed me to play shows through my IPOD which is now no longer possible.

I am kind of on the fence, wanting to do it, but knowing the work that goes into it. If there are people out there, I will consider it.

7/17/66 - Grateful Dead at the Fillmore Auditorium

Grateful Dead
Fillmore Auditorium
San Francisco, CA
7/16/66

Tracklist:
1. Big Boss Man//
2. Cold Rain & Snow
3. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
4. Cream Puff War
5. King Bee
6. Stealin'
7. Dancin' In The Streets

The tracks I have for 7/17/66, as seen above, is the correct one according to Charlie Miller. In the past, the performances of In the Pines, and Cardboard Cowboy from 7/16 have been attributed to this date. Miller has since corrected it.

I found this show to be a little underwhelming as compared to the night before. Obviously it's a smaller amount of music, but I don't think the intensity of 7/16 is matched. The majority of Big Boss Man is cut, giving the last 26 seconds of the music. It also sounds as though there is a cut in the middle of Baby Blue - but I have no idea how much music is missing. Cream Puff War and King Bee are the two highlights from this tape for me. The Bee is bluesy Dead at it's best. Pig's voice is growing on me, and really fits the style of song he performed. Fitting with the trend, Cream Puff is explored nicely after the lyrics.

This show is mentioned in McNally's "Long Strange Trip." He says,

"...The ALF [Artist's Liberation Front] turned to the musicians for a benefit, and on July 17 the Dead, the Airplane, and Sopwith Camel played the Fillmore, capping the evening with a "Midnight Hour" that included Marty Balin, Pigpen, Joan Baez, and Mimi Farina trading vocals. The ALF would not accomplish much, but it planted a seed in various minds. "Free" was a very powerful idea" (McNally 150).

I would LOVE to find a copy of that Midnight Hour as well as the Airplane set, but haven't been able to uncover either. I bet the Dead set is truncated because it was a benefit with a number of bands playing.

If you want to give it a listen, head over to archive. Here is Charlie Miller's correction: http://archive.org/details/gd66-07-17.sbd.miller.21064.sbeok.shnf

I'm not off to listen to a show from the Dead's first real road trip, when they traveled up to Vancouver at the end of July 1966! Enjoy the music!

Grateful Dead at the Fillmore Auditorium: 7/16/66

Grateful Dead
Fillmore Auditorium
San Francisco, CA
7/16/66

Set One:
1. I Know You Rider
2. Big Boss Man
3. Standing On The Corner
4. Beat It On Down The Line
5. In The Pines
6. Cardboard Cowboy
7. Nobody's Fault But Mine
8. Next Time You See Me
9. He Was A Friend Of Mine
10. Cream Puff War

Set Two:
11. Viola Lee Blues
12. Don't Ease Me In ->
13. Pain In My Heart
14. Minglewood Blues ->
15. Sittin' On Top Of The World
16. You Don't Have To Ask
17. Cold Rain And Snow ->
18. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl ->
19. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
20. Dancin' In The Streets

The show from 7/16/66 seems to be the first "complete" show (fitting the schemata of later shows having a first and second set) that I've encountered so far. In between the two Dead sets is a Jefferson Airplane set, as Garcia tells us after concluding Cream Puff War. Bill Graham also introduces the band as "the oldest juveniles in California." That may have been, especially with LSD still legal,  but the Dead played this night like something more than juvenile.

To me, set one seemed to be standard '66 fare. Cream Puff War was the most jammed song of the set, keeping with the momentum they've built up on that tune to this point. Set one also has the first Cardboard Cowboy I've encountered before. Does anyone else think it's kind of a weird song? - Not bad, just odd. I also really dig Nobody's Fault But Mine, but couldn't find any additional information about it. Set 2 is where the show really took off to me. I love the version of Viola Lee, which Lesh tells us afterwords, is a song about jail. In Minglewood you hear Weir's earliest attempts at singing. Bobby's unique style and newness to the job are both quite apparent in this version. I had to turn my stereo down at one point to reign in Weir's screeches.

7/16/66 represents the first time the Dead performed Don't Ease Me In. The lyrics are very similar to those sung in later years. The playing of the tune, however, matches the 66-style of the band. And although this is the first official performance by the Grateful Dead, the tune sounds as though Jerry's played it before - perhaps in one of his bluegrass bands from earlier in the decade.

I suggest anyone give this show a listen. Set 2 especially warrants at least a listening of the show. 
You can listen here at archive: http://archive.org/details/gd1966-07-16.sbd.miller.21063.shnf


For a quick listen, here is Viola Lee Blues:

Grateful Dead at the Fillmore Auditorium; 7/3/66

Grateful Dead at Olompali, 6/1/66

Grateful Dead
Fillmore Auditorium
San Francisco, CA
7/3/66

Tracklist:
1. Dancin' In The Streets
2. I Know You Rider//
3. //He Was A Friend Of Mine
4. Next Time You See Me
5. Viola Lee Blues
6. Big Boss Man
7. Sitting On Top Of The World//
8. Unknown (missing)
9. Bring It On Down The Line (missing)
10. Cream Puff War (missing)
11. It's A Good Thing (missing)


The existing part of the show from 7/3/66 played at the Fillmore Auditorium is another good warm-up for the summer and fall shows of the true summer of love. During this time the band was living communally at a place called Rancho Olompali (pictured above). The main building was situated on over 8,000 acres of land. There the band was free to play, trip, and party whenever they wanted to. For Phil and Jerry, Olompali represented the pinnacle of their psychedelic use. Said Garcia in 1971, "Novato was completely comfortable, wide open, high as you wanted to get, run around naked if you wanted to, fall in the pool, completely open scenes. Everything was just super-groovy. It was a model of how things could really be good... It was good times - unself-conscious and totally free" (Jackson 105). Lesh adds, "Bear was still paying the rent, and we would go into town, play our gigs, and then repair to our paradisiacal retreat and continue the explorations of conciousness and inspiration that had come to define our lives. We continued, of course, to trip every weekend, whether we were playing a gig or not" (Lesh 89).  Olompali was a significant place in the band's development as a unit. Although 710 Asbury gets all the fanfare, the Dead truly developed into its communal being while in Novato at Olompali.


