Rhino Readies Grateful Dead Double-LP Winterland 1971
Available November 23 At Select Independent Retailers
The Grateful Dead made Winterland its home for years until 1978, when the band closed Bill Graham’s legendary venue for good with a spectacular New Year’s Eve blow out. The friendly confines of the former ice-skating rink always seemed to bring out something special in the band. That’s certainly true of the group’s May 30, 1971 performance, which was the second night of a homestand during the era later immortalized on the 1971 live collection Skull and Roses.
For Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on November 23, Dead.net and Rhino will release a portion of that show (all that the band has in their vault) for the first time, offering it on 180-gram vinyl as a limited edition double-LP set of 7500 copies. WINTERLAND 5/30/71 will be available exclusively at select independent music retailers for a suggested price of $34.98. Visit www.recordstoreday.com for a list of participating stores.
Sourced from the original reels of ¼” tape, the music was mastered by Jeffrey Norman and the vinyl lacquers were cut by Chris Bellman at Bernie Grundman Mastering and then pressed at RTI. Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike evokes the Skull and Roses album cover for this set’s gorgeous gatefold.
It’s over one hour of Dead classics that covers nearly the entire second set, which was packed with crowd pleasers like “Sugar Magnolia,” “Truckin’” and “Deal.” One entire LP side is dedicated exclusively to “Turn On Your Lovelight,” a 15-minute-plus romp led by singer/organist Ron “Pigpen” McKernan. For its encore, the band – Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann, and McKernan – capped the evening off with raucous “Johnny B. Goode.”
WINTERLAND 5/30/71
Side One
1. “Sugar Magnolia”
2. “Cumberland Blues”
3. “Big Boss Man”
Side Two
1. “Me And My Uncle”
2. “Deal”
3. “Truckin’”
Side Three
1. “Turn On Your Lovelight”
Side Four
2. “Uncle John’s Band”
3. “Casey Jones”
4. “Johnny B. Goode”
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Winterland 05-30-1971 -Please release on CD
Grateful Dead Live at Winterland 05-30-1971 for Record Store Day 11-23-2012. This looks very nice, but at $35.00++ the price is a little on the steep side. Stopped into a CD-Record store on Sunday and inquired about reserving a copy. I was told they couldn't reserve these and I'd have to show up early on 11-23 and get on line in front of the store. Also was told that the price might be as much as $50.00, because of supply and demand.
Please, Rhino / Dead Net release this show on CD for the fateful Dead Heads with out a turntable after Black Friday. Sure as shit this 7,500 LPs will sell out on Record Store Day and we'll all be S O L !
Thanks (~):E
Worry?
Do NOT worry about rushing out and obtaining this. The lucky few will get the fine packaging, etc. The rest of us will go to archive.org RIGHT NOW and hear the SBD. It's not all that great, believe me. It has its moments but I cannot see spending the dough to have some large cardboard sleeve and some heavy platters. The performance does not warrant all of that. There is a good Cumberland, sure. Maybe there are a couple of other intense moments. But overall, this does not warrant all of the fuss. There is no way this would have been released back in the day. Don't take my word for it. You can listen to it tonight.
I HATE to say this, but i will anyway
5/29/71 would have been the preferred choice.
this is like 12/19/73 being selected over 12/18/73 (I was slack-jawed over that)
9/25/91 being selected over 9/26/91 (I still don't get that)
BUT ANYWAY
I have 5/29 and 30/71 on disc, and know that the 30th is a soundboard, and the 29th is not.
This isn't the complete show.
But I really really really LOVE the idea of it, and the cover art is some of the best I have ever seen. It caught my attention immediately, as did the date.
I'd spend $25 on a t-shirt of the cover.
mp3 link?
I wonder if the LP purchase comes with a one-use link for mp3 download. Both my record-store-day vinyl purchases last year (Richard Thompson & Buck Owens) did. They were only 3 songs each, not a double album.....but it's nice to have that alternate media, as well.
Not US only !
This (and all other Record Store Day releases) will be also be available in Europe and other places outside the US. To find participating stores in your country, go here:
http://www.recordstoreday.com/Venues?country=select
Great news but..
To me it is fantastic news - but really hope the prices differential isn't as great as April's "Dark Star" which was c $17 in the US and £45 ($70) in the UK which was really annoying and still feels like a massive rip off.
5/30/71 as a Dave's Pick in 2013?
I wouldn't mind having the complete 5/30/71 show available as a Dave's Pick in 2013 or '14 or in an other series or as a standalone release or as a lossless or mp3 download. Because I rarely use that turntable anymore.
