Grateful Dead Acoustic Covers Project - Part 2

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Air date: 
Sat, 01/16/2021 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm
A word cloud of song titles that The Grateful Dead covered acoustically.
Original versions of tunes the GD played acoustically, followed by their cover.

"We're gonna take a break from all this sweat & steam & uproar & tumult and we're gonna break out our acoustic guitars and regale you with some wooden music."

- Bob Weir, 4/9/70

Today I  continue my latest covers project, featuring only songs the Grateful Dead played acoustically.  Part 1 is here.

"The 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, more about that on-air).

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).

In part, today I'll play bluegrass, gospel, jug band, folk, blues and country music featuring artists like Bill Monroe, Furry Lewis, Tossi Aaron, Grandpa Jones, Lightnin' Hopkins, Wanda Jackson and more!

I hope you enjoy the show, perhaps even learn something.

Interested in the other covers projects?  First were the 'Dead Covering Black Artists' shows where I played the original versions of songs written or popularized by black musicians that The Grateful Dead covered, followed by a GD version. That series spawned the 'Jerry Covers Project' in which I replicated the overarching concept (no limit on original artist) but presented the songs in themes by genre.

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Episode Playlist

  • Time
    12:01
    Artist
    Cannon's Jug Stompers
    Song
    Big Railroad Blues
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5FHHQ84OA1M
    Label
    Victor
  • Time
    12:05
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Big Railroad Blues
    Album
    9-20-70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd70-09-20.aud.remaster.sirmick.27583.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    12:08
    Artist
    George Jones
    Song
    Seasons of My Heart
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcKXWWO8EKI
    Label
  • Time
    12:11
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Seasons of My Heart
    Album
    01-31-70 - The Warehouse, New Orleans, LA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd70-01-30.sbd.vernon.10546.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    12:16
    Artist
    Lightnin' Hopkins
    Song
    Katie Mae
    Album
    Lightnin' Hopkins Strums the Blues
    Label
  • Time
    12:19
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Katie Mae
    Album
    2/14/70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1970-02-14.sbd.miller.97644.flac16
  • Time
    12:22
    Artist
    Jesse Fuller
    Song
    Monkey and the Engineer
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JxXIEAp9t2g
    Label
  • Time
    12:24
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    Monkey and the Engineer
    Album
    10-11-80 - Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd80-10-11.acoustic-sbd.windsor.323.sbefail.shnf
  • Time
    12:34
    Artist
    The Everly Brothers
    Song
    Wake Up Little Susie
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkN6XeAy5FI
    Label
  • Time
    12:36
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    Wake Up Little Susie
    Album
    2/13/70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1970-02-13.sbd.miller.fix-97613.97639.sbeok.flac16
  • Time
    12:39
    Artist
    George Reneau
    Song
    Casey Jones
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z4LkkQRyJMw
    Label
  • Time
    12:42
    Artist
    Walter 'Furry' Lewis
    Song
    Kassie Jones
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_h_K-lmrdMA
    Label
  • Time
    12:45
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    Ballad of Casey Jones
    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
    12:50
    Artist
    George Jones
    Song
    The Race is On
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dj7ahuCHGbM
    Label
  • Time
    12:52
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    The Race is On
    Album
    1-31-70
    Label
  • Time
    1:02
    Artist
    Bill Monroe
    Song
    A Voice from On High
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOQ3eEtP3j4
    Label
  • Time
    1:05
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    A Voice from On High
    Album
    8/5/70
    Label
  • Time
    1:08
    Artist
    Lightnin' Hopkins
    Song
    The Rub
    Album
    Hootin' the Blues
    Label
    Prestige Folklore
  • Time
    1:09
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    The Rub (Ain't It Crazy?)
    Album
    4/18/70 - Family Dog at the Great Highway, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    no recording
  • Time
    1:11
    Artist
    Wanda Jackson
    Song
    Silver Thread and Golden Needles
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_VnIyuvrOw
    Label
  • Time
    1:14
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    Silver Thread and Golden Needles
    Album
    6/5/70 - Fillmore West, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1970-06-05.132395.bear.wise.flac16
  • Time
    1:17
    Artist
    Tossi Aaron
    Song
    I Know You Rider
    Album
    Tossi Sings Folk Songs and Ballads
    Label
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBiiH2fqE24
  • Time
    1:20
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    I Know You Rider
    Album
    5/15/70 - Fillmore East, New York, NY
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd_nrps70-05-15.sbd.reynolds-kaplan.29473.shnf
  • Time
    1:35
    Artist
    Maddox Brothers and Rose
    Song
    Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet
    Album
    single-https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Iv7D6EkPQ
    Label
  • Time
    1:38
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    Gathering Flowers for the Master's Bouquet
    Album
    12/26/69 - McFarlin Auditorium, SMU, Dallas, TX
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd69-12-26.sbd.murphy.1821.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    1:41
    Artist
    Leroy Carr
    Song
    How Long How Long Blues
    Album
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqOYncRHtO8
    Label
  • Time
    1:44
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    How Long Blues
    Album
    7/14/70 - Euphoria Ballroom, San Rafael, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd70-07-14.sbd.cotsman.17815.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    1:51
    Artist
    Grandpa Jones
    Song
    I've Been All Around This World
    Album
    single - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OV7HpN4C1pg
    Label
    King
  • Time
    1:54
    Artist
    Grateful Dead
    Song
    I've Been All Around This World
    Album
    9/25/80 - Warfield Theater, San Francisco, CA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd80-09-25.acoustic-sbd.hinko.18740.sbeok.shnf

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