Forums
What's Inside:
• Five Complete Shows
• 5/11/77 St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN
• 5/12/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/13/77 Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL
• 5/15/77 St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO
• 5/17/77 University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL
•14 Discs, 111 tracks
•Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman, Plangent Processes playback system for maximum sonic accuracy
•Artwork by Grammy Award-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike
•Period Photos by James R Anderson
•Historical Essay by Steve Silberman
•Individual show liner notes
MAGICAL, MYTHICAL MAY 1977!
If you're a Dead Head, chances are you've spent many an hour expounding upon the distinction of May 8, 1977, Cornell University, Barton Hall. Well, at the risk of preaching to the choir, we'd like to reintroduce you to a series of shows that matches said greatness from that same gloriously fertile season. While Barton Hall is well known, the astounding tour that surrounded it has occasionally flown under the radar due to the uneven quality of tapes in circulation. May 1977 is set to change all of that with a boxed set that zeroes in on this high-water mark in the Grateful Dead's long strange trip.
For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus, there was a great frenzy of expectancy that surrounded the Spring of 1977. We anticipate a grand reoccurrence of this fervor with the release of May 1977, a 14-disc boxed set featuring five complete shows from consecutive stops on that magical tour. Mastered in HDCD by Jeffrey Norman at Mockingbird Mastering, the "psychoacoustic phenomena" as Jerry once put it, of St. Paul Civic Center Arena, St. Paul, MN (5/11) Auditorium Theatre, Chicago, IL (5/12, 5/13), St. Louis Arena, St. Louis MO (5/15) and Coliseum at the University Of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (5/17) can now finally be appreciated. Each of these shows finds the Dead delivering punchier, more focused sets, tightening up the framework; each night turning out first-ever renditions ("Passenger,""Iko Iko,""Jack-A-Roe"), unloading potent new pairings ("Scarlet Begonias">"Fire On The Mountain", "Estimated Prophet">"Eyes Of The World"), classic covers ("Dancing In The Street") and soon-to-be staples ("Estimated Prophet," "Samson and Delilah"), and ultimately rising up to paradise.
And now for the nitty-gritty...
Due June 11, May 1977 is limited to 15,000 individually numbered copies. Presented in a psychedelic box that boasts an intricate die-cut design created by Grammy®-winning graphic artist Masaki Koike, the set also includes a book filled with stories about each show, as well as an in-depth essay by Dead historian Steve Silberman, who delves deep into the history behind the tour and the band’s return from its extended hiatus.
Once these 15,000 boxes are gone, May 1977 and its shows will never be available again on CD. However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads for $99.98.
Like its predecessors Europe '72: The Complete Recordings and Spring 1990, we expect May 1977 to sell out. Your best bet is to pre-order it now, then sit back, relax, and enjoy all the exclusive content we'll be rolling out over the next few weeks right here and on Facebook.com/GratefulDead and Youtube.com/gratefuldead.
YOu should collect orders first, then figure how many to print.
Wouldn't it be more equitable and profitably efficient to collect pre orders for a month or two, then you would know how many you could sell, add a margn of error to the run, then you wouldn't see unhappy heads who would have given you the money had you provided the product, and maybe there'd be lest gouging on ebay and such. Sell as many as people ordered, plus print a couple thousand more for stragglers, late-savers, and ebay gougers, then maybe your supply and demand would meet more equitably for us customers, and profitable for you sellers.
Betty Cantor-Jackson.
I sure hope Betty Cantor-Jackson gets a few dollars per box. A few folks are making fine $$ poring through the archive and preparing the tapes for CD release, but none of that would have been possible if not for Betty (at least for the tapes she made).
'77 GD shows
I already have the Charlie Miller upgrade on the 5/15/77 St. Louis show, which sounds fantastic!
However, I don't have any of the other '77 shows on CD. I do have the 5/17/77 AL show on cassette. I believe it's a soundboard recording.
