Week of March 23, 2009
Part 1 39:54
Introduction
Grateful Dead 7/23/90 World Music Theater, Tinley Park IL
SPACE->
ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER->
STANDING ON THE MOON->
AROUND AND AROUND->
GOOD LOVIN’
Part 2 16:01
Grateful Dead 7/23/90 World Music Theater, Tinley Park IL
THE WEIGHT
Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel, Willie and the Wheel
I’M SITTIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLD
The Grateful Dead
SITTIN’ ON TOP OF THE WORLD
The deaddisc.com entry for “Sittin’ on Top of the World” shows dozens of entries going back to the Mississippi Sheiks in 1930. I heard an Al Jolson song by that same title when I was a pup, and although it appears to be an entirely different song, it’s a related sentiment. This new recording by Willie Nelson and Asleep at the Wheel is similar in flavor to the arrangement by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys; the Grateful Dead’s arrangement, which appeared on their 1967 debut album and stayed in the repertoire until some time in 1972, was a whole ‘nother take on the song. And for yet another take on this theme, see Cream’s lugubrious reading on Wheels of Fire. The Dead revived it for their 2004 tour, and Phil Lesh and Friends played it in 2006.
Support for the Grateful Dead Hour comes this week from the Rothbury Festival, July 2 through 5 in Rothbury, Michigan featuring The Dead, Bob Dylan and his Band, The String Cheese Incident, Willie Nelson and Family, and many more. Tickets, layaway plan & VIP package information are available now at rothburyfestival.com.