Fun with Deadbase

[DesertDead]

Deadbase 50 says that China Cat Sunflower was played at 554 Grateful Dead concerts (Garcia’s most-played song).

 

if we use 6 minutes for the length, we can say that he spent over 55 hours of his lifetime playing it in concert (including rehearsals it could be reasonably estimated that he spent an entire week of his life just playing this song).

 

 

Have a nice day.

[John A]

On 7/11/2020 at 11:20 AM, DesertDead said:

Deadbase 50 says that China Cat Sunflower was played at 554 Grateful Dead concerts (Garcia’s most-played song).

This despite only playing it once from '74 through '79 (12/29/77).  Crazy!

[Milehighjoel.]

The setlist program website shows China Cat was played 21 times in 1974, then not played again until 12/29/77 as stated above. 

 

Any insight as to why the song took a 4 year break from being played?  Keyboard player related ??

[Greg from Chestertown]

That’s what they did. That’s how they fucked with our heads. That’s what keeps you coming back. Seriously, the way I understand it, they would introduce a tune, play it a lot, frequently. I think that’s how they explored the tune. Then they would slow down the frequency or stop playing it all together. Sometimes the song would get linked to another tune. Sometimes musically, sometimes just cuz. Then it would get taken off the shelf, dusted off, and reintroduced to the lineup. Sometimes for a few plays, sometimes forever. Some songs never left the line up. Some tunes came and went quite a few times. Some songs only got played once. Studying this can take up all your spare time for the rest of your life. Combine this with the randomness of whatever shows of the 2,300 plus that you happened to catch or get a tape of, makes it All pretty cosmic. 
...at least I’m enjoying the ride !!! 

[John A]

1 hour ago, joel said:

Any insight as to why the song took a 4 year break from being played?  Keyboard player related ??

Unlikely, as it reappeared during Keith's last month with the band.

 

I think it's disappearance can be explained by the hiatus; the band came back a vastly different animal in '76.  Certain tunes were dusted off, others were introduced, and still others were retired, either temporarily or forever.  Even Uncle John's took 6 months of touring to show up again.

 

What I find most curious is that China > Rider cropped up that one time at Winterland then vanished again for over a year.

[DesertDead]

1 hour ago, joel said:

The setlist program website shows China Cat was played 21 times in 1974, then not played again until 12/29/77 as stated above. 

 

Any insight as to why the song took a 4 year break from being played?  Keyboard player related ??

I’ve always hypothesized that the emergence of Scarlet/Fire as well as other new songs contributed to it.

 

Plus this period includes a break in the action, so that’s obviously a part of it.

[Milehighjoel.]

And then gems like golden road and Mason's children dissaperared from live shows just as fast as they arrived while others stayed in rotation for what seems like an "Eternity" ( sorry Bob ).  

[DesertDead]

15 hours ago, joel said:

And then gems like golden road and Mason's children dissaperared from live shows just as fast as they arrived while others stayed in rotation for what seems like an "Eternity" ( sorry Bob ).  

You’re just giving the easy answer, and have a long, long, long, long way before you get home.

 

I have to wave to the wind now, as it’s raining which means time for my samba lesson.

 

Try not to break my arrow while I’m gone?

[John A]

2 hours ago, DesertDead said:

Try not to break my arrow while I’m gone?

 

Awww, what the beef with Broken Arrow?  I actually enjoyed that one. Nice little 1st set Phil led diversion.

[Rude]

One of the parts of deadbase I like is to see where a song started out and where it finished. 
 

China cat was mostly a set 1 song until around 83 then it was 90%+ set 2 until 89 and it became exclusively set 2. 

[DesertDead]

11 hours ago, John A said:

 

Awww, what the beef with Broken Arrow?  I actually enjoyed that one. Nice little 1st set Phil led diversion.

Right on.

 

One man gathers...

 

 

6 hours ago, Rude said:

One of the parts of deadbase I like is to see where a song started out and where it finished. 
 

China cat was mostly a set 1 song until around 83 then it was 90%+ set 2 until 89 and it became exclusively set 2. 

Great point, RD.

 

What always catches my eye is those that moved from (typical) set 2 placement back into set 1:

 

Ramble on Rose

Big River

GSET

LIG

[Rude]

What’s weird in the Internet age is that deadbase is far superior than anything online.  I made sticky tabs on mine for quick reference on set lists, times played, locations played, songs played each year with the frequency(that’s another fun part). 
 

