We should note that it was at the Paramount Theater in Portland, during one of these 1977 shows, that the FOH SBD was in the balcony. While observing the show and mixing sound Dan Healy noticed that the singers would always put their feet down in the same place in front of their microphone to sing. Thus was born the idea for a floor switch to turn the vocal mics on and off, on for singing, off for sonic clarity. Serendipitous happenings in the PNW.
That's what I refer to as the floaty bit. So named because it's an extended pedal over the V7 chord. This creates the sensation that the V7 chord has become "home" or the I chord, but it's really still just the V7 chord. Since the V7 chord has dominant characteristics, it's a somewhat uncomfortable place to be. It wants to move back to the I chord, but they drag it out and build the tension by prolonging a chord that wants to move but now feels like home. As far as I'm concerned, it's the best part of any version of the track. I think that all versions prior to 4/24/78 were well less than 2 minutes, but 4/24/78 clocks in at ~2:02.
Yes it is. If y'all will forgive my somewhat, but not completely, off-topic diversion, the exact same technique is employed by the Junko Onishi Trio from 1:09-2:46 here (in this case, the chords are B7 to Emin and the resolution is more gentle than in TMNS, but I get the exact same sensation as I do when listening to TMNS):
October 2nd ...... today is the 35th anniversary of my first GD shows, Shoreline 1987. I had come down from Salem Oregon with a group of mostly strangers.... As it turned out, a lifechanging decision !
There's now a recording of Elvis Costello 9/30/22 Great American Music Hall up on LL. Elvis Costello and The Great American Beauties Great American Music Hall San Fransisco, CA September 30, 2022 (Late Show) The Great American Beauties are . . . Austin de Lone - keyboards, accordion Larry Campbell - guitar, fiddle, vocals Teresa Williams - vocals Ruth Davies - bass Paul Revelli - drums Allan Mayes - vocals, guitar Jim Lauderdale - vocals, guitar Elvis Costello Sings Hunter/Garcia - a benefit for Prader-Willi Homes of California Great show for an even greater cause. Elvis Costello puts a crack band together and plays two shows (early and late) of mostly Grateful Dead's Jerry Garcia and Robert Hunter songs to benefit Prader-Willi Homes of California. PWHC is a nonprofit dedicated to creating a state-of-the-art residential center in the San Francisco Bay Area for people with Prader-Willi syndrome. Austin and Lesley de Lone are the founders. More info here . . . Prader-Willi Homes of California Gravenb recorded both the early and late shows. The late show is the longer, better, and better sounding of the two. Several Hunter/Garcia songs, a Rusty reunion, and other various tunes make up a great sounding and unique show. Caroline de Lone's opening song is included, but you can leave it off you version if you wish and the EC part will be complete. Samples below. 24bit 48K recording. If you still burn to CD, it's pretty easy to convert the files to CD specs. Most burning programs do it internally. If burning, divide the discs before Ship Of fools. If not, the show will play seamless. CA-11 mics>CA Battery Box>Edirol R-09HR>>ProTools (for level adjustment, eq, compression, and song separation)>Flac Taped by gravenb. Mastered by JB. Please don't sell. Please do not convert to lossy format and upload anywhere. (1:55:23) 01. Introductions / Ashes performed by Caroline de Lone Elvis Costello and The Great American Beauties 02. Dire Wolf 03. Brown-Eyed Women 04. Loser / Wharf Rat 05. Ramble On Rose 06. China Doll 07. Sugaree 08. Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere / Dance Dance Dance - with Allan Mayes 09. I'm Ahead If I Can Quit While I'm Behind - with Allan Mayes 10. Surrender To The Rhythm - with Allan Mayes 11. Ship Of Fools 12. Dupree's Diamond Blues 13. Friend Of The Devil - with Jim Lauderdale 14. It Must Have Been The Roses - with Jim Lauderdale 15. Tennessee Jed - with Jim Lauderdale 16. Brokedown Palace - with Jim Lauderdale 17. Alison - with Allan Mayes 18. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - with Allan Mayes 19. Ripple
Ha! Yes, quite a mellow and spacey PITB. It was rather short, though. They’re such completely different animals to those earlier ‘72-‘74 beasts.
I haven’t heard of this “hidden Star” from 21 Nov, ‘73 - but casting my mind back over the show (which I last listened to maybe two months ago) is it that segment of jamming between between “El Paso” and “Wharf Rat”? From memory, the transition is about four minutes long, with an A mixolydian flavour.
Yeah, that’s the one. A Dark Star Jam is within the 2nd PITB that segues into Wharf Rat. It’s a breathtakingly beautiful passage.
That works too. I can't remember volume numbers, so I have to subtitle to keep the shows straight in my head. My buddies and I would always say "Time to get normal" when we were ready to smoke.
I'm with you there - they set the bar on 4/24. It's the first thing I listen for when I hear a new '78 performance; in fact, I spent a ridiculous amount of time listening to just that part in my Music Never Stopped library several years back, just to see if there was another ringer. That's when I realized they started stretching it out as early as Fall '77 (I found something similar on the version from Road Trips October 1977). Dicks Picks 18 also has a pretty good run at it in February. They flirt with it for almost 3 minutes at The Fox on 4/10, but it's much looser / less intense. Interesting musical breakdown of this "floaty part". I don't read music, but I pretend to play it once in awhile. I've never thought much about how they're manipulating the music to achieve that mesmerizing effect, but it makes sense in the terms as you described it.
of interest, perhaps, to those who like to hear some cover versions of the dead.... elvis costello did a gig at the great american music hall a few days back, doing garcia/hunter songs. a few days later (on oct 1) he did some of the same songs at the hardly strictly bluegrass festival. for some reason there is a youtube link of a video of his whole one hour set - but its 'only up for a day' they say.... so check this out asap if you want. i like elvis costello, tho to be honest, he does ok-to-good but-not-amazingly great versions here of --- brown eyed women, loser, wharf rat ramble on rose and sugaree -definitely lots of points for effort, and interesting to hear them in his 'style' but ...a mixed bag... some are better then others- still, interesting and worth checking out
I was thinking about how funny it would have been if Elvis had had Steve Nieve on organ, and he played all those jittery, hyperactive organ lines like the Attractions ca. 1978.
I would to love to get a good Betty Board quality show polished up for release from November or December '78. Something with all of the Shakedown Street goodies. 12/30/78 would do nicely. It's a shame the SBD quality started going downhill by this time of the year, but maybe something came back in with the ABCD tapes. 12/30/78 would do nicely. Better yet 1/10/79.
