Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Monday, May 11, 2015
The Beatles, the Release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and “A Whiter Shade of Pale”
The Procol Harum song “A Whiter
Shade of Pale” was released on May 12, 1967, about three weeks before Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
May 15:
On this evening The Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein hosted a
dinner party to mark the completion of Sgt.
Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Later Paul McCartney had his first encounter with Linda Eastman at the Bag
O’Nails nightclub. Both Linda and
Paul remember hearing “A Whiter Shade of Pale” for the first time during this meeting. Paul later
gave Linda his copy as a memento.
“The night I met Linda I was in the
Bag O’Nails watching Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames play a great set. Speedy
was banging away. She was there with the Animals, who she knew from photographing
them in New York. They were sitting a couple of alcoves down, near the stage.
The band had finished and they got up to either leave or go for a drink or a
pee or something, and she passed our table. I was near the edge and stood up
just as she was passing, blocking her exit. And so I said, ‘Oh, sorry. Hi. How
are you? How're you doing?’ I introduced myself, and said, ‘We're going on to
another club after this, would you like to join us?’ That was my big pulling
line! Well, I'd never used it before, of course, but it worked this time! It
was a fairly slim chance but it worked. She said, ‘Yes, okay, we'll go on. How
shall we do it?’ I forget how we did it. ‘You come in our car’ or whatever, and
we all went on, the people I was with and the Animals, we went on to the
Speakeasy. And it was the first time any of us had heard Procol Harum’s “A
Whiter Shade Of Pale.”
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
“We flirted a bit, and then it was
time for me to go back with them and Paul said, ‘Well, we’re going to another
club. You want to come?’ I remember everybody at the table heard “A Whiter
Shade Of Pale” that night for the first time and we all thought, ‘Who is that?
Stevie Winwood?’ We all said Stevie. The minute that record came out, you just
knew you loved it. That’s when we actually met. Then we went back to his house.
We were in the Mini with I think Lulu and Dudley Edwards, who painted Paul's
piano; Paul was giving him a lift home. I was impressed to see his Magrittes.
Linda
McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
May 17:
Recording of “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)” began on this day, though it would not be completed until November 1969. "'You
Know My Name (Look Up The Number)' was inspired by a telephone directory that
John Lennon saw at Paul McCartney's London home. It was originally envisaged as
a 15-minute mantra."
May 24:
All four members of The Beatles went to the Speakeasy in
London on this day to watch Procol Harum perform.
May 28:
The Beatles, minus Paul McCartney, attended a party at Brian
Epstein's country house, Kingsley Hill in Warbleton near Heathfield in Sussex
on this day. Epstein had recently bought the house for £25,000, and the party
was a joint housewarming and a celebration for the release of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
The roads leading to the house were adorned with balloons for the occasion. In
addition to the Beatles and their wives, it was attended by a number of friends
and celebrities including composer Lionel Bart and The Beatles’ former press
officer Derek Taylor. This was Taylor's initiation to LSD; he was given the
drug by John Lennon. The pair spent much of the party in Lennon's Rolls-Royce
listening to Procol Harum's “A Whiter Shade Of Pale.” It was also Cynthia
Lennon's third and final experience taking LSD.
“Brian was having a party at the
country house he’d bought in Sussex and John and I traveled down in the Rolls
with a group of friends. On the journey everyone took LSD and I, against my
better judgement but carried away by the jolly atmosphere in the car, decided
to join in. Again, it was an awful mistake. At Brian's house I followed John
around, hoping he would comfort me as I went through what was, for me, a
horrible experience. But he was not in a good mood: he glared at me and treated
me as if I were a stranger. I felt desolate. Upstairs I found an open bedroom
window and contemplated jumping out. For a few minutes, ending it all seemed
like an easy solution: a chasm had opened between John and me, and I had no
idea how to bring us back together. Someone called my name, I turned back into
the room and the fleeting thought passed. But I was low. For the first time I
had to consider the very real possibility that my marriage might not survive.”
Cynthia Lennon
John
“We spoke a little about the state
of the music scene, and he (Lennon) said there was one ‘dope’ record which he
couldn't get off his mind. He couldn't remember the title. All other pop music
of that period was ‘crap,’ one of his favourite words at that time. Next day
John phoned me. ‘I remembered after I’d gone what record it is that I can’t
stop playing,’ he said. ‘It's that dope song, Procol Harum's “Whiter Shade Of
Pale.’” It’s the best song I’ve heard for a while. You play it when you take
some acid and ... whoooooooo.’”
Lennon: The Definitive Biography, Ray Coleman
“Waiting for us was John and George
and they were dressed in this exotic way; they had silk shirts that were this
incredible color and they hugged us and they kissed us and all of a sudden
there were no barriers – and what’s happening? We were swept outside of
Heathrow Airport where John’s Rolls Royce like a Romany caravan was waiting for
us – George in his Mini and us in the Rolls Royce with Procol Harum playing “Whiter
Shade of Pale,” driving along the English roads from Surrey to Sussex.”
Joan Taylor, wife of
Derek Taylor, the Beatles press officer.
June 1:
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was
issued in the UK on this day.
June 4:
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had first seen The Jimi
Hendrix Experience performing on 11 January 1967 at the Bag O’Nails club in
London. On this day McCartney, George Harrison, Jane Asher and Pattie Boyd
watched them headline a bill at the city’s Saville Theatre. The bill also
included Denny Laine & His Electric String Band, The Chiffons and Procol
Harum. Hendrix opened his set with a version of the title track from The
Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band album, which had been released just three days before.
