con't, Teddy :^)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BAND Unknown (Garcia, banjo)
VENUE Unknown
CITY Burlingame
STATE CA
DATE 01/??/62
SET1 Down In The Willow Garden [#1:43] ; Look Up, Look Down That Lonesome Road [2:15]
; Railroad Bill [2:46] ; The Wagoner's Lad (1) [1:44] ; Katie Cruel [3:26] ; Pay Me
My Money Down [1:53] ; East Virginia Blues [2:09] ; Instrumental [0:50] ; The Good
Old Rebel [1:27] ; The Very Unfortunate Man [2:20]
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Jerry Garcia playing banjo in an unknown bluegrass band * (1) Garcia,
acapella. This set and the 07/??/61 San Carlos set also circulate together as
"Garcia, Hunter and Albin '62." It can be argued that the 'room ambience' and
recording quality of both tapes are identical; they -sound- like they were recorded
at the same time.
RECORDINGS 25 A?. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Matt Schofield.
BAND Sleepy Hollow Hog Stompers
VENUE Jewish Community Center
CITY San Carlos
STATE CA
DATE 06/11/62
SET1 Run Mountain [3:52] ; Billy Grimes The Rover [2:33] ; Cannonball Blues [2:32] ;
Devilish Mary [3:04] ; Buck Dancer's Choice [1:16] ; Little Birdie [2:47] ; Sally
Goodin' [1:18] ; Hold The Woodpile Down [2:52] SET2 Crow Black Chicken [2:27] ; The
Johnson Boys [2:21]; Shady Grove [2:25] ; Hop High Ladies [1:51] ; Sweet Sunny South
[2:57] ; All Go Hungry Hash House [2:44] ; Man Of Constant Sorrow [1:46] ; Rabbit
Chase [2:17] ; Three Men Went A-Hunting [1:47]
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Garcia, guitar and banjo; Marshall Leicester, banjo and guitar; Dick Arnold,
fiddle. This performance took place at the 'new' Boar's Head Coffeehouse; relocated
in the San Carlos Jewish Community Center.
RECORDINGS 65 A?. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 39-41,
257), Matt Schofield.
BAND
VENUE Unknown
CITY Unknown
STATE
DATE ??/??/6?
SET1 Blues Jam [2:24] ; Careless Love [0:41] > In The Pines [3:12] ; Goin' To Chicago
[2:38] ; (Mike Sector intro's himself) [:25]
SET2 (Jerry intro's Pigpen) [:51] ; 99 Years [4:41#] ; Blue Goose [2:35]
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Jerry Garcia, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, other personnel unknown * "Unident
Thing" * Other artists included: Mike Sector.
-- My reasoning for listing this separate (from 06/11/62):
I think the above is the same material you have listed (after Three Men Went
A-Hunting) on 06/11/62. And indeed, this follows Three Men W.A.H. on one of my copies
of 6/11/62... but it's listed separately as "Unident Thing w/ Pig & Jerry"... that's
it -- no date, location, venue. Specific reasons (in no particular order):
* it's listed on my tape separately
* there is a splice and a marked difference in sound quality and tone
* Pigpen only appears on *this* portion / other personnel have changed
* Sandy Troy's 'Early Garcia Song List' ("Captain Trips," Appendix A) seems to agree
(that the 6/11/62 set ends with Three Men W.A.H.).
-- My reasoning for listing two sets:
* After Goin' To Chicago, Mike Sector introduces himself (apparently as a guest act,
between sets): "I don't think many of you know me, but I'm a guest here tonight. My
name is Mike Sector and..."(cut).
Then cuts into crowd silence>applause> Garcia: "Uh, I'm back again, but this time
it's purely secondary, uh... a lot of... perhaps those of you that heard, uh... Ron
play the harmonica, were impressed by his playing... playing, but there is another
side to this... even more impressive, I think.... So, even though he'd be the last to
admit it... I'd better shut up."
-- Note: And I'm not extremely convinced 'Blue Goose' belongs with this list. It,
too, has a slightly different sound quality and tone. Does that sound like Garcia's
guitar-playing to you?