The show is a quick, fine example of how the Dead were playing at the time. I love the tone of Garcia's guitar. It's interesting how different his playing and tone was in the early days as compared to what it became, even as early as 1969.Viola Lee Blues is tight, and well played, though is much shorter than later versions. Big Boss Man is also a solidly played number. Like I mentioned in my last post, the band is just starting to turn up their level of jamming after the lyrics. I look forward to hearing them expand on this during the coming shows. Of note is the Dancin' in the Streets to lead off. This is the first known performance of the song, according to Deadbase. For a first-go, it's a pretty solid performance. You can tell the the band rehearsed this song before bringing it onstage. After the tune, Jerry gives a dedication to a store on Haight street called Hasidica (sp?). IK Rider is cut at the "hollow log," verse, and the tape doesn't pick up again until after "Friend of Mine" has already started. Sitting on top of the World is also cut at the end. According to the setlist program, there are four additional songs for this date, which do not appear on my file. If they are indeed from this day, and anyone has them, I would love to add them into the collection.

Other stage banter:
Phil prepares the audience for a ballad right before "Rider."
Jerry says before "Viola Lee," "We had a request for this before..... before we did it. It's called Viola Lee Blues."


As always, if you'd like a copy of this show, let me know. Although archive has a listing for this show, the tracks are not correct. Otherwise, I'd post it here.

Grateful Dead at Fillmore Auditorium; 66/07/01

Show poster from early July 1966.

Grateful Dead
7/01/66 ???
Venue unknown; possibly the Fillmore Auditorium

Tracklist:
1. Cold Rain & Snow
2. It's All Over Now Baby Blue
3. Cream Puff War
4. I'm a King Bee
5. Stealin'
6. Dancin' In the Streets//


I'm back!!! To those of you who actually read this thing, sorry that I've been gone for the past year. I've been busy to say the least. Organization, though, has finally found its neat little head into my life once again, so I'm ready to go!

The next installment on our path likes on July 1st, 1966. Or at least Archive.org would like us to say so. A partial show for this day appears under their list of '66 shows. Because of that I included it in my playlist.

Of course, we try and do our homework around here. The Dead's website does not list any show for this date. I found the same thing on the setlist program. With some digging, I also found a poster from the shows held at the Fillmore Auditorium during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd or July in 1966 (shown above). If you take a quick look, you'll see that the Dead are on the bill for the July 3rd portion of the series (the next show I'll listen to), and clearly do not appear under the July 1st heading. Further,  7/3/66 is provided as the band's first performance of "Dancin' In the Streets." Yet it's the last song recorded on this tape. From listening it also doesn't sound like their first go at it either.

If not from July 1st, when is this snippet from? A commenter  on archive.org suggest that this part of the show from July 17th, only a different recording of it.  When I get there, I'll certainly see if I can tell.  Does anyone care to weigh in on an approximate date in 1966 where this show is from?

Regardless of the exact date, this is a really nice recording. The sound is an A, with clear vocals and strong instruments. The improvement on the groups' communication is starting to come through on some of these songs. After the lyrics in Cream Puff, King Bee, and Dancin' the boys start in on what I'd consider to be a Dead-like jam. They're not spacey by any means, but the chords and notes start to extend away from those typical of their songs. During Cream Puff War it almost seems like they are trying to transition into another song. Phil shows up great, and really drives them into a good place.
Dancin' (probably not the first version) is pretty fun just listening to a young Bob Weir sing. He clearly needs to work on his voice, but you get the typical Weir spunk nonetheless.  God their young!

Go take a listen over on archive! Shed some light on it for us!
http://archive.org/details/gd66-07-01.sbd.vernon.19924.sbeok.shnf

And guys, I'm back for good this time.

Grateful Dead at unknown; xx/xx/66

Grateful Dead, 1966 by Herb Greene

Grateful Dead
??/??/66
venue unknown

Track List:
1. She's On The Road Again
2. Next Time You See Me
3. I Know You Rider
4. Hey Little One
5. Cold Rain & Snow
6. King Bee >
7. Caution
8. Stealin'//


This show comes courtesy of Grateful Dead Hour #557. As David Gans states at the end of the recording, the location and date of the show are unknown, though certainly from 1966. Because of the uncertainty, I decided to put it smack in the middle of my '66 playlist. Because of a lack of information, I cannot report on any importance on the songs captured here.
Like many of the '66 IK-Riders so far in '66, the Dead are singing a lyric not present in versions as early as 1970. Instead of Jerry's "Headlight" verse, the band here sings,

"I drink muddy water, sleep in a hollow log,
I drink muddy water, sleep in a hollow log,
Than stay here in 'frisco, be treated like a dog."