“It would be one of his first gigs
in London. Jimi was a sweetie, a very nice guy. I remember him opening at the
Saville on a Sunday night, 4 June 1967. Brian Epstein used to rent it when it
was usually dark on the Sunday. Jimi opened, the curtains flew back and he came
walking forward, playing ‘Sgt. Pepper,’ and it had only been released on the
Thursday so that was like the ultimate compliment. It’s still obviously a
shining memory for me, because I admired him so much anyway, he was so
accomplished. To think that that album had meant so much to him as to actually
do it by the Sunday night, three days after the release. He must have been so
into it, because normally it might take a day for rehearsal and then you might
wonder whether you’d put it in, but he just opened with it. It’s a pretty major
compliment in anyone’s book. I put that down as one of the great honours of my
career. I mean, I'm sure he wouldn't have thought of it as an honour, I’m sure
he thought it was the other way round, but to me that was like a great boost.
Paul McCartney
Many Years From Now, Barry Miles
At some point during this period, the following is said to
have occurred:
“‘We weren’t really ready for such instant success, so I
thought we’d better go out and get ourselves some new clothes,’ says Gary
Brooker. ‘We made an appointment to go to this exclusive boutique called Dandy
Fashions in the Kings Road in Chelsea. We rang the doorbell and inside all four
Beatles were standing around a harmonium singing ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ the
very moment we came in. Not for us… They just happened to be there singing the
song as we came in through the door.’”
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Eyes of the World: February 1973-June 1976
The
following is a catalogue of the 77 times Eyes
of the World was played during
the Eyes
Modal Jam period – from its debut on 2/9/73 up to and including the hiatus version and the five performances of the song in June 1976. I have identified the times that the
ECR occurs by reference to the timing of an Archive page to which I provide the link or an official
release which I indicate. Also noted is the range of time in which Garcia plays any
Slipknot-like
sequence. Timing on the Archive is not entirely exact, so you should expect
some variability. The intervals, however, should be correct. To make sense of some of the vocabulary and abbreviations I use, you will need to consult the previous post ("Some Problems with Nomenclature...").
1. 2/9/73: Roscoe Maples Pavilion, Stanford
University, Palo Alto, CA
This performance is the debut of Eyes of the World.
This is a surprisingly precocious, nearly nineteen-minute, version
that does not include any ECRs. In 1973 and 1974, Eyes of the World really
gets good in Jam #3, which comes after the third verse and is most frequently been called
the coda or the outro jam. The coda is a modal jam in which the band alternates between two modes and a four keys. (I explain the modal jam in the prvious post. See also Malvinni 2013, 156-8). The modal jam is present in Jam #3 here in the debut. After the first change to G♯min, however, the band
stays there for quite some time instead of alternating more quickly as in every other version of the modal jam. Slipknot phrasing occurs from 14:38
until 15:15, at which point we finally find the familiar change back to the major. China
Doll follows, a regular placement for the song in 1973 and 1974. It also
debuted on this night, along with Here Comes Sunshine, Loose
Lucy, Row Jimmy, They Love Each Other, and the
early version of U.S. Blues entitled Wave That Flag – a pretty good bunch
to emerge all at once.
2. 2/15/73: Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI:
At 15:17 and again at 15:33,
Garcia plays a phrase that hints at the riff, perhaps as a signal.
At 15:44, the band joins together on the riff, which culminates in a change to
Dmin at 16:09. The riff is played again three more times (with Garcia up high –
unlike on all other occasions where he plays in the middle of the fret board), from 16:27
to 16:43; 17:02-17:17; and 17:33-17:49. In the early versions of the
Eyes Modal Jam, the band does not change between keys as seamlessly as they later do.
China Doll follows.
China Doll follows.
3. 2/19/73: International Amphitheater,
Chicago, IL
Phil introduces the ECR at 17:09.
The first change is at 17:36. Then: 17:53-18:09; and 18:30-50. There is a
little more polish here than was true of 2/15/73, but it's still very early on.
China Doll follows.
China Doll follows.
4. 2/21/73: Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL
No ECRs, but an Eyes Modal Jam. Stella Blue follows.
5. 2/22/73: Assembly Hall, Champaign, IL
Slipknot
phrasing from 11:30-11:55. ECRs:12:40-55; 13:12-28; and
13:45-14:01.
China Doll follows.
China Doll follows.
6. 2/24/73: University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA
Only two fragments exist on the
archive for this show and neither of the above includes Eyes of the World. We do have
[available on archive.org] the “Bass Solo>Feelin’ Groovy jam> Sugar
Magnolia” sequence directly following the Eyes
[which was once featured on 30 Days of Dead]. See the following:
http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2009/12/from-incomplete-show-files-february.html?m=1: “…and then we run into another of
our seriously incomplete SBDs at the Feb 24 show in Iowa. There is a poor AUD
of the end of the second set (from Wave That Flag to the end) - it's described
at length in the Taping Compendium as a typically excellent ’73
Truckin’>Eyes jam - but it is still not on the Archive. So for now, we have
to make do with two very brief SBD fragments, one from the end of the first set,
and one a mere nine-minute excerpt of the jam out of Eyes of the World. (Which, by the way, is mislabeled as the
Truckin>Nobody's Fault jam.) There might not be much hope for the rest of
the second set in SBD, since Latvala and Lemieux have both noted that reel #5
(the Truckin’>Eyes) is missing from the Vault!”
7. 2/26/73: Pershing Center, Lincoln, NE
One of the best things about this
kind of project is that it provides all kinds of incidental opportunities.
There is a Dick’s Pick [#28] available for February 26 and 28 which includes the
Eyes of the Worlds played
on those nights, though it does not contain either show entire. Both 2/26 and
2/28 are strong examples of ECRs – the strongest to date, but some of that
(though not all) must have to do with the fact that these are official
releases. Dick's Pick 28 does contain the Dark Star and I
would direct your attention to 11:59-12:02 of that date, where you will find a
line reminiscent of the ECR. At this point in Dark Star, it would
appear that Garcia is responding to Lesh who has been playing something
redolent of the ECR for a bit by that time. Slipknot
phrasing:13:10-20; Phil
initiates the first ECR at 14:13 and that lasts until 14:32; then one at 14:50-15:07;
15:26-41; and a botched 4th attempt at 16:10. Mississippi Half-Step follows.