RECORDINGS 20 A?. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage.
-- Jeff Tiedrich provided this to Teddy GoodBear & Teddy re-digitized it as follows:
Lineage: ?>A>goodbear computer (edited*)>Wav>SHN or MP3
*Noise/hiss reduction, bass/mid/treble boost eq, stereo expand/pan & more!
See: < http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_pan.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/pigpen_declick.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/pigpen_eq.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/pigpen_hiss_nr.jpg >
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Teddy GoodBear, Matt Schofield.
BAND Jerry Garcia, solo
VENUE College of San Mateo
CITY San Mateo
STATE CA
DATE 11/10/62
SET1 Little Birdie [2:56] ; Walking Boss [2:09]
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Jerry Garcia, solo banjo * "College of San Mateo Folk Festival"
RECORDINGS 7 A?. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage. These tapes
possibly circulate from Hank Harrison & his book research in the early 70s. They are
said to be mastered by Rod Albin. David Gans GDH #421.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Teddy GoodBear, Lone Star Dead Eric,
David Gans GDH #421.
BAND Jerry Garcia and David Nelson
VENUE College of San Mateo
CITY San Mateo
STATE CA
DATE 11/10/62
SET1 The Miller's Will [2:57] ; Deep Elem Blues [3:01] ; Will The Circle Be Unbroken
[3:03] ; I Truly Understand [2:46] ; "Elmer" (1) [2:13] ; Raging Sea [3:#26] ;
Cannonball Blues [2:#11] ; The Cuckoo [2:13] ; Man Of Constant Sorrow (2) [2:17]
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Jerry Garcia and David Nelson * "College of San Mateo Folk Festival" * (1)
"Elmer" is a `comedy sketch' not a song . (2) Garcia, acapella.
Note: I'm not an extremely technical person (especially when it comes to
reel-to-reels), but FWIW the 'reel problems' mentioned sounds like a tape slack/speed
problem (if there is such a thing)... basically just a momentary increase in speed...
all the music is still there (just extremely fast/compressed).
RECORDINGS 34 A?. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage.
Reel problems resulting in losses of 3-4 secs in Raging Sea and Cannonbal Blues.
These tapes possibly circulate from Hank Harrison & his book research in the early
70s. They are said to be mastered by Rod Albin.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Matt Schofield, Teddy GoodBear, Lone
Star Dead Eric.
BAND Hart Valley Drifters
VENUE College of San Mateo
CITY San Mateo
STATE CA
DATE 11/10/62
SET1 Handsome Molly [2:13] ; "Elmer" (1) [1:46] ; Pig In A Pen [2:05] ; Banks Of The
Ohio [3:17] ; "Elmer" [2:52] ; The Roving Gambler [3:16] ; Nine Pound Hammer [2:18] ;
Salty Dog Blues 22:50 [2:16]
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Jerry "Earl Scruggs" Garcia, banjo and guitar; Norman Van Mastrict, guitar
and dobro; Bob Hunter, bass; David Nelson, guitar * "College of San Mateo Folk
Festival" (1) "Elmer" is a `comedy sketch' not a song .
RECORDINGS 23 A?. Audience recording, mics placed on stage. These tapes possibly
circulate from Hank Harrison & his book research in the early 70s. They are said to
be mastered by Rod Albin.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 42-3,
257-8), Matt Schofield, Teddy GoodBear, Lone Star Dead Eric.
BAND Wildwood Boys
VENUE The Tangent
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE 02/22/63
SET1
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Wildwood Boys: Jerry Garcia, banjo; Robert Hunter, guitar; David Nelson,
mandolin.
-- Note: My reasoning for listing the above (and the absence of a bass player):
* On 02/23/63, between Muleskinner Blues and Norm's Solo, Garcia mentions:
"Any of you who were here last night realize that... that we didn't have a bass
player because..."
RECORDINGS
CONTRIBUTORS Thayer Jennings.
