Post random Dead trivia here...

[John A]

Do folks know that the main Franklin's Tower riff was partially inspired by the chorus in Lou Reed's "Walk On The Wild Side" which had come out 3 years earlier? If you think about it it's easy to hear.

[Greg from Chestertown]

I read somewhere once that Jerry’s assistant, whoever that was, when he was told to replace his guitar strings, would replace all of them but one. Typical merry prankster type thing. 
Gotta love it! 

[John A]

22 minutes ago, Greg from Chestertown said:

I read somewhere once that Jerry’s assistant, whoever that was, when he was told to replace his guitar strings, would replace all of them but one. Typical merry prankster type thing. 
Gotta love it! 

Sounds like that would be Steve Parish. I''d buy it, assuming he didn't think it would hamper the music.

[Ammagamalin Crew]

Heard up in Telluride people were close to Jerry, that his preference was good green and shrooms. Seemed like a big deal back in 87

[Tea]

The 1969 single Suspicious Minds by Elvis Presley featured backup vocals from Donna Jean

[Tea]

Bobby's beer of choice in March of 1993 was Miller Lite.  Oh why couldn't it have been Bobweiser, The King of Weirs.  Instead we got Lesh Philling, Bass Great.

[John A]

And speaking of The Boys and beer, we of course know that Phil's suds of choice was Heineken.  To the point where he's referred to the early 80s as "the Heineken years", and to the point where he has sung, "I started out on Heineken, but I soon hit the harder stuff" in Tom Thumb's Blues.

[Tom Banjo]

Skip likes to sing that started out on Heineken line. 

[Hardpan]

Skip sings all kinds of stuff for the “started out on” line, love that tune and hearing what he started out on always cracks me up. I’ve heard him say Diet Coke, Prilosec, microdot, etc. 

[John A]

Steely Dan's song Kid Charlemagne, from their 1976 LP The Royal Scam, is about none other than Owsley "Bear" Stanley and his famed underground chemistry.

 

There's an in depth essay here:

http://www.yachtrock.com/captains-blog/2016/10/4/the-story-of-the-lyrics-of-steely-dans-kid-charlemagne

 

It's a great song and tells quite the story...

 

Quote

While the music played, you worked by candlelight
Those San Francisco nights
You were the best in town
Just by chance you crossed the diamond with the pearl

You turned it on the world
That's when you turned the world around
(Did you feel like Jesus?)
Did you realize
That you were a champion in their eyes?

On the hill the stuff was laced with kerosene
But yours was kitchen-clean
Everyone stopped to stare at your technicolor motor home

Every A-Frame had your number on the wall
You must have had it all
You'd go to L.A. on a dare and you'd go it alone
(Could you live forever?)
Could you see the day?
Could you feel your whole world fall apart and fade away?

(Get along, get along, Kid Charlemagne)
(Get along, Kid Charlemagne)

Now your patrons have all left you in the red
Your low-rent friends are dead
This life can be very strange
All those day-glo freaks who used to paint the face

They've joined the human race
Some things will never change
(Son, you were mistaken)
You are obsolete
Look at all the white men on the street

(Get along, get along, Kid Charlemagne)
(Get along, Kid Charlemagne)

Clean this mess up else we'll all end up in jail
Those test-tubes and the scale
Just get it all out of here

Is there gas in the car?
Yes, there's gas in the car
I think the people down the hall know who you are

(Careful what you carry)
'Cause the man is wise
You are still an outlaw in their eyes

(Get along, get along, Kid Charlemagne)
(Get along, Kid Charlemagne)

 

[chuckvegas]

Skip’s “I started out on Fred Astaire” and “I’m going back to Ginger Rogers, I do believe I’ve had enough” in Frederick was one of the best ever.

[Billy DeLyon]

"Bertha" was a giant industrial floor fan with no grill cover that was so powerful it would move across the room in the GD's studio/office in San Rafeal

[Tea]

Estimated lyric, "where rainbows end down that highway", refers to the robin Williams tunnel, heading to Marin from San Fran.

[John A]

As the story goes, the tunnel was painted during the 2 months The Dead were in Europe for the '72 tour, so the first time they saw the that rainbow was coming home from the San Fransisco Airport when they returned stateside.

 

It got the moniker the Rainbow Tunnel thereafter, and was renamed the Robin Williams tunnel a few years ago after he checked out.  I was conflicted at first about the new name but I've grown to like it.

 

I've gone through it 1000s of times communing from Marin to SF....without ever drawing the parallel to the Estimated lyric. Hell, chance dictates I've probably heard Estimated while in that tunnel!

[Wharf Rat Stu]

This is a question as opposed to a trivia.  Lately I have seen references with Jerry's face on a Bowling Pin and other bowling pin references.  I don't get it, what does any of this mean???