Spoke Too Soon
This contains what has to be the funniest Lovelight rap I've ever heard, and I've heard a LOT of them. This will forever be known as "The Breakfast Version" in my mind. Besides that there is a great Big Boss Man and the UJB is pretty special, with a guitar solo that brings chills. I stand by what I said earlier about this not rating release back in 1971 but as an artifact in 2012 it is about half great. Pigpen's organ is absent in the mix. The Johnny B. Goode does not exist on archive.org.
record store days...
i'd like to commend rhino for participating in RSD. with the demise of the borders and barnes/nobles, etc. in the world, the last few good book stores and record stores are now mostly independent. the big boys tried to squeeze them out, and i'm sure many were squeezed out, but now we have some really good new/used record and book stores out there that are local and independent, and i applaud rhino for supporting them. i think it's cool that they find something unique and dead related to put out there. from what i gather, 5/30/71 isn't anything over the top special, PLUS it's not a complete show, since the entire show doesn't exist in the vault. so it's just something cool they can do to help promote local and independent record stores (which also fits a double lp format). so if you want it, you must go and visit and support your local/ind record store. why's that bad? if they also put it out in other formats, it kind of defeats the purpose, know what i mean? and as someone else said, you can always go to archive.org.
i think rhino has been doing a pretty good job. i'm not always in agreement with them, but everyone's like that. i buy some, not all. just what i can or like. but i do want to thank them for putting out so much wonderful grateful dead music, and i want to thank them for supporting local record stores.
if you haven't noticed, i love used record stores! (used book stores. too) more than complete shows!!!! i was just in portland for the further shows and my poor friend had to take me to every used record store he knew of. powell's is a pretty cool book store, too!
this sounds like great
this sounds like great stuff...however..."Record Store Day’s Black Friday event on November 23. Winterland 5/30/71 consists of a number of as yet unreleased tracks from the Grateful Dead’s May 30, 1971 performance at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco."
so sayeth spin records here in the uk...and note the "as yet unreleased"... whats the betting we have the full set out on CD by april 2013...think i can wait..
Too bad that half of these will never be opened...
The Dark Star 12" release was the biggest pain to get ahold of on RSD, with people just buying them to flip on ebay like they were Beanie Babies. I waited in lines, drove around for hours, and came up empty handed. Oddly enough, a few days later I went back into the first store I checked and one copy had randomly appeared! Thank god I didn't have to pay $50 to a record scalper.
I appreciate a good vinyl release but have become cynical about this "holiday" after only a few years. $80 for a repress of a Fleetwood Mac album that sold millions of copies and goes for 25 cents at every yard sale in America? Oh wait, this version is LIMITED, that's different...
2 tracks on Sound Cloud
Listen to Sugar Magnolia & Deal here >
http://soundcloud.com/rhinorecords/grateful-dead-sugar-magnolia
http://soundcloud.com/rhinorecords/grateful-dead-deal-winterland
Re: 30May71 - But What About the Infamous 29 May 1971 Show?
This 2-LP release looks like it has the second set for 30 May 1971 with the exception of the China/Rider opening. But the million-shekel question I have is: Does the vault have the infamous $2 'acid punch' show from 29 May 1971? My late brother-in-law, who worked for Bill Graham and later FM productions told me that Uncle Bobo was NOT a happy camper about what happened during the show on the 29th lolThe Winterland concert on 29 May 1971 was one big, long set. A reschedule of concert dates was done. And apparently there was a show booked for the 31st but did not happen.
Limited copies
I got up to go to my neighborhood Newbury Comics at 3AM to get this limited release. This store only had two copies. I was able to wrestle one copy away from someone else trying to buy two...Haven't listened yet. I'm wondering if I should just leave it in the wrapper...
Glad to hear you were able to
Glad to hear you were able to snag one. The stores by me were all sold out.
my store had 2 extra as of this evening...
...but I was there at open in case a bunch of dead freaks came out of the woodwork here in boonieville. The art is fantastic on this release, I'm going to frame it.
Gotta breath to live!
Segan, I wondered the same thing about my Dark Star LP, but did you buy it to re-sell it later for a profit, to keep to be buried with, or to listen to the best version of this show ever heard? It must breath! I will listen, and pass it on to my sons...
Gotta breath to live!
Segan, I wondered the same thing about my Dark Star LP, but did you buy it to re-sell it later for a profit, to keep to be buried with, or to listen to the best version of this show ever heard? It must breath! I will listen, and pass it on to my sons...
Picked mine up at Dusty
Picked mine up at Dusty Groove in Chicago at 9am and there were a half dozen or so in the rack.
Very high quality packaging (better than the Paris DS one), although I would have liked at least one band photo on the inside.
Vinyl quality was excellent, flat and clean. Sound quality is very good on my entry level rig with Phil extremely prominent (in a good way). The band is occasionally a little on the sloppy side but it's a fun and rockin' kind of sloppy. All in all a pretty nice little release.
Newbury in Manchester!