BAND Wildwood Boys
VENUE The Tangent
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE 02/23/63
SET1 Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms [2:59] ; (1) (Intro by Hunter) [1:00] ; Jerry's
Breakdown [2:13] ; (2) Standing In The Need Of Prayer [3:11] ; (3) Muleskinner Blues
[3:54] ; (4) (5) Norm's Solo [2:56] ; (6) Pike County Breakdown [2:21] ; (7) Come All
Ye Fair And Tender Maidens # [3:33] ; We Shall Not Be Moved [2:14]
COMMENTS The Wildwood Boys: Jerry Garcia, banjo; Robert Hunter, guitar; David
Nelson, mandolin; Norman Van Mastricht, bass.
(1) Introductions by Hunter.
(2) Garcia makes fun of Hunter's Scientology "devil" remarks by interrupting
him. Hunter sometime thereafter gives up on Scientology.
(3) Garcia gives the lo down while tuning.
(4) 2/22/63 they played w/o a bass player.
(5) Jerry joke, "Don't. forget to write"!
(6) Jerry says, "We're back with a million more songs".
(7) Lot's of Jerry tuning.
-- Note: I have three different copies of this. On the most complete copy, the 'KFOG
Deadhead Hour' intro is included... and it explains a good bit about how these tapes
(02/23/63, 05/04/63 [Jerry & Sarah] and ??/??/63 [Second Story Men]) came into
circulation:
-- [Before 05/04/63 Jerry & Sarah:]
DJ: (cut) "...primo sounding. How did you get such good tape?"
RR: "Well, these are courtesy of, uh, Dr. Stu Goldstein (a fellow physician in, uh,
Walnut Creek) wco-manager of the Tangent back in, uh, 1963. Yeah."
DJ: "Wow! That's really cool."
RR: "So tonight we're gonna hear, uh, first Jerry and Sarah Garcia. Deep Elem Blues,
uh, Will Of The Weaver, I Truly Understand, All The Good Times Are Past And Gone,
Long Black Veil, Man Who Wrote 'The Home Sweet Home' Never Was A Married Man, Keno
The Rent Man, and finally, If I Was On A Foggy... oh, Some Foggy Mountain Top. Here
we go."
DJ: "Alright, here we go, on the KFOG Deadhead Hour."
-- [After 05/04/63, before 02/23/63:]
DJ: "Wow! This is the KFOG Deadhead Hour. And Richard, that was incredible."
RR: "Yeah... it's not the KFOG, uh, Hayseed Hour. I know it sounds that way, but this
is, uh... some early stuff from 1963, from uh... the early portion of that year, from
the Tangent, in Palo Alto. And that was, uh, Jerry and Sarah Garcia -- right down to
announcing their nuptials. That was... that
was pretty interesting."
DJ: "Yeah."
RR: "Well, let's, uh, keep going here. This is the Wildwood Boys. And I do have a
date, a precise date on this one. How about that? Two, twenty-three, sixty-three
(2/23/63). Again, at the Tangent, uh... and they are: Jerry Garcia, Robert Hunter,
David Nelson and, uh, Norm Van Mastrict. And, uh, here's a bunch of stuff: Rollin' In
My Sweet Baby's Arms, Jerry's Breakdown, Standin' In The Need Of Prayer, Muleskinner
Blues, then a solo number by Norm, and, uh, Pike County Breakdown, Come All Ye Fair
And Tender Maidens and We Shall Not Be Moved -- right here on the KFOG Deadheads
Hour."
-- [After 02/23/63, before Second Story Men:]
DJ: "You're listening to the KFOG Deadhead Hour. With us tonight, Richard Raphel(sp?)
who is responsible for giving us all these, uh... these great tapes. Hi Richard."
RR: "Well it's a pleasure to 'em all. Yeah."
DJ: "Oh... boy. I'm really diggin' this stuff."
RR: "Well, that was the, uh, Wildwood Boys: Jerry Garcia, Bob Hunter, uh, Dave Nelson
and, uh, Norm Van Mastrict. And we're gonna continue now with, uh, just a couple of
tunes from the Second Story Men which was, uh, Pigpen's group around the same time.