Another thing I've really started to get into is the song "Caution." When listening to these early shows, I find myself looking for that slice of extra energy that is often associated with shows of this era. To me that means loud, fast, jammed rock. "Caution" definitely fits that conception. In this recording it is nestled kindly with King Bee. The slow Blues riffs of King Bee juxtapose perfectly with the exploding quick beat of Caution. I know there are more jammed out versions of the song out there. Trying to put myself in this unknown hall back in '66, I can hear the energy that would have flown while listening to this tune.

For a copy of the show, feel free to send me a message.

Grateful Dead at the Avalon Ballroom - 5/19/66

Concert Poster from 5/19/66

Grateful Dead
Avalon Ballroom
San Francisco, CA
5/19/66

Set 1:
1. Beat It On Down The Line
2. Standing On The Corner
3. Mindbender
4. It Hurts Me Too
5. Viola Lee Blues
6. I Know You Rider
7. It's A Sin
8. Sick And Tired
9. Cream Puff War

Set 2:
10. Sittin' On Top Of The World
11. Minglewood Blues
12. Cold Rain And Snow
13. Come Back Baby
14. Silver Threads And Golden Needles
15. It's All Over Now, Baby Blue
16. Good Lovin'
17. You Don't Have To Ask


Sorry I've been away a while. Life got kind of busy. I'm finally ready to post about the Dead's return to San Francisco after their time in Los Angeles. Four shows from Longshoreman's Hall, and a couple shows from Berkeley are currently missing from circulation. The 5/19 show is the next in the existing chronological order.

By the time the band returned from Los Angeles, the scene in the San Francisco area had blossomed into a handful of dance halls putting on shows each weekend. People (and bands) had the Fillmore West, Winterland, the Avalon Ballroom, and the Carousel Ballroom to choose from. This performance constitutes the Dead's first appearance at the Avalon.

The appearance is mentioned in McNally's history of the band:

"The gigs began to come, first a couple in Berkeley in early May, and then one at the Family Dog's new location, the Avalon Ballroom, upstairs at Sutter and Van Ness Avenue, in San Francisco. The Avalon was an old swing ballroom once called the Puckett Academy of Dance, with good acoustics, a wonderful sprung wooden dance floor, mirrors, columns, red flocked wallpaper, and lots of gilt. The Dead's first show there was to raise money for the Straight Theater, a dance hall on Haight Street that some local young people were trying to open" (McNally 148).

Jerry described the Avalon as, "A good old party" (148).

The recording of this show constitutes the first 2-set show I've heard so far. This is the first known version of "Cream Puff War," Jerry's first tune. I was lucky enough to witness the Dead breaking Cream Puff War out in 2009, for their first performance of the song since 1967. The 5/19 show is also the first time I've heard the late 60's standard "Sitting On Top of the World." The arrangement in '66 is the same as the later versions I've heard.

One tune that interested me in particular is "Good Lovin." It is arranged into a very quick tempo - much different than the band will later play it. Before starting up, you can hear band members making sure that Jerry remembers the "new arrangement."


Listen to this excellent show on archive!
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1966-05-19.sbd.miller.106828.flac16

Grateful Dead at Troupers Hall, Los Angeles - 3/25/66

Grateful Dead performing at Trouper's Hall 3/25/66

Troupers Hall
Los Angeles, CA
03/25/66

1. Stealin' [#1:37]
2. Jam [7:41]
3. Hey Little One [4:46]
4. Hog For You Baby [2:49]
5. You Don't Have To Ask [5:56]
6. Cold Rain And Snow [3:24]
7. Next Time You See Me [2:30#]

The last recording I have of the Dead's sojourn to Los Angeles is of the show they played at Trouper's Hall in Los Angeles on 3/25/66. Trouper's Hall was the meeting room for a retired actors club in Hollywood, and was possibly the location of the Sunset Acid Test, which also occurred on 3/25.

McNally relates an interesting story from this show:

"At their last show at Trouper's hall, Weir managed to rip out the seat of his pants. Lacking underwear or a replacement for his trousers, he spent the night facing the audience, sidestepping over to Tim Scully to tell him how to adjust his sound. It turned out not to be so bad. That night he also met a Playboy Playmate, a cordial redhead, and she didn't seem to mind the state of his wardrobe. Finally Rock lined up a booking back home at the Longshoreman's Hall that would pay them the respectable sum of $375. It required no persuasion for everyone to pack up and flee Los Angeles" (McNally 138).

Soon after this show, the Dead headed back to San Francisco.

The show seems typical of the '66 stuff I've listened to so far. It's interesting and inconsistent at the same time. One song that stood out in particular was, "You Don't Have To Ask," sung with Weir as lead. It was chock-full of young, inspired energy. It sounds as though Jerry and Co. are trying to physically blast the walls of Trouper's Hall right out. Jerry is quick on his riffs, and takes the time to just play! The lyrics themselves evoke the image and events of the Acid Tests:

"If you wanna leave just close your eyes, you don't have to ask
If you wanna go and lose your mind, you don't have to ask
If it's peace that you're looking for
You got the key to every door, you already know"

I've always been particularly interested in songs and lyrics in which the Dead tell their own tale. A biography within a song adds something interesting and unique to the music. This song, which I had never heard before, will certainly be a "replay" on my IPOD. I highly suggest that you give that song, if not the whole show, a listen!!

