JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Success Stories Forum Any Grateful Dead fans out there???

I just got a most interesting email this evening from the author/composer of two musicals about the Grateful Dead. He wants me to do some work for him. Imagine that!! LOL I'm not at liberty at the moment to give specifics...but will come back after we have inked the deal and explain. It really is about music. Apparently another client had given me a great reference unbeknownst to me. Ahhhhh...the blessings of word of mouth!!!

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hi Bobbie,

Being a big Dead fan, I can't wait to hear the details. I saw the Dead five or six times, but have friends who used to follow the band around the country. To be honest, I was probably more of a fan of Jerry Garcia, especially the stuff he did with that other Dawg, Dave Grisman.

Hi Kevin,

I actually loved the neckties that Garcia came out with a few years before he passed on. I only saw the Dead once....but am well aware of the folks who literally 'toured' with them. Amazing.

Working with this guy is going to be fun...although small potatoes in the overall scheme of Dead things...but it came so totally out of the blue that I am amazed. I have a small company that provides musical translation services...we take whatever form someone's music is in and provide hard copy score sheets. Apparently he wants me to do the whole musical score for one or two of his productions.

He contacted me based on the recommendation of a couple of folks I had done some work for out in CA. You just never know in this business.

Thanks for dropping by.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Congrats, Bobbie. I'm an old "Deadhead," only saw them live five times, but I used to play in Above the Storm, a Grateful Dead cover band. They had a very human, American style, similar to the Band, but more fragile and with much more connection and dependence with their audience.

You'll soon know more about them than you ever dreamed.

Keep Truckin'!
Mike

I saw the Dead many times when I used to live out west, in my youth, from their early stuff up through the mid-1970s. I loved their shows because they were so organic. Like Mike said, the connection with the audience is all part of their show, like no other group I have ever seen.

Great Bobbie. Wish you all the success.

I never liked the Dead. I don't know, seems like every time I tried to listen, they depressed me. Then it seemed most that liked the Dead around the N.E. were needle freaks. Funny, I almost felt the same way about Dillon. Whoops! Come on!

John

You can't help bein you and I can't help bein me

I'm not sure how many times I saw the Dead. Plenty, I guess. Sometimes not so good, sometimes earthshattering. Very few bands ever reached their level of responsiveness to the whims of the group mind...if one of them turned left at some odd moment, well, off they'd all go a-galloping.

Everyone hears about the hippies and the drugs, but not enough is mentioned about the songwriting, the musicianship, and their place in American Song. They're an important group and I'm glad I shared a little of their journey.

Hell, once on the side of the stage at Alpine I even shared a little of their--oh, never mind.

Saw The Dead MANY times, and still include many of their songs in my "cover tune" canon. They were truly the Forrest Gump "box of chocolates" live, {which of course was their appeal} But in their latter days {unfortunately as Jerry started slipping more into the abyss} they became increasingly sloppy, sometimes to the point of laughability, and even the Deadhead scene itself became a sad self-parody. {I was once singled out by some paranoid heads as being a "narc" because I was wearing a black t-shirt and not a "dye"!} My girlfriend and I at the time saw them at Tampa Stadium in April of 95' {Jerry died in August}and it was pretty obvious to me he was strung out.} What a shame, and a waste of a truly great talent. {On a side note, as far as the great "Jam Bands" go The Allmans could ALWAYS eat the Dead for lunch and have room for dessert!

Besides their music--which I always liked--I thought they were great role models for musicians: they managed to go their own way, ignore the record companies for the most part, and still make a living at it. And they really could play all night, and play a song for 15 minutes and have it be interesting all the way through even if you weren't in an Altered State.

Got to see them twice, back East when I was in college (late '60s, early '70s). I guess that's where my idea of a fair price for concert tickets got frozen. If I could see the Dead play all night for four bucks, why should I pay more to see anybody else? (Yes, I know there's been inflation. There hasn't been *that* much inflation.)

Bobbie, best of luck with this. And congratulations.

Joe

Hey Mike,

I tried to contact you the night I got the email but you were here and gone and never made connection.