This is also recorded at the Tangent... in Palo Alto. And we just have time for two
quick ones... uh, McKernan's Blues and the Rocky Mountain Blues -- here on the KFOG
Deadhead Hour."
-- Matt Schofield:
I'd suggest a couple of name changes to this.
---------------------------------------------
Rollin' In My Sweet Baby's Arms - This most commonly occurs as: Roll In My Sweet
Baby's Arms. That's the name we've gone with for the Dead's version.
---------------------------------------------
Muleskinner Blues - Although it does often occurs as above, it was originally
recorded as: Mule Skinner Blues.
---------------------------------------------
We Shall Not Be Moved - This title was adapted when the song was adopted by protest
movements in the 30's. Before that, the song was known only as: I Shall Not Be Moved.
Although Jerry sings 'We shall not be moved' in the chorus, the verses are similar to
the gospel original rather than the 30s version.
---------------------------------------------
RECORDINGS 25 AUD; 25 FM-AUD. Audience recording, made by Dr. Stu Goldstein
(co-manager of the Tangent in 1963), possibly from mics placed on stage, later
broadcast on KFOG-FM.
On one of the circulating recordings from the KFOG-FM source, was provided by Jeff
Tiedrich & redigitized by Teddy GoodBear:
Lineage: ?>Tiedrich Dat>goodbear computer (edited)>Wav>SHN or MP3
*Speed adjustment, noise/hiss reduction, bass boost eq, stereo expand/pan & more!
See: < http://www.goodbear.com/02-23-63_nr.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/02-23-63_pitch.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_pan.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/02-23-63_eq.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_eq_mid.jpg >
The last song "We Shall Not Be Moved [2:14]" is missing from goodbear's redigitized
circulating copies.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 44-5,
258), Matt Schofield, Teddy GoodBear, Blair Jackson ("Garcia, An American Life").
BAND Jerry and Sarah Ruppenthal Garcia
VENUE The Tangent
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE 05/04/63
SET1 (2)
SET2 # Deep Elem Blues [3:15] ; Will The Weaver [2:52] ; I Truly Understand [3:31] ;
All The Good Times Are Past And Gone [3:26] (2) Long Black Veil [5:00] ; (1) The Man
Who Wrote 'Home Sweet Home' Never Was A Married Man [3:40] ; Keno The Rent Man [2:29]
(3) ; Some Foggy Mountain Top [3:04] (4)
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Jerry Garcia: vocals, guitar, banjo, fiddle (3), and mandolin (4) ; Sarah
Ruppenthal Garcia [Garcia's first wife]: vocals and guitar. (2), Garcia talks about
last set requests. It is unknown where (if any) set breaks occur.
-- Teddy GoodBear:
They just got married the previous week on 4/25/63. (1) Jerry talks about the wedding
& article. Here is the Palo Alto Times wedding article & picture of Jerry and Sara:
< http://www.goodbear.com/images/sara_jerry.gif >
-- Matt Schofield:
'Keno The Rent Man' recorded by the New Lost City Ramblers as 'Keno The Rent Man' and
I think is in their song book.
Mike Seeger recorded a version of 'Will The Weaver" in the early 60s which is similar
to Jerry's version. 'Will The Weaver' mutated into a song called 'Everyday Dirt' but,
from the few examples I've heard/seen, the song Jerry does is closer to the original
'Will The Weaver'.
There's some quotes from Sara in Robert Greenfield's 'Dark Star" - An Oral Biography
Of Jerry Garcia;
"Valiantly, Jer also tried to learn the fiddle when she [Heather] was a baby.
That was painful to be around. But she's a violinist now."
And also;
"We sang together and I played a little autoharp and my little rosewood Martin
guitar.
He played most of the instruments."
RECORDINGS 25 AUD; 25 FM-AUD. Audience recording, made by Dr. Stu Goldstein
(co-manager of the Tangent in 1963), possibly from mics placed on stage; later
broadcast on KFOG-FM, which I believe is where this recording is from as indicated by
the "WOW" at the end.
