Dead Bust Outs

Dead Bust Outs

The Grateful Dead are famous for many things. Among them, the length of their shows, letting shows be taped, and the variety of setlists.

And of course their fans. The Deadheads.

Many Deadheads kept setlists during the show. And some of them occasionally and ecstatically found a diamond: the Dead played a song that they hadn’t played for a long time. Often years.

These occasions came to be called “bust outs” and here are some of the famous ones. There are others, but I thought these 10 (plus 1) were a nice selection.

Enjoy

Box of Rain

Look out of any windowAny morning, any evening, any dayMaybe the sun is shiningBirds are winging or rain is falling from a heavy sky

On 20 March 1986 when the Dead closed their first set at the Hampton Coliseum (Hampton, VA) with “Box of Rain” it was the first time they’d played the song in 13 years or 777 shows!

Listen to the crowd’s reaction when they realize what’s being played.

Dead Bust Outs

So what was the show thirteen years before? Non other than Watkins Glen on  the 28 July 1973.

Attics of My Life

In the attics of my lifeFull of cloudy dreams; unrealFull of tastes no tongue can knowAnd lights no eye can seeWhen there was no ear to hearYou sang to me

Maybe there was something about the Hampton Coliseum, but on 9 October 1989 the Dead played Attics for the first time in 17 years…or in Dead terms, 1,082 shows!  This time as the show’s encore. The crowds realization is a bit delayed until the vocals begin, but then it is definitely reacted to.  And love the ticket!

 

The previous time was on Saturday 28 October 1972 at the Cleveland Public Hall, Cleveland, OH.  They played it in the middle of the second set.

Here is a link to the whole show:

Grateful Dead, 10/28/72…Cleveland Public Hall

Black Throated Wind

Bringing me downI’m running agroundBlind in the light of the interstate carsPassing me byThe buses and semisPlunging like stones from a slingshot on Mars

On Friday 16 March 1990 at the Capital Centre in Landover, MD. the Dead play “Black Throated Wind.” It was the first time in 16 years or 981 shows.

The previous time was in the middle of the first set on October 19,. 1974 at the Winterland Arena in San Francisco. Here is the link to the whole show:

Black Throated Wind, Winterland Arena, 19 October 1974

St Stephen

Wishing well with a golden bell, bucket hanging clear to hell,Hell halfway twixt now and then,Stephen fill it up and lower down and lower down again
Lady finger, dipped in moonlight, writing what for?Across the morning sky.Sunlight splatters, dawn with answer,Darkness shrugs and bids the day good-bye.

 

As much as “St Stephen” may be associated with the Dead, there were long stretches that the song was absent.They played it on 9 June 1976 at the Boston Music Hall for the first time in 5 years…

The previous time was during the second set at the Ohio Theatre in Columbus, Ohio on 31 October 1971. The song is not available separately. Here is a link to the whole show.

Grateful Dead @ the Ohio Theatre 31 October 1971

…and when they played it on 11 October 1983 , it was the first time in 4 years.

Four years earlier, at the Nassau Coliseum  at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, NY on 10 January 1979.

Ripple

If my words did glow with the gold of sunshineAnd my tunes were played on the harp unstrungWould you hear my voice come through the music?Would you hold it near as it were your own?

For such a great and well-loved song, one would think the Dead would play it all the time.  Not only did they not play it all the time [only around 40 times total!], but there were both spurts and gaps. They had first played it live on 19 August 1970.

Twice in 1970, they played it over different nights at the same venue: 8/18 & 1/19 at the Fillmore West, 9/17 & 9/20 at the Fillmore East, and 11/7 & 11/8 at the Capitol Theater in Port Chester, NY.

When they played it on 25 September 1980 at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco it was the first time in 9+ years AND between that date and slightly more than a month later on 31 October at Radio City, they would have played it 25 times!

29 April 1971, Fillmore East, NYC

25 September 1980, Warfield Theatre, San Francisco

 

Then when they played it on…

16 October 1981, Melkweg, Amsterdam, Netherlands

…it would not be until 459 shows later on 3 September 1988 that they’d play it again.

3 September 1988

Not only was the the last song of the 2-song encore, it was be the last time that the Dead played the song.