8. 2/28/73: Salt Palace, Salt Lake City, UT
It sounds like song will end
without any ECR, but out of lull at 14:16 it explodes until 14:32; then 14:50-1505;
15:23-38; and another flubbed 4th attempt at 15:58. The song ends quickly
thereafter and segues into Morning Dew.
9. 3/15/73: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum,
Uniondale, NY
Slipknot phrasing: 16:35-50. The ECR is played three times: 18:15-37; 18:53-19:10;
and 19:28-43. It sounds like they fail to meet for a fourth riff at 19:55. A
halfhearted attempt is made at 20:50 for that fourth and final riff. China Doll follows.
10. 3/19/73: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum,
Uniondale, NY
Slipknot
phrasing from 11:15-30.
Jerry hints at the ECR around 12:20. The band joins together on the ECR
five times from 12:41-57; 13:14-30; 13:46-14:00; 14:17-32 and 14:50-15:05. A
lengthier post-riff jam than those previous follows, as does China Doll.
11. 3/21/73: Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica,
NY
You will hear the usual Slipknot phrasing from 9:42-57; The ECR is played five times:
11:08-23; 11:40-55; 12:12-27; 12:47-13:01; and 13:18-33. Listen to Bobby with
his new chops on the ECR – a great chance to see his process at work.
12. 3/22/73: Utica Memorial Auditorium, Utica,
NY
Slipknot
phrasing from 10:64-11:08; The ECR is again played five times: 12:22-39; 12:56-13:13;
13:28-43; 14:01-16; and (calando) 14:34-50.
13. 3/26/73: Baltimore Civic Center, Baltimore,
MD
Slipknot phrasing from
10:20-35. The ECR is played five times, again: 11:32-47; 12:04-19; 12:35-50; 13:07-22;
and 13:39-54. Immediately following the final time through the ECR, you can
hear that the band is done with the song. That is the first time I’ve noticed
something like that. It sounds for a moment as though they’re heading into China Doll, but they quickly turn to
Morning Dew.
14. 3/28/73: Springfield Civic Center,
Springfield, MA
Very clear SBD. No Slipknot
phrasing; 4 ECRs: 10:40-55; 11:12-27; 11:45-12:00; 12:17-32. The song dissolves
immediately after the final ECR, and segues into Playin’ in the Band. A 30+ minute Dark Star had preceded this, the
shortest Eyes of the World
up to this point in its existence. Nevertheless, an amazing hour of music.
15. 3/30/73: Rochester Community War Memorial,
Rochester, NY
A remarkably thoughtful, subdued
and understated Eyes Modal Jam begins at 6:30. There is Slipknot
phrasing 9:19-36; and the ECR is played three times: 11:15-30; 11:48-12:03; and
12:21-36. A rare segue to Not Fade Away. Some of the restrained manner of the
playing in the modal jam bleeds into the early sections of Not Fade Away, but once the lyrics
begin, the tempo picks up. The Not Fade
Away is short.
16. 4/2/73: Boston Garden, Boston, MA
Slipknot phrasing: 9:55-10:05;
ECRs: 11:58-12:13; 12:28-43; 13:01-16. Only 3 ECRs, no attempt made at a
fourth. A jam of consequential length follows before the modal jam ends and the
segue is made to China doll.
17. 5/13/73: State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA
Slipknot phrasing: 10:48-11:08;
Tempo is fast. ECRs: 13:01-16; 13:27(Garcia prematurely reenters, yes, I said it)-39; 13:56-14:11.
Bobby starts to play a 4th at 14:28, but stops when no one else joins him. China doll follows.
18. 5/20/73: Campus Stadium (UC Santa Barbara),
Goleta, CA
This version is short by 1973
standards (It’s epic with 1986 as the point of reference.), clear and
energetic. Slipknot phrasing: 8:12-28; ECRs: 9:29-44; 10:02-17; and
10:35-50.
Stella Blue follows.
Stella Blue follows.
19. 5/26/73: Kezar Stadium, San Francisco, CA
The Eyes Modal Jam is fast
and jazzy. Slipknot phrasing: 8:40-55. The ECR is played three
times (10:01-15; 10:31-47; and 11:03-18). The post-ECR jam is lengthier than
contemporaneous versions. The band quiets down and then builds the jam back up
until a surprise. For the first time, they play a final single ECR as a kind of capstone (13:05-20). Thereupon the song dissolves immediately into China Doll.
20. 6/9/73: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
This is the shortest Eyes thus far
– and it’s fast. We are now far removed from the Eyes of February. This is much more streamlined and it
is played with confidence and clarity. Slipknot phrasing: 8:07-27.
ECRs: 9:36-50; 10:07-22; and 10:39-54. The segue to China Doll begins immediately after the final ECR.
21. 6/10/73: RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
This one comes in a little more
than 10 minutes longer than the previous day's version – from the shortest so
far to the longest. The tempo is slower, but that is not what makes the
difference. This is an exploratory version and is the opener of the second
set. Slipknot
phrasing: 9:55-1011. ECRs: 13:55-14:10; 14:27-42; and 15:01-18. (Listen to
Keith after the finish of the final ECR – his playing is excellent. The jam
quiets down and becomes thoughtful around 17:00 until it builds back in and
there is, like 5/26, a return to the ECR from 19:10-25. The jam after that
single ECR is a bit schizophrenic - they really can't decide where to go, but
the music is inventive. It's two minutes of dark, bluesy material
that doesn't sound like any other time they've played Eyes up to this point. When they do
decide to move on (the song is 21:45 in length), the segue is to Stella Blue.
22. 6/24/73: Memorial Coliseum, Portland, OR
[B.N.: 6/24 is not listed on
cs.cmu.edu or setlist.] Slipknot phrasing: 9:53-10:14; ECRs:
10:58-11:13 and 11:30-48. In the second ECR, they play five pairs instead of
the regular four - likely by accident, but strangely enough they all do it.
