30 Days of Dead

30-days-of-dead-2024

It's a Dead Head's most wonderful time of the year! Welcome to another 30 days of unreleased Grateful Dead tracks from the vault, one for every day of the month, selected by archivist and producer David Lemieux. The tracks are yours, 100% free gua-ran-teed, but the real fun is taking part in the challenge for the chance to win some sweet swag from the Dead.

Those of you who know what to do, feel free to skip right on ahead. For those of you who need a refresher, here's the drill:

You know your Ables from your Bakers from your C's, but can your finely tuned ears differentiate the cosmic "comeback" tour from a spacey 70s show? Each day we'll post a song from one of the Dead's coveted shows. Will it be from that magical night at Madison Square Garden in '93 or from way back when they were just starting to warm it up at Winterland? Is that Pigpen's harmonica we hear? Brent on keys? If you think you know, lob your answer in and you just might find yourself taking home our daily prize of a 2025 Grateful Dead wall calendar or the grand prize – a copy of limited, numbered, FRIEND OF THE DEVILS: APRIL '78 boxed set!

Today's Song
Hint:
Debuting in 1969 and recorded in 1970, this song was in and out of the lineup over the next 20+ years, with its final live performance being in 1993
day08_mzqLAYKqZkbLnaX_casey_jones.mp3
385 comments

  • opeelipsky
    5 days 8 hours ago
    You ain't gonna learn what you don't want to know

    I never had doubts about today's guess.
    'So I give you my eyes, and all of their lies
    Please help them to learn as well as to see'
    Very fitting lyrics for this election time of year.
    Love the Black Throated Wind! Very awesome version.
    Thanks David!

  • miraclekev
    5 days 8 hours ago
    Lovin' It!

    Nailed it pretty quickly this morning - honestly, this just brings me so much joy each year! Love to the family!!!

  • ronmarley1
    5 days 8 hours ago
    Me Three

    Definitely not complaining about free music! I believe I got this too, but the online and download lengths aren't jiving. And as Poneill378 said, it doesn't quite match with the Archive version I guessed. It's almost like one of the versions has been "speed corrected." I'm not that much of an audiophile, but maybe one of the experts here can weigh in.
    Or, never trust a Prankster...

  • Default Avatar
    Poneill378
    5 days 9 hours ago
    Weird files

    Agree with the comments about the files being weird. 99.9% sure I got this Black Throated Wind correct, but the speed is off from the Archive version by just the tiniest bit. Every time I had them synched up, one would start to fall behind the other. Maybe I’m just wrong lol

  • Default Avatar
    mcganahan.skje…
    5 days 10 hours ago
    Strange bit-rate and properties

    Something really odd about these mp3 files, apart from not being 320kbps. Once downloaded the properties come up as 124kbps which is completely non-standard - mp3 files are normally a multiple of 32kbps - and the track lengths don't agree - BTW shows up as 7.07 on-line but 7.19 once downloaded. Days 1 and 2 show the same variation, about 3percent longer (or could this be 4/128 longer). Someone who's into pitch correction might be able to compare the online playback with the download playback.

Yesterday's answer...
New York, NY, Felt Forum - Madison Square Garden
This duo of songs is from the final Grateful Dead performance at Madison Square Garden. After 15 years and countless great nights, the Dead opened their second set with these two beauties.
Yesterday's Winner...
Kyle
Westerville
OH

Past Dates

Missed a day? You can go back and grab downloads here.

Enter the Contest

By entering my information, I acknowledge that I have read the Privacy Policy, Terms of Use and Official Rules and I agree to receive marketing messages from Grateful Dead (from which I can unsubscribe at any time). No purchase or payment necessary to enter or win. A purchase will not increase your chances of winning. This sweepstakes is offered only to legal residents of the United States (excluding Puerto Rico) who are located in the united states (excluding Puerto Rico) and have reached the age of majority in their state of residence at the time of entry.