Need to think about purchasing this release.
YOu should collect orders first, then figure how many to print
"YOu should collect orders first, then figure how many to print.
Wouldn't it be more equitable and profitably efficient to collect pre orders for a month or two, then you would know how many you could sell, add a margn of error to the run, then you wouldn't see unhappy heads who would have given you the money had you provided the product, and maybe there'd be lest gouging on ebay and such. Sell as many as people ordered, plus print a couple thousand more for stragglers, late-savers, and ebay gougers, then maybe your supply and demand would meet more equitably for us customers, and profitable for you sellers."
I agree with thismikebenz. I just did Furthur at the Capitol and Barclys and am light on extra $$$.
Or maybe I gave you a $50 deposit with the balance due by an agreed upon date -- or shipment.
hey wadeocu
Are you still wondering about the cut in the 5-11-77 Wharf Rat? It's part of the listening party. Maybe you listened to it already, I'm going to do so presently.
deadegad...
For what it's worth, I'm 99% confident in two weeks this Box Set will still be available. Rhino knows it's sales figures better than anyone, and the 15,000 number was chosen to ensure people have an opportunity to buy one.
Any word on Download Price ?
Any word on Download Price ?
"However, the 111 tracks will be made available on release date as FLAC and Apple lossless full-set-only downloads."
A Spring '77 Box Set - Hallelujah!
Well, well, well......or should I say Might As Well, Might As Well! OK, I already know THAT song is not on any of these shows (look for 01 and 03 May '77 in NYC) but that's not a problem with this here Country CowFreak. But in order for me to come up with the moolah for this gem of a box set it looks like I am gonna have to sell those rare Jerry Garcia Band handbills for the cancelled/rescheduled concert that was originally slated for 24 May 1989 at The Wiltern Theatre and changed to the Universal Amphitheatre on 22 May '89......Hey, just like the Badfinger song says, If you're gonna take - Then you have to give. Or unload a rarity for that special something that will keep on giving. The gift of Magical Music. Remember folks, - THE MUSIC NEVER STOPPED......
What?....
..a 77 Box and no Cornell?! C'MON!!!..someone needs to work overtime to get that released! Just kidding though..This looks terrific!! My only musical complaint is there's only 1 new Terrapin, from AL, the other we have from Winterland Bonus...With this and Garcia Live Vol 2 and DaP 6 its going to be a very musical summer! :))) I wouldn't mind 15 CDs with some filler,thats what made Dick's Picks 29 + 34 so great but I guess you can't have everything! Just release the whole tour already,we won't mind! Time to get ready for some more 77 Dead!!! Take care folks!!!!
Limited edition
The whole point of Rhino picking a number is to create buzz and sell the damn thing. Well, 15000 or 150000000, damn sure Im getting one. Im really glad to see that this will be available for download. I'd personally rather have it in my hands but I think this will stop the jack-em-up-price eBayers out there.
77 doesnt quite have the early years looseness or weirdness but the intensity is just ridiculous.
PS, I finally broke down and bought a used copy (for, uh...) of the Complete Fillmore West 1969, mistake or will I be happy for years?
- wilfredtjones
You're right - Wharf Rat is fixed here as was the 5/12 Playin in the Band for the Bonus Disc release and I am sure it will be here too. The Taper's Compendium quotes Gans as saying the master was cut in Wharf Rat and DL said the 5/12 Playin was messed up on the master when he posted it on Taper's Section in 2007. I'm just wondering how they did it - with a patch maybe? I'm really just curious here. I for one am ok with patches; especially in place of cuts.
Garcia's guitar
I don't think he got Wolf back until Fall of 77. Also, the pictures from the Winterland 77 box booklet shows Jerry playing the Travis Bean.
Although he may still have been playing the Travis Bean, the guitar tone from 77 is quite a bit different from the tone from 76. It seems to me that the 76 shows, Jerry's guitar is more shrill than anything before or after, but then again, it might just be the recording...