It's the only time that happens. And this is one of only two occasions on
which they play only two ECRs in a series, probably because of the mistake in
playing five pairs instead of four. [See also 9/26/73.] They do, however, return and play a
single ECR once 90 seconds later, but the ECRs played in a series always repeat within 20 seconds.
China Doll follows.
China Doll follows.
23. 6/30/73: Universal Amphitheatre, Universal
City, CA
Lengthy. At 19:25, it's about
three minutes longer than the Dark Star that precedes it. Slipknot phrasing: 9:30-51;
ECRs: 12:33-48; 13:07-22; and 13:40-56. Keith plays a starring role in an
especially strong segment that follows. Focus on him from about 14:45 until the
reprise of a single ECR at 17:05. Garcia leads the final minute plus into Stella Blue.
24. 7/28/73: Grand Prix Racecourse, Watkins
Glen, NY
This is the Watkins Glen festival
and the Eyes
comes in at 20 minutes. Garcia’s playing has been increasingly crisp in The Eyes Modal Jam since the debut.
The first five minutes of this modal jam until the first ECR, however, are
surprisingly rough given the polish of the May and June versions of the modal
jam. At any rate, there is Slipknot phrasing from 11:48-12:14
and three ECRs: 13:26-41; 14:00-16; and 14:34-50. There is also a failed 4th
attempt at 15:11. Garcia abandons it first and then Lesh a few seconds later.
Garcia's playing is much better after the 14-minute mark. As has been the
custom since late May, they reprise the ECR a single time from 18:20-35 and
then wind the song down. Sugar
Magnolia follows.
25. 8/1/73: Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ
20 minutes of Eyes on Jerry's birthday. Slipknot
phrasing: 11:24-57. The modal jam threatens to die from 13:00-30,
but a minute later the jam is cooking, because Jerry has built it up with a
unique rhythm, some staccato chords played up on the neck. He
hints at the ECR at 14:55, but doesn't go into it. A meltdown almost occurs
from 16:00-17, out of which a strong ECR series emerges: 16:22-38; 16:58-1713;
and 17:33-48. The absence of an attempt at a fourth ECR at 18:12 seems to take
the air out of the jam, but soon enough Garcia leads it back. There is no
reprise of a single, final ECR in this version - the first not to reprise since late
May. Morning Dew follows. There
are two listening guides for Eyes of the
Worlds that contain Eyes Modal Jams available
of which I am aware and both are of shows at Roosevelt Stadium. The first is of
this show and it appears in David Malvinni’s book on pages 157-8. That is as
erudite and instructive a conversation of the Eyes Modal Jam one is likely
to find. Also helpful is jdarks’ tablature and guide to the Eyes
of the World from 8/6/74 at Roosevelt – the version that appears on Dick’s Picks
31. See 8/6/74.
August 1973: Wake of the Flood is recorded.
26. 9/7/73: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum,
Uniondale, NY
There are strong hints of the ECR following
12:42 from Jerry, and then from Keith. They band has clearly achieved a kind of
command of the song, and play with the riff with a discernible novel comfort.
For a particularly good example of Garcia toying with the ECR, listen to the
rhythm he plays from 13:15-13:40. The band joins together on the ECR from
14:14-30; 14:48-15:04; and 15:23-38. Sugar
Magnolia follows.
27. 9/8/73: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum,
Uniondale, NY
ECRs: 10:37-52; 11:08-24; and
11:42-58. The band now plays The Eyes Modal
Jam with considerable
polish. It’s difficult to feel sentimental about or nostalgic for earlier
versions of this song wherein the minor keys in the modal section sounded
comparatively dissonant. By September of 1973, there is a sweetness evident in even
the minor hues. They go back for one final ECR from 14:33-48 (Ã la May and June ’73) and
segue immediately into China Doll.
This Eyes of the World is one of the only eight ever played
in the first set (i.e., 8/381): September 8, 1973: Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, Uniondale,
NY; October 29, 1973:
Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, Mo.; June 18, 1974: Freedom Hall, Louisville, Ky [Road Trips 2.3]; August 6, 1974:
Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, N.J. [Dick’s Picks 31]; September 21, 1974: Palais des
Sports, Paris, France; October
19, 1974: Winterland Arena, San Francisco, CA [The Grateful Dead Movie];
August 13, 1975:
Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA [One from the Vault]; and June 17, 1991: Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.
28. 9/12/73: William and Mary College,
Williamsburg, VA
There are no horns on this
version, in spite of the fact that the horns play on other versions of Eyes of the World on the tour and this is in the second
set, the time when the horns appear on this tour. Slipknot phrasing:
9:20-40. ECRs: 11:15-31; 11:48-12:04; and 12:21-37. Stella Blue follows. If the rationale behind the horn
tour interests you, there is a blog on it, with a peculiar focus the band’s
financial matters: http://lostlivedead.blogspot.com/2012/01/horn-tour-september-1973-tour-itinerary.html.
29. 9/15/73: Providence Civic Center,
Providence, RI
Slipknot phrasing:
8:50-9:20. ECRs: 10:12-28; 10:46-11:01; and 11:20-37. The horns join in on the ECR,
for the most part. The ECR section ends and immediately engenders a jazz jam in
D Dorian Fierro soloing followed by Ellis. We have not heard an Eyes Modal Jam like this before. This version, however, is followed by Let Me
Sing Your Blues Away and there is clear separation between the songs;
Eyes of the World ends. This is definitely a very
specific moment in Grateful Dead history.
30. 9/17/73: Onondaga War Memorial Auditorium,
Syracuse, NY
Slipknot phrasing:
10:08-34. ECRs: 11:36-51; 12:08-23; and 12:40-55. (Messy entry at 12:40: Garcia
and Fierro are competing to see who can be more out of control). Eyes of the World ends again, or at least becomes so
quiet that Weather Report Suite can begin without a noticeable key change.
