OMG LOL ETC. "Oh by the way, here's a picture of Hetty McGee, who played tanpura on the 'Dark Star' single and married the original drummer for Velvet Underground." This thread is objectively psychedelic.
Yes, I'm used to 1972-4 where it usually doesn't appear until before the verse. I propose we call it the "Main Theme," that works very well. So far we have: Bright Star Falling Star Sputnik Main Theme ROR
Hey @bzfgt man It would be cool if you put a number on the Dark Stars. Much easier to follow the evolution of them. Todays choice would be live version #2 if i'm correct!?
No, I'm in a public place now and can't find one for you, but think what he plays almost every time before the verse in 1972
No, it's the instrumental guitar part that occurs shortly before the vocals. See 10:35-10:52 of the trunk version of 4/8/72 (or 9:58-10:15 of the Steppin' Out version).
As this list grows, it would be very helpful to produce definitive date/time-stamps for good examples of each in one spot (LiA may have done this, but the info may scattered around. I suspect that some of these may have been common in earlier versions and slowly went out of use while others may be common to most or all versions. For example: Bright Star: Live/Dead Dark Star (2/27/69) - starts at 20:30 Falling Star: Live/Dead Dark Star (2/27/69) - immediately follows the Bright Star and starts at 20:53 Main Theme: Live/Dead Dark Star (2/27/69) - immediately follows the Falling Star and starts at 21:02 (this is not a very definitive example, as Jerry only plays around with the riff a couple of times but it does illustrate that these themes don't necessarily always appear in the same specific portions of the piece). The 4/8/72 example I cited above is a better example.
Yeah when I get a chance I'll review the list and try to make a post with all of them exemplified, and may do this periodically if our list grows
It just struck me that of course we have to blog this. There's nothing there yet, but it will be at everydarkstar.blogspot.com . Maybe we'll just have the posts be a mashup of what various people say? We'll see how it goes.
@Archtop @bzfgt So, am I correct in the assumption that on the subject of the next Dark Star from 1/22/68, the 'Bright Star' takes place at 3:49 with the RoR and Main Theme to follow until the verse at 4:29? The 'Falling Star' not yet developed?
I can't check it right now, if Archtop doesn't fix you up I'll check it when I get home. But if you go to page 4 there is a list with examples of those on it, and Archtop's post above, if that settles it for you... The "Falling Star" appears on the very first (live) one, so that is in place...see 2:26 to 3:05 on 1-17
Thanks. Yea, it's whats listed as the 'Falling Star' above into the Main Theme that I'm not getting on these early versions.
Another excellent idea. It would be great to have samples of the named sections at the top of the page for easy access - maybe links to youtube with time stamps to start at the proper section?
Yeah I'll do that. I'll get it going properly when my power gets restored. Also, at the beginning of each entry there can be a list of themes and time stamps for that version...
On the Live/Dead version Jerry also plays the Main Theme at length before the first verse, starting at about 5 minutes (my copy has slightly different times than yours), then digressing a little before they set up the verse. And don't forget the vocal-melody jam (should there be another name for that?) -- on the Live/Dead Dark Star it starts at 18:18 on my copy. I think they always play the verse chords instrumentally one time through -- Garcia quotes the actual melody only for the first line or two and then wanders around. So on 1/17/68, there's the verse melody at 2:15, Jerry hits the "falling star" lick a few times starting at 2:45, and then an early variation on the Main Theme at 3:10 before the second verse. Or, looking ahead to 1/22/68, there's the verse-melody jam at 2:45, then a short loose free jam culminating with a brief 'falling star' bit around 3:47. Jerry kind of teases the Main Theme after that but doesn't really play it. The 'bright star' theme doesn't show up in the January '68 Dark Stars yet. (I'm not fond of these names....what's next, "sobbing star?" "laughing star?"....but I guess if it helps everyone identify the repeated themes....) Anyway, it's fascinating to hear how much these simple licks change between 1/17/68 & 2/27/69. A year later, Jerry's able to wring so much more drama out of them....
Another thing we could consider doing is after every five or ten Dark Stars, post an updated list of links to all the ones listened to so far. That might make it easier for people jumping in late, or coming and going, to catch up or at least get their bearings.
Catching up with the thread so far (thanks for organizing this, exactly what I needed to kickstart some fresh Dead excitement around my domicile!). 9/3/67 "Dancing in the Street" - I definitely hear some embryonic "Dark Star" bits and bobs but again, I'm not sure I'd have picked them out as such without having it pointed out. Still, any excuse to listen to primal Dead jamming is a good one. studio "Dark Star" (2015 remaster version is what I had most handy) - This feels so light and tinny in comparison, but I dig it. I love the hushed vocals and the little sitar sounding effects (not sure the exact instrument), I could see a Bardo Pond style raga version of this kicking lots of butt. I also really love the organ sound and, I can't believe I never caught it before, that brief little blast of like breakneck fiddle at the end. 1/17/68 "Dark Star" - that little faint organ really ties this version to the studio version, but already this feels much more cosmic, Jerry's playing is fleet fingered yet cosmic and Phil is doing the work of the cosmic gods. They pack a lot into a pretty short period here. 1/20/68 "Spanish Jam > Caution Jam > Dark Star" - backed up to give this one a little more context, plus it allows me to hear this absolutely excellent "Spanish Jam", the organ is fierce around five and a half minutes in. This was the second "Spanish Jam" as well, at least according to Light Into Ashes, it also debuted on 1/17/68 (imagine being at the show with the first "Dark Star" and the first "Spanish Jam"!!!). Jerry's excited to dive right into the "Dark Star" here, but I like how they stutter and stop on the intro so Jerry and Phil can play off each other instead of at the same time. As LIA points out, Pigpen seems to be getting a little tripped up here but he bravely presses on. It's a shame this one gets cut short.
