Monday, June 12, 2023

More on Tonal Unity in the Modal Approach of Dead & Company Jamming and Concert Ordering of Songs

 Some (ethno-)musicological reflections on the Dead & Company Final tour at the Kia Forum in Inglewood (Los Angeles) …




 

I made this “rough cut” of highlights of videos and pics that I took from the concert to share with my UCSB students of Music 114. The class is called “Music in American Popular Culture,” and I try to focus on Californian music as much as I can, and especially the phenomenon of the Grateful Dead and Deadheads. In Isla Vista there is a resurgence of live music and bands, and I hear from the students that there is a flourishing scene of young Deadheads there, and even some Dead cover bands (though I do not know this firsthand). 

 

Dead & Co. picked an incredible venue, the Kia Forum, in Inglewood/ Los Angeles for its final shows in the area. The Forum reminds me of the cavernous arena spaces in which I initially saw the Grateful Dead as a kid growing up on the East Coast. This did create a wellspring of nostalgic haze for me, as did the Shakedown Street, which was by far the most packed one I have ever witnessed (the aisle needed to be twice as large given the number of fans!). 

 

This 2023 Dead and Company concert was extra special for me because I was able to take my son to his first rock concert, despite him being more of a Nirvana guy...He told me something that was so true: that what makes the Dead great is their audience-in this case 18,000 fans (I estimate) standing on their feet for the nearly 4 hours of music, singing and dancing and swaying to the beautiful frequencies and lyrical stories and messages of this iconic San Francisco group.

 

I am somewhat obsessed with Tonal Unity for constructing the “group mind” (X factor and band oneness with audience, or the breaking down of the fourth wall between audience and performer) at GD-style shows, and in this case the show settled on E (as I noted back in 2015 for the Fare thee well shows)—by the time they hit “Bird Song” with strong teases of the “Other One” in there, actually quite pronounced at times, I knew the second half would feature E in its glorious coming, and sure enough we got it in second set as a part of a Sandwich around Terrapin. Songs in E: Brown Eyed Women, Jack Straw, High Time, leading to the subdominant relief of Mr. Charlie (A), then immediately back to E: Bird Song (E), and the up tempo Don’t Ease Me In, then set II: Althea (I know it begins on a Bm, similar to how Brown Eyed Women begins on C# minor chord, but it's also in E), into Other One (the Dead and Company start it in D Dorian (I quickly found that 6/29/19, 6/17/22, and 7/15 22 have this D intro, a reinterpretation, either way not something the Grateful Dead ever did at least to the best of my knowledge)), Terrapin (F Lydian, harmonically in terms of E a nice Phrygian half step about the E, but at 'inspiration," where Weir starts singing, it's rock and roll and the key of A, so again in large-scale terms of the flow of the show, if it is rooted in E, then the E to A motion is functionally a subdominant relief), back to Other One (D to E), and after Drumz, we get "Stella Blue" in E (with a D# now, usually the Dead play in an E Mixolydian so with a D natural). The D# leading tone confirms the E-centric nature of the night, eight songs in all. 

 

 

Am I blowing this harmonic focus out of proportion? I don’t think so, because if you listen to the night before and after (Kia Forum and Phoenix), tonal unity on E or any other tonic is not present in this fashion. 

 

 

Thursday, August 13, 2020

Songs by and for African-American Artists Covered by the Grateful Dead

I read on FB that Bob Weir will be chatting about the inspiration of Black musicians on the Grateful Dead in September.  Here is what I included in my book on this source of inspiration for the Dead;  if you have any pieces to add let me know.