31. 9/20/73: The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA
Slipknot phrasing:
11:08-12:00. [This is the lengthiest diminished seventh episode so far. With
the horns, it is played in tempo rubato for
a longer period of time each night.] ECRs: 12:55-13:11; 13:30-45; and 14:03-18.
The climactic ending [especially 16:20-17:45!], led by Garcia and Lesh, is only
slightly marred by the AUD patch. All in all, Eyes of the World up to this point in 1973 is
well-covered with clear SBD recordings. A project like this current one gives
one the opportunity to see all of the different kinds of archival evidence and
I was glad to have to listen to something other than a board. It’s a shame that
it happens at this particular juncture in this particular song, but maybe
that’s part of its appeal too. This ending is a pretty special brief vignette, but
it does sound like it was recorded underwater. It is what it is. The SBD of the
end of the first set and beginning of the second does circulate, and includes
most of Eyes,
but unsurprisingly, it cuts right where the AUD patch begins: https://archive.org/details/gd1973-09-20.sbd.clugston.9845.sbeok.shnf.
Otherwise, I think that this would be a decent release if 1) people weren’t so
generally down on the horn experiment; and 2) the second set weren’t so short
or unavailable. Cs.cmu.edu, the Archive and setlist all agree that this is the
second set: Truckin’, Eyes of the World, Stella Blue, Sugar Magnolia. This looks like a regular
final four songs of a second set in 1973. Can anyone explain why they only played a fraction of what
was their habit at the time? Or are we missing something?
32. 9/24/73: Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
Slipknot phrasing:
10:03-35; ECRs: 11:40-55; 12:12-28; 12:47-13:03. Dissolution thereafter. Full
stop. Weather Report Suite starts
ex silentio.
33. 9/26/73: Buffalo Memorial Auditorium,
Buffalo, NY
Slipknot phrasing:
10:35-11:25; ECRs: 12:10-26; 12:44-13:01. Only two ECRs – a rarity – but the horns
join in more than is the case of any other performance. An ethereal, jazzy jam
follows before Weather Report Suite begins.
34. 10/19/73: Fairgrounds Arena, Oklahoma City,
OK
Slipknot phrasing:
9:20-9:55; ECRs: 11:09-24; 11:43-58; 12:17-33. From this performance on, there
are three ECRs in a series played per modal jam. This Eyes of the World may
be one of the reasons that this is one of Dick’s Picks [#19]. There is some
serious shredding after the final ECR. This Eyes
is an encore, one of only three times that happened. The other two are: June
26, 1974: Providence Civic Center, Providence, R.I. (Another of Dick’s Picks)
and September 14, 1974: Olympiahalle, Munich, W. Germany. Stella Blue follows to complete the first encore. But a second encore was
played: Johnny
B. Goode. I think it worthy of mention that Eyes of the World ceased
to be played as an encore once the Eyes Modal Jam disappeared.
35. 10/25/73: Dane County Coliseum, Madison, WI
Dark
Star>Mind Left Body>Dark Star>Eyes of the World>Stella Blue
This Dark Star is very much the
relative of the November 11, 1973 rendition that epitomizes jazz Dark Stars for
so many. The Mind Left Body Jam
and Eyes of the World are
neighbors here as there as well, but the Mind
Left Body comes early in the Dark
Star instead of following it. Slipknot phrasing: 10:10-37; ECRs: 11:32-48;
12:08-23; 12:43-59. Stella Blue follows.
36. 10/29/73: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO
A first set Eyes of the World, played very fast. Slipknot
phrasing: 10:40-5. It’s very short, as he’s doing something else
here. ECRs: 11:34-49; 12:06-20; 12:36-51. Decent 2 minute jam follows the ECR
section and then a segue into China
Doll.
37. 10/30/73: Kiel Auditorium, St. Louis, MO
Slipknot phrasing: 10:56-11:10
[but Keith is the first to diminished seventh phrases at 10:45]; ECRs: 12:11-27;
12:46-13:02; 13:20-35. The end of this version is spacey, ethereal, dreamy and
it’s different than any of the versions I’ve heard up to this point in the
project. A quintessential Grateful Dead moment and worth another listen. It’s
hardly surprises how good this is, given that it’s on the doorstep of November
1973, one of those special months in their history. Weather Report Suite follows.
38. 11/9/73: Winterland Arena, San Francisco,
CA
There are seven versions of Eyes of the World from this famous month and this is the
first.
Slipknot phrasing: 9:22-50;
ECRs: 10:59-11:15; 11:32-48; 12:07 (not a particularly sharp entry) -12:23. China
Doll follows.
39. 11/11/73: Winterland Arena, San Francisco,
CA
Part of a famous sequence Dark
Star>Mind Left Body>Eyes of the World. Slipknot phrasing: 10:54-11:09;
ECRs: 11:56-12:12; 12:31-46; 13:05-0. China Doll begins almost immediately.
40. 11/14/73: San Diego Sports Arena, San
Diego, CA
Phil’s bass solo is much more
audible than usual. It begins at 8:55. And then…a first. The band makes it to
the Slipknot
phrasing, but they are moving considerably slowly at that point, and
the decision is made to go back into The
Other One. (The second
set as an Other One theme.) The Slipknot phrasing is played up to a boundary, i.e., a
key change (E♭min>Emaj7).
In that respect, it represents (and here, functions) like a natural jumping off
point for a segue elsewhere. Listen to how sweet Garcia’s first line in The Other One is. He’s naturally thinking of a change to a major scale after the
Slipknot phrasing. Since
they only make it to the Slipknot phrasing (which always comes before
any ECR), there are no ECRs in this version – only the third time since the
debut.
41. 11/17/73: Pauley Pavilion (UCLA), Los
Angeles, CA
By now Garcia has begun playing a
blue note on occasion in the ECR. On the tablature below, there is 1 full ECR, with the change
denoted by 7^8 twice. There are other bends and slides he plays with the F♯ and
the G; this is just a sequence representative of some ECRs after the song had
reached a certain age. Listen to the third final ECR on 11/11/73 for another example. Slipknot
phrasing: 9:39-55; ECRs: 10:30-45; 11:02-18; 11:35-50.