[Greg from Chestertown]

Truckin’ lyrics? ….Busted, down on Bourbon street, set up, like a bowling pin, KNOCKED DOWN, it gets to wearing’ thin. I think the Grateful Dead movie has some bowling scenes in the opening cartoon. 

[Wharf Rat Stu]

Yeah Ok, thanks Greg from C-Town...

[Dancin' Fool]

The Grateful Dead played at the old Boston Garden more than any other band (24 appearances between '73-'94). They were supposed to be the last band to play there prior to it's closing in 1995. In fact, according to Wiki, they were supposed to be the final event there on 9/19/95.

As it turns out, the final event there was an exhibition game between the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadians on 9/26/95. My GF (now wife) and I were in attendance, and got to witness the lowering of the Banners and retired numbers. We have some great pics somewhere! When it was half demolished, I drove by on RT 93 South and took a pic from the highway of the gaping barn! Man, do I miss that place!

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boston_Garden

 

 

[Billy DeLyon]

• The Grateful Dead played the Spectrum 53 times, by far the most of any musical act. Live albums recorded here include Dick's Picks Volume 36, Road Trips Volume 4 Number 4, Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/5/79, and Road Trips Full Show: Spectrum 11/6/79.

And although Pearl Jam was officially the last show at the Spectrum "The Dead" with Warren Haynes did a proud Farewell (2) show appearance there in May of 2009 which included a killer Sampson and Delilah to end their final show there.

 

'Samson and Delilah' - The Dead 5-2-09 - YouTube

[John A]

I recall that 5-2-09 "The Dead" performance because I'd heard that Bobby sang the Dew. And indeed he did.  This is before we'd gotten used to (as far as one can get used to) the likes of Weir and Lesh singing Garcia material. Curious, I sourced a tape of it and found Bobby's vocal rendering of the song truly horrific.  Then later in the tour I saw the show at Shoreline and they went into the 2nd Dew on the tour.  It was a surreal moment when Dew drops and I found myself bracing for abuse. Then, wonderfully, Warren stepped to the mic rather than Weir....dodged a bullet! I guess it only took one pass for Bobby to realize it was way out of his wheelhouse.

 

To my knowledge that night at the Spectrum remains the one and only time Weir has led Morning Dew.

[count2]

In the early days Weir sang Dire Wolf a few times.

https://archive.org/details/gd69-06-27.sbd.samaritano.20547.sbeok.shnf/gd1969-06-27d1t07.shn

 

[Greg from Chestertown]

Ahh, the Spectrum. I grew up in the suburbs just north of Wilmington, De. We would hop on 95 and be in the lot in a half hour. (Three beers away) I caught 26 of the 53 GD shows they played there. I didn’t even start until 1980, never did more than two out of three after 1987. So many great memories there. I saw almost all of my concerts there. Other bands include Doobie Brothers twice, Steve Winwood, Van Halen first tour, also first tour with Sammy Hagar.  Genesis twice ( caught Phil Collins drum stick) I’m forgetting a bunch.  I was at the first night with Warren Haynes, The Dead. Only memory of that show is box a rain encore. My niece was at the next night. Claims the place was rocking for Sampson and Delilah. So many memories of the parking lot too. I bet that I have pissed on the side of JFK stadium a hundred times. 

[PoetryGirl]

One of Mickey Hart's close military buddies was from Spartanburg, SC. He was Joe Bennett of Joe Bennett and the Sparkletones. Mickey helped support the Bennetts monetarily in his later years.

[Ammagamalin Crew]

Jerry Garcia is listed as an actor in the Donald Sutherland version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

[Taper Ron]

First performed 01/20/69 at Pacific High Recording - San Mateo, CA first recorded performance 02/11/69, at the Fillmore East in New York. After 1969, wasn't played again 'til the late 70's; then in '82 again was added to their repertoire.

First played by DSO 08/1/1998 at Martyrs, Chicago IL re-creation of GD Setlist 04/06/85 The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA.

 

It is Robert Hunter's Rendition of an old American Folk Tradition, based on the true story of Frank Dupree

 

Frank Dupree grew up in Abbeville, SC. His story statrs in December 1921 in Atlanta, GA, his "gal" Betty desired a Diamond ring. In the attempt to gain possession of a diamond for her in a jewelry store he shot down the clerk. He fled to Memphis, then to Chicago, where he was cornered, he killed a Cop and wounded several more. He then ran to Nahville,TN wher he was captured in a Post Office trying to get his mail and extradited to Atlanta for trial. He was hung for murder on 09/01/22.

 

Hunter makes several references to Jelly (IE: Jelly Jelly; Jelly Roll Blues) Jelly was once upon a time slang for Female Genitalia (or Females?). There were a number of old song titled "Jelly Roll Blues"  One of them was by Country Music Artist and one time Governor of Louisiana, Jimmie Davis recorded in 1935

 

I love Corinna, long and tall
I love my momma, long and tall
Baby can make a wildcat squall
Got the best jelly roll of all"
 

 

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