Apparently there will be more involved in this than I had anticipated. The guy who is contracting with me is not a musician...and says he is going to be open to some "arranging". He has 31 songs in just one production. You of all people know the extent of MY musicianship.

After looking at a list of some of the most popular Dead songs...I think the only one I really remember is FIRE ON THE MOUNTAIN. I am woefully remiss in my Dead knowledge. If this proves to be out of Jim's league...you will hear from me again on this project. As you said...I will know more than I ever thought possible about the Dead very soon.

I never would have figured you for a Deadhead! Will wonders never cease!

Hugs,
Bobbie

Bobbie, any way I can help from two thousand miles and no money away, let me know. The Dodson Drifters, the bluegrass band I played with, used to do a number of Dead tunes--mostly country ones, obviously: "Friend of the Devil," "Dire Wolf," "The Glendale Train," and so on. (Our mantra was we'd never cover anybody else's material unless they were dead. And the Dead obviously were, well, Dead...)

Joe

I do Casey Jones, Friend Of the Devil, Truckin', Me And My Uncle, Ripple,Sugaree, The Wheel, and Goin'Down The Road Feelin' Bad.

Sounds like an interesting project. I do a couple solo acoustic arraingements of "Alabama Getaway", and "Me and My Uncle" that I started playing with a nephew years back. Great material, I get a lot of visual images with Dead music.

Me too, Rick, they're called "flashbacks."

Hi Jack,

I admit that my musical taste got sort of stuck when rock turned metal. I was really into the folks they now call "country" but who were rock when I knew them...folks like Dan Fogelberg, John Denver...of that ilk. Living in MI...I grew up on Motown and all that sorta stuff..but when the music got too loud (for me) I sort of switched off for several years. Some of the issue I had at the time was that I was in grad school...and didn't have money to buy music or go to many concerts (can we say penniless?) but I had my radio and could listen...that was about all.

Guess I better do some homework, huh?

Thanks for stopping by.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hi John,

As I admit above...I was never a big fan of most of rock music in the 70's and 80's. I loved beautiful lyrics and romantic music...so the psychedelic stuff missed me entirely.

But some of these groups like the Dead made such an impact on music as a whole that they were impossible to miss. I give credit where credit is due...and am looking forward to working with the author on this production.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hope you have fun with this, Bobbie! Although I get this feeling you're going to be really sick of Dead music before it's all said and done...

Jerry Garcia was a huge fan of country music. I think he did as much with his own pedal steel guitar playing as Gram Parsons did in general to introduce rock audiences to country sounds. He played the steel on Crosby Stills Nash & Young's "Helpless". And the song "High Time" on the Workingman's Dead album is pretty darn countrified. He was also a big Merle Haggard fan. "Mama Tried" was an often played song in concert.

I remember they also did a wicked version of "Six Days on the Road" in concert quite often.

Hi Mark,

I can only imagine what you were sharing on the side of the stage! I won't tell...promise!!

I have been listening to Dead music files all evening...and I admit to a whole new appreciation for the songwriting gift. So far I am studying Black Peter, The Wheel, High Time, and Touch of Grey. Some of their writing and music is gifted IMO. I am going to enjoy this more than I had anticipated. The author is giving us latitude to even do some arranging. That is amazing.

Appreciate the insights very much!

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hey Bob C,

Wish I could hear more of your performance stuff!!! YOU, my dear, are a treat yourself!!

This is turning out to be a most interesting experience already...just listening to their music with new ears. It is always a shame when the world loses a real talent...especially through self destructive behavior. I suspect most of us have some of those tendencies. Guess I will hafta listen to some more Allmans now.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Howdy Joe,

I always did believe they were masters at the marketing business...being able to avoid the middle men of the music business. They made money their own way...through concerts, merchandising and selling music at their shows. They generated their own following...and an enormous one it was.

At the time they were at their peak..I was not into the altered states thing (well, I never WAS into that!!) so I sort of dismissed them at the time because so much of their following was into that stuff. I think I missed a lot as a result. They were clearly a phenomenon of their own making.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Howdy Joe...

Thank yew SO much for the offer. I am going to see what all this guy wants us to do but from preliminary discussions...he is giving us a whole lotta latitude including some actual arranging. THAT ought to be very interesting!! As you well know...my arranging abilities are...well they aren't. But I got "people"!!

