During the mid-1970s, the Grateful Dead saga was unfolding like a Greek classic. The Sisyphean Wall Of Sound had nearly broken the band. From it spawned a Medusa head of countless side projects, all deliciously fruitful but woefully not the same as the whole. The chorus lay in wait, pondering the reemergence of their heroes, and wondering if "THE LAST ONE" had really been it...
But in early 1976, Apollonian light and healing would shine upon our intrepid wanderers once again. No more epic battles for the people with cops and lines and tightness, the Dead would return triumphant in smallness, playing intimate theaters and renting equipment along the way. No more ticket scams and greedy promoters, they'd give back with first ever mail-order ticket program, one that had a few kinks to work out but eventually served the fans well.
Musically, June 1976 signaled a Golden Age of harmony and prosperity for the Dead. It marked an Odysseusian-like return for Mickey Hart. Donna Jean was in lock-step with the sirens' call. Jerry and Bob delivered orphic delight with solo musings like "Mission In The Rain" (the only tour they ever played it on), "The Wheel," and "Cassidy," emboldened by group effort. There was fresh repertoire from Blues For Allah, breathing new life to the Dead's continually morphing sound - as Weir once said of the '76 tour, they wanted to play "a little bit of all of it." Old favorites were re-envisioned with cascading tempos and unique sequencing, making the crowd question if they'd ever heard these songs before. And there was comfort and joy in the familiarity of watching the band make it up as they went along. By all means, it was clear that the bacchanalia of live Dead would reign on.
And now the revelry from this epoch, evidenced by the near-studio quality sound captured on two-track live recordings by Betty Cantor-Jackson, lives on, bolstered by Jeffrey Norman's HDCD mastering. It's housed for posterity in a handsome box featuring original art work by Justin Helton. It’s documented in liners by Jesse Jarnow and photos by Grant Gouldon. And it’s ready for a spot on your shelf.
As part of our pre-order for this Dead.net exclusive boxed set, we'll be delivering downloads of each listening party - one for each show included in JUNE 1976 - to purchasers from now until the March 20th release. Order at any time before release and you'll receive all the listening parties to date.
Individually Numbered, Limited Edition of 12,000
What's Inside:
- 5 Previously Unreleased Complete Shows On 15 Discs
- Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/10/76
- Boston Music Hall, Boston, MA 6/11/76
- Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/14/76
- Beacon Theatre, New York, NY 6/15/76
- Capitol Theatre, Passaic, NJ 6/19/76
- Sourced from Two-Track Master Tapes, Recorded By Betty Cantor-Jackson
- Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman
- Restoration and Speed Correction by Plangent Processes
Gotta Love Betty
https://relix.com/articles/detail/whats_become_of_the_bettys/
Also DSO’s Rob Eaton, so neat:
Eaton assented and on a day off during a Dark Star Orchestra tour, “I went to meet him at a parking lot of a Denny’s. He had a pickup truck and a trailer full of excrement and hay and the boxes I’d originally sent him back plus a wooden crate with 50 seven-inch reels thrown in it—no boxes, all tangled up. It was a complete mess. But most of those tapes turned out to be amazing. I would say 22 of those were from the June ‘76 tour—stuff that I had not seen before.
“If you had looked in the box, you would say there was no way they can be recovered but they could, if you took the time to do it. The challenge is that you can’t play them until you bake them at a low temperature for an extended period of time. That reformulates the back coding, which is what the oxide is on, and the oxide is what the music is recorded on magnetically. The seven-inch reels were on plastic hubs but I couldn’t transfer those to metal reels because it would ruin the tapes. So I modified a food dehydrator that I use to dehydrate mushrooms I collect here in the mountains of Colorado in the summer time.”
MCGRUPP216/Betty Boards
Great story, thanks for posting it. I wonder if 6/17/75 was in that batch of tapes.
Betty
Great read, McGrupp216....thanks!
"Betty should get her production royalty on anything that gets released, which is completely reasonable. Those were her tapes; those weren’t the Dead’s tapes. I’d love to see Betty get her due.”