Bird Song

All I know is something like a birdWithin her sangAll I know she sang a little whileAnd then flew onTell me all that you knowI’ll show you snow and rain

The  Dead must have been in a nostalgic mood on 25 September 1980, because they played”Bird Song” for the first time in 7 years.

They’d played at at the Providence Civic Center on 15 September 1973

Whole 1973-09-15 show

They opened their September 25, 1980 show at the Warfield with Bird Song.

Whole show

New Speedway Boogie

Please don’t dominate the rap, JackIf you? ve got nothing new to sayIf you please, go back up the trackThis train’s got to run today
I spent a little time on the mountainI spent a little time on the hillI heard someone say better run awayOthers say better stand still
From the Song Facts siteIn his book of collected lyrics (A Box Of Rain), Dead lyricist Robert Hunter wrote that he penned “New Speedway Boogie” in reply to “an indictment of the Altamont affair” by rock critic Ralph J. Gleason, hence the lead-in lyrics, “Please don’t dominate the rap Jack, if you’ve got nothing new to say.”
Altamont was only 9 months earlier when the Dead played it at the Fillmore East on 20 September 1970. The show is only available via streaming

It would not be until 19 February 1991, 1,371 shows later, at the Oakland Coliseum Arena that the dead played it again.

Cryptical Envelopment 

23 September 1972  – 16 June 1985 [791 Shows]

From a Glide Magazine articleThe studio version of That’s It For The Other One on Anthem of the Sun contains four sections, one of which is sung by Jerry Garcia and called Cryptical Envelopment. The Dead would play Cryptical into and out of The Other One from the late ’60s through the early ’70s, at which point the tune disappeared from the rotation until a fateful evening in 1985 at the legendary Greek Theater in Berkeley. The group performed Cryptical four more times that year and then never again.

23 September 1972

Palace Theatre, Waterbury, CT 

Full show only available

16 June 1985
Greek Theatre, University of California

Cryptical Envelopment > The Other One > Cryptical

 

Casey Jones

Once again, on would think that such a great song as Casey Jones would appear at least a few times during tours. Not so with “Casey Jones.

Played on 2 November 1984 and then not again unt 20 June 1992, 549 Shows!

2 November 1984
Berkeley Community Theatre, Encore

20 June 1992
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC

Here Comes Sunshine

23 February 1974 – 6 December 1992 [1,213 shows]

Again from Glide Magazine: The future of the Grateful Dead was in doubt after Jerry Garcia became ill following Summer Tour 1992. The group canceled their fall tour to allow their leader to heal and returned for a few shows in early December. At one of these December shows, the Dead dusted off the beautiful Here Comes Sunshine with a new arrangement. While I’m not a fan of the arrangement, I – and if you listen to the audience, plenty of Deadheads in attendance – was thrilled to see the song return to the fold.

23 February 1974
Winterland Arena, SF, CA

Whole show only available

6 December 1992
Compton Terrace Amphitheatre, Chandler, AZ

Open the show with…

Dead Bust Outs

Death Don’t Have No Mercy

04/26/1970 – 09/29/1989 [1,320 Shows]

On September 29, 1989, the Grateful Dead treated the Bay Area crowd to their first rendition of Rev. Gary Davis’ Death Don’t Have No Mercy in nearly 20 years. The group was firing on all cylinders as they started what would turn into an epic fall tour. Jerry tore the tune up from the opening notes to the last.

The 1970 version is unavailable, but listening to the 1989 recording tells you that some realize what is happening.

Unbroken Chain

Album release June 27, 1974 > March 19, 1995

If the Dead “never” played Unbroken Chain live and then played it nearly 21 years after they had released a song on their From the Mars Hotel album, is that a breakout? I vote yes.

From the Live for Live Music site:

It only took 21 years, but by the time March 1995 rolled around the Grateful Dead had decided it was finally time to deliver the debut live performance of Phil Lesh‘s smooth-rock ballad, “Unbroken Chain”, during a performance at The Spectrum in Philadelphia, PA.

The easygoing song, co-written and sung by Lesh, originally appeared on the Dead’ 1974 From the Mars Hotel studio album, though it would take over two decades for “Unbroken Chain” to make its live debut on March 19th, 1995.