Stream the show here:
http://www.archive.org/details/gd66-03-25.sbd.unknown.38.sbeok.shnf

Grateful Dead at the Pico Acid Test - 3/19/66

Pico Acid Test
Carthay Studios, Los Angeles CA
3/19/66

Track List:

1. Viola Lee Blues
2. One Kind Favor
3. I Know You Rider
4. You See A Broken Broken Heart
5. It's A Sin
6. PA Complaints
7. Beat It On Down The Line
8. PA, Etc. - Stage Banter
9. Heads Up (Instrumental)
10. PA, Etc. - Stage Banter
11. Next Time You See Me
12. Ice Cream Break
13. Stormy Monday Jam
14. //Death Don't Have No Mercy
15. In The Midnite Hour//
Total Time: 66:20

The next installment of the Merry Pranksters trip was the Pico Acid Test held at Carthay Studios in Los Angeles. Their house band, the Grateful Dead, were of course on hand for the event. The actual date of the recording is, like much of 1966, up to some speculation. The tracks circulate as both 3/12 and 3/19. For lack of an exact date and with the stage banter and PA problems, I felt as though the show is probably 3/19 at the Acid Test. Listen for yourself and let me know your opinion!

The Dead on this night were on. The "Viola Lee Blues" to begin the set is intense, and is a great introduction to live versions. If it is a harbinger intense jamming, I am quite excited to experience more of Viola Lee's! Jerry's roving guitar riffs during the song reminded me of Bear Stanley's initial reaction to hearing Jerry play. He said that he felt overwhelmed by the experience because of, "Garcia's guitar, which seemed to come out of the universe and try to eat me alive" (McNally 118). The quick, wild quality with which he plays brings to mind a bridge to another universe.

Another interesting note of the show is that it contains the only known performance of Pigpen's song "You See A Broken Heart," according to David Dodd (Dodd 12).

If you have any information about whether this show occurred on 3/12 or 3/19 of 1966, please feel free to leave them.

Take a listen to the Viola Lee's Blues and the rest:
http://www.archive.org/details/gd66-03-19.sbd.scotton.81951.sbeok.flac

Grateful Dead at the (possibly) Ivar Theater - 2/25/66

Poster from 2-25-66

The recording I have as 2-25-66 is the first actual live Dead show I've listened to. That is, it was put on without the Pranksters or an Acid Test. The playing here is excellent in its immaturity. The sound matches exactly what you'd expect out of '66 Dead, but there are glimpses of their (especially Jerry's) future sound. "On the Road Again" is a familiar tune, but unlike later versions I've heard, Jerry is the front-man on vocals instead of Bobby. Also, according to David Dodd in his Annotated Lyrics work, the "Cold Rain and Snow" from this recording is the first known live version of the song. You can hear the infancy of the tune when comparing it to later versions which, to me, seem to be more full.
The last half of the tracks available on archive.org are probably not from this date, but are instead from the summer of '66. Regardless, the Schoolgirl>Love Me>Schoolgirl is a great example of the killer segues I've come to love with the Dead. The songs absolutely mesh right into each other. It was a moment, while listening, in which I couldn't help but dance in the kitchen. High energy and great playing!
Take a look at the track list and give this one a go! Highlights include On the Road Ag, IKYR, CRS, and the Schoolgirl>love>schoolgirl. If you have any comments about the show, or care to weigh in about the music, please leave them!

Track List:
1. On The Road Again
2. Next Time You See Me
3. I Know You Rider
4. Hey Little One
5. Cold Rain & Snow
6. King Bee >
7. Caution
8. Stealin' //

Note: tracks 1-8 are reportedly from 2/25/66 Ivar Theater, Los Angeles.

9. Stealin'
10. Good Morning, Lil' School Girl >
11. You Don't Love Me >
12. Good Morning, Lil' School Girl

Note: Tracks 9-12 from mid-to-late 66

The exact date and location of the recording are certainly in question. Check out the comments on archive.org.

http://www.archive.org/details/gd66-02-25.sbd.unknown.1593.sbefail.shnf

Watts Acid Test - 2/12/66

In early February of 1966, the Dead followed the Merry Pranksters down to the Los Angeles area to continue and expand the Acid Tests. The Prankers themselves were on their way to rendezvous with Ken Kesey who was then hiding in Mexico. In addition to the Watts Acid Test of February 12 (featured here), the band stuck around LA for approximately two months. They were hoping to make headway into a recording contract of some sort. Of course, they didn't get very far in that respect.

The acid test itself was conducted at the Youth Opportunities Center in Compton, CA. The setlist is unknown according to Setlist.net. A note at Dead.net also states, "Jerry apparently did not play." This is a possible reference to the fact that the Dead may have been too high to do any playing on this night. Apparently the Kool-Aid at this test was dosed by two individuals, concluding in some extremely high individuals.

One recording of Pigpen from this night does exist. It's a pretty decent Pigpen rap:

The Watts Acid Test
Youth Opportunities Center, Compton, CA
February 12, 1966

01. Who Cares Rap (Pigpen, Weir, etc.) [6:08}

Listen to it here:
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1966-02-12.sbd.bershaw.9515.shnf

Can You Pass the Acid Test? 1/8/66

After a week, I'm finally able to update on my progress. I finished listening to a recording of 1/8/66. It's the first live show that I've encountered in this project. The recording was made during the Fillmore Acid Test. Here's the setlist:

The Fillmore Acid Test
Fillmore Auditorium, San Francisco, CA
January 8, 1966

Setlist:
1. Stage Chaos/More Power Rap
2. King Bee
3. I'm A Hog For You Baby
4. Caution: Do Not Step On Tracks >
5. Death Don't Have No Mercy
6. Star Spangled Banner / closing remarks

Obviously this recording has historic value as an early Dead show, especially because it is part of an Acid Test. The transition between "Caution" and "Death Don't" is interesting. The band has to slow their momentum way down to do it. They manage to accomplish it in an abrupt fashion, and let Jerry create the bridge between the two songs with the others falling into place behind him. This show is also my first exposure to "I'm a Hog for You," which sounds like a goofy song, perhaps from the jug-band days. The interesting part of this track is that in place of a cut in the SBD recording, the Prankster recording is spliced in. Behind the prankster calls, you can hear the band continuing the song. I thought that particularly neat, adding a bit of Acid Test authenticity to it.