How fast will this one sell out????? Need time to buy it
Thanks Zuckfun spending the $$$ this week would be unwise for me. Sound samples sound great.
addictive as crack. Seriously Addictive!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah PFox These release are 'habit' forming! Pssst wanna buy some Dead-Cack. . ..Rhino & Dead.net are like a Meth-lab!
Hi-Res Download?
Wonder if they will offer hi-res FLAC download options??
Hi-red Download?
Wonder if a hi-res FLAC download option will be available...
Hoo Wee
What's not to love about this tour? I celebrated my 20th birthday and the end of a hellacious finals week at the St. Paul show and I (mostly) remember every nuance of every tune. Looking foward to replacing a very tired old tape (that I no longer have the means to listen to). And the international shipping rates aren't bad. A set is headed to Singapore.
Would like to appreciate
All involved with this project. Nice picks, great artwork and essays and liner notes. A reasonable price per disc. Many of us have been asking for exactly this. And will be available as a download as well. These are things on a lot of people's wishlists. It makes you feel like somebody is listening...
Am I missing something?
When they say "For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus..." do they mean the 20 months prior to the shows they played for the last year? the hiatus was '75, not '76....
On another note. Anyone have any idea of what the price is likely to be on the FLAC version?
A REAL TREAT
The lossless dowloading option is a great option for those unable to get this new set, and a very clever system which I hope will be applied to all future releases. Having at least five Dead releases a year is really a reason to celebrate. The prize of this box is quite accesible, just compare it with that of releases by other groups! Few bands take so much care of their archives and put so much effort in offering more and more to their fans everyday, and I really mean it.I must say, though, that 1977 is not my favorite year, but it makes great listening anyway, and I know most fans cherish this tour and were longing for something like this. I would love a Complete Winterland 1974 box someday, and, of course, Veneta '72. Keep them coming!
When they say "For a band
When they say "For a band resurrecting itself after a 20-month hiatus..." do they mean the 20 months prior to the shows they played for the last year? the hiatus was '75, not '76....
Given that the band only had one 20 month hiatus, I'm going to guess that they are referring to the one that started in November '74. I don't think they are trying to suggest that these are the first concerts played after the hiatus, but that they are in the ongoing process of "resurrecting" their live shows after the prolonged time off.
dimensions?
Could we get dimensions of this box? I like the size of the Winterand 73 and 77 boxes. This looks comparable to the Spring 1990 box is size. Small and compact works for me.Does anyone know if your CC is charged at purchase or when the box ships? It is usually when the box ships.
This is a very sweet box set and offered early in the year. Makes me wonder if another box set will be offered later in the year.
I was very surprised on a 77 release. I was thinking it would have been a 73 or 74 box.
Many thanks for all the releases!
Price
On another note. Anyone have any idea of what the price is likely to be on the FLAC version?If past is any precedent, GDM will charge the exact same price for the FLAC version. Sorry this should have posted under the comment of the person who asked about download price.
I'm Going GAH, GAH Over This / What a Steal !
What a treat, Christmas came early. Any Grateful Dead Head knows how special and unique certain years of the bands shows were.And 1977 is one of those tours that gets my antenna's attention. The best part is that I don't have to wait a year for it to get shipped. Just 4 short weeks. Well worth the total cost of $162 divided by 14 Betty Boards is $11 a HDCD. What a Steal.
Cub sez: Do not delay,Tell your tour buddies today.
Casual fans will buy this
Allman, I too prefer the more compact box sets, but I went ahead and ordered this anyway (I'm pretty sure it is DVD case height from the pic).
I think this will sell out faster than some think, because the "audience" is bigger. It's got that nice promo in Rolling Stone with two really great samples - a lot of Rolling Stone readers who aren't Deadheads might snap this up because May '77 is known even to casual fans who own just a few Dead albums.
Anyway, I decided I better not wait...
