Week of July 30, 2007
Part 1 19:02
Grateful Dead 6/20/87 Greek Theater, Berkeley CA
SPACE->
IKO IKO
Steve Mann, Alive and Pickin’
TROUBLE IN MIND (with Janis Joplin)
ELEPHANT SONG
EAST COLORADO (aka Spike Driver Blues)
Part 2 35:53
Grateful Dead 6/20/87 Greek Theater, Berkeley CA
LOOKS LIKE RAIN->
DEAL->
DRUMS->
SPACE
June 20, 1987 was the first time the Grateful Dead played Bob Dylan’s “All Along the Watchtower” in concert. You’ll hear that in next week’s program.
Steve Mann’s CD Alive and Pickin’ was brought to my attention by Berkeley folk legend Janet Smith, who compiled these 1960s recordings and released the disc on her own Bella Roma Music label. This CD includes three songs with Mann accompanying Janis Joplin, recorded in 1964 in San Francisco. You can read Mann’s story of his collaboration with Janis here.
As the liner notes say, Steve’s story is “both dark and colorful.” My friend Rik Elswit, who was a member of Dr. Hook and the Medicine Show, knew Steve Mann in southern California back in the day. “There was a time when he was the most amazing white guitar player any of us had ever seen,” Rik told me recently. According to Mann’s own web site, he had a mental breakdown in 1967; that’s why he isn’t a great deal better known today.
Rik Elswit:
My favorite Steve Mann story is from ’67, when he was backing Gale Garnett at the Troubadour. Gale had just had a hit with “We’ll Sing in the Sunshine”, which was almost a shame because it made her a one-hit-wonder on a piece that gave no hint of how talented she actually was. But the place was packed, and she was on.
So towards the end of her set, she launched into this blues, and let Steve solo for a couple of choruses. At least, that was the plan. Steve cut loose in the second chorus and forgot where he was and what he was doing. He just played his ass off for about a minute. Gale just let him go. In fact, she went over to the side of the stage and sat down and watched like the rest of us. Finally Steve came back into his body, but he still didn’t know where he was or what he was doing, so he just stopped.
Gale, with perfect timing, spoke into the stunned silence… “God DAMN!!!” And the place went nuts. She sized up the situation, thanked everybody, and took a break.
I’ve been enjoying Alive and Pickin’; you can get a copy here.
Support for the Grateful Dead Hour comes this week from:
The Sleeping Bear Dunegrass and Blues Festival August 2-5 in Northern Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan, with Dark Star Orchestra, Particle, Yonder Mountain, Keller Williams, David Grisman Quintet, Railroad Earth, Peter Rowan, and dozens more.
Gathering of the Vibes August 9-12 in Bridgeport, Connecticut, with Bob Weir and Ratdog, Mickey Hart Band, Donna Jean and The Tricksters, Zero, Keller and The Keels, Dark Star Orchestra, Railroad Earth, Los Lobos, David Gans, and dozens of additional acts.
Paradise Jam Music Festival August 17-19 near Pensacola, Florida, featuring Keller Williams, Galactic, Zero, The Radiators, Junior Marvin and The Allstar Reggae Band, JJ Grey and MOFRO, Dread Clampitt, Atlanta Rhythm Section, The Lee Boys, and more, on alternating stages. Tickets include three days of on-site camping with VIP packages also available.