Walked in today (Monday) and Newbury Comics in Manchester, NH had 2 copies! I got mine (one left!) and I agree with Kaiser Soda. Great fold out double LP packaging, but I expected a collage of photos instead of a large type essay, as interesting as it may be. Still, the sound is, to quote the essay, "crunchy" with philtastic bombasticness. Unbelievable! This version of Lovelight, on LP, is perhaps the best one I have ever heard. Yea!
Bummed
Sadly, I missed this one. The record store I frequent in Catonsville, MD, is pretty small and doesn't get much love from RSD...at least not yet, anyway. I did manage to grab those sweet White Stripes 45s, though. Sill, this would have been a nice piece of 'Dead history to add to my growing collection.
Are there any Marylanders/Baltimoreans here that know if there are any more copies floating around in the ether?
Parkas4Kids
You may want to check back with your record store. I was about 10th in line outside Earshot in Winston-Salem, nabbed one of two copies there and the other was gone by the time I rotated around the store one more time.
Yesterday the store put up a Facebook notice with 5 more copies in the racks...
Really Sweet Record Set
Lucky enough to pick up a copy in NYC on afternoon of Black Friday. The store had plenty of copies, roughly 15.(It was good to be able to choose from so many cause most copies though sealed had little issues with the cardboard lining up correctly & slight bruises on corners). First off great artwork, cool liner notes from BJ, nice heavyweight album cover & vinyl. As silly as it sounds, it is just nice to hold it in your hands. Finally listened to last night, playing is excellent, sound is good though not great. The original Skull & roses album from same lineup sounds brighter & more vibrant to me. But overall I love it & hope we get something similar next year as well.
Pitch issue??
Finally got my copy up here in Alaska and the first listen sounds a little slow to me. Maybe pitch isnt the right word but whatever its called it sounds slow to me.
pitch
I did not notice that. I do have the gatefold framed now and hanging on the wall. I also ripped the lp's to 320 kb mp3's for on the go listening. The lps are safely tucked in alternate cardboard cases in their original plastic. BTW, Audacity has a pitch correction feature so you can go to town if you use that. As for me, I'm happy with the work the folks did.
Pitch again
I have listened to the discs twice since getting them at the time I didn't notice anything. But after reading these comments I decided to give it another shot. My turntable as most have pitch adjustment. I'm no expert but after trying up to 5% each way I come down on the side that it's right on. On another slightly related issue can anyone tell me how to start or who starts a new chat subject dedicated to talking about Dead vinyl in general old and new. I can't help thinking there's enough vinyl fanatics and collectors to justify it. I think it could be pretty lively and for us collectors someone could pass on a tidbit of information on an old title or something new Thanx
Im convinced
I used a stop watch to time a couple of tracks (OCD I know I Know). I used Charlies version for comparison to the vinyl. Here is what I found.
Song Vinyl Digital
Sugar Mag 6:03:42 5:58:69
Lovelight 14:18:71 14:06:21
I suppose there is a couple second +- human error factor but I am really convinced the pitch of the vinyl is off. My turntable has direct drive and a quartz lock system so I dont think it is playing slow. Im sure its not perfect but Ive never noticed any other vinyl sounding off pitch.
Anything's possible
As I said I'm not perfect but then again neither are timings on vinyl. I think you'll find that no timings on lps line up exactly with the stated time.
is the pitch correct?
just play an in-tune instrument along with it, that would make the answer obvious, assuming your turntable speed is accurate, if you can play along without going crazy then it's close enough
in fact i did hit a piano key (of a reasonably in-tune piano) while the record was playing and it sounded on pitch to me
it sure is nice dropping the needle to hear raw live dead, although i wouldnt consider this anywhere near my favorite quintet performance of 71, if someone could have presented this package to me in the eighties i'd have thought i'd died and gone to heaven
We Were There
Recall having tickets for the Friday night, 28-May show, that was cancelled due to Jerry's illness. Turned them in for a refund Friday evening, and Saturday or Sunday purchased new tickets for the rescheduled Sunday, 30-May concert. Great show and was really surprised by the on-stage periodic shooting towers of flames!
gratefuldean
The Sound Garden in Fells Point, Baltimore, got some extra copies in late, but they were gone within the day. If only I didn't have this pesky job keeping me out of the record store.... It's a shame this release hasn't been released digitally like a large portion of last year's RSD exclusives.
Digital Download
My previous response got me thinking: who's in charge of what does or doesn't happen with these recordings? Would it be possible for this RSD exclusive to be released for purchase in the digital market? With as many die-hard and long-time Deadheads as there are out there, I'm sure there are a great deal of fans who'd love to be able to buy this release outside of the pre-ordained limited vinyl release. I know I sure would.
All analog?
So this LP was never converted to digital signal? Straight analog from tape to record? If so that is amazingly cool and would love to see more of that!!! I'd buy every one!!!
It's all about
Making collectible things at this point. Make a limited amount that will sell and then not have to worry about inventory. They lucky few get to pedal to the real vinyl freaks - who, if they don't have a record store handy,endup being the ones to pay through the nose...