The Dead then played it nine more times including their last show on July 9, 1995 at Soldier Field in Chicago.

It was one of those songs Deadheads wondered would ever be played. And when it finally happened those Heads knew they’d heard history.

Here is an audience recording of the March 19 performance. Listen to the crowd reaction as those who know realize what it is they are hearing.

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Sha Na Na Woodstock

Sha Na Na Woodstock

Sha Na Na Woodstock

There is a story that seems to be true that Woodstock Ventures invited Roy Rogers to close the whole festival by singing his well-known Happy Trails To You.

It would have been fun had it happened. It didn’t, of course, but fun was had nonetheless if not at the actual close of Woodstock, then the morning of.

It came under the category of camp: a style or mode of personal or creative expression that is absurdly exaggerated and often fuses elements of high and popular culture.

Sha Na Na Woodstock

Sunrise

The sun is up. It is Monday 18 August. 7:30 AM. It has been a long weekend of music and Woodstock will present the penultimate group: Sha Na Na. It take a bit of extra work to set up the band because there are seven vocalists and five players. It’s one or the other.  The group will be on stage about  a half hour.

They will be in the album. They will be in the movie. They will be on the monument. And although it won’t be until 1977, they will be the only group who will get a TV show.

As an old time lover of doo-wop I have to say, as much fun as Sha Na Na’s covers are, one, the band they cover didn’t dress like they did and, two, the originals are better.

Personnel

Sha Na Na Woodstock

Setlist

All the songs were the group’s fun interpretation of the classic doo wop songs in the set.

  • Get A Job
  • Come Go With Me
  • Silhouettes
  • Teen Angel
  • Her Latest Flame
  • Wipe Out
  • (Who Wrote) The Book of Love
  • Little Darling
  • At The Hop
  • Duke Of Earl
  • Get A Job (Reprise)
Sha Na Na Woodstock

The Silhouettes made the song famous. Group member Rick Lewis wrote it. And of course, it’s how the band got its name.

Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job, sha na na na, sha na na na na
Ev’ry morning about this time
She get me out of my bed
A-crying, get a job
After breakfast ev’ry day
She throws the want ads right my way
And never fails to say
Get a job, sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Ah yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job, sha na na na, sha na na na na
And when I get the paper
I read it through and through
And my girl never fails to say
If there is any work for me
And when I go back to the house
I hear the woman’s mouth
Preaching and a-crying
Tell me that I’m lying
‘Bout a job that I never could find
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job, sha na na na
And when I get the paper
I read it through and through
And my girl never fails to say
If there is any work for me
And when I go back to the house
I hear the woman’s mouth
Preaching and a-crying
Tell me that I’m lying
‘Bout a job that I never could find
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Yip yip yip yip yip yip yip yip
Mum mum mum mum mum mum
Get a job, sha na na na, sha na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha na na na, sha na na na na
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Come Go With Me

Dell Viking‘s band member C E Quick wrote the song.

Dom-dom dom-dom dom-de-doo-be
Dom dom dom dom dom dom-de-doo-be
Dom dom dom dom dom dom-be-doo-be
Dom woa-woa-woa-woah
Dom-dom dom-dom dom-de-doo-be
Dom dom dom dom dom dom-de-doo-be
Dom dom dom dom dom dom-be-doo-be
Dom woa-woa-woa-woah
Well I love, love you darlin’
Come and go with me
Come home with me
Way beyond the sea
I need you darlin’
So come go with me
Come, come, come, come
Come into my heart
Tell me darlin’
We will never part
I need you darlin’
So come go with me
Yes, I need you
Yes, I really need you
Please say you’ll never leave me
Well, say you never
Yes, you really never
You never give me a chance
Come, come, come, come
Come into my heart
Tell me darlin’
We will never part
I need you darlin’
So come go with me
(Yeah)
Yes, I need you
Yes, I really need you
Please say you’ll never leave me
Well, say you never
Yes, you really never
You never give me a chance
Ahhhhh….
Love you darlin’
Come and go with me
Come home with me
Way beyond the sea
I need you darlin’
So come go with me
Come on go with me
Come on go with me
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Silhouettes

“Silhouettes” is a song made famous by the the Rays in 1957. Written by Bob Crewe and Frank Slay, Jr.

