Grateful Dead's 1982 Show Highlights and Unpopular Tunes

Larry Mishkin, introduces a Grateful Dead show from August 28th, 1982, featuring an opener where Jerry Garcia stumbles over lyrics. Larry shares insights into the band's performance, suggesting they might have been dosed that day. He discusses the history of the Grateful Dead at Woodstock, why they were omitted from the film, and a song called "Keep Your Day Job," disliked by fans and dropped from their repertoire. Larry contrasts it with the successful breakout of "West LA Fadeaway" that night, highlighting the unique way the Grateful Dead introduced and refined songs in their concerts.

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Deadhead Cannabis Show - https://podconx.com/podcasts/deadhead-cannabis-show

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Jay Blakesberg - https://podconx.com/guests/jay-blakesberg

Recorded on Squadcast

INTRO:               Bertha

                           Track No. 1

                           3:16 – 4:46

                           Great opener, as always.  One month after my first show and Jerry still can’t remember the words.  So instead we focus on the jam.  He may fall short in lyrics but his playing is electric.  Story is that the band was supposedly dosed that day and the comments reflect that the band was “ON”.

SHOW #1:          I Used To Love Her But It’s All Over Now

                           Track No. 7

                           1:05 – 2:22

                           It's All Over Now" is a song written by Bobby Womack and his sister-in-law Shirley Womack.[1] It was first released by The Valentinos, featuring Bobby Womack, in 1964. The Rolling Stones heard it on its release and quickly recorded a cover version, which became their first number-one hit in the United Kingdom, in July 1964.

                        The Rolling Stones' version of "It's All Over Now" is the most famous version of the song. It was first released as a single in the UK, where it peaked at number 1 on the UK Singles Chart, giving the Rolling Stones their first number one hit.[5] It was the band's third single released in America, and stayed in the Billboard Hot 100 for ten weeks, peaking at number 26. Months later it appeared on their second American album 12 X 5. The song was a big hit in Europe and was part of the band's live set in the 1960s. Cash Box described it as a "contagious cover of the Valentinos' click" and "an infectious thumper that should head right for chartsville.”

                        Covered by almost everybody in the music industry from the Stones to Ry Cooder to Nils Lofgren, Wide Spread Panic, Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers and even Molly Hatchet (Flirtin With Disaster)

                        Covered by the Dead 154 times with Bobby singing.

                        Frist on September 6, 1969  - Family Dog at the Great Hightway

                        Last on July 2, 2995 – Deer Creek

SHOW #2:       Day Job

                        Track No. 10

                        2:52 – 4:05

                        First time played in concert.  Second set opener

Eventually played 57 times

                        Last time on April 4, 1986 at Hartford Civic Center

                        Per Robert Hunter in “A Box of Rain” collection of his lyrics, “this song was dropped from the Grateful Dead repertoire at the request of the fans. Seriously”  First song ever ‘rejected’ by the Deadheads!  And the band listened to them and stopped playing it!       

                        But WHY was it so universally unpoplular?    

“a lot of people thought it was the band making fun of/scolding deadheads who spent all their time following around the band. Hunter kind of hinted at that at one point in an interview I think.”

“Hippies don’t work”

“It sucks”

There are a few fans who liked the jamming or could relate to the song, but overall, NOPE.

SHOW #3:          West LA Fadeaway

                           Track No. 12

                           1:08 – 2:35

                           Breakout version of this song, along with Day Job.  Five years later In The Dark was released with Wet LA on there, but Day Job did not make the cut.

                           Dead would play this song 141 times in concert

                           Last was June 30, 1995 at Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh

                           Always a fan favorite, great music, fun lyrics (only Hunter could work “copasetic” into song lyrics)

SHOW #4:          Playin’ In The Band

                           Track No. 14

                           1:50 – 3:10

                           Great version, very upbeat (a dosed band?) and sharp, Bobby right there with his inflection on PPPPLyaing in the BAAAnd, very sharp.  I like this clip because it shows the transition from the hard charging opening of the song into a more mellow sound that signifies the jumping off point for the band  into a Playin jam that could go anywhere.  In this case, almost 20 minutes before segueing into Drums>Space>The Wheel>The Other One>Truckin’>Black Peter>Playin Reprise.  What an amazing run of music.  Great tunes, great jamming, outside in Oregon, what else could a Head ask for?  Some clean Orange Sunshine or whatever the band was on!

OUTRO:              Dupree’s Diamond Blues

                           Track No. 20

                           1:05 – 2:24

                           This song was written by Hunter/Garcia

It appeared on the Dead’s third album, Aoxomaxoa (released June 20, 1969).

                           First played on January 24, 1969 at the Avalon Ballroom

                           Last played on October 13, 1994 at MSG

                           Played a total of 83 times.

                           "Dupree's Diamond Blues" is based on an American folk song titled "Frankie Dupree," which was based on a real historical figure named Frank Dupree.

According to In The Pine: Selected Kentucky Folksongs, Dupree tried robbing a diamond wedding ring from a jewelry store in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1921. He intended to give the ring to his girlfriend Betty. When a police officer showed up, Dupree shot him dead. He then fled to Chicago where he killed another officer and wounded others.

Authorities eventually apprehended Dupree while he was getting his mail. They shipped him back to Atlanta where he was executed on September 1, 1922.

Giggles:  The term "jelly roll" was once common African American slang for a woman's genitalia. The great ragtime pianist Jelly Roll Morton took his name from that very meaning. In 1924, Morton recorded an influential jazz song titled "Jelly Roll Blues," which is most likely what Hunter is referencing here.

In the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s the band played it more frequently.  Although more in the Americana style adopted by the Dead at the beginning of the ‘70’s than the primal Dead from the ‘60’s.  But it became linked with primal Dead by being part of so many shows from that period.  On the Fillmore West complete recordings for Feb. 27, 28 and March 1,2 on both the first and third night the band opened the second set with this song into Mountains of the Moon before launching in the Dark Star>St. Stephen>The Eleven>Lovelight suite made famous on Live Dead.  But after that it just kind of fell off the band’s radar except for certain tours where it would show up for three or four shows before again getting pushed to the side.  Very enduring.