On one of the circulating recordings provided by Jeff Tiedrich & redigitized by Teddy
GoodBear:
This has been speed & pitch corrected. BTW, I now think it's more likely this is all
from a 2nd set, since there seems to be no splice before "Long Black Vail" & "Deep
Elem" cuts in.
Lineage: ?>Tiedrich Dat>goodbear computer (edited)*>Wav>SHN
*Speed adjustment, noise/hiss reduction, bass boost eq, stereo expand/pan & more!
See: < http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_nr.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_pitch1.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_pan.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_eq.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_eq_mid.jpg >
< http://www.goodbear.com/05-04-63_pitch2.jpg >
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 47,
258), Matt Schofield, Teddy GoodBear, Robert Greenfield's 'Dark Star" - An Oral
Biography Of Jerry Garcia.
BAND Wildwood Boys
VENUE Monterey Folk Festival
CITY Monterey
STATE CA
DATE ??/??/63
SET1 Nine Pound Hammer
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Wildwood Boys: Jerry Garcia, banjo; David Nelson, guitar; Robert Hunter,
bass; Ken Frankel, mandolin * summer of 1963 * (1) won Amateur Bluegrass Open
Competition * Other artists included: Country Boys with Clarence White and Roland
White; Bill Monroe and the Bluegrass Boys; Osborne Brothers; Doc Watson.
RECORDINGS
CONTRIBUTORS Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 50, 258).
BAND The Second Story Men
VENUE The Tangent
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE ??/??/63
SET1 McKernan's Blues [4:25] ; Rocky Mountain Blues [3:13]
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS The Second Story Men: Ron 'Pigpen' McKernan ; Rodney Albin, Peter Albin,
Ellen Kavanaugh.
-- See note under 2/23/63 for source info.
RECORDINGS 10 AUD; 10 FM-AUD. Audience recording, made by Dr. Stu Goldstein
(co-manager of the Tangent in 1963), possibly from mics placed on stage, later
broadcast on KFOG-FM. This tape also circulates labeled "Pigpen 1970 studio", but the
presence of audience applause leaves the "studio" claim in doubt.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings.
BAND Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions
VENUE Dana Morgan's Music
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE 12/31/63
SET1
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Wanger/Frost 6/8/69 GD Documentary release, Bob Weir says:
On New Year's Eve in the back of Dana Morgan's Music store, no one was interested in
getting guitar lessons. Myself & a friend of mine dropped by and sat and rapped and
decided we had enough talent amongst us, or questionable talent amongst us, to start
a jug band. The jug band got rolling very shortly thereafter. I of course played
hyperventalated jug & washtub bass.
RECORDINGS
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Michael Wanger, Teddy GoodBear.
BAND Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions
VENUE Hamilton Street House
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE ??/??/64
SET1 Deep Elem Blues ; Washington at Valley Forge ; Beetle Um Bum ; K.C. Moan ; I'm
Satisfied
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Rehearsal(s) - this material is almost certainly from many rehearsals *
Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions: Jerry Garcia, guitar and banjo; Bob Weir,
washtub bass, jug and guitar; Pigpen, harmonica; David Nelson, guitar; David Parker,
washboard and kazoo; Bob Matthews, washboard and kazoo.
RECORDINGS
CONTRIBUTORS Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 54-5).
BAND Black Mountain Boys
VENUE Unknown
CITY Unknown
STATE
DATE 03/06/64
SET1 Instrumental [#1:34] ; Katie Kline [1:43] ; Homestead On The Farm [1:58] ;
Barefoot Nellie [2:22] ; She's More To Be Pitied [2:07] ; Instrumental [1:59] ;
Somebody Touched Me [1:55] ; Who'll Sing For Me [1:52] ; Darlin' Alalee [1:#40] ;
John Hardy [1:12]
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Black Mountain Boys [or Black Mountain String Band]: Jerry "Dr. Car Stairs"
Garcia, banjo; David "Ernie Bo-Peep" Nelson, mandolin; Eric Thompson, guitar; Robert
"Jim Bemas" Hunter; bass * ??? Tuning before Darlin' Aller-Lee * Other artists
include: Walt Brown.