Table 1.1: Songs by and for African-American Artists Covered by the Grateful Dead


             Title of Song                               # Played    Year(s)       Songwriter: Performer

1

Ain't it Crazy (The Rub)

12

1970-71

Lightnin' Hopkins

2

Ain't No Lie

13

1980-84

Elizabeth Cotton

3

Are You Lonely for Me Baby

1

3/25/72

Bert Berns: Freddie Scott

4

Around and Around

418

1970-95

Chuck Berry

5

Baby What You Want Me to Do

5

1969-85

Jimmy Reed

6

Ballad of Casey Jones

2

1970

Trad.: Mississippi John Hurt[1]

7

Beat it on Down the Line

324

1966-94

Jesse Fuller

8

Betty and Dupree

1

12/1/66

Trad.[2]

9

Big Boss Man

70

1966-95

Jimmy Reed

10

Big Boy Pete

7

1966-85

Don Harris, Dewey Terry

11

Big Railroad Blues

176

1969-95

Noah Lewis: Cannon’s Jug Stompers

12

Checkin' up on My Baby

1

6/6/69

Junior Wells: sung by guest artist[3]

13

Dancin' in the Street

123

1966-87

Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson, Ivy Jo Hunter

14

Day-O

2

1987

Trad.: Edric Connor, Harry Belafonte

15

Death Don't Have No Mercy

49

1966-90

Rev. Gary Davis

16

Death Letter Blues 

1

10/30/68

Son House: (Mickey & the Hartbeats)

17

Devil with the Blue Dress on

3

1987

Frederick Long, William Stevenson

18

Do You Wanna Dance

1

12/31/87

Bobby Freeman

19

Don't Ease Me in

317

1966-95

Trad.: Henry Thomas

20

Down in the Bottom

9

1984-85

Willie Dixon: Howlin' Wolf

21

Eternity

44

1993-95

Willie Dixon (lyrics)

22

Fever

1

9/13/87

Eddie Cooley, John Davenport (Otis Blackwell): Little Willie John

23

Foxey Lady Jam

1

4/21/69

Jimi Hendrix

24

Good Golly Miss Molly

3

1987

John Marascalo, Robert "Bumps" Blackwell: Valiants, Little Richard

25

Good Lovin'

427

1966-95

Arthur Resnik, Rudy Clark: Olympics, Rascals[4]

26

Good Morning Little Schoolgirl

62

1966-95

John Lee “Sonny Boy” Williamson [I]

27

Good Times (LTGTR)

47

1988-95

Sam Cooke: Rolling Stones

28

Goodnight Irene

1

12/31/83

Huddie William Ledbetter "Leadybelly"

29

Got My Mojo Working

2

1977-78

Preston Foster, Muddy Waters (dual copyright)

30

Green Onions

1

6/30/88

Booker T. Jones, Steve Cropper, Lewis Steinberg, Al Jackson Jr.

31

Hard to Handle

105

1969-82

Allen Jones, Al Bell, Otis Redding

32

Hey Bo Diddley

5

1972-86

Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)

33

Hey Pocky A-Way

25

1987-90

Ziggy Modeliste, Arthur "Red" Neville, Leo Nocentelli, George Porter, Jr.

34

Hi Heel Sneakers

5

1966-69

Robert Higgenbithom (Tommy Tucker)

35

Hideaway

2

1971-89

Freddie King

36

Hog for You Baby

4

1966-71

Jerry Lieber, Mike Stoller: Coasters

37

How Long, How Long Blues

4

1970-89

Trad.: Leroy Carr, Scrapper Blackwell

38

How Sweet It Is

1

3/25/72

Holland-Dozier-Holland (Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland, Edward Holland, Jr.)

39

Hully Gully

1

10/16/81

Fred Sledge Smith, Clifford Goldsmith: The Olympics

40

I Ain’t Superstitious

8

1984-85

Willie Dixon: Howlin' Wolf

41

I’m a King Bee

38

1966-84

James Moore (Slim Harpo)

 

 

 

 

 

42

I Bid You Goodnight

59

1968-91

Trad.: 1966 Nonesuch LP, The Real Bahamas[5]

43

I Got a Mind to Give up Living

1

5/28/82

Trad.: played with Boz Scaggs

44

I Just Wanna Make Love to You

4

1966-95

Willie Dixon

45

I Know You Rider

549

1966-95

Trad.: notated by John and Alan Lomax as “Woman Blue”

