Let's hear your Grateful Dead covers

[reeve21]

There are 415 Dead covers in this playlist up on the band's YouTube page. Including 2 preteen girls covering Ripple on accordion and mandolin (it kills!). Do we really need any more? Of course we do

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?lis...BPSvMh44gT3Zmn

I found out from started with 1 (Joe) that they do this every February, here is the thread and a contribution from Joe and his son.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=608489

That thread drifted a bit into a general discussion of Dead covers and a suggestion, thanks to Ray (raysachs), that we share some on the AGF.

I know we have a bunch of fans on here, and probably a lot more who haven't yet admitted to it! So let's hear what you got.

[raysachs]

I'll start it off. I'm a longtime Deadhead, but I tend not to play all that much Dead. I've recorded a number of Dead tunes, but only saw fit to share four of them on Soundcloud. Three of the four have some electric guitar, one is ALL electric. This is the only one that's all acoustic. Kind of a quick and dirty thing I did within the last couple of weeks. I record on a Spire Studio, which is a simple as all get out 8-track digital recorder. It's not all that powerful, but it more than makes up for it in ease of use and being self contained - It has a pretty decent condenser mic built in.

Disclaimer for anything I post. I'm NOT a singer - I sing, but at my very best I don't detract too horribly much from the song. I'm rarely at my very best. You've been warned. But I love to sing, so there you go...

Here's "When Push Comes to Shove":



-Ray

[GTRGUY005]

The Dead covered this one...

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I'll start it off. I'm a longtime Deadhead, but I tend not to play all that much Dead. I've recorded a number of Dead tunes, but only saw fit to share four of them on Soundcloud. Three of the four have some electric guitar, one is ALL electric. This is the only one that's all acoustic. Kind of a quick and dirty thing I did within the last couple of weeks. I record on a Spire Studio, which is a simple as all get out 8-track digital recorder. It's not all that powerful, but it more than makes up for it in ease of use and being self contained - It has a pretty decent condenser mic built in.

Disclaimer for anything I post. I'm NOT a singer - I sing, but at my very best I don't detract too horribly much from the song. I'm rarely at my very best. You've been warned. But I love to sing, so there you go...

Here's "When Push Comes to Shove":



-Ray

Thanks, Ray, very nice! This is an under appreciated tune that had completely slipped my mind, a nice surprise

Your lead lines are very melodic, I can hear the Jerry influence 👍

Well done!

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by GTRGUY005

The Dead covered this one...

Yes, covers of covers are the best covers! I used to play this one, but not like that—really dig the harp and the bluegrass tinge.

Thanks GTRGUY, real nice version, clean picking, good recording!

[reeve21]

After issuing this “challenge” I realized that I don’t really play that many GD tunes, and had only recorded one until last weekend

Here is Deal, on Saturday



And Althea from few years back

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by GTRGUY005

The Dead covered this one...

I love that tune. I always thought it should have been on the Garcia / Grisman album “Not for Kids Only”. I play it a lot, but never felt like I did it well enough to record it. You do it really well, though. Some pretty serious production values!

I have a new little one month old granddaughter and I sing it to her regularly. She seems to enjoy it as much as anything else at this stage, other than eating and sleeping. Hopefully I’ll get to play it for her as she gets a little older...

-Ray

[started with 1]

My first show was 1976. I was a full year younger than my son is in this video. My brother had just turned 13. Can’t quite imagine what our parents were thinking. That show is available as Dicks Picks v20.

http://www.musicbox-online.com/gd-dp...#axzz6o76uue2Y

Here is another one we did in Feb for the dead covers project. Morning Dew is another 60s folk song they covered and made their own.

https://youtu.be/sEVXJbTtbco

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by started with 1

My first show was 1976. I was a full year younger than my son is in this video. My brother had just turned 13. Can’t quite imagine what our parents were thinking. That show is available as Dicks Picks v20.

http://www.musicbox-online.com/gd-dp...#axzz6o76uue2Y

Here is another one we did in Feb for the dead covers project. Morning Dew is another 60s folk song they covered and made their own.

https://youtu.be/sEVXJbTtbco

That's a good tune, Joe, and a good story. Nice performance by your son, and kudos to you on that vocal. Morning Dew is one tune that Jerry really dug into on the vocal, it was a very emotional piece. In fact I was not aware he and Hunter were not the songwriters until fairly recently. Well done!

[raysachs]

As I said in the other thread, Bob, that's a great acoustic Deal, just the right feel. And Joe, a fine Mornin' Dew. Are those sweet PRSs your's or your son's? I had a Silver Sky for a while about a year ago.

Here's the rest of the Dead stuff I've got up on Soundcloud.

