Grateful Dead Acoustic Covers Project - Part 3

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Produced by: 
KBOO
Air date: 
Sat, 06/18/2022 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm
A word cloud of song titles that The Grateful Dead covered acoustically.
Closing out yet another 'covers project' special.

What started out casually over a decade ago, has gradually turned into a seemingly endless stream of broadcasts exploring songs performed by the Grateful Dead (& Jerry Garcia), but written by people outside the band.

This latest special focused on songs performed (not just) acoustically by The Grateful Dead.  Launched in 2020 and continued in 2021, it's now time to put this one to bed.  In this finale, you'll hear performances from John Lee Hooker, James 'Sugar Boy' Crawford, Marty Robbins, Charlie Monroe, Merle Haggard, John Dilleshaw, Vern Stovall, the Fisk Jubilee Singers and more.

Recall that "[t]he Dead had their origins in acoustic music," says this comprehensive look at the band's early acoustic sets, "Back in '61 Phil Lesh was impressed enough by Garcia as a folk-singer to get him his own radio show - and Garcia, Weir, and Pigpen first started playing together in the Mother McCree's jug-band in '64, after Garcia had tired of the local bluegrass circuit. If it hadn't been for their love of the Beatles and the Stones, perhaps they would have become a merry band of old-time traditionalists like the New Lost City Ramblers."

To acknowledge some of the artists who contributed to the band's love of acoustic music, I've compiled a list of all songs The Grateful Dead covered acoustically. I've located the original recording of each; first I'll play that and then a carefully selected GD acoustic cover (when a choice was possible).

One major distinction this special has from the other parts of the trilogy is that it only includes 44 songs from 26 shows spread across only three years (1969, 1970, 1980). A key trait this special shares with its predecessors is that the original artists featured range from the commonly known (John Lee Hooker, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Judy Collins, Merle Haggard and The Everly Brothers) to the much more obscure (Furry Lewis, Maddox Brothers & Rose, John Dilleshaw and the Fisk Jubilee Singers).

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Episode Playlist

  • Time
    12:05
    Artist
    Jesse Fuller
    Song
    Beat It On Down the Line
    Album
    The Lone Cat Sings and Plays Jazz, Folk Songs, Spirituals and Blues
    Label
  • Time
    12:08
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Beat It On Down the Line
    Album
    5/2/70 - Harpur College, State University Of New York, Binghamton, NY
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1970-05-02.BEAR.gems.120081.flac16
  • Time
    12:11
    Artist
    Charlie Monroe
    Song
    Rosalee McFall
    Album
    single w/They Didn't Believe It Was True
    Label
  • Time
    12:14
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Rosalee McFall
    Album
    9/26/80 - Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1980-09-26.sbd.miller.118444.flac16
  • Time
    12:17
    Artist
    Lightning Hopkins
    Song
    Bring Me My Shotgun
    Album
    Lightning Hopkins Strums the Blues
    Label
  • Time
    12:21
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Bring Me My Shotgun
    Album
    4/18/70 - Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1_ZaHruyU8
  • Time
    12:33
    Artist
    John Dilleshaw
    Song
    Bad Lee Brown (precursor of Little Sadie)
    Album
    recorded 1929
    Label
  • Time
    12:36
    Artist
    Clarence Ashley
    Song
    Little Sadie
    Album
    recorded 1930
    Label
  • Time
    12:39
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Little Sadie
    Album
    2/13/70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY
    Label
  • Time
    12:42
    Artist
    Memphis Jug Band
    Song
    On the Road Again
    Album
    single w/A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake
    Label
  • Time
    12:45
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    On the Road Again
    Album
    10/13/80 - Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd80-10-13.acoustic-sbd.munder.13064.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    12:54
    Artist
    Fisk Jubilee Singers
    Song
    Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
    Album
    Label
    recorded 1909
  • Time
    12:58
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
    Album
    7/30/70 - The Matrix, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1970-07-30.sbd.boswell.smith.114020.flac16
  • Time
    1:01
    Artist
    Marty Robbins
    Song
    El Paso
    Album
    Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs
    Label
    Columbia/Legacy
  • Time
    1:05
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    El Paso
    Album
    8/5/70 - Golden Hall, San Diego Community Concourse, San Diego, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd70-08-05.sbd.jupile.17271.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    1:11
    Artist
    James 'Sugar Boy' Crawford
    Song
    Jock-A-Mo
    Album
    single w/You You You
    Label
  • Time
    1:13
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Iko Iko
    Album
    10/2/80 - Warfield Theatre, San Francisco, CA
    Label
  • Time
    1:22
    Artist
    Stanley Brothers
    Song
    Jordan
    Album
    For the Good People
    Label
  • Time
    1:24
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Jordan
    Album
    5/1/70 - Alfred College, Alfred, NY
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1970-05-01.sbd.miller.95683.sbeok.flac16
  • Time
    1:26
    Artist
    John Lee Hooker
    Song
    The Flood (Tupelo Blues)
    Album
    The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker
    Label
  • Time
    1:29
    Artist
    John Lee Hooker
    Song
    Black Snake
    Album
    The Country Blues of John Lee Hooker
    Label
  • Time
    1:33
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    The Flood > Black Snake
    Album
    4/18/70
    Label
  • Time
    1:43
    Artist
    Wynn Stewart
    Song
    Long Black Limousine
    Album
    Label
    recorded 1958
  • Time
    1:46
    Artist
    Vern Stovall
    Song
    Long Black Limousine
    Album
    single w/Loving on Borrowed Time
    Label
  • Time
    1:49
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Long Black Limousine
    Album
    12/26/69 - McFarlin Auditorium, S.M.U., Dallas, TX
    Label
  • Time
    1:53
    Artist
    Merle Haggard
    Song
    Mama Tried
    Album
    Label
    recorded 1968
  • Time
    1:55
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Mama Tried
    Album
    8/5/70
    Label

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