I used deadbase to listen to the 1st 10-15 sugar mags to really see how the sunshine daydream part developed. That’s an interesting exercise. Took their winter break 70/71 for them to get that one worked out. Not much progress on the sunshine daydream part until break. Was a lot of doo too doo early on before they got a few lyrics while on tour but the break let them get it to 80-90% of what it became. 

[Milehighjoel.]

Another one is Feel Like a Stranger-started out in first set then migrated to second set then back to first set.  Finally found a home as opener or tied to LTGTR.  

[BillK522]

Today started with 89/06/21 Shoreline.

Hideaway opener.

Played twice, along with 71/11/07.

1147 shows apart.

Written by Freddie King in 1961.

 

Praise DSO.

[John A]

6 hours ago, BillK522 said:

Today started with 89/06/21 Shoreline.

Hideaway opener.

Played twice, along with 71/11/07.

1147 shows apart.

Written by Freddie King in 1961.

 

Praise DSO.

 

And after Hideaway they launched into Truckin', if I recall correctly.  Quite a start. Unfortunately, that show devolved into the typical mediocrity of "big event Grateful Dead" (it was a nationwide satellite simulcast).  The other 2 Shoreline shows that preceded it that run were much better.

[DesertDead]

1 hour ago, John A said:

 

And after Hideaway they launched into Truckin', if I recall correctly.  Quite a start. Unfortunately, that show devolved into the typical mediocrity of "big event Grateful Dead" (it was a nationwide satellite simulcast).  The other 2 Shoreline shows that preceded it that run were much better.

Right show, wrong slot.  
 

Happens to the best of us.  😝

 

https://archive.org/details/gd89-06-21.sbd.gorinsky.4603.sbeok.shnf

[John A]

Ha!  Should have known that the show wasn't good enough to have opened with Hideaway > Truckin'

 

🤐

[Greg from Chestertown]

Watched the u tube video of hideaway this morning. Crowd reaction at the end led me to believe that not too many people knew what had just happened to them. Special stuff. Maybe it had been so long they thought it was a new tune. Makes me think of beer barrel polka. Always fun . 

[BillK522]

9 hours ago, John A said:

 

And after Hideaway they launched into Truckin', if I recall correctly.  Quite a start. Unfortunately, that show devolved into the typical mediocrity of "big event Grateful Dead" (it was a nationwide satellite simulcast).  The other 2 Shoreline shows that preceded it that run were much better.

 

Hideaway, Touch actually.

I saw later Clarence Clemons played in the 

second set, and knew you would be thrilled.

 

Praise DSO.

[Rude]

Unfortunately deadbase doesn’t list the frozen logger from 85 I think. Maybe because it was a turd. If you wanna hear a worst song than the April fools promised land find that frozen logger. They actually quit midway as it was a disaster and bobby was like I don’t remember any more lyrics. 

[Tea]

.

43 minutes ago, Rude said:

if you wanna hear a worst song

The story and associated results from 2/7/79 are pretty fascinating 

[DesertDead]

For John, stemming from TIGDH and Slipknot...

 

There were only two times that Slipknot was played when it did not involve Help on the Way and/or Franklin’s Tower, and those were the first two times it was played.

 

Both of those were Summer Tour, 1974

6/20/74 in Atlanta:  Eyes of the World->Slipknot->China Doll

 

7/25/74 in Chicago:  Dark Star->Slipknot->Stella Blue

 

There were three shows in ‘75 and ‘76 that had Help/Slip/Franklin’s sandwiches of sorts (drums, other tunes mixed in).

 

The only other variation to its normal placement was in Boston on 9/20/91, when the second set opened Help->Slip->Fire on the Mountain.

[DesertDead]

Name the song that spans the longest within the repertoire (time from first played to last played).

 

You can’t use Deadbase or the Internet - no cheating!

[Greg from Chestertown]

I’m going with Baby Blue. I have a couple other ideas but I don’t want to steal any body’s thunder. 

[John A]

I'll guess Cold Rain & Snow.

 

Baby Blue is also a strong choice. It was definitely played in both '66 and '95. Which leads to a good follow up question: how many songs were played in both '66 and '95?  I'm leaving '65 out because there's so little data available about set lists.