Does anybody know if Betty is/or did get any production royalties from these recent releases? God knows she deserves it......
76 Box Set
I'll probably pass on this one. Nothing wrong with it and the presentation looks classy. I just know it's not gonna get played at all. When I go to pick a Grateful Dead concert off my shelf to play the competition is fierce and this one would not be competitive. I'm finally being realistic with myself. I am sure for those who want it it will be great. Enjoy!
To the mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders
Yo! Rockers!
Pass on this one. Although I did see a great 76 show----Rochester. Ah sweet memories of memories........
Next year, 2021, 50th anniversary of 1971, either Port Chester box set or Fall 71 radio broadcast box set. Can I have both?????
Survived my pneumonia, hellish experience.
Rock on my friends...………….
Doc
Psyched for this one
Love the Road Trips show from this run, probably my favorite Road Trips. Nice associated swag with it. Hoping there's a Warfield/RCMH 1980 box in the fall to complement this one.
Wish they had a "Box & a Byte" version that had a download coupon in box for the FLAC which was a little more than just the box but not as expensive as doing both a la carte. Would love to hear the FLAC shows on my listening headphones, but cannot do both so the box it is.
Thanks Dave!
I’m with Doc
Having a hard time pulling the trigger on this one. Seems like an easy decision, but I know it won’t get much play.
Billy
These were the recently returned Bettys:
https://relix.com/news/detail/the_betty_boards_are_now_in_the_grateful_…
Love this month. Would have…
Love this month. Would have been an instant purchase if it contained 6-29-76.
The “list” of Betty Boards
The list of Betty Boards in the Relix article keeps me wondering. I would choose the word incomplete to describe it, but that feels too much of an understatement. A quick glance at the July ‘78 box set gives an idea the Relix list is just a small sample of shows that Betty fortunately recorded. There are many already released shows we know Betty recorded that aren’t on that list. So were Dick’s Picks 3- or 29- or 33- and on just ignored? It baffles me how the author states this is a list of known Betty Boards, when we know about so much more.
Seaside chat
Just watched it. Sounds like it’s going to be a good year for releases.
Excellent........
(Mr. Burns tapping fingers)
Edit:
Dave said that 6-19 is FM. The FM was with the returned reels, or was it already in the Vault?
The FM cassette sounded pretty good, this should sound grate.
Wonder if they edited out the guy who says “wah, wah, wah,” between the songs.
MCGRUPP216/Betty list
Thank you so much for posting that list of returned tapes. It doesn't look like 6/17/75 from Winterland
is in there ,shucks that's to bad, I was hoping it would be. But those Capitol Theatre tapes from 2/71, will make a killer box set.
Best thing about this box:…
Best thing about this box: Cover art....save your money. Spend it on a box of Cracker Jacks instead....
6/19/76 Boom!
So yeah I am all about this box set. I love the 6/19 show - the whole shows is on YouTube. It looks like the house cameras caught everything in glorious black and white. The opening Help > Slip > Framklin's > Music is great. I wonder what source they used for the box set? The other 4 shows are returned Betty's so maybe 6/19 was an already contained in the vault Betty Board. Doesn't matter to me, I bought this box set immediately. I saw this while at work and I bought it as soon as I got done with the job. I was so happy I almost exploded.
It's funny too, I was asking for an 85 box on the DaP 33 comments section just a few days ago. Many , myself included, have asked for a 76 box on years past, but I haven't seen a recent request for it. Maybe that is the trick...ask for boxes we dont want so we get surprised by DL and the crew with ones we do.