46

I Second That Emotion

6

1971

Smokey Robinson, Al Cleveland

47

Iko Iko (Jock-A-Mo)

185

1977-95

Trad.: James “Sugarboy” Crawford

48

In the Midnight Hour

46

1966-94

Wilson Pickett/Steve Cropper

49

In the Pines

1

7/17/66

Trad.: Huddie William Ledbetter “Lead belly”[6]

50

It Hurts Me Too

48

1966-72

Tampa Red: Elmore James

51

It’s All Over Now

160

1969-95

Bobby Womack: Valentinos, Rolling Stones

52

It’s a Man’s World

11

1970

James Brown

53

It’s My Own Fault

1

12/1/66

Muddy Waters

54

I Know It’s a Sin

12

1966-69

Jimmy Reed

55

I’ll Go Crazy

1

1/7/66

James Brown

56

Johnny B. Goode

282

1969-95

Chuck Berry

57

Kansas City

2

1985

Lieber, Stoller: (Little Willie Littlefield) Wilbert Harrison

58

Katie Mae

11

1970

Lightnin' Hopkins

59

Let It Rock

1

6/23/74

Chuck Berry

60

Lindberg Hop (Lindy)

3

1966

Memphis Jug Band: Jim Kweskin and the Jug Band

61

Little Red Rooster

272

1980-95

Willie Dixon: Howlin' Wolf

62

Look over Yonder’s Wall

2

1966-68

Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup

63

Louie Louie

8

1967-69

Richard Berry 

64

Mannish Boy

2

1971-72

McKinley Morganfield (Muddy Waters), Mel London, Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)

65

Matilda

6

1994-95

Norman Span (King Radio): Span, Harry Belafonte

66

Minglewood Blues

436

1966-95

Noah Lewis

67

Mona

2

1972-91

Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)

68

Monkey & Engineer

32

1969-89

Jesse Fuller

69

My Babe

1

11/8/70

Willie Dixon

70

My Baby Left Me

1

4/18/86

Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup: Elvis Presley

71

Mystery Train

1

11/8/70

Junior Parker: Elvis Presley

72

New Orleans

5

1969-84

Frank Guida, Joe Royster: Gary US Bonds 

73

Next Time You See Me

70

1966-72

Earl Forest, William G Harvey: Little Junior Parker

74

Nobody's Fault But Mine

16

1966-94

Trad.: Blind Willie Johnson

75

On the Road Again

37

1966-84

Trad.: Memphis Jug Band

76

One Kind Favor (See My Grave Is Kept Clean)

4

1966

Trad.: Blind Lemon Jefferson

77

Pain in My Heart

2

1966

Otis Redding: Rolling Stones[7]

78

Pollution

1

3/25/72

Kay McDaniel: Bo Diddley

79

Promised Land

427

1971-95

Chuck Berry

80

Riot in Cell Block #9

1

4/27/71

Lieber, Stoller: The Robins

81

Roadrunner

2

1986

Holland-Dozier-Holland

82

Roberta

2

1970

Huddie William Ledbetter "Leadybelly"

83

Rockin’ Pneumonia and Boogie Woogie Flu

5

1972

John Vincent, Huey "Piano" Smith

84

Rollin’ and Tumblin’

2

1995

Hambone Willie Newbern: Muddy Waters

85

Run Rudolph Run

6

1971

Chuck Berry

86

Say Boss Man

1

3/25/72

Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)

87

Samson (If I Had My Way)

364

1976-95

Trad.: Rev. Gary Davis[8]

88

See See Rider (C.C. Rider)

127

1979-92

Trad.: Getrude "Ma" Rainey

89

She's Mine

4

1970

Lightnin' Hopkins

90

Sick and Tired

3

1966

Fats Domino

91

Sittin’ on Top of the World

43

1966-72

Trad.: Mississippi Sheiks

92

Smokestack Lightnin’