The Star Spangled banner is a capella by Weir, Lesh, and others. They sang it as the San Francisco Police were trying to shut down the Test. Apparently, Bob climbed a Prankster tower, and refused to come down. Said McNally:

"It was the ending that everyone would recall. Around 2 A.M. the police came by to close the show, although in the absence of alcohol they lacked any legal authority to do so..... An officer came out onstage and motioned for the band to stop, and was duly ignored. The cops grew perplexed.... They began to pull power cords out of the wall, and M.G. followed them and plugged things back in. At length the band stopped playing and the police dutifully began shooing everyone out, although it was a slow process.
It occurred to Lesh and Weir that when a TV station goes off the air, it plays "The Star-Spangled Banner," so they began an a cappella duet. Spotting a twenty-foot ladder, and always part monkey, Weir swarmed up to continue his end of the duet from on high" (McNally 122).

Give this show a listen. It's interesting early Dead.
http://www.archive.org/details/gd1966-01-08.sbd.bershaw.5410.shnf

Viola Lee Rehearsals - Jan/Feb 1966

Next on my list is the Viola Lee rehearsals, conducted sometime in January or February of 1966. The exact date and location of the rehearsals are unknown, though the recording reveals a hint. Phil mentions, "as long as we get to LA in time to set up and do the thing. Saturday Night." This almost definitely points to the Watts Acid Test in LA where the Dead played on Saturday, February 12. The loose term "Saturday Night," leads me to believe that the recording was done within a week of the band leaving for Los Angeles.

Regardless of the actual location and date, this recording has both historic and musical value. It's amazing to hear the band working out the parts of what will become a heavily jammed staple. Throughout, the band is working on the opening, the singing, and the arrangement of the verses. You can hear Jerry telling his bandmates how he envisions the song. Pigpen even bails towards the end being too drunk to fully participate, which draws criticism from Lesh. "Pigpen is a conspiracy!" yells Weir.

If you're not into the frequent stops, breaks, and banter of the band, the final track is your reason to listen. The 15 minute jam before the tape stops is pretty cool. If one pays attention you can hear a clear "Truckin'" jam - a full four years before the song was written!! I played it loud, and asked my fiance what song she thought it was. Her immediate response was, "Truckin'?" Just listen!

Finally, before I provide the track list and a link to the recording, I wanted to include two quotes that I found particularly interesting to the recording. First, you can hear Jerry on track #16 saying about the song, "We'll just see what happens. We'll let it do what it wants to do." I find that interesting because he expresses, in those two sentences, the sentiments of the Grateful Dead's whole philosophy on live music.

Phil Lesh also provides his thoughts on "Viola Lee Blues" in Searching for the Sound.

"... the longer the solo, the less interesting it became to play the same material as background, so those of us who weren't soloing began to vary and differentiate our background material, almost as if we were also soloists, in a manner similar to jazz musicians. A good example of this technique is our version of the old Noah Lewis jug band tune "Viola Lee Blues," a traditional prison song. We electrified the song with a boogaloo beat and an intro lick borrowed from R & B artist Lee Dorsey's "Get Out of My Life Woman," and after each of the three verses, we tried to take the music out further - first expanding on the groove, then on the tonality, and then both, finally pulling out all the stops in a giant accelerando, culminating in a whirlwind of dissonance that, out of nowhere, would slam back into the original groove for a repetition of the final verse. It was after a run-through of this song that I turned to Jerry and remarked ingenuously, "Man - this could be art! (Lesh, 59)"

So without further ado, here it is.

Track List:
01. talk & tunings "It's just Weir and his ass-holed guitar" (2:31)
02. Viola Lee Blues #1 verse 1 - aborted (0:52)
03. Viola Lee Blues #2 verses 1 & 2 - aborted - "watch it pig! b, man, b" (1:33)
04. talk & tunings (1:09)
05. Viola Lee Blues #3 with harmonica - aborted (0:14)
06. discussions (1:26)
07. Viola Lee Blues #4 with organ verse 1 & harmonica - aborted (1:28)
08. tape playback? more talk (1:44)
09. Viola Lee Blues #5 verse 1 - "same verse again" - verse 1 - aborted (1:48)
10. Phil comments (0:34)
11. Viola Lee Blues #6 verses 1 & 2 - aborted (1:29)
12. more discussions (0:25)
13. Viola Lee Blues #7 verses 1 & 2 & 3 - then stopped (2:44)
14. talk & tunings - "that's tasty" - "let's just play" (2:06)
15. Viola Lee Blues #8 verse 1 - aborted (0:16)
16. talk & wild comments & confusion (2:53)
17. Viola Lee Blues #9 verses 2 & 3 - aborted (0:27)
18. more talk - "I think you're against us" - "Pigpen's a conspiracy" (3:57)
19. "You may know by ..." passage repeated (3:39)
20. Viola Lee Blues #10 verses 1 & 2 & 3 ; jam ; tape cuts (15:37)


Listen to this recording here:
http://www.archive.org/details/gd66-01-xx.sbd.hanno-uli.18846.sbeok.shnf

Pigpen's Apartment Tapes, '65-'66

Before today Pigpen has only been featured on two of the tracks I've listened to. One of the many reasons I started this project of listening to every Grateful Dead recording is to get to know this founding member a bit better. Ron "Pigpen" McKernan was the first major draw of the band, adding a unique perspective to their late-60's psychedelic sound. He ate, drank, and breathed the Blues. Songs of which are littered throughout Dead set lists.

