Here is the latest news from David Gans, producer and host of the Grateful Dead Hour.
Country Joe leads record-setting effort
On Tuesday night at Todos Santos Plaza in Concord, exactly 2,052 people came from all over to play Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” simultaneously. Doing it for five straight minutes meant snagging the Guinness world record for “largest guitar ensemble.” The mark to beat: 1,802 people played Deep Purple’s “Smoke on the Water” in June 2007 in Leinfelden, Germany. Before that, Kansas City held the record with the same song. The playing started Tuesday at 6:30 p.m., with a quick rehearsal beforehand. But more than an hour earlier, Country Joe McDonald, of Country Joe & the Fish fame, was on hand to teach the song’s first few measures to throngs of people holding old acoustic guitars, bright blue or pink electric guitars and toy guitars (as long as they had strings, they were legal). The chords were in the keys of G, C and D. That’s it — easy peasy.Read the whole story on the Contra Costa Times site.
Alex Allan in hospital
Please keep a good thought for Alex Allan, the keeper of the Grateful Dead Lyric and Song Finder site and quite possibly the winner of the “Deadhead with the most interesting day job” derby:
Top spy seriously ill in hospital
Britain’s top spy, Alex Allan, the chairman of the Joint Intelligence Committee, is unconscious and seriously ill in hospital.
The 57-year-old collapsed at his home earlier this week. Government sources say that there is no sign of foul play.
BBC security correspondent Gordon Corera understands that there is no police involvement or concern over the reason for his condition.
Mr Allan’s committee collates information from MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
A Cabinet Office spokeswoman said: “We can confirm that Alex Allan was taken ill on Monday and transferred to a London hospital.
“We cannot discuss his condition as it is a private matter.”
The Metropolitan Police said: “We were made aware of a man in his late 50s who was taken to a London hospital after being taken ill at his home address.
“He remains in a serious condition. This is being treated as non-suspicious.”
DG at Nomad Cafe 7/12
This just in:
Saturday, July 12, 7:30 pm: Nomad Cafe, 6500 Shattuck Ave. (at 65th St.) Oakland, CA. David plays 7:30-8:30; Kurt Huget plays 8:30-9:30. Admission is free; you gotta buy some food and/or drink, tho.
More DG performances at dgans.com/gigs.html