A Complete ECR with a couple of random
blue notes
E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------7^8---------------------------
G
-----------8--6-----------------------8--6-----------------------8--6-----------------------8--6------------
D
--------8--------8--6h8-----------8--------8--6/5----------8---------8--6-------------8--------8---6/5--
A
-6--9-----------------------6--9----------------------6--9-------------------------6--9---------------------
E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
B
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------7^8---------------------------
G -----------8--6-----------------------8--6-----------------------8--6-----------------------8--6------------
D
--------8--------8--6h8-----------8--------8--6/5----------8---------8--6-------------8--------8---6/5--
A
-6--9-----------------------6--9----------------------6--9-------------------------6--9---------------------
E
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
42. 11/23/73: El Paso County Coliseum, El Paso,
TX
Slipknot phrasing: 9:55-10:12;
ECRs: 10:48-11:03; 11:22-37; 11:55-12:10. This one has what was a typical post-ECR
jam in this time period. Earlier in the song’s history, the band went straight
into other songs, or, as was more usual, played a jam in D Dorian that was
similar in tone and tempo to the other sections of the modal jam. By November
1973, if there was a post-ECR jam of any length, it was generally slower and
was quite often bluesy or jazzy. Around
and Around follows.
43. 11/25/73: Feyline Field, Tempe, AZ
Slipknot phrasing: 10:07-24.
This device is now settling into a 15-20 second episode per night. It is no
longer being used to the lengths it was in September; some Slipknot phrasing episodes were
lasting almost a minute then with the horn section. ECRs: 11:25-41; 12:00-15;
12:33-48.
44. 11/30/73: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
There are lengthier solos earlier
in the song than has been the case. The band is running about three minutes
behind schedule. The version is on Dick’s Picks 14 and it’s 19:26, considerably
longer than the 12:00-15:00 range the song has generally lasted since Wake of the Flood was released on
September 1. Slipknot phrasing: 12:14-32; ECRs: 14:03-18; 14:37-53;
15:12-27. Even though the overall length of the song is partially attributable
to the breaks after verses one and two, the post-ECR jam is also about twice
its normal length, though it is not particularly cogent. After a generic jam in
the same hue as the pre-ECR material, they start a bluesy little jam (which
never really cooks all that much) and then dissolve into space before Sugar Magnolia starts. When Eyes of the
World is late in the
second set, and especially when it is the next-to-last song of the second set,
as it is here, Sugar Magnolia often follows.
45. 12/4/73: Cincinnati Gardens, Cincinnati, OH
23:57! The length in this version comes
from the post-ECR jam. Slipknot phrasing: 9:50-10:06; ECRs:
10:54-11:10; 11:28-43; 12:05-20. After the final ECR, the jam is very much like
what preceded the ECR, but soon enough we are in space. Lesh messes around with
feedback and Garcia wanders in the desert. The weirdest Eyes of the World thus far in its life – by a mile. It
could be Dark Star. This
free space lasts for the remaining ten minutes or so of the song and nothing
resembling the Eyes Modal Jam returns. I imagine that this section is
attributed to Eyes of the World
because Eyes is considered an extended jam song,
but I think section might have just been called “Jam,” if it had showed up
after any number of other songs. It’s late in the second set and Sugar Magnolia follows.
46. 12/6/73: Public Hall, Cleveland, OH
The comes out of a 43 minute Dark Star. Slipknot phrasing:
9:02-23. A jazzy, quieter Slipknot sequence. My favorite one so far. ECRs:
10:01-17; 10:32-46; 11:04-20. This is the same band that first played the song
in February, but it sounds like a different group. Eyes of the World
made a strong debut and it’s remarkable how good the song sounded at its
creation, but this is a formative year. Stella
Blue follows.
47. 12/10/73: Charlotte Coliseum, Charlotte, NC
You will also find this on Download
Series #8. Slipknot phrasing: 8:57-9:15;
ECRs: 10:05-20; 10:36-52; 11:09-25 and, for the first time, Brokedown Palace follows.
48. 12/12/73: The Omni, Atlanta, GA
Slipknot phrasing: 8:37-55;
ECRs: 9:42-57; 10:14-30; 10:46-11:02. The final ECR is played diminuendo poi subito fortissimo. [Look
it up: you could learn yourself stuff everyday if you tried.] For all of the
good things about the Eyes Modal Jam,
I can see why they stopped playing it in 1974. After listening to more than
fifty of these, I can say that I now experience the whole jam as formulaic, but
I am aware simultaneously that it is stylized as though it were especially
improvisational. And yet that is not to say that it isn’t highly
improvisational. New ideas continue to flow into the story told in each little
formulaic episode, or at least, Garcia and, less frequently, the others continue to introduce
novel approaches to these sections of modal jazz-rock improvisation. The band is
moving effortlessly from Emaj7 to G♯min and back and from Emaj7 to E♭min vice versa, using
the dramatic tension they’ve built – half the time in the major scale, and the
other in a Dorian one – as the signal to make the change. And at this point, ten months after the debut, they are getting
really good at playing this song. Morning Dew follows.
49. 12/18/73: Curtis Hixon Convention Hall, Tampa, FL
https://archive.org/details/gd1973-12-18.sbd.miller.97511.sbeok.flac16
The forty-ninth and final Eyes of the World of 1973. This is the night before the show on Dick’s Pick #1. Watch out for the dramatic heavy metal ending. Slipknot phrasing: 8:25-43 [Godchaux exuberant after change to Emaj7]; ECRs: 9:35-50; 10:06-22; 10:39-55. Wharf Rat follows.