This recording was apparently made by Pigpen himself, taped in his apartment. It was probably made in '65 and '66, although I couldn't find very much information beyond that. Does anybody else have any more information about the Pig tapes? Please leave a comment!

I found the following excerpt in Dennis McNally's "Long Strange Trip" to be interesting and relevant about Pigpen's early experience with music:

"His father, Phil, played boogie-woogie piano until Ron was born in 1945, and then was a rhythm and blues disc jockey at KRE under the name "Cool Breeze" until the mid-fifties... Ron followed his father's tastes into [Elvis] Presley's black roots, and the early exposure to African American music became central to his life. He was a serious student of blues lore, well up on the musicians and labels long before there were any reference books available. But his interest went far deeper than a taste for music. By the time he showed up at the Boar's Head at the age of sixteen, he had left white middle-class life entirely behind" (McNally 35).

I await hearing Pigpen's blues influence in the band with eagerness. Here's the track list for the Pigpen tapes.


Pigpen Demo Tapes
Pigpen's Apartment
1965 or 1966

Track list:

1. Two Women
2. Michael
3. Katie Mae
4. New Orleans - That Train
5. Instrumental
6. Bring Me My Shotgun
7. C.C. Rider
8. Katie Mae
9. Hitchhiking Woman
10. Two Women
11. When I Was a Boy
12. Bring Me My Shotgun
13. I Believe
14. She's Mine
15. No Time
16. Sweet Georgia Brown

If you do not have the audio file, and wish to listen, please use the youtube link below. It has, I believe, the entire tape.

The Emergency Crew Demos, 11/3/65

At the end of 1965 there was excitement in the budding San Francisco music scene. The Jefferson Airplane signed a record deal in November, Bill Graham was getting ready to put on shows at a dance hall called the Fillmore West, and the Merry Pranksters were cooking up some kind of special test for the freaks of the area.

The Warlocks, however, were not going to be part of this party. At the end of October, Phil Lesh found a Columbia record by a band of the same name. Although a record by such a band has never been found, a new name for the San Francisco based Warlocks was a must. Easier said than done. When the group arrived at Golden Gate studios on November 3rd to produce a demo tape, they were still without a name. On the fly they called themselves the "Emergency Crew," and cut a tape under that moniker. It's the first studio recording of the Grateful Dead.

Track List:
1. Early Morning Rain
2. I Know You Rider
3. Mindbender
4. The Only Time Is Now
5. Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)
6. Can't Come Down

I'll let Blair Jackson describe the Dead's first attempt at recording. It was through his lens that I listened to this tape.

"The Emergency Crew cut six songs that afternoon, four originals and two cover tunes. Garcia sang lead on only one song, "Can't Come Down," a Dylan inspired number... in which Jerry sings/raps verses such as the following: "They say I've begun to lose my grip / My hold on reality is startin' to slip ..." It ain't Dylan, or Robert Hunter for that matter, but at least it's an attempt to put into words some of the feelings and attitudes of the early psychedelic age. And the music isn't bad, either. Pigpen blows harp with zest and power all through the tune, Billy drives the track with his sure, steady beat and Garcia gets in a nice speedy gutiar run as the song fades at the three-minute mark.

"Mindbender' (also known as "Confusion's Prince") is dominated by a guitar riff that sounds as if it were lifted off Johnny Rivers' "Secret Agent Man," and the group's vocal weaknesses are clearly brought to the fore - Phil and Bob's tandem lead vocal is anemic and slightly off-pitch, and the harmonies are ragged, to put it charitably. Instrumentally, Pigpen's piercing Vox Continental organ predominates, though Garcia also gets in a fine solo. The next track, "The Only Time Is Now," with Phil's vocal again highest in the mix, has an unmistakable Byrds quality to it, complete with heavy vibrato on Garcia's guitar and stacked harmonies that the Emergency Crew couldn't pull off if their lives depended on it...." (Jackson 84).

Phil Lesh adds this about the songs (though not the recording):

"We had also started to collaborate on some original material, since the general consensus was that we'd never evolve very far if we just kept covering other people's stuff. We had learned a lot from listening to the Rolling Stones, going so far as to cover some of their covers, and Bob Dylan's songs were a major source of inspiration, as well as material for our sets. Songs like "Mindbender," "The Only Time Is Now," and "I Can't Come Down" were our first essays in collective originality. Alas, all of them were embarrassingly amateurish, so they didn't last long in the repertoire" (Lesh 58).

This tape sounds little like the Dead the world would grow to know, though there are snippets of what is to come. Listening to "I Know You Rider," I felt as though Jerry was about to rip right into a Rider jam. Pigpen's harmonica play on the "Caution" track gives a bit of insight into the improvisation the band was perfecting. This isn't even vintage-Dead. It's pre-Vintage Dead, like the earth's primordial ooze that evolved into multicellular organisms. It's a snippet of the band just beginning its evolution.

The tracks to this recording can be heard on the album "Birth of the Dead."

Here are a couple tracks via Youtube.

