Morning Dew (Grateful Dead)

OK! What is the best version, or versions, of Morning Dew?

I must mention Barton Hall at the outset, as I realize it will be brought up soon and frequently. I love that version and it's a worthy one to have as your favorite, although it doesn't tower over the other top versions or anything like that. Definitely a great one, though.

Currently I favor 2/24/74 (Dave's 13), I've been listening to that show a lot and it is absolutely killer. The MD is superb, and Jerry is really into it (he's one of the only singers, I think, who gets an 'A' for effort--even though he's not a conventionally great singer, and when he really leans into a version it can sound very amateurish, it still is for some reason quite effective when he does).

I know Archtop is really into 6/18/83, and that is another fantastic rendition, and another one where Garcia really gets into it. I haven't heard that one in 5 or 6 years, though, so I have to revisit it soon--I seem to recall there's no soundboard of that one; it would be helpful if Archtop, or anyone, could point me to the best recording of that...

One of my perennial favorites is the well-known 9/18/87 version, very well-sung and comes to a climax when Jerry shoots up the fretboard and hangs on a wrong note--I'm pretty sure he does it on purpose, anyway, we'll just say he does; after all, the man knew the fretboard. If it is a mistake, he capitalizes on it by hanging there for a bit and emphasizing it. In general it's a smoking solo, and one of the best versions ever.

This is one song I generally prefer his late 80s vocals on, they have a little more meat and he really kills the final "guess it doesn't matter anyway!" line.

I saw a lot of great shows, and some that are now considered (late) classics, like 10/16/89 and 3/29/90...but one of the absolute peaks of my show-going days was a Morning Dew in the rain at Giants Stadium on 7/10/89. It is one of the better sung versions I've ever heard and, although the solos don't get totally crazy like the 87 MSG version, they are fiery as you'd like. This version doesn't get any press, but it's at the very least a sentimental favorite of mine, and it blew my mind on the night.

So, of the ones I've heard I am picking
2/24/74
9/18/87
7/10/89

What do you have for me?

 

5/26/72
9/10/74
5/22/77

 

My all-time favourite version of The Grateful Dead's Morning Dew is probably
The Sir Douglas Quintet's original 1969 studio version of At The Crossroads.

 

Good ones, and I had forgotten about the Sportatorium...

 

10/18/74, from the Grateful Dead Movie.

 

2/24/74
5/8/77
5/26/72
5/22/77
10/18/74

Plenty of others - I also even like the Primal faster & shorter versions.

 

5.8.77
9.18.87

Everything else.

 

10/18/72 PITB > Dark Star > Dew > PITB

Not one of the usual suspects, but an unusual prankster-ish crescendo back into PITB.

 

This is it for me. There is a great story about the recording of it in the Long Strange Trip documentary.

 

Gotta agree 2/24/74 is way up there, not least because of the sound quality. I'm a Dark Star-head, so the fact that this MD comes out of a killer DS doesn't hurt either.

 

Charlie Miller’s favorite is June 18, 1983.

Useful poll results here: Grateful Dead best Morning Dew | headyversion

Essential essay on the evolution of the Dead’s “Morning Dew”: Grateful Dead Guide: Morning Dew (Guest Post)

 

Great essay that I'd never seen before - thanks for pointing it out.

I guess I'm still partial to 5/8/77, but 10/19/73, 5/26/72, 9/18/87 (the best one I saw live), 5/22/77, 10/18/74, 9/10/74, and 2/24/74 are all worthy. 2/28/69 is a powerful relatively early one. And of course 6/18/83, although it is too bad we don't have a better recording of it.

 

This version sounds pretty good (although for some reason it sounds slightly fast to me right now, it's maybe just in my head):

 

Damn it! Can someone remind me how to turn that into a link?

 

I'm listening to this now, thanks for the tip, I don't think I've heard this show in 7 or 8 years. This Morning Dew is gorgeous! A really deep, meditative reading of the song.

The recording glitches at the very end, unfortunately...

 

In fact, I'm adding this one to my list of favorites...so now we have:

2/24/74
9/18/87
7/10/89
10/18/72

Keep them coming and I just might wind up with a "top 5"...(admittedly the 89 is kind of the odd man out, a killer version but not one you'd expect to come out on top tow to tow with Cornell. I guess I'll fall back on the "sentimental favorite" defense...)

 

I am by no means a Dead expert, or even much of a Deadhead, but for what it's worth, I like the version from 5/2/70 (Dick's Picks 8)

 

I am trying to remember one I listened to the other night that I loved. It was really mellow and possibly part of a DS sequence. Could that be 2/24/74?

 

The version on the original Europe '72. . . just because that was my first exposure and I've heard it so so many times.

 

I need to make time to re-listen to this one myself.

 

Crap, I can't edit this any more and I said "tow to tow"....ugh

 

I'm not sure, I don't think of that one as mellow, as far as MDs go...10-18-72 is mellow...

 

I'm really enjoying reading all the recs on this thread. It's inspired me to make a compilation of GD live versions of Morning Dew! But guess what? I also love the studio recording from their s/t debut. You'll laugh but whenever I hear it, images come back of those disaster drills in grade school! Such a powerful, era-defining song. It was covered by everyone from Duane & Gregg Allman to Lulu to the West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band, but a band named The GRATEFUL DEAD made it their own. Don't you think there is great poetic beauty in that?

 

@Archtop can tell you about that one.
if you erase https:// and replace with www. it makes a link

www.archive.org/details/gd69-09-27.aud.hanno.14857.sbeok.shnf

I've seen some people (@Scopitone? @bmoregnr? ) who make it into a hyperlink (like I would have replaced that link with the word 'Morning Dew,' but still a link.) But that one is beyond me .

 

I can also tell you how to drive a golf cart into a water hazard, so I wouldn't necessarily put all that much stock in what I say.