Returned Bettys
The Relix article and old circulating list is woefully incomplete. Mainly on the tapes made by Betty's ex Rex Jackson, she ended up with a ton of his tapes, and at least one of the ABCD releases (DaP 24 8/25/72) was taped by Owsley. So, in addition to 3 Bettys not known to exist just from the July '78 box to two gems from PacNW '73 6/22/73, 6/24/73, 4/2/73 (DaP 21), 12/6-7/71 (DaP 22), 11/17/71 & 12/14/71 (DaP 26) were part of the returned tapes, plus the known tapes which includes this box set. It's an even bet as to whether DaP 34 will be a Rex tape part of the returns or whether it's a Kidd Candelario tape that was in the Vault all along. I predict the former, given the awesomeness of the show.
This is not my favorite era, but Betty made killer tapes in '76, Phil and Jerry usually sound fantastic, vocals are good, and the smaller theaters helps. And I like some of the rarer tunes we get. Wish they included every other Mission in the Rain as filler, help balance out the 5 Might As Wells. But I'm gonna be a getting this one, no doubt.
I’ll take it!
Haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but I know I can’t turn down a fellow bicentennial!
The keychain will work great if its already on its way to Nevada, but did you see these extra large open ended Stealie condomns?
https://store.dead.net/apparel/syf-thermal-arm-warmers-5.html
* First boxset 1976
...I’ve been waiting a long time for the Beacon theater shows for a real long time! Very excited for this first boxset , Primo indeed for this Deadhead ! 🙏❤️😎💀🌹💀🌹
Have a grateful nite my brothers & sisters. I’m listening to daves Pick 10
12/12/69. A greatful Daves Pick, one of my favorite of the series and the Bonus Disc is just excelent in every way .
This release is another primo audio release for my ears, love the sound, sounds very intimate and Jerry is sweet and love Pigpen here Tom C. Is playing the keyboards. You get to hear a lot of new songs at the time entering the set list around this time like Uncle John band, still in a work in progress here in my option . Still a great performance. Rock on folks.🙏
Arrowhead-7/1/78
Man that's one hot show. Deadvikes I zipped you back a pm.
Contrasts, Redundancy and Arrowhead
Interesting to see the range of opinions on the choice of shows for this box, indifference, disdain and unbridled enthusiasm. Personally, I had planned to get the next box whatever it was, but I have to say when I got the email this morning I was totally psyched. I expect the sound quality is likely to be excellent, the set lists look super cool, and a five show box is just the right size, and as noted the artwork looks cool, although I would dispute the assertion that it is the best thing about the box. I suspect the best thing about the box may be some of those versions of High Time, but that may just be because I dig that song.
As far as redundancy, I just don't see it - there are no other '76 boxes and '76 is not '77 or '78 so the existence of numerous '77 releases and the '77 and '78 box sets just don't make the '76 box redundant to me. The only thing that would strike me as redundant would be if they were choosing shows already released in their entirety.
Arrowhead is definitely one hot show, dig the added twist of that being a show at one of Willie Nelson's Picnics. Does that mean your long awaited July '78 box set has arrived Carlo13? I've been curious what you would think once you gave it a listen. The artwork on that box was some of my favorite box set art to date.
Deadvikes, sent you a pm, thanks for the heads up or it would have been months before I thought of checking my messages.
Thermal arm warmers....
.....if that's what you want CaseyJanes, I'll get them for you. Not my style, but style is individual.
Arrowhead is an enigma. When the ambient temps get hot, the Grateful Dead say "we can be hotter!" Look at Veneta. Or the 91-93 Vegas shows.
Edit. Speaking of Sha Na Na, my wife walked down the hall to bed tonight singing the "Goodnight, it's time to go" outro they did at the end of their shows with no clue that they were in this threads conversation. I don't believe in coincidences. 🤔
Centennial Celebration
With PNW still stocked I was thinking they would do an 85 box. So glad we got this. It’s olde enough that the graybeards will dig it and modern enough for the youngins
All The Years Live....
https://youtu.be/LFn3Wkr4QtI
....its Thursday for dangs sake!!
Hot Summer Shows
Funny, I just listened to DaP24 8/25/72 today - a summer show and it was hot. That Veneta 8/27/72 show is some other level stuff though, the proverbial cream of the crop, probably due for another spin soon. That's one of the few releases that I actually watched the video.
