Blues for Allah/banter (multiple takes) | 1975-03-01 | Grateful Dead

7:38:56
SBD
Rating:
10.00 / 2 ratings
Taper:
David Gans
Transferrer:
Joe Noel and Charlie Miller
SHNID:
gd1975-03-01.145786.sbd.gans.miller.noel.flac1644
Source:
Soundboard -> ? -> PCM
Lineage:
Transfer: PCM Sony SL-HF66 > Sony PCM-601ESD > Behringer Ultramatch Pro > Tascam DA-3000 (WAV 16-bit/44.1k)
Taper Notes:
View NotesPCM source provided graciously by David Gans
Transfer by Charlie Miller
Edited & mastered by Joe Noel
March 05, 2019

Precursor:
As far as I can tell the diligence leads me to conclude that these sessions have never been widely circulated before.  These are not the SNACK Sessions as David Crosby, Merl Sanders & or Ned Lagin are not present.  All tracks are instrumental which leaves no work for Donna.  Mickey, as far as I can tell is not present either.  The month and day are not given on any of the information provided.  Listening to s2t14, using deduction, puts us somewhere in the month of March.
Session I starts out with the boys talking nicely amongst themself round the, on strike, coffee pot.  It's not on strike, no one bothered to turn it on.  After "properly" caffeinating themselves they begin to practice.  First up is a new piece from Phil. First, Phil works on the changes using a six string acoustic guitar, then one by one the band joins in & eventually Phil goes to his bass.  Part II has Phil working the chord progression & changes for another new, untitled theme.  Phil continues to work the changes on an acoustic guitar.
Sessions III & IV are all electric workings of Blues for Allah material.

Note:
- Many thanks to David Gans for sharing this remarkable source.
- Big ups to Charlie for coordinating this effort.
- this source had plenty of drop outs, cuts & clicks all have been augmented, fixed & or removed.
- s1t01 Deserves transcription!  Topics include; chroming Tokyo, guitar holders for chairs for armless players with real hands, preparations for live music in outer space, death by..., super balls, The Vatican's view on souls, Henry the VIII, DaVinci's mistakes, [Vatican's] murders secrets, [Vatican suppression], Galileo, Church of England, cookies, spring in Mordor, pets, cloning Ramrod, Mona's Gorilla Lounge, customizing Billy's kit, testing electricity, the Grateful Dead finally getting some discipline, etc.,
- s1t04 Habanera from Carmen, Georges Bizet.  'Name that Tune' goes to SIRMick.
- s2t03 (2:55 - 4:15) sporadic d/o's repaired.
- s2t12 learning Phil's new song
- s2t14 has a fair amount of dead air as the fellas copy Phil's hyroglifics (left intact)
- s2t14 Jerry learns Lenny Hart recently passed "month or so ago" according to Weir, Phil then says, same weekend as my car wreck."  Lenny died in the month of February making the month of the recording likely March.
- s3t07 getting Billy's drums mixed into headphones properly
- s3t08 boys talk about getting paid while ordering hamburgers
- s4t11 has some priceless banter.  Topics include; transmitters, Lucille Ball, average hair on the human head vs toy poodles & mastiffs, song clicks as identifiers, chippies, the schedule, jam at Nelson's with Grateful Dead, Rolling Stones & Bob Dylan, the sinister fan, accommodating the B3, premo headphones, etc.,
- s4t15 approximately eight & a half minutes of complete dead air was cut
- s4t16 banter includes a discussion on pick-ups
- s4t20 had a 0:24 cut in it
- s4t23 Bob taught Otis to answer the phone but not to drop a dime
- s4t30 unreleased material written by Phil

The Players
- Jerry Garcia; electric guitar
- Phil lesh; acoustic guitar, bass
- Bob Weir; acoustic & electric guitar
- Billy Kreutzmann; drums
- Keith Godchaux, electric piano, grand piano
- Dan Healy; mix