The forty-ninth and final Eyes of the World of 1973. This is the night before the show on Dick’s Pick #1. Watch out for the dramatic heavy metal ending. Slipknot phrasing: 8:25-43 [Godchaux exuberant after change to Emaj7]; ECRs: 9:35-50; 10:06-22; 10:39-55. Wharf Rat follows.
50. 2/22/74: Winterland Arena, San Francisco,
CA
Slipknot phrasing: 9:59-10:17;
ECRs: 11:12-29; 11:48-12:04; 12:22-40. The song disintegrates immediately after
the last ECR – that didn’t happen as much in the last months of 1973. China Doll follows.
51. 2/23/74: Winterland Arena, San Francisco,
CA
Slipknot phrasing: 11:00-18;
ECRs: 12:03-19; 12:38-53; 13:11-26. One
More Saturday Night follows.
52. 5/17/74: P.N.E. Coliseum, Vancouver, BC
Slipknot phrasing:
10:33-59; ECRs: 11:34-50; 12:08-24; 12:41-56. The song disintegrates
immediately. China Doll follows.
53. 5/21/74: Edmundson Pavilion (U of
Washington), Seattle, WA
Slipknot phrasing:
9:37-54; ECRs: 11:45-59; 12:15-30; 12:47-13:02. There is a pretty short post ECR
jam. Wharf
Rat follows.
54. 6/8/74: Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum,
Oakland, CA
Slipknot phrasing:
10:22-11:03 (messy); ECRs: 12:05-20 (someone is out of key); 12:39-55;
13:11-27. The jam disintegrates pretty quickly and you can hear someone trying
to tune during a space section. Then they stop playing and Phil apologizes for the
guitars going out of tune. This is a pretty mediocre Eyes of the World, in spite of the fact that it comes
from a month that many (see headyversion, e.g.) consider the greatest month
ever for Eyes
of the World. But the legendary versions come later in June – this
one is forgettable. Sugar Magnolia follows the necessary
tuning.
55. 6/16/74: State Fairgrounds, Des Moines, IA
Road Trips 2.3. The first of a
famous run of three well received and highly esteemed Eyes of the Worlds in
a row. The Slipknot phrasing in this version is quite different
than any that precedes it. Garcia plays at one point (11:48-51) a novel phrase
that is recognizable from later versions of Slipknot, but which he has not played up to this
point. The segment concludes with
the change to Emaj7 at 12:05. ECRs: 13:42-57; 14:15-31; 14:47-15:02. The long,
funky, excellent post-ECR jam is really the bluesy and substantial prelude to Big
River. The Road Trips version considers the post-ECR section Eyes
of the World, but one upload on the Archive
[https://archive.org/details/gd74-06-16.sbd.cribbs.26452.sbeok.shnf] calls the
entire post-ECR section “Jam.” Another post to the Archive [https://archive.org/details/gd1974-06-16.sbd.fink.15781.shnf]
splits the difference by calling the first part of the post-ECR jam “Eyes of the
World” and the part when
hints of Big
River begin to be recognizable “Big River.”
56. 6/18/74: Freedom Hall, Louisville, KY
Road Trips 2.3.
Slipknot phrasing: 9:50-10:08;
ECRs: 11:15-31; 11:48-12:04; 12:20-35. Jerry’s playing is particularly nasty in
between the ECRs. China Doll follows.
57. 6/20/74: The Omni, Atlanta, GA
Slipknot phrasing: 12:25-45;
ECRs: 14:09-26; 14:43-58; 15:14-31.
This version is followed by Proto-Slipknot,
which cannot be severed from Eyes of the World. This is such a special moment in Dead history.
China Doll follows.
China Doll follows.
58. 6/22/74: Jai-Alai Fronton, Miami, FL
Slipknot phrasing: 9:50-10:04;
ECRs: 11:25-40; 11:55-12:10; 12:28-43. After the last ECR, the song
disintegrates immediately into Wharf Rat.
59. 6/26/74: Providence Civic Center,
Providence, RI
Dick’s Picks 7.
Slipknot phrasing: 8:23-41;
ECRs: 9:57-10:12; 10:30-45; 11:04-11:20. One of the three encores.
60. 6/30/74: Springfield Civic Center,
Springfield, MA
Slipknot phrasing: 10:50-11:08;
ECRs: 12:10-25; 12:44-59; 13:18-33. A lengthy, unrelated jam follows the ECR
section. This is better described: Eyes > Jam.
Stella Blue follows.
Stella Blue follows.
61. 7/19/74: Selland Arena, Fresno, CA
https://archive.org/details/gd74-07-19.sbd.symons.12381.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 13:20-38; ECRs: 14:58-15:14; 15:31-46; 16:05-20. The song disintegrates immediately into China doll. Listen for Bob Weir playing with a wah pedal.
https://archive.org/details/gd74-07-19.sbd.symons.12381.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 13:20-38; ECRs: 14:58-15:14; 15:31-46; 16:05-20. The song disintegrates immediately into China doll. Listen for Bob Weir playing with a wah pedal.
China Doll follows.
7/27/74: Roanoke Civic Center, Roanoke, VA
Though Deadbase and cs.cmu.edu
list an Eyes
of the World encore for this date, it would appear to be a mistake.
1973-1974 is the only period for Eyes encores, but as Mercer 2013 points
out: “Deadbase lists an “Eyes” encore on July 27, 1974 in Roanoke, Va., but
this is doubtful and unconfirmed. It is not on tape or reported by witnesses.”
Kell Mercer’s “Field Guide to Eyes of the World” is a rigorous,
instructive piece of scholarship and I recommend it:
http://deadessays.blogspot.com/2013/12/eyes-of-world-field-guide-guest-post.html.
62. 7/31/74: Dillon Stadium, Hartford, CT
https://archive.org/details/gd74-07-31.sbd.ziggy.1019.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:57-12:15; ECRs: 16:26-41; 16:59-17:15; 17:32-47. The song ends about one minute later and segues into China Doll.
https://archive.org/details/gd74-07-31.sbd.ziggy.1019.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:57-12:15; ECRs: 16:26-41; 16:59-17:15; 17:32-47. The song ends about one minute later and segues into China Doll.