Ah ah ah ah ah
Ah ah ah ah ah
Took a walk and passed your house late last night
All the shades were pulled and drawn way down tight
From within, the dim light cast two silhouettes on the shade
Oh, what a lovely couple they made
Put his arms around your waist, held you tight
Kisses I could almost taste in the night
Wondered why I’m not the guy whose silhouette’s on the shade
I couldn’t hide the tears in my eyes
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) silhouette’s (silhouette’s)
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) ty oh, oh oh
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) silhouette’s (silhouette’s)
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) ty oh, oh oh
Lost control and rang your bell, I was sore
Let me in or else I’ll beat down your door
When two strangers who have been two silhouettes on the shade
Said to my shock, “You’re on the wrong block”
La la la la, la la la
Rushed out to your house with wings on my feet
Loved you like I’d never loved you, my sweet
Vowed that you and I would be two silhouettes on the shade
All of our days, two silhouettes on the shade
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) silhouette’s (silhouette’s)
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) ty oh, oh oh
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) silhouette’s (silhouette’s)
Silhouette’s (silhouette’s) ty oh, oh oh
Two silhouettes on the shade
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Teen Angel

Written by Jean Dinning and her husband Ray Surrey. Mark Dinning was her brother.

“Teen Angel” and its two predecessors at the Hot 100’s top spot, “El Paso” by Marty Robbins and “Running Bear” by Johnny Preston, continued a string of pop tunes in which someone dies tragically.

Teen angel, teen angel, teen angel, ooh
That fateful night the car was stalled upon the railroad track
I pulled you out and we were safe, but you went running back
Teen angel, can you hear me?
Teen angel, can you see me?
Are you somewhere up above?
And I am still your own true love?
What was it you were looking for that took your life that night?
They said they found my high school ring clutched in your fingers tight
Teen angel, can you hear me?
Teen angel, can you see me?
Are you somewhere up above?
And I am still your own true love?
Just sweet sixteen, and now you’re gone
They’ve taken you away
I’ll never kiss your lips again
They buried you today
Teen angel, can you hear me?
Teen angel, can you see me?
Are you somewhere up above?
And I am still your own true love?
Teen angel, teen angel, answer me, please
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Her Latest Flame

Elvis’s song from 1961. Words and music by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman .

A very old friend came by today
‘Cause he was telling everyone in town
Of the love that he just found
And Marie’s the name of his latest flame
He talked and talked and I heard him say
That she had the longest, blackest hair
Prettiest green eyes anywhere
And Marie’s the name of his latest flame
Though I smiled the tears inside were burning
Well I wished him luck and then he said goodbye
He was gone but still his words kept returning
What else was there for me to do but cry
Would you believe that yesterday
This girl was in my arms and swore to me
She’d be mine eternally
And Marie’s the name of his latest flame
Though I smiled the tears inside were burning
Well I wished him luck and then he said goodbye
He was gone but still his words kept returning
What else was there for me to do but cry
Would you believe that yesterday
This girl was in my arms and swore to me
She’d be mine eternally
And Marie’s the name of his latest flame
And Marie’s the name of his latest flame
And Marie’s the name of his latest flame
And Marie’s the name of his latest flame
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Wipe Out

“Wipe Out” is an instrumental played by The Surfaris and composed by band members Bob BerryhillPat ConnollyJim Fuller and Ron Wilson.

Sha Na Na Woodstock

(Who Wrote) The Book of Love

“The Book of Love” (also titled “(Who Wrote) The Book of Love”) was originally done by The Monotones. It was written by three members of the group, Warren Davis, George Malone and Charles Patrick.