David Gans GDH #421: Also played, "Jerry's Breakdown".
-- Note - The band introduces itself before Homestead On The Farm:
D.Nelson(?): (cut) "..nk you very much. Uh, in case you don't already know, we're the
Black Mountain Boys or the Black Mountain String Band -- the greatest bluegrass band
since King Solomon's Mines. And over on the right hand side, we have Jerry Garcia,
alais Dr. Car Stairs; and on the guitar, we have Eric Thompson..."
Garcia: "And here in the middle, kind fellow -- on stage, off stage, no matter where
you happen to run into him -- is, uh, Ernie Bo-Peep on the mandolin here -- better
known as David Nelson."
D.Nelson(?): "Jim Beamas on bass"
Garcia: "Schep."
RECORDINGS 30 A? - Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage. GDH #421.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Matt Schofield, Teddy GoodBear, David
Gans.
BAND Black Mountain Boys
VENUE Unknown
CITY Unknown
STATE
DATE 03/07/64
SET1
SET2 Sourwood Mountain [0:43] ; If I Lose [2:04] ; Homestead On The Farm [2:14] ; Pig
In A Pen [1:55] ; Once More [2:11] ; Stoney Creek [2:08] ; Two Little Boys [2:44] ;
Salty Dog Blues [2:10] ; Rosalie McFall [2:37] ; Teardrops In My Eyes [1:58] ; New
River Train [1:59] ; Love Please Come Home [2:01] ; Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor
[2:07] ; John Hardy [0:22#]
SET3 Nine Pound Hammer ; Darlin' Alalee ; Ocean Of Diamonds ; Salt Creek ; In The
Pines ; Banjo Breakdown ; When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again; She's More To Be
Pitied ; Black Mountain Rag ; True Life Blues ; Instrumental ; John Hardy
ENCORE
COMMENTS Black Mountain Boys: Jerry Garcia, banjo and guitar; David Nelson, mandolin;
Sandy Rothman, guitar, Robert Hunter, bass player.
-- My reasoning for listing Sandy Rothman as guitarist and Robert Hunter as bassist:
* Before Homestead On The Farm, someone (Robert Hunter?) says: "We're gonna do a song
called Homestead on the Farm. Or, Sandy's gonna sing a song."
* Before Two Little Boys, someone (Hunter?) says: "Uh, while Sandy tunes his
guitar... The next song is gonna be Two Little Boys... or the name of the next song
is gonna be Two Little Boys. The name of the next song *is* Two Little Boys, in
fact."
* Before Rosalie McFall, Garcia says: "Sandy gets to play... uh, play a lot of stuff
on this one here."
* Before Love Please Come HomeSo Sandy went and foolishly put new strings on his
guitar last month..."
* Sandy Troy lists the following personnel ("Captain Trips," Appendix A):
Garcia, banjo; David Nelson, mandolin; Robert Hunter, bass; Sandy Rothman, guitar.
-- My reasoning for listing as SET2 and SET3 (and not SET1):
* Before Sawood Mountain, Garcia mentions: "We figured we'd just stand around this
set, you know. . . we played last set" (... so I'm assuming there was another set
before this - SET1.)
* My tape ends (cuts) during John Hardy with Garcia(?) saying: "Thank you very much
for, uh... bearing with us, coming to see us, and... we'll be back in about 20
minut..."(cut) IMO, this is definitely a set break -- but between which two sets? I'm
missing the Roll On Buddy->Black Mtn. Rag, so I can't tell where this might belong
(but Sandy Troy lists it after Make Me A Pallet On Your Floor - and does not list the
John Hardy at all). BTW, there is *not* a cut/splice between Make Me A Pallet and
John Hardy on my tape.
RECORDINGS 40+ A?. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 50-1,
259), Matt Schofield.
