tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5085964833088491252024-03-18T12:29:17.577-07:00Grateful Dead GuideAn ongoing series of articles on songs & performances of the early Grateful Dead.Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comBlogger175125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-59878603322767694002024-02-29T14:29:00.000-08:002024-03-04T09:00:55.143-08:00Mason's Children “Let’s make a movie,
boys!”
With
these words (or something like them) Lenny Hart exhorted the Grateful Dead to
appear in a Hollywood musical. A psychedelic western about rock & roll
cowboy outlaws? Perfect for the Dead! They could even write songs for the movie
that would be heard in movie theaters and drive-ins across the land.
Biographer Dennis McNally writes that
while Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-33111615452995886732024-01-27T23:15:00.000-08:002024-01-30T01:33:53.250-08:00How Dead Is Chico? (Guest Post)11/1/68 photos by Paul Atkins.When I arrived in Chico, CA as a transfer from San Francisco
State in 1989, it was clear this was a Dead-friendly town. It was the peak of
the "Touchhead" era, and the place was packed with kids in kufis, eating organic and bumming
smokes. The use of GD couplets in conversation had become an arcane art unto
itself.
Me to young Chico Deadhead: "How did your date withLight Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-65526363072711885542023-12-01T17:15:00.000-08:002023-12-25T04:39:40.597-08:00The Origins of I Know You Rider 1930-1965In
the hot August days of 1933, John Lomax arrived at the sprawling camps of the
notorious Mississippi prison Parchman Farm. He brought with him his 18-year-old
son Alan and a new 315-pound battery-run acetate disc recorder in the trunk of
his Ford. He was on a mission from the Library of Congress to record the folk
songs of blacks in the south, and was touring the prison farms of several
states,Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-22584032199009820492022-08-18T06:10:00.002-07:002022-08-20T04:33:58.596-07:00Europe '72 Notebook (Guest Post)
EUROPE '72 NOTEBOOK
by Cliff Hucker, 2010
[Note from LIA: This is
posted as it was written 12 years ago, without updates except for some new
links that I’ve added.]I
have always loved the music of the Europe '72 tour. Is there anyone here who
doesn't? I will always remember living in Southern France during the spring of
1992. Every afternoon I had to drive two hours on the Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-39528425480006962882021-12-03T23:11:00.000-08:002021-12-03T23:11:40.135-08:00Dark Star 1970
The
story continues from 1969…
http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2021/08/dark-star-1969-late-constanten-era.html
Dark
Star did not change much in 1970. After the summer of ’69 the Dead found a consistent
structure for Dark Star that worked well, and they stuck to it for the next
year. There would always be a short intro jam > first verse > space > a
happy dance jam (usually Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-87374681538311010852021-09-30T01:13:00.015-07:002022-01-26T22:07:09.875-08:00The Grateful Dead in St. Louis 1968-1971 (Guest Post)Most of the research for
this post was done by John Ellis.
Photo Restorations by
Steve Deibel.
This
post will cover the Grateful Dead’s first three years in St. Louis:
May
24-25, 1968 National Guard Armory
Feb
6, 1969 Kiel Auditorium (opening for Iron Butterfly)
Apr
17, 1969 Washington University's Quadrangle
Feb
2, 1970 Fox Theatre
May
13, 1970 NRPS, impromptu performance atLight Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-52568128975752591842021-08-11T23:23:00.021-07:002021-10-22T18:38:57.024-07:00Dark Star 1969: The Late Constanten Era
On
the summer solstice in 1969, the Grateful Dead were playing the Fillmore East. During
the late show, after regaling the crowd with a Yellow Dog Story, they got down
to business with Dark Star. Some in the audience applauded, already familiar
with Dark Star from earlier performances. Many in the Fillmore East had seen
the Dead repeatedly and knew what to expect (though they were a little Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-39327065495458877062021-07-08T02:49:00.005-07:002021-07-09T18:01:04.761-07:00The Spanish JamWe’ll
start our story in 1960, when an unusual new jazz album hit the shelves. One of
several collaborations between Gil Evans & Miles Davis, Sketches of Spain
was a tribute to the music of Spain, a fusion of jazz & orchestral
classical music. The album made a splash when it came out, winning a Grammy. The
“brooding, dramatic Spanish sound" proved alluring for many listeners – Jerry
Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-34538323993796706132021-06-03T20:53:00.003-07:002021-06-03T20:53:40.723-07:00A Few Words on Me & My Uncle
“Here’s a song about wanton death and destruction. Called Me and My
Knuckle.”
--Bob Weir, 10/27/71
No song was played more often by the Grateful Dead than Me & My
Uncle. It was the first of their cowboy songs, a genre they would embrace
and make their own. Mike Wilhelm of the Charlatans once called this a song
about “greed,Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-3488018201840853312021-01-30T01:27:00.006-08:002021-03-17T17:57:16.581-07:00Who's Who on the Rolling Thunder CoverGuest Post by Dr. Beechwood (@DrBeechwood on
Twitter) With additions & edits by Light Into Ashes.