63. 8/6/74: Roosevelt Stadium, Jersey City, NJ
Dick’s Picks 31
A great page for this version: http://www.jdarks.com/files/Eyes_of_the_World.pdf
Slipknot phrasing: 12:03-18;
ECRs: 13:16-31; 13:49 (weak)-14:05; 14:22-38.
The modal jam is excellent,
lengthy and paradigmatic.
64. 9/11/74: Alexandra Palace, London, England
This is great, a favorite to take
away from this project. The SBDs are sterile and flat, and the AUD from
“unknown taper” has way too much reverb. But when they are mixed together as in
this matrix, something beautiful emerges.
Slipknot phrasing: 16:52-17:10.
[A particularly good example. Ned Lagin is playing some eerie stuff behind
Garcia.]; ECRs: 18:00-15 (weak); 18:35-51; 19:09-25. The ECRs appear on
setlist.com as Stronger Than Dirt,
whereas they are called Jam numerously on the Archive. This
is one of the few really weird Lagin and Lesh electronica sets, so eleven
minutes of space follows the ECRs.
65. 9/14/74: Olympiahalle, Munich, Germany
https://archive.org/details/gd1974-09-14.philips-Schinzel.teute-greenberg.9890.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:20-30; ECRs: 12:31-46; 13:03-19; 13:38-54. The last of the three encores.
https://archive.org/details/gd1974-09-14.philips-Schinzel.teute-greenberg.9890.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:20-30; ECRs: 12:31-46; 13:03-19; 13:38-54. The last of the three encores.
66. 9/18/74: Parc des Expositions, Dijon,
France
https://archive.org/details/gd74-09-18.sbd.bertha-ashley.21925.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:15-28; ECRs: 12:50-13:06; 13:22-37; 13:55-14:10.
https://archive.org/details/gd74-09-18.sbd.bertha-ashley.21925.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:15-28; ECRs: 12:50-13:06; 13:22-37; 13:55-14:10.
After the ECRs, the song disintegrates
into China
Doll.
67. 9/20/74: Palais des Sports, Paris, France
https://archive.org/details/gd74-09-20.sbd.gasperini.5648.sbeok.shnf
https://archive.org/details/gd74-09-20.sbd.gasperini.5648.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:57-12:16
[This is weird and awesome. This song almost dives into space, but the Slipknot
phrasing gets the song going again]; ECRs: 13:42-57; 14:14-30; 14:46-15:02.
One of only a few to do so: Not Fade
Away follows.
68. 9/21/74: Palais des Sports, Paris, France
https://archive.org/details/gd74-09-21.sbd.miller.30654.sbeok.flacf
https://archive.org/details/gd74-09-21.sbd.miller.30654.sbeok.flacf
Slipknot phrasing: 11:45-12:03
[slow, funky, jazzy]; ECRs: 13:21-36; 13:55-14:11; 14:28-44.
China Doll follows.
69. 10/16/74: Winterland Arena, San Francisco,
CA
https://archive.org/details/gd1974-10-16.fob.sonyecm250.falenga.motb-0131.107036.flac16
Slipknot phrasing: 10:35-48; ECRs: 11:40-55; 12:11-27; 12:44-13:00.
https://archive.org/details/gd1974-10-16.fob.sonyecm250.falenga.motb-0131.107036.flac16
Slipknot phrasing: 10:35-48; ECRs: 11:40-55; 12:11-27; 12:44-13:00.
Big River follows.
70. 10/19/74: Winterland Arena, San Francisco,
CA
https://archive.org/details/gd74-10-19.sbd.miller.21927.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 10:53-11:12; ECRs 14:09-25; 14:41-56; 15:14 (unique into final ECR)-30.
https://archive.org/details/gd74-10-19.sbd.miller.21927.sbeok.shnf
Slipknot phrasing: 10:53-11:12; ECRs 14:09-25; 14:41-56; 15:14 (unique into final ECR)-30.
China Doll follows.
71. 10/20/74: Winterland Arena, San Francisco,
CA
https://archive.org/details/gd1974-10-20.sbd.alligator.GEMS.94851.flac16
Slipknot phrasing: 10:27-44 (you can hear that Lesh is ready but Garcia isn’t); ECRs: 11:54-12:10; 12:27-42; 12:59-13:14. Proto-Slipknot follows the final ECRs ever played about a minute later.
https://archive.org/details/gd1974-10-20.sbd.alligator.GEMS.94851.flac16
Slipknot phrasing: 10:27-44 (you can hear that Lesh is ready but Garcia isn’t); ECRs: 11:54-12:10; 12:27-42; 12:59-13:14. Proto-Slipknot follows the final ECRs ever played about a minute later.
Stella Blue follows.
None of the following versions contain ECRs.
They are the final versions, however, to contain the modal jam.
72. 8/13/75: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
They are the final versions, however, to contain the modal jam.
72. 8/13/75: Great American Music Hall, San Francisco, CA
The modal jam is in its regular position, following the verses.
Eyes of the World is followed by drums and then King Solomon's Marbles.
73. 6/9/76: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
The modal jam precedes the verses of Eyes of the World for the remaining versions.
Saint Stephen > Eyes of the World [17:17] > Let it Grow
74. 6/11/76: Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA
Sugar Magnolia > Eyes Of The
World [13:10] > Stella Blue
75. 6/18/76: Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ
Saint Stephen > Eyes Of The
World [12:32] > Drums
76. 6/22/76: Tower Theater, Upper Darby, PA
Samson & Delilah; Eyes Of The
World [12:26] > Dancing In The Street
77. 6/28/76: Auditorium Theater, Chicago, IL
Eyes Of The World [12:22] >
Bass/Drums Jam [3:17] > Happiness Is Drumming
This is the last version to include the modal
jam.
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