BAND Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions
VENUE The Tangent
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE 07/??/64
SET1 Overseas Stomp ; Ain't It Crazy ; Boo Break ; Yes She Do, No She Don't ; Memphis
; Boodle Am Shake ; Big Fat Woman ; Borneo ; My Gal ; Shake That Thing ; Beat It on
Down the Line ; Cocaine Habit Blues ; Beedle Um Bum ; On the Road Again ; The Monkey
and the Engineer ; In the Jailhouse Now ; Crazy Words, Crazy Tune ; Band Interview
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS As of 3/99: Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (GDCD 4064)
Grateful Dead Records is delighted to call your attention to the recorded debut (a
mere thirty-five years late) of Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions.
Yep, you read right! What we have here amounts to the Rosetta Stone of Grateful Dead
tape archaeology - a complete July, 1964 performance by the ragtag little jug band
that, despite its fairly short life span, served a rather large function in musical
history, as it represented the very first collaboration between future members of the
Dead (Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir and Pigpen).
Almost no one knew these tapes even existed, and those who did feared that they might
be lost. Some collectors had a couple of songs from this performance on tape, from a
1969 radio documentary, but that was it.
Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions ("McCree" being just one of the many different
ways the band spelled its name - out of sheer prankishness, they spelled it
differently at every gig) was formed in early 1964 in Palo Alto, California in the
midst of the Great Folk Revival. The band played for most of its brief lifespan at
coffee houses and clubs frequented by members of the Stanford University community.
Less than a year the jug band had evolved into an electric blues band called The
Warlocks, which in turn changed its name to Grateful Dead, and you know the rest of
that story!
One of the jug band's shows at a popular local spot was featured on an installment of
Live at the Top of the Tangent, a program on the Stanford radio station KZSU, hosted
and produced by an undergraduate named Pete Wanger. Some five years later, after the
Grateful Dead had become something of a household name in the San Francisco rock
scene, Pete's brother Michael included two songs from that live Tangent broadcast on
a documentary about the Dead, broadcast on the trailblazing San Francisco station
KSAN. And that, it was thought, was the last we'd ever hear of Mother McCree's Uptown
Jug Champions.
But Michael Wanger was a man with a mission. He knew that there was more of this
music out there, and he wanted to find it. Wanger remembers that "I badgered my
brother about the tapes but he could not remember what he'd done with them. In 1994
or '95, Vance, my partner on the Grateful Dead documentary,
found a partial tape (containing ten songs) in his garage. It was the master that I
was after." In 1997, fate intervened: "After our mother passed away," Michael
recalls, "Peter and I were clearing things out of her house, and stashed away in the
attic was a box containing all of the 'Top of the Tangent' tapes. Sure enough, the
Mother McCree's stuff was there, in excellent condition* and with songs that weren't
on any of the other tapes I'd found."
In fact, Wanger wound up with 16 songs, and the long-lost Mother McCree's Uptown Jug
Champions album became a reality at last, with an assist from the digital mastering
and editing ninjas of Club Front.
And the results are quite delightful - the performance is the very epitome of the
expression "ragged but right," and the overall feeling of goofy joy in the music is
quite irresistible. You can definitely hear the ancestral roots of the Grateful Dead
here - several of the songs ("Ain't It Crazy," "Beat It On
Down The Line," "On The Road Again" and "The Monkey and the Engineer") found their
way into the Dead's rotation, as did other tunes from the jug band days ("Viola Lee
Blues," "New Minglewood Blues") that were not played that night at the Tangent.
"Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions" is, of course, an absolute must for any
serious scholar of Grateful Dead music. But you don't have to be all that serious to
enjoy it. Bob Weir says it all when he sums up the jug band's original intent: "We
just set out to have one hell of a good time. And we did."
Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions is available by Mail Order Only from Grateful
Dead Merchandising (1-800-CAL-DEAD). The price is $12.00 (plus shipping and
handling - California residents add 7.25% sales tax).
RECORDINGS Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (GDCD 4064)
CONTRIBUTORS Grateful Dead Merchandising, Michael Wanger, Teddy GoodBear.