June 29, 1976
This set from the Auditorium in Chicago, which is indeed great, albeit a 2cd set, has been released as an FM release (MOJO Filter 2016).
Another Mission in the Rain, a great PitB and, according to the cover, a Sipplication rather than the usual Supplication :)
single show release
That's what I would go for-hopefully a show with Help-Slipknot-Franklins.
I recently listened to three 1976 shows-9/24/76 (Daves Picks), followed by the Dicks 20-9/25/9/76 and 9/28/76, which, while missing the show from 9/27/76, has the feel of a box set about it from a listening point of view. I did enjoy them, too...but they felt a bit light compared to preceding years. There is some gentle experimentation at play, though.
Happy Valentine's Day
Great Valentine's Day shows 2/14/68 & 2/14/70, both on my all time top 10 list of Dead show ever.
* The Returning Artist For 2020 Boxset
...the returning artist Incase no figured out is
Justin Helton., he did the amazing artwork for the Daves Picks Series in 2016.
He all did art work for the ‘Fare Thee Well’ Tour.
He’s a primo artist, I love his artwork very much. Very classic approach but with his signature style, I noticed, he doing the 1976 Boxset for 2020 as soon as I saw the artwork. He brilliant artist I love him. Rock on my brothers and sisters. If you can spring for the poster Artwork being made available, I highly recomand it grabbing one. Beautiful art just amazing I see & feel a lot of Love in his work!!! Primo, oh I already said that, sorry folks, I haven’t slept in over a day.
Redundancy
Criticizing and/or complaining about a new release because it’s not what you wanted.
Two thumbs up Summer 1976 box set
I'm so happy with this release, that I went and bought a brand new sealed copy of 6/9/76 on eBay to go along with it. Again, thanks Dave and Dead Net for this and all the great music you release. I look forward to the cool releases that are coming out real soon.
Redundancy
Please don't mind me - I appreciate that a lot of people are quite chipper about this release, and that's good enough for me. They aren't compulsory..so at least I save some dosh! And with 3/1/69 due out on vinyl soon (hopefully), that's not a bad thing.
Happy Spring!!
Dave, you had me at Help!-Slip-Franklin.
Cant want to enjoy these shows
Happy 2/14
No more time to tell how, this is the season of what,
Now is the time of returning with our thought
Jewels polished and gleaming.
Thanks to the community!
About a half-dozen of you responded to my plea for a copy of Boston June 9, that's so sweet and helpful.
Thanks to all.
Was at Dead Hippie Brewing's open mic last night in Denver and we rocked out, with many GD covers. Here and there, Deadheads keep coming through for me.
which do I listen to: practical brain, or happy fun brain?
It would be ridiculous for me to buy this, says practical brain. you have plenty to listen to, and you'd save $165.
Life is for living, says happy fun brain. this insane existence is made tolerable by the GD.
Hmm...
payday is 2/28. I will have to decide then, I suppose.
this box is worth getting, regardless. why kvetch about repeats? the good Lord did provide us with skip buttons for things like Samson and Delilah (ironically, a biblical reference).
6/10
6/11
6/14
6/15
6/19
oh yeah, baby...just like that
DICKS PICKS 24
Passing on this and getting dicks picks 24 on vinyl instead.
Spirit of 76
The sound quality of the mid 76 shows always seemed muddy to me. Questioned whether I really needed better versions as I tend to be a sucker for this stuff. I listened to the samples and then did a little A/B comparison with my existing copies from various sources over the years. Whoa. Couldn't get to my wallet fast enough. Looking forward to 'em. Anything going on for the 50th anniversary of Workingman's or Beauty?
I see this place hasn't changed....
Thanks Dave and the PTB for another stellar release from the Betty stash. Typical to this day and age most do not realize how lucky we are as fans. Look at the mess the Doors have with their archival strategies. Can't wait for both Beacon shows in all of their Jeffery Norman'd glory. Gonna be a great year. #out