60

1966-94

Chester Burnette (Howlin’ Wolf)

93

So What

1

3/27/88

Miles Davis

94

Spoonful     

52

1981-94

Willie Dixon: Howlin’ Wolf[9]                      

95

Stealin’

4

1966

Trad.: Memphis Jug Band

96

Stir It up

1

1988

Bob Marley

97

Swing Low Sweet Chariot

8

1970

Trad. Spiritual

98

Take It off

1

3/25/72

Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)

99

Take Me to the River

4

1995

Al Green

100

Tell Mama

2

1982

Clarence Carter, Marcus Daniel, Wilbur Terrell: Etta James[10]

101

That’s Alright Mama

2

1973-86

Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup: Elvis Presley

102

Turn on Your Love Light

341

1967-95

Joseph Wade Scott, Deadric Malone aka Don Robey: Bobby "Blue" Bland

103

Twist & Shout

1

9/7/69

Phil Medley, Bert Russell: Top Notes, Isley Brothers[11]

104

Viola Lee Blues

33

1966-70

Noah Lewis: Cannon's Jug Stompers/ The Jim Kweskin Band

105

Walkin’ Blues

140

1966-95

Robert Johnson

106

Walking the Dog

6

1970-85

Rufus Thomas

107

Wang Dang Doodle

95

1983-95

Willie Dixon: Howlin' Wolf

108

What’s Goin’ on

1

9/24/88

Al Cleveland, Marvin Gaye, Renaldo Benson: (Hall and Oates)

109

Who Do You Love

3

1970-72

Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)

110

Man Smart, Women Smarter

199

1981-95

Norman Span (King Radio): Span, Harry Belafonte

111

You Don’t Love Me

1

12/1/66

Willie Cobbs: Junior Wells/Buddy Guy

112

You Know I Love You So

1

3/25/72

Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley)

 



[1] The title “Ballad of Casey Jones” is used here by the Dead to distinguish it from their original song called “Casey Jones,” but the song’s actual title is “Casey Jones.” The earliest recording for this song might be by George Reneau, a blind hillbilly folk artist who was discovered in Knoxville TN; his version was released on Vocalion in 1924. The song, however, is a traditional folk song; the Dead’s version of it is derived from Mississippi John Hurt. 

[2] Eric Levy informs me that the first version might be by “Kingfish” Bill Thompson, recorded in November of 1930.

[3] Probably Wayne Ceballos of Aum.

[4] “Good Lovin’” has a more complicated history. Apparently an earlier version by Rudy Clark was recorded in 1964 by Lemme B. Goode. See Dick Rosemont, “The Originals Project,” http://www.originalsproject.us. Again thanks to Eric Levy for pointing this out to me. 

[5] Levy, again, writes that Alex Allen found a CD with a field recording from the Bahamas from 1935.

[6] This song has a very complicated lineage, and it might be impossible to determine as to its source. See Matt Schofield, “In the Pines,” Grateful Dead Family Discography, http://www.deaddisc.com/songs/In_The_Pines.htm.

[7] Song is a reworking of “Ruler of my Heart” by Irma Thomas. Thanks again to Levy.

[8] Though the Dead probably learned the song from Davis, there are much earlier recordings by Reverend T.E. Weems and Blind Lemon Jefferson

[9] For more information on tracing the lineage of this song before Dixon, see Matt Schofield, “Spoonful,” Grateful Dead Family Discographyhttp://www.deaddisc.com/songs/In_The_Pines.htm. Schofield traces it back to “All I Want is a Spoonful” by Papa Charlie Jackson from 1925.

[10] Recorded by Clarence Carter as “Tell Daddy.”

[11] Although technically this one does not make the list (it does not have an African American songwriter and it was not first recorded by an African American group), I have kept “Twist and Shout” on this list because its reception history is so determined by the Isley Brothers. Indeed, I think most African Americans would consider this song as sung by the Isleys to be part of their heritage.