Wake Of The Flood 50: Row Jimmy
The Deadcast explores the strange not-quite-reggae of “Row Jimmy,” featuring a long never-heard interview with lyricist Robert Hunter from 1977.
by Jesse Jarnow
The core of our “Row Jimmy” episode comes from a pair of 1977 and 1978 conversations with lyricist Robert Hunter, courtesy interviewer David Gans. Parts of both are collected in the essential volume Conversations With the Dead, available with his other books from David’s web store.
Guitarist Scott Metzger is playing music tonight somewhere, probably, on tour with LaMP this fall.
Thanks, as always, to Alex Allan’s Whitegum for lyric pointers, both notes on “Row Jimmy,” and the connection to the earlier lyric “Fair To Even Odds.”
This week’s episode also includes a chronological supercut of “Row Jimmy,” containing a few seconds from performances that range from Jerry Garcia’s earliest demo in January 1973 to the Grateful Dead’s final performance of the song in May 1995.
demo version, Sans Souci home studio, Stinson Beach, CA
February 9, 1973 Maples Pavilion, Palo Alto, CAJune 10, 1973 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
August 7, 1973 Record Plant, Sausalito, CA
June 28, 1974 Boston Garden, Boston, MA
June 10, 1976 Boston Music Hall, Boston, MAJune 8, 1977 Winterland, San Francisco, CA
January 22, 1978 McArthur Court, Eugene, OR
December 28, 1979 Oakland Auditorium Arena, Oakland, CAMay 16, 1980 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
May 11, 1981 New Haven Coliseum, New Haven, CT
September 20, 1982 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
October 20, 1983 Worcester Centrum, Worcester, MA
April 17, 1984 Niagara Falls Convention Center, Niagara Falls, NY
June 25, 1985 Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Springs, NY
December 16, 1986 Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CAMarch 26, 1987 Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, CT
July 2, 1988 Oxford Plains Motor Speedway, Oxford, ME
July 4, 1989 Rich Stadium, Buffalo, NY
March 26, 1990 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
June 14, 1991 RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
December 16, 1992 Oakland Coliseum, Oakland, CA
September 20, 1993 Madison Square Garden, New York, NY
March 23, 1994 Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY
May 28, 1995 Portland Meadows, Portland, OR
Comment
Great Row Jimmy mix + correction
What an awesome mix of Row Jimmy, year after year. Thanks to all who worked on this, so enjoyable. This is super minor but the Saratoga show in 85 was 6-27. I was there! June 25 was Blossom in Ohio. Thx again!
Row Jimmy supercut
That supercut was magical. Is there any way you can post an audio file of just that cut? Thanks!
INSPIRED storytelling. Thanks for stretching out and letting the song reveal itself.