Grateful Dead: Barton Hall, Cornell U. 5/8/77 & "Get Shown The Light" box set*

What will Grateful Dead Productions come up with when they finally release the famed Barton Hall show from 5/8/77? Well, they can't make a box out of it, but they'll certainly make some sorta big deal about it. That day will eventually come. How can it not? And, come on, the tapes exist. Whatever the issues, work 'em out. This one's too important to keep on the back burner while they go about releasing other live shows from the vault in such rapid-fire style.

It's time.

 

Well... the opening of Minglewood is not in the vault...

I'm not so convinced this one will come out. What is the point? Who doesn't have at least 5 different immaculate copies? And Set II is not really conducive to vinyl (not that that has stopped things before). Sunshine Daydream made sense (given the film footage)... but I'm not so convinced they will release this one... at least not in my lifetime...

 

The best copy of the Betty Board in common circulation (not counting matrix versions) has a bit of digital noise in the transition between Scarlet Begonias and Fire On The Mountain. It would be nice if someone fixed that, whether through an official release or otherwise. Aside from that, it doesn't matter much to me whether this show comes out officially.

 

I think the fact that this show is so readily available and massively popular bodes well for any commercial release. Remember, Rhino is a business and it would definitely make business sense to release what is generally considered to be one of the best shows The Grateful Dead ever performed. Some consider it the best show.

My understanding is that the original tape is not in the vault but it exists. If so, that's not really an issue if the complete "New Minglewood Blues" is on that.

 

Is the location or ownership of the master tape known or unknown? Did Betty Cantor-Jackson own it and end up selling it? I think, in a nutshell, that's what I've heard.

 

Betty's tapes were in a storage unit and went up for auction when she fell behind on payments. Reportedly the Dead have bought back some of them and this may (or may not) include Barton Hall 77.

 

Spring '77 is solid gold, but it does seem lavishly well-represented both in official releases (15 dates more or less from a three-month, 31-concert tour) and via very high-quality soundboard and AUD recordings. Quibbles about minor SQ issues aside, Barton Hall already sounds amazingly good. I sort of like the way 5/8/77 stands outside the commercial canon, flying its pirate flag.

 

I listened to it within the last month, and it's a monster. Sometimes you only really remember how good it is when you actually listen to it. This deserves commercial release so that non-Heads can hear it. It isn't for all tastes, but it would blow some teenage stoner minds if they got it for Christmas.

 

Perhaps it will be considered for a Dave's Picks release?

 

I think this is right; Cornell doesn't really fit well as 'product' for an organisation that is becoming well-versed at big annual boxed sets, and they know that the reaction from many will be 'why would we pay for what we've already had for many years for free?' The only way I could see them releasing this is as part of a big Betty Boards set and that seems unlikely since they've been uncompromising in refusing to pay the guy who possesses them.

 

All this talk of "it won't sell because everybody's already got it" just doesn't fly.

First off, not everybody has it. Maybe all Deadheads do, but not everybody. And even if everybody had it, they don't have an officially sanctioned version of it. I maintain it would sell, and sell unusually well, should it ever be released officially, which it undoubtedly will be ... eventually.

Like I said before, if the original tapes of the entire show exist, they'll acquire them sooner or later. Mark my words on this. Besides, word is GDP has already acquired at least some of them already.

 

Can you imagine if they released it only as the annual bonus disc? People'd go nuts.

 

I know I would; I passed on the subscription this year!

 

They should release a second May 1977 box with Cornell as the centerpiece. Make it available as a standalone also (like 3-29-90 and the second Spring 1990 box).

 

No way that happens. This definitely eventually gets its own "non-series" stand alone release like To Terrapin: Hartford 77.

 

Yeah, I have to agree this is the most likely scenario.

 

Everybody who would go out of their way to buy an entire live concert by the Grateful Dead already has it. I can't imagine there is anybody out there who would pony up money for some show called 5.8.77, and yet never have heard it.

Now... that being said... Deadheads being Deadheads... of course they'd buy it again anyway. It's like an addiction rooted in the DNA... the money will be laid down. But make no mistake, everyone who throws down their money already has it.

 

The person who owns the master tapes for this show is asking more money then the band wants to pay for them.

 

So you have all these historic archives on tape, that you spent years meticulously recording, that are worth $$$ galore, and you lose them because you can't set aside and cough up enough cheese every month to pay for a storage locker that they are kept in? Totally nuts!

 

It was the mid 80's, pre In The Dark. They were a successful live band but no one knew the vault releases would be such a cash cow.

 

Ah, that old chestnut! I don't have it, and I've only ever heard a small part of it, yet I 'went out of my way' to buy a 30-show boxed set of Grateful Dead live concerts this year.

Not all GD fans tread the same path.

 

A 12 x CD box called "7 8 9" (with "5" snuck in as an uncredited-on-the-outside-of-the-box bonus?)

 

I'm honestly astounded. Incredible. I really didn't think that was even possible.

 

Just what we need, another antispetic 1977 yawner.

 

Yeah, that Barton Hall show is a real snoozer, for sure.