The Only Time is Now


Garcia's first vocal, Can't Come Down

The Warlocks, Live at Various 11/1/65

Now I've finally reached the electrified version of my favorite band, the Grateful Dead. Well, not quite. If the date of this recording is to be believed (and what can we believe), then the band performing behind the Pranksters is not the Grateful Dead, but rather the Warlocks. Interestingly, it would be the last time they performed as the Warlocks.

Here is what we've got for this date. Again, Archive lists this as "Live at various on 1965-11-01

1. Speed Limit (behind Prankster noises)
2. Neal Cassady rap (with Dead in background)

I found this recording to be impossibly historic. First, you have the Dead performing behind the Merry Pranksters, who were doing whatever they did. A lot of sound effects going on, you know. The actual playing of "Speed Limit" was a lot of the same riff over and over. A couple times the band breaks out into a small, but awesome, jam. To me, it sounds like prototypical 60's rock. Something that you would hear in mainstream sound in '68 or '69. But the Dead doing it in '65? The thought that popped into my head was that the band found a great sound before everyone else, abandoning it for loftier, headier pastures. They clearly could have played rock like every other band, but somewhere, somehow, chose to do what they wanted to do.

The Cassady rap is cool because, hey, it's Cassady! He was a man revered in all beat and freak circles of the San Francisco scene in the 60's. Jack Kerouac used him as the basis for Dean Moriarty in "On The Road." I didn't understand much of what he was saying, but it was entertaining nonetheless. As for the Dead, I have a hard time believing that this track is from 1965. In the background, you can clearly hear the start of "Turn On Your Lovelight," which wasn't played until the summer of 1967. So this rap is absolutely mislabeled. Still, it is pretty interesting.

Please listen to these two tracks here. It's worth it just for the history!

http://www.archive.org/details/gd1965-11-01.sbd.bershaw.5417.sbeok.shnf

A Hard Day's Night & The Birth of the Dead

My next stop has been the Beatles' 1964 film "It's Been a Hard Day's Night." I chose to give it a screening, because it had a pretty big influence on the members of Mother McCree's forming an electric band. Through the end of 1964, Pigpen began bothering Garcia to form an electric band, which would consequently be able to feature more of his blues numbers. Said Garcia, "He'd been pestering me for a while; he wanted me to start an electic blues band" (Jackson 67). The Beatles' film helped push Garcia in that direction.

"[The Beatles] were real important to everybody," Garcia said. "They were a little model, especially the movies - the movies were a big turn-on. Just because it was a little model of good times.... It was like [they] were saying, 'You can be young, you can be far-out, and you can still make it.' They were making people happy. The happy thing - that's the stuff that counts - was something we could all see right away" (Jackson 67).

Weir adds,

"The Beatles were why we turned from a jug band into a rock 'n' roll band.... What we saw them doing was impossibly attractive. I couldn't think of anything else more worth doing" (Jackson 67).

So with an example set by the Beatles in '64, The characters of Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions formed an electric band called The Warlocks. They began playing in May or June of '65 at Magoo's Pizza Parlor. It's too bad that no tapes of those shows are known to exist. People who were there suggest that the shows had a new kind of energy that wasn't present in any of the other area music. One of those fans who were listening was Phil Lesh.

If you wish, here is the full movie, It's Been a Hard Day's Night.

Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions 7/XX/64

The latest show in my listening shmorgishborg is a Mother McCree's show from sometime in July of 1964 at the Top of the Tangent in Palo Alto. Although the exact date is unknown, the poster above is very possibly for the show I listened to.

Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions really were the first incantation of the Grateful Dead. It featured Jerry Garcia, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bob Weir, among other varying players. The set up was a twist off bluegrass, and was meant mostly to have a good time. Listening to the show, you can tell that it is a little zany or flaky. The music, at times, sounds almost goofy. But the thing is, it's good! I love it. Are there any more tapes of the jug band floating around? I've only found this one.

Setlist:

1. Beat It On Down The Line
2. I'm Satisfied With My Gal (with unsatisfied banter by Jerry)
3. Borneo
4. He's In the Jailhouse Now
5. Monkey and the Engineer
6. Big Bad Woman
7. Memphis Blues

This show was great! Again, kind of goofy, but a good time! BIODTL was the only boring song. Very, very different than the way it's played by the Dead. Borneo was probably my favorite out of the group. Weir (probably) takes some vocals in Big Bad Woman. The order of these songs may be a bit out of place. Sometime at the end of track 6, somebody mentions that the next tune is about Jerry. "It's called in the jailhouse now." The tape then cuts, and goes on to either Big Bad Woman or Memphis blues. I'm guessing that Jailhouse Now should go in there.

Here are a couple of the songs! Please let me know if there is any other Mother McCree's out there from '64.

Weir on vocals




Jerry on vocals

My Rosalie McFall

I'm almost ready to finally be jumping in to the newly formed Grateful Dead of late 1965. The last two shows I listened to were the final two I have of Jerry's bluegrass days. The first was a short bit from a Black Mountain Boys show at the Boar's Head sometime in 1964. The other was named as a Wildwood Boys show, again from an unknown date in 1964.

Black Mountain Boys
Boar's Head, Palo Alto CA
Date Unknown, 1964

Setlist:

1. Two Little Boys
2. Banter
3. Salty Dog Blues
4. Banter
5. Rosalie McFall

This show is short and nothing from the first two tunes stood out tremendously. Rosalie McFall, to end the tape, was awesome. Jerry took the lead vocal, and it was very, very nice. Jerry's voice really was made for singing bluegrass, the style of which were the models for Workingman's and American Beauty. I took particular notice of this song because Jerry would continue singing it for the rest of his career.