First, a recording of Scarlet (no Fire) that I did a couple years ago. Pretty sure there's no acoustic on this. A couple of electric rhythm tracks, one lead, and vocals. One of the rhythm tracks could have been acoustic, but I'm pretty sure it's not.



Next, my take on Althea. Acoustic rhythm, electric lead. Vocals are terrible on this. I "sang" it less badly in Am, but the whole thing played more right in Bm, so I just suffered through the vocals in that key, given that I'm more or less just talking anyway. But it's a really fun guitar workout. Nothing at ALL like the Dead do it, a lot mellower - I just don't know all of those modes and scales that Jerry solos with on that tune, so it's more meditative.



And, finally, the Loser I posted in the other thread, again here for posterity. Acoustic and electric rhythms, electric lead.



That's all I have that's even remotely up to public consumption (if these). If I record something else at some point and like it enough, maybe I'll look for this thread and add it. But for now, this is it...

-Ray

[reeve21]

Really enjoyed your lead work on those tunes, Ray. Like I said before, it’s very melodic. Well done!

Hopefully we will get some more submissions and we can continue to post stuff here as time goes on. Thanks!

[Teja Gerken]

Fun thread. I was asked to arrange a solo guitar version of "Sage and Spirit" for a show that celebrated the 40th anniversary of "Blues for Allah" a few years ago. The show was at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, exactly 40 years to the date of the original release party, and had a bunch Dead-related folks playing, with me being the only solo performer. While I had the piece under my fingers, I also shot this video:



Hope you guys enjoy my take on the tune!

Teja Gerken
www.tejagerken.com

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Teja Gerken

Fun thread. I was asked to arrange a solo guitar version of "Sage and Spirit" for a show that celebrated the 40th anniversary of "Blues for Allah" a few years ago. The show was at San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, exactly 40 years to the date of the original release party, and had a bunch Dead-related folks playing, with me being the only solo performer. While I had the piece under my fingers, I also shot this video:



Hope you guys enjoy my take on the tune!

Teja Gerken
www.tejagerken.com

Wow. This is like if we had a “share your John Prine covers” thread, and Bonnie Raitt showed up with her version of Angel of Montgomery or a Dylan covers thread and Jimi posted his version of All Along The Watchtower..

SO COOL! That was amazing Teja. I’m honored to have my very limited playing share a thread with your brilliance. Seriously, that’s just incredible playing. Thanks for sharing it!

-Ray

[reeve21]

Originally Posted by raysachs

Wow. This is like if we had a “share your John Prine covers” thread, and Bonnie Raitt showed up with her version of Angel of Montgomery or a Dylan covers thread and Jimi posted his version of All Along The Watchtower..

SO COOL! That was amazing Teja. I’m honored to have my very limited playing share a thread with your brilliance. Seriously, that’s just incredible playing. Thanks for sharing it!

-Ray

Teja, I won't attempt to compete with Ray's eloquence, I'll just second that emotion! Thanks very much for sharing that. It's great to get some of their lessor known tunes out in cyberspace!

[started with 1]

Originally Posted by raysachs

As I said in the other thread, Bob, that's a great acoustic Deal, just the right feel. And Joe, a fine Mornin' Dew. Are those sweet PRSs your's or your son's? I had a Silver Sky for a while about a year ago.



Here's the rest of the Dead stuff I've got up on Soundcloud.



First, a recording of Scarlet (no Fire) that I did a couple years ago. Pretty sure there's no acoustic on this. A couple of electric rhythm tracks, one lead, and vocals. One of the rhythm tracks could have been acoustic, but I'm pretty sure it's not.







Next, my take on Althea. Acoustic rhythm, electric lead. Vocals are terrible on this. I "sang" it less badly in Am, but the whole thing played more right in Bm, so I just suffered through the vocals in that key, given that I'm more or less just talking anyway. But it's a really fun guitar workout. Nothing at ALL like the Dead do it, a lot mellower - I just don't know all of those modes and scales that Jerry solos with on that tune, so it's more meditative.







And, finally, the Loser I posted in the other thread, again here for posterity. Acoustic and electric rhythms, electric lead.







That's all I have that's even remotely up to public consumption (if these). If I record something else at some point and like it enough, maybe I'll look for this thread and add it. But for now, this is it...



-Ray

Hey Ray. Great playing and loved the vibe. Will post our Althea soon.

Quick PRS story: the semi-hollow was the kids birthday present last year. The silver sky was a boredom pandemic purchase by me for me even though i could play any one of his now 4 electric guitars and even though we have way too many guitars in general and i dont play electric much or well. I did give my niece one of my Breedloves for Christmas and sold two of my 70s Yamahas on Craigslist in a few days so it was feeling like we were making progress. Until this week when his most recent birthday guitar entered our house. We will record something with that new one too. Its a Jerry tone clone.