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hi Bob,

I don't have all the files we will be working with yet...but I see a couple I know we are doing...THE WHEEL and GOING DOWN THE ROAD FEELING BAD. Will keep you all posted as I get the rest of them.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Hi Rick,

Since what I am working on are theatrical productions..that imagery is going to be important..as well as tying the songs into a storyline. Now THAT is getting interesting. The author just sent me one of the scripts...so now I get to read where this is all going.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Bobbie, make sure you do some research on Mouse. Stanley "Mouse" Miller was the graphic artist who designed the Grateful Dead "look" including their skeleton logos.

Howdy Mike,

Thanks for the insight on Mouse. I might never have had a clue about him otherwise.

Hugs,
Bobbie

Congratulations Bobie. An avenue to fun and success.

Tom

Hi Tom,

Thanks for the warm Congrats. We just finished 28 songs and getting them into lead sheet format for the composer. This has been a VERY interesting project!!

BTW...I also just got my first "major" check in this music business from this guy. I probably should frame it...but...ah...I need the money! LOL

Hugs,
Bobbie

hopefully you're doing some of " the old and in the way" stuff. it was great!!

G'Mornin' NashvilLady!

Sorry I've missed this since Feb..I don't check out "Successes" too-often to avoid gettin' Depressed..heh! ;-)>

But nobody's More Deservin' of some than Yourself..& obviously The Move to NashCity's beginning to bear some nice-soundin' fruit!

I think Jerry Garcia's the ONLY Music God to have an Ice Cream Flavor named after him...via Ben & Jerry's "Cherry Garcia" flavor.

Sorry I can't help ya much--I got the Pot outta my system in the 60's..early '70's...& just wasn't attracted to Tie Dye & mass Stoning in the '80's & beyond. (The Tampa Media focused on the crowd's Drug Buzz more than on the Group's sounds, best I can recollect.) Think a reporter interviewed a "Follower" who was travelling, followin' the Band around the country..& it got about as much Ink as the band's music did.

Don Henley, One of The Eagles, paid hommage, of sorts, in "Boys of Summer": "Out on the road today/ I saw a Dead Head sticker on a Cadillac/Voice inside my head said "Don't look back"/You can never look back"..

Obviously, lots of folks want to...heh...& yep, there's a fortune to be made just doin' so.

I gota small collection of 7 Concert Posters from The Fillmore..& Avalon Ballroom...from "Back in The Day" in CA...& The Dead "Headline" 5 of 'em..(Usually with the Jefferson Airplane..a group I DID follow..from my radio tuned to "The Hits"..in 'Nam..& then Europe.) They obviously kept "Grooviness" Alive & Kicking long-after Haight-Ashbury became just another Zip Code...& I notice "Tickets are still selling" to their Latest Concerts as I Googled 'Em a minute ago.

It's pretty weird that kids think the '60's were "Calmer & Simpler Times" & the Dead's Music..(etc.)..provides a Nice Gettaway...

IN lookin' for their Discography, I noticed they did lotsa "Covers"..many by Bob Dylan. (Never knew Dylan penned "The Mighty Quinn" before..this has been Educational!)

Congrats & Continued Good Luck with this..& your many other Projects, hard-working Gal!

BPH from an Old Fan,
Stan

Hi JT,

Yes...for sure. We did a nice mixture of their big hits...as well as some of the more obscure stuff. It was a really great project!!

Glad to know there are a lotta Dead fans out there!!

Hugs,
Bobbie

Howdy Tampa,

Well, I actually got this job via some good folks in CA who personally recommended my work...so I can't say that Nashville really made this particular thing happen. But it is great when someone calls and says...hey...I heard great things about you!! Sorta warms the cockles of your heart...wherever they are. LOL

I never was into the drug scene...so I missed a lot of the music that tended to draw that sort of crowd. This project, however, is focusing on a different message...the musicianship of the Dead. And that is something I can readily support.

I never knew that Dylan wrote the Mighty Quinn either. I always liked that song.

Thanks for the continued support! It was sure nice to get that big check. Validated a lotta years of trying.

BPH,
Bobbie