The Wildwood Boys
Unknown Venue
Uknown Date, 1964

Setlist:

1. Introductions
2. Jerry's Breakdown
3. Banter
4. Standing In The Need of a Prayer
5. Tuning
6. Muleskinner Blues
7. Unenjoyment Banter
8. Satisfied With My Gal
9. Introduction of Pigpen
10. The Rub (Pigpen vocals)

When I saw this setlist, I was psyched to see that Pigpen was featured. This is the first time listening that we've come across another founding member of the Dead.

This tape, however, was absolutely mislabeled. The first six tracks, through "Muleskinner Blues", is not from this show, but rather is part of the February Wildwood Boys show. Also, the "Satisfied With My Gal" tune sounded as though it was a tune from Mother McCree's, not the Wildwood Boys. The playing of a kazoo, an instrument of jug bands, seems to me to be a telltale sign. The Pigpen tune, however, could be from a Wildwood Boys show of 64. I just really believe that it was not played with the other tunes included on this tape.

But all the same, we have Pigpen!!!

Up Next: Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions from July of '64!!!

Music Lessons at Dana Morgan's - 1964

For Jerry Garcia, playing in a series of Bluegrass bands like the Hogstompers, Wildwood Boys, and Black Mountain Boys was not particularly viable from a financial standpoint. Although never feeling the need to accumulate wealth (a true beat), he still had to find some work to support himself and his wife and young daughter. (Remember, he had married Sara Ruppenthal in 1963.) He was able to land a gig giving guitar and banjo lessons at Dana Morgan's Music Store of Palo Alto.

Dana Morgan's played a key role in the Dead's history in a number of ways. Dana Morgan Jr, the owner's son, was the first bass player of the Warlocks before being replaced by Phil Lesh in the summer of '65. It was also Dana Morgan's that allowed the new band a space to practice, as well as instruments and amps to use.
Before all this however, it was at Dana Morgan's that two precipitous events would occur. Jerry Garcia became acquainted with a drum playing clerk named Bill Kreutzmann. Bill the Drummer would eventually be Garcia's first choice when forming an electrified band.
On New Year's Eve, 1963, Jerry was hanging around the back rooms of Dana Morgan's, waiting for a pupil to show for their lessons. Seemingly fitting of his personality, he had forgotten that it was a holiday, and that the student wasn't going to show. As it turned out, however, 16-year-old Bobby Weir was stumbling through the back alley in search of a party when he heard a banjo playing. Finding Garcia just picking, the two began a night-long jam session, which would spawn into a lifelong musical journey.

I provide all this background information because a tape has survived of one of Jerry's lessons. Although the date and location remain unknown, it is quite possible that the tape was made in one of Dana Morgan's back lesson rooms (though certainly not the night of the Weir encounter). The lesson itself is comprised mostly of Garcia picking like crazy, with the student asking a few questions in between. There are no "songs" in an organized sense, and certainly no lyrics. It's just a banjo picking jam to the extreme. Its musical value to a non-banjo player is probably limited, but to me, the sliver of history it represents within Garcia's life is amazing.

Here is a snippet of the session, provided by Youtube. As always, please leave a comment, a clarification, and any information you feel relevant. E-mail me for a copy.



Next Up: Black Mountain Boys and Wildwood Boys shows

Two Black Mountain Boys for the Price of One!

This morning I was able to listen to a couple of Black Mountain Boys shows from March of 1964. The tapes are from back to back days, March 6 and 7. I thought it appropriate to listen to both in one sitting. I know I've been starting out this project on a torrid pace, with a show pretty much every day. I attribute that to the fact that I'm psyched that I'm finally listening to all the Dead I have in such a cool fashion, as well as the fact that the shows I've been listening to so far have been quite short. As we get into '67 and '68, I expect that the rate at which I post will decrease. But heck, there's a ton more music to listen to!

Anyways, to the shows.

The Black Mountain Boys
Top of the Tangent, Palo Alto CA
3/6/64

Jerry Garcia (banjo), Eric Thompson (guitar), David Nelson (mandolin), Jim Beemis (bass)


Setlist:
1. Instrumental
2. Katie Mine
3. Introductions
4. Homestead On The Farm
5. Banter
6. Bare Foot Nellie
7. Banter
8. She's More to be Pitied than Scolded
9. Tuning
10. They Can Lock Up Me for Loving
11. The Hand of the Lord
12. Banter
13. Who'll Sing for Me
14. Darling Aller Lee

I'm really digging the tapes of these shows. The band is similar to the Wildwood Boys in sound. Thompson, however, adds something great on guitar. My first thought when listening was "god damn, Jerry is fast." But listening to Thompson on guitar, he just keeps up the pace. Just as fast, and it sounds awesome. I wish I could find a couple of the tunes hosted online. If anyone knows of a way to stream MP3s on this site, please let me know, and I'll put up a couple tunes. I'll add that listening to the banjo is a great way to relax. Just sit and listen. The sound is an enjoyable one. I'm real glad I'm getting to listen to this, and am excited about 1973 when Old in the Way comes along! Now the second show...

The Black Mountain Boys
Top of the Tangent, Palo Alto CA
3/7/64

Setlist: (partial)
01 Happy Birthday
02 ??
03 Darling Aller Lee
04 Tuning
05 Ocean of Diamonds

I wasn't able to get into this show as much as the previous one. It is much shorter as it is only a 4 song partial.

Like always, if you'd like a copy of either show, or certain songs, please e-mail me!
Also let me know if I am missing something!!!

Coming up: A private banjo lesson by Jerry Garcia, possibly at Dana Morgan's music store