Mickey Hart left the Grateful Dead after the 2/18/71 show in
Port Chester, New York. Mickey didn’t stop playing music though, and returned
to his ranch in Novato, California, where he’d built a studio in the barn. There he would record his first solo album, Rolling Thunder, as Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-86284194187112482712020-11-27T05:05:00.002-08:002020-11-28T01:27:54.159-08:00The Dead's First Songs After
the Warlocks formed in mid-1965, it didn’t take them long to start writing
original songs. “The general consensus was that we’d never evolve very far if
we just kept covering other people’s stuff,” Phil recalled, and they soon got
to work. Several songs were ready for their November ’65 studio demo, and a
steady stream of new songs followed in 1966 as the Dead expanded their repertoire.
Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-77109420748809573612020-10-31T07:11:00.004-07:002020-11-17T09:53:30.998-08:00What's Become of the BabyIn
June 1969, the Grateful Dead astonished the world with their new electronic epic,
What’s Become of the Baby. Sprawling over much of side two of Aoxomoxoa, this
track assaulted puzzled listeners with strange noises and impenetrable lyrics.
Was this a song? Was it the future of the Dead? Could psychedelia go no
further? Dismissed these days as “practically unlistenable,” the tune actually
Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-3064202903038953822020-08-20T21:23:00.000-07:002020-08-20T21:23:40.770-07:001970 Redated Tapes
Some
recent dating inquiries made me realize that a few of the re-dated 1970 tapes
are not as commonly known as I’d thought. So I’ve put together a short list of
the currently circulating misdated 1970 tapes, along with some notes on the
actual dates (when known). There isn’t really any “new” information here – all
of these have been noted elsewhere on this site – but it may be convenient to
Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-28517224128988518352020-07-11T06:12:00.000-07:002020-07-17T18:44:14.906-07:00You Can Hear the Pennywhistle BlowHere’s
a short post, just a few words to accompany the new podcast on ‘Uncle John’s
Band’ –
https://www.dead.net/deadcast/uncle-johns-band
The Pennywhistlers were a group of American women whose specialty was uncannily-accurate
renditions of Eastern European choral folk songs. Folklorist Ethel Raim formed
the group with her friends in 1962, with the goal of bringing the traditional music
of Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-42710525740078732042020-06-13T03:19:00.001-07:002021-07-09T18:35:31.060-07:00Dark Star Graph
Dark Star Graph (downloadable as an image)
DARK STAR TIMINGS
1/17/68 – intro /1:05 – verse 1 – jam 1:36 – verse 2 (4:49)
1/20/68 – intro 2:38 – verse 1// (3:08/)
1/26/68 – intro 1:33 – verse 1 – jam 1:52 – verse 2 (5:36)
1/27/68 – intro 2:18 – verse 1 – jam 2:38 – verse 2 (7:06)
2/2/68 – intro 1:52 – verse 1 – jam 2:03 – verse 2 (6:33)
2/3/68 – intro 1:30 – verseLight Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-58374101552724450602020-04-01T22:49:00.002-07:002020-04-01T23:37:27.408-07:00The Shortest Dark Stars 1969-1974<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]-->For some time I’ve thought about writing a piece on the shortest Dark Stars of the ‘70s. Dark Star was not a song known for its brevity -- it was designed Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-84706549259585934042020-02-15T04:26:00.002-08:002020-02-18T19:19:49.216-08:00Mississippi John Hurt<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-57331133888794339782019-12-07T04:01:00.000-08:002019-12-18T00:45:54.932-08:00Grateful Dead Geography<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-6313559143542325912019-11-08T05:03:00.001-08:002021-06-11T02:04:17.187-07:001969 Show List<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-54377735009947845852019-09-30T03:49:00.002-07:002019-09-30T03:53:33.934-07:00He's Gone
<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-20200845974795964342019-08-30T09:09:00.007-07:002022-01-13T21:06:27.655-08:00Jerry Garcia Instrument History (Guest Post) <!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]-->By Michael Clem
First off, I will clarify a few things about this project. This endeavor was started because of the lack of Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com126tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-91932477860654990822019-07-31T22:47:00.000-07:002019-09-06T14:14:37.238-07:00The Dead At Woodstock (Guest Post) <!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]-->By Scott Parker, author of Woodstock Documented.
Ah, the Grateful Dead at Woodstock. Where to begin? By pretty much all accounts, their performance wasLight Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-58244812715985457962019-05-31T11:40:00.000-07:002020-04-02T19:53:55.688-07:00Cosmic Charlie: A Performance History 1969-1970<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-62795137631457248012019-03-01T01:04:00.000-08:002019-03-20T21:21:34.633-07:00The Unexpected Pigpen<!--[if gte mso 9]>
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Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com37tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-508596483308849125.post-84996821090752868022019-01-11T08:09:00.000-08:002019-03-20T22:41:04.956-07:00The Allmans and the Dead<!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]>Light Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com43