GOOD OL' GRATEFUL DEADCAST

Latest Episodes:

American Beauty 50, Episode 4: Operator Oct 29, 2020

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To celebrate “Operator,” the fourth song on American Beauty and the first Grateful Dead song written solely by Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, we examine his life and offer an extremely rare look into the Pigpen archives, a collection of journals, letters, and more inherited by an old family friend.

Bob Weir, Jim Sullivan, Brain Kehew, Michael Parrish, David Lemieux, Gary Lambert

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American Beauty 50, Episode 3: Sugar Magnolia Oct 22, 2020

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We are honored to welcome the Grateful Dead’s Bob Weir (!!!) for a deep look at his signature song, “Sugar Magnolia,” and the making of the Dead’s landmark American Beauty in 1970, plus surprising memories of the song from Pavement’s Stephen Malkmus and Yo La Tengo’s Ira Kaplan.

Bob Weir, Rhoney Stanley, Stephen Malkmus, Ira Kaplan, David Lemeiux, Gary Lambert

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BONUS: Dead Behind / Dead Ahead Oct 15, 2020

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BONUS: Dead Behind / Dead Ahead

In the fall of 1980, the Grateful Dead celebrated their 15th anniversary with a series of 25 special shows in San Francisco, New Orleans, and Manhattan, playing acoustic sets for the first time in a decade, along with two electric sets each night. The shows would yield the live double-albums Reckoning and Dead Set, as well as a Halloween simulcast that became the concert film Dead Ahead. We went behind this massive undertaking for a special bonus episode of the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast.

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American Beauty 50, Episode 2: Friend of the Devil Oct 08, 2020

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American Beauty 50, Episode 2: Friend of the Devil

The Grateful Dead’s most-covered song, “Friend of the Devil,” also uncovers the secret history of American Beauty, including a never-heard demo reel for the album and totally scrapped session tapes newly released as The Angel’s Share, with guests David Grisman, David Nelson, Stephan Barncard, and more.

David Grisman, David Nelson, Stephen Barncard, David Lemieux, Gary Lambert, Brian Kehew, Mike Johnson

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American Beauty 50, Episode 1: Box of Rain Oct 01, 2020

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To celebrate the 50th anniversary remaster of the Grateful Dead’s American Beauty, we begin our track-by-track exploration of the band’s bittersweet 1970 masterpiece, powerfully embodied by opening track “Box of Rain,” featuring archival audio, and guests including co-producer Stephen Barncard and Freaks and Geeks creator Paul Feig.

Stephen Barncard, David Nelson, Paul Feig, Sam Cutler, Steve Silberman, Rebecca Adams, Nick Paumgarten, Gary Lambert, David Lemieux, Andrew Peerless

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Workingman's Dead 50, Episode 8: Casey Jones Aug 27, 2020

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DESCRIPTION: In our packed season finale, we explore how “Casey Jones” combined folk traditions and became an underground hit too risque for pop radio, hear a break down of the multi-track, discuss the infamous sniff and other Workingman’s Dead’s finishing touches with co-producer Bob Matthews, figure out the location and date of the cover photo, and more.

GUESTS: Bob Matthews, Brian Kehew, Billy Strings, Bob Egan, Gary Lambert, David Lemieux, Michael Parrish

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Workingman's Dead 50, Episode 7: Easy Wind Aug 20, 2020

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DESCRIPTION: We explore how “Easy Wind” was the only song on Workingman’s Dead sung by Pigpen and the first Dead tune solely written by lyricist Robert Hunter, featuring rarely heard radio promo spots recorded by Hunter.

GUESTS: Bob Matthews, Rhoney Stanley, Eric Schwartz, Gary Lambert, David Lemieux, Mike Johnson, Brian Kehew

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Workingman’s Dead 50, Episode 6: Black Peter Aug 13, 2020

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DESCRIPTION: With special guests Graham Nash and Rhoney Stanley, our dive into the Grateful Dead’s Workingman’s Dead examines how a mishap with an estimated $50,000 worth of LSD led to both the writing of “Black Peter,” perhaps the Grateful Dead’s most somber song, and turned Jerry Garcia into a Crosby, Stills and Nash fan.

GUESTS: Rhoney Stanley, Graham Nash, Bob Matthews, Gary Lambert, Shaugn O’Donnell, Buzz Poole

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BONUS! Jerry Garcia: American Folkie Aug 08, 2020

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DESCRIPTION: A very Jerry bonus episode explores Jerry Garcia’s early ‘60s years in the Palo Alto folk scene and his progression from guitar strummer to banjo picker during a prodigious half-decade before going electric with the Grateful Dead, including interviews with David Nelson and Bob Matthews, both one-time members of Mother McCree’s Uptown Jug Champions.

GUESTS: David Nelson, Bob Matthews, Nicholas Meriwether, Dennis McNally

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Workingman's Dead 50, Episode 5: Cumberland Blues Aug 06, 2020

Show notes

DESCRIPTION: We flip sides on the Grateful Dead’s Workingman’s Dead and explore why “Cumberland Blues” is a much stranger song than it might seem, chart the transformation into the so-called Bakersfield Dead, and--in an extended interview--hear how new tour manager Sam Cutler helped the band turn themselves into a real-life workingman’s Dead during one of the most tumultuous and pivotal moments in their history.

GUESTS: Sam Cutler, Shaugn O’Donnell, Bob Matthews, David Nelson, Gary Lambert, Mike Johnson

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