Too good to pass up
Yes, these shows have been "around" for a while now, but they are too good not to have in enhanced pristine sound quality & with informative essays to read about the shows (which I think is one of the very underrated things about official Dead releases like this. I love reading about what made a particular performance special, and many of these are just that.)
If I really had my druthers I'd prefer a box set from the Fall tour of '77 (let's say 10/28 thru 11/4, just for fun), but I aint gonna quibble about these excellent May shows. In particular I'm really excited about 5/13 which contains one of the all-time greatest SCARLET>FIRES ever, and that's saying a lot. That whole show is very under-appreciated, and 5/17 is no slouch either (all-time JACKAROE and a beautiful TERRAPIN.
But who am I kidding? When it comes to releases like this I'm like Zellwegger in "Jerry Maguire" ("You had me at 1977 ;-)
Jack-a-roe
@GrendelWhen you mentioned Jack-a-roe, I checked and yes, it's the one from Fallout from the Phil zone. Indeed the all time version, as far as I know. So we (probably) all have it, but nice to hear it in context!
MAY 1977
THIS LOOKS LIKE A GOOD BOX SET BUT THEY SHOULD HAVE MADE IT AN AWESOME BOX SET.THESE SHOW SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED IN THIS BOX SET:
05-05-1977 NEW HAVEN, CT
05-07-1977 BUFFALO, NY
05-08-1977 ITHACA, NY
O5-09-1977 BUFFALO, NY
ALONG WITH THESE SHOWS THAT ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE BOX SET:
05-11-1977 ST. PAUL, MN
05-12-1977 CHICAGO, IL
05-13-1977 CHICAGO, IL
05-15-1977 ST. LOUIS, MO.
05-17-1977 TUSCALOOSA, AL.
NOW THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AWESOME BOX SET, IF YOUR GOING TO DO SOMETHING, DO IT RIGHT OR DON'T DO IT AT ALL. THEN FOR A CHRISTMAS PRESENT FOR US, YOU PUT OUT THE PALLADIUM, NEW YORK, NY 5 SHOW BOX SET FROM 04-29-1977 TO 05-04-1977 (MONDAY 05-02-1977 WAS AN OFF DAY).
nice set...
I would rather have the Winterland set if I had to choose one, but this looks pretty sharp as fine archival product. I love my 3 CDRs from St. Paul, and I have always wanted to hear Tuscaloosa. I had the St. Louis show in great aud for years. I will buy all these via FLAC download. However, no Morning Dew, no Help-Slip and no Franklin's Tower. When I reach for some Spring '77, first choice will likely always be 4/23, 5/7, 5/8, 5/9 and the June Winterland shows.
Jack a Roe '77
@Roland
I love the slow, groovy '77 versions much more than the later-day speeded out versions. Jerry sounds a little (maybe a lot) like he's channeling Mark Knopfler in his playing on those '77 jacks, especially in the opening riffs!
This isn't a Burger King Spaulding!
You'll Get Nothing and Like It (Ted Knight-Caddyshack)
Were these shows all captured using the same calibrated equipment or the same remote truck ?
Personally I'd like a bonus disc of the Philadelphia SPECTRUM's EarthDay '77 show
Set 1
Promised Land >
Mississippi Half-Step
Looks Like Rain
Deal
El Paso
Tennessee Jed
Estimated Prophet
Peggy-O
Playin' in the Band
Set 2
Scarlet Begonias >
Fire on the Mountain
Samson and Delilah
It Must Have Been the Roses
Dancin' in the Streets >
Mojo > (1st time played)
Dancin' in the Streets >
The Wheel
- encore -
Terrapin Station
I can't wait to finish listening to my Furthur Tour and burning those disc
so I can pull out all of my 77 cassettes, and CD's for a new wall display next to the Jerry Shrine
along with Dick's Pick's "Englishtown's Raceway Park" Labor Day show 1977.
That was a first show for many tristate DeadHeads and was a FM broadcast all over NYC and NJ and PA.