BAND Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions
VENUE The Tangent
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE 07/??/64
SET1 I'm Satisfied [1:45], The Rub [1:19]
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS (As of 3/99, see above '07/??/64' for complete update to this entry). Mother
McCree's Uptown Jug Champions: Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron "Pigpen" McKernan.
Based on the web page of Michael Wanger [the person who recorded this show] the entry
should be:
DAed [1:53] (3) ; Memphis, Tennessee [2:20] (4) ; My Big Fat Woman [2:27] (5) ;
Borneo [2:00] (6) ; Beat It on Down the Line [2:40] (7) ; Cocaine Habit Blues [3:07]
(8) ; Beedle Um Bum [2:31] ; On the Road Again [2:48] (9)
COMMENTS Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions: Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Ron "Pigpen"
McKernan (1) vocals: Jerry with Bob; Pigpen, harmonica (2) Pigpen, vocal & harmonica
(3) Jerry vocals (4) Jerry vocals; Pigpen harmonica (5) Bob vocals (6) Jerry & Bob
vocals (7) unknown guest with Jerry and Bob (8) Jerry vocals, Pigpen harmonica (9)
Jerry vocals, Pigpen harmonica.
RECORDINGS 10 FM-AUD. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage. Date of
recording is either July 16, 17 or 18, 1964. Circulating tapes of I'm Satisfied, Boo
Break and The Rub (in that order) are from an FM broadcast of an audio documentary on
the Grateful Dead produced by Michael Wanger and Vance Frost for Golden State
Recorders broadcast on June 8, 1969. This 120-minute program also includes some early
Grateful Dead live recordings, but no live Warlocks material.
>From Wanger/Frost 6/8/69 GD Documentary release. Announcer, Wanger/Frost?:
They called themselves "Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions", and played at the
Tangent throughout the summer of 1964.
I'm Satisfied with My Gal. - summer '64? (noted by Michael Wanger in email to Teddy
GoodBear)
Announcer, Wanger/Frost?:
Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions borrowed heavally from the Jim Kweskin Band,
'borrowed?, you mean stoled'!
Talks about blues influences ("Mr. Pig Pen") that lead to playing electric.
The Rub.- summer '64? (noted by Michael Wanger in email to Teddy GoodBear)
Bob Weir: Goes on to talk about Pigpen:
After being a jug band for over a year Jerry & Bob go on to talk about playing
electric, "...to play louder...".
They picked up 2 more local musicians:
Dan Morgan Jr. - bass
Bill Sommers - who taught drums at the store
The Warlocks were formed. They became weird when they started working in bars. Phil
Lesh replaces Dana during the bar room days.
RECORDINGS 10 FM-AUD. Audience recording, possibly from mics placed on stage.
Circulating tapes of these two songs are from an FM broadcast of an audio documentary
on the Grateful Dead produced by Michael Wanger and Vance Frost for Golden State
Recorders sometime in late 1968 or early 1969. This 120-minute program also includes
some early Grateful Dead live recordings, but no live Warlocks material.
CONTRIBUTORS Jeff Tiedrich, Thayer Jennings, Michael Wanger, Teddy GoodBear, David
Sorochty.
BAND The Warlocks
VENUE Dana Morgan's Music
CITY Palo Alto
STATE CA
DATE 12/31/64
SET1 Promised Land ; Johnny B. Goode ; King Bee ; Little Red Rooster ; Walking The
Dog ; Baby Blue ; She Belongs To Me ; Stealin' ; Don't Ease Me In
SET2
SET3
ENCORE
COMMENTS Rehearsal(s)? * date uncertain - material may be from many rehearsals * The
Warlocks: Jerry Garcia, lead guitar and vocals; Bob Weir, rhythm guitar and vocals;
Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, harmonica, keyboards and vocals; Dana Morgan, Jr., bass; Bill
Kreutzmann, drums.
RECORDINGS
CONTRIBUTORS Sandy Troy ("Captain Trips," p. 59-60).