I wonder, wonder who, who-oo-ooh, who
(Who wrote the book of love)
Tell me, tell me, tell me
Oh, who wrote the Book Of Love
I’ve got to know the answer
Was it someone from above
(I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, who)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
I love you darlin’
Baby, you know I do
But I’ve got to see this book of love
Find out why it’s true
(I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, who)
(Who wrote the Book Of Love)
(Chapter one says to love her)
(You love her with all your heart)
(Chapter two you tell her you’re)
(Never, never, never, never, never gonna part)
(In chapter three remember the meaning of romance)
(In chapter four you break up)
(But you give her just one more chance)
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, wWho)
(Who wrote the book of love)
Baby, baby, baby
I love you, yes I do
Well it says so in this book of love
Ours is the one that’s true
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, who)
(Who wrote the book of love)
(Chapter one says to love her)
(You love her with all your heart)
(Chapter two you tell her you’re)
(Never, never, never, never, never gonna part)
(In chapter three remember the meaning of romance)
(In chapter four you break up)
(But you give her just one more chance)
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, Who)
(Who wrote the book of love)
Baby, baby, baby
I love you, yes I do
Well it says so in this book of love
Ours is the one that’s true
(Oh, I wonder, wonder who, mmbadoo-ooh, who)
(Who wrote the book of love)
I wonder who (yeah)
Who wrote the Book Of Love
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Little Darling

 

It was written by Maurice Williams and done by him and The Gladiolas and was a hit in 1957. When done by the Canadian group, The Diamonds, it reached #2.

Ah, ya ya ya ya, ya ya ya ya, ya ya ya ya
Little darling oh little darling
O-oh where a-are you?
My lover I was wronger
To try to love two
Ahh uha uha uha uha
Knowing well that my lover
Was just for you uh only you
My darling I need you
To call my own
And never do wrong
To hold in mine
Your little hand
I’ll know too soon
That I’ll so pray
Please hold my hand
My dear I was wronger
To try to love two
Ahh uha uha uha uha
Knowing well that my lover
Was just for you
Uh only you
Sha Na Na Woodstock

At The Hop

A hit for Danny and the Juniors in 1957. Band members Artie SingerJohn Medora, and David White wrote it.

Bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah, at the hop
Well, you can rock it you can roll it
You can stop and you can stroll it at the hop
When the record starts spinnin’
You dance when you chicken at the hop
Do the dance sensation that is sweepin’ the nation at the hop
Let’s go to the hop
Let’s go to the hop [(oh baby)]
Let’s go to the hop [(oh baby)]
Let’s go to the hop
Come on, let’s go to the hop
Well, you can swing it you can groove it
You can really start to move it at the hop
Where the jockey is the smoothest
And the music is the coolest at the hop
All the cats and chicks can get their kicks at the hop
Let’s go!
Let’s go to the hop
Let’s go to the hop [(oh baby)]
Let’s go to the hop [(oh baby)]
Let’s go to the hop
Come on, let’s go to the hop
Let’s go!
Well, you can rock it you can roll it
You can stop and you can stroll it at the hop
When the record starts spinnin’
You go dancin’ when you chicken at the hop
Do the dance sensation that is sweepin’ the nation at the hop
You can swing it you can groove it
You can really start to move it at the hop
Where the jockey is the smoothest
And the music is the coolest at the hop
All the cats and chicks can get their kicks at the hop
Let’s go!
Let’s go to the hop
Let’s go to the hop [(oh baby)]
Let’s go to the hop [(oh baby)]
Let’s go to the hop
Come on, let’s go to the hop
Bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah
Bah-bah-bah-bah, at the hop!
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Duke Of Earl

Gene ChandlerEarl Edwards, and Bernice Williams wrote the song.

Duke, Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
Duke, Duke, Duke of Earl
As I walk through this world
Nothing can stop the Duke of Earl
And-a you, you are my girl
And no one can hurt you, oh no
Yes-a, I, oh I’m gonna love you, oh oh
Come on let me hold you darlin’
‘Cause I’m the Duke of Earl
So hey yea yea yeah
And when I hold you
You’ll be my Duchess, Duchess of Earl
We’ll walk through my dukedom
And a paradise we will share
Yes-a, I, oh I’m gonna love you, oh oh
Nothing can stop me now
‘Cause I’m the Duke of Earl
So hey yeah yeah yeah
Well, I, oh I’m gonna love you, oh oh
Nothing can stop me now
‘Cause I’m the Duke of Earl
So hey yeah yeah yeah
Sha Na Na Woodstock

Get A Job (Reprise)

The next and last act is Jimi Hendrix.