What a great recruiting tool, Free Dead.
Cheers !
jcub2010@gmail.com
Not in the @#!%$^%! Vault
Maybe the new header for this website should be: 5/5/77 through 5/9/77 is not in the M2#$%@#! Vault!!!!!!
Or when people register for Dead.net they could receive an automatic email that says, "Oh by the way, 5/5/77 through 5/9/77 is NOT IN THE @#$%!!@#@ Vault!!~!!!
:-O)
PS - 5/5/77 through 5/9/77 is not in the Vault.
2 great shows, 3 ok shows
think I'll pass on this one, but you all go ahead, I agree with a lot that has been said ie other dates to include in this box, keep the first and the last, add three others in place of the others and then you would have a great box, not an ok box with 2 great shows. This is just rhino's way of making big cash on so-so shows, "let's include them with these great shows, that way we make max dollars off of the vault." Besides, it will be available forever via download so what's the big deal again? by the way, love DP's 6, best release in a long time.
Too Late to Add a Bonus for Pre-Orders?
Would really be nice to have a bonus disc added to this new box set. My still awesome Winterland 77 box now has a superfluous bonus disc. C'mon David make it happen, we deserve it. If anything it'll definitely increase the pre-orders. This set "May" sell out at some point, but it'll probably take a few months. The Winterland June 77 box is still (thankfully) available years later.
Splendid Muttley, Splendid!
Top news and purchase made. If the missus asks, it was only 50 quid...
Shame we couldnt have had an unreleased show with HOTW/S/FT from the tour. It's my favourite piece of music (by anyone, not just the Dead) and the versions from Buffalo (on a boot I've got) and Dicks 3 (Florida pines?) are stunning. Garcia's playing on those 2 Franklin's Towers were inspired so it would have been good to here other examples.
A minor gripe of course. Keep 'em coming...
Does Preorder w/Debit Card hold $ funds now or @ Shipping date??
1. Has anyone preordered w/Debit Card???
2 .If yes are your funds being held now or will you be charged when it ships?
52 different songs
By my count, these five shows saw the Dead play 52 different songs (counting Drums and Space). The usual '77 suspects were repeated five times (Estimated, BEW, Samson). I was surprised at some that weren't repeated more - like The Music Never Stopped, played only once. Me and My Uncle only played once, how sad. Also kind of cool that all three Chuck Berry covers are played, but only once each (Promised, Around, JBG).
Anyway, here is the list - songs are listed in the order the appear first in the setlists. Song titles followed by the number of times played. Enjoy:
Promised Land – 1
TLEO – 3
Big River – 2
Loser – 1
LLR – 3
Ramble – 2
Jack Straw – 2
Peggy-O – 2
El Paso – 3
Deal – 1
LL-Supplication – 2
Sugaree – 1
Samson and D – 5
BEW – 5
Estimated – 5
Scar-Fire – 3
Good Lovin – 2
UJB – 2
Space – 1
Wharf Rat – 2
Around – 1
Brokedown – 1
Bertha – 4
MAMU – 1 (!)
T-Jed – 3
Cassidy – 2
Minglewood – 4
Miss Half Step – 2
Dancin – 2
Sunrise – 2
Terrapin – 2
PITB – 2
Drums – 4
NFA – 2
Comes a Time – 1
JBG – 1
TMNS – 1 (!)
FOTD – 1
Jack-A-Roe – 3
Other One – 1
Stella Blue – 1
GDTRFB – 1
OMSN – 1
US Blues – 1
Row Jimmy – 1
Passenger – 2
Eyes – 1
Ship of Fools – 1
St. Stephen – 1
Iko-Iko – 1
Sugar Mag – 2
High Time – 1
nearly identical
is anyone else a bit put off by the fact that all 5 shows are so repetitive? you'd think the powers that be could find a 5 show run with more variety. the palladium shows would have been a better choice IMO.
----
product sku
081227965365