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Rich Willis's Collection

Mickey Hart's Barn Jam   08/21/1971

Mickey Hart's Barn, Novato, CA
Recording SHNID 6634
Media CDR   2 discs
Notes AUD
J-Card Comment Mickey Hart's Barn Jam
08-21-71
Novato, CA


originally recorded on Sony TC-24


Disc #1 61:14

1. Jam #1 (Fire On The Mountain-esque) 12:24
2. Wall Song> 29:27
Jam>
Wall Song
3. Jam #2 18:59
4. Noodle Part 1 :24
------------------------------------------------

Disc #2 42:35

1. Noodle Part 2 1:15
2. Jam #3 11:17
3. Jam #4 14:29
4. tuning :44
5. Ghost Riders In The Sky Jam 3:23
6. Winin' Boy Blues 3:40
7. Bye Bye Blues :57
8. Tore Down 6:50

d2t4 is one of the familiar jingles that I can't put my finger on.
Beer Barrel Polka perhaps?
==================================================================

seeded to haringthegroove by chaneysr (muddguts@cogeco.ca)


8/21/71 Notes

8/21/71 2 CDs
Mickey's Barn all 2 "Jam at Mickey's barn" from BUDD

>--------- Forwarded message ----------
>From: "Ken \"Easy Ed\" Edwards" <easyed@xxxxxxxx


Hello BUDDheads. I'm hoping you will help me determine what I have.

What I think I have is a great recording that needs to be unleashed on
the world. I'd like to send a cdr copy to one BUDD lister and one BUDD
digester, who have access to the circulating tape listed in the
Compendium, and ask them to compare the recordings and determine whether my claim is
correct, ie., that they are the same except my version is (closer to) the
source and more complete.

8-21-71 at Mickey Hart's ranch, in the barn. Garcia, Crosby, Cipollina,
Hart, Lesh, Weir and others.
Apparently it is listed in the Compendium (which I don't own- am I
allowed to admit that on this list?) as circulating as a 90 minute soundboard.

I think that's wrong for 2 reasons:

1. My buddy, Rick, who was there and made the recording I have to offer,
says there was no soundboard used that day and that no-one else was
recording. To quote Rick, "It did happen in Hart's studio/barn. I never
saw what we would call today a "soundboard."
I saw a room about half the size of a closet with a window to look into
the studio and what looked to me to be a reel to reel recorder in it not running.
The R to R thing used the standard (9 1/2" ?) tape. Everyone was playing off
amps. I can't remember if the drums were miked."

2. He and I have made analog copies from his analog master and my 1st gen
analog cassette over the years for folks, always a 90 minute version
cause that's what fits on a cassette conveniently. The complete recording is
just over 103 minutes. The recording Rick made from the audience is of
sufficient sonic quality to be mistaken for a soundboard. (The room was small and
he was able to place the mikes exactly where he wanted to).

If I am not mistaken, then, now that I have made a nice digital transfer
from the original analog master cassettes, the complete recording should
be made available, and the BUDD list is a good place to do it.

More specifics:

Recorded on 8/21/71 by my buddy Rick, who did a lot of taping, starting
in the 60's. He recorded the 1982 Dinosaurs/Cotati shows that I made into
a 5 cdr set and had treed earlier this year.
(http://www.telerama.com/~ffrink/dinoscdrtree.htm
http://members.xoom.com/skjelly/dinos.html)

Rick shared these words about this recording:

"The New Riders of the Purple Sage were going to be taped by KQED (PBS)
at Mickey Hart's Ranch in Novato and a friend asked me if I wanted to go
(thanks Michael!). When we arrived, a stage was setup outside and there
were lots of familiar San Francisco music scene people and their families
present. The vibes were hip, and good, to say the least. The opening
group was Shanti, followed by the New Riders. When the taping was finished some
musicians meandered into Mickey's barn where he had a modest recording
studio set up. When I walked in Jerry Garcia and David Crosby were trying
some things out (Fresh Green Grass). I turned on my cassette recorder,
lashed my mic to an open mic stand, and sat down to enjoy a remarkable
early evening of music. Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bob Weir, John Cipollina and
others floated in and out of the lineup. At some point Crosby left, then
Garcia. John had come in and had picked up a Rickenbacker slide guitar*
that he detailed with his characteristic Quicksilver sound. He went to
his car for his ax and came back to do his part in this recipe for jam. I
taped until they all stopped, we all said good-bye and left.. Enjoy this
recording of a spontaneous day. Recorded on a Sony TC-24 with supplied Sony stereo
mic**.
Not a bad unit for the day."

[* Rick adds "It probably was a Rickenbacker. It was the small grey kind
you could put on your lap and play."
** it was the mike that came with the recorder- don't remember the
microphone model #]

Easy Ed adds: the master analog cassettes were played back with no Dolby
in a Nakamichi Dragon to transfer to a Sony D7 DAT, which was then
transferred to PC via optical digital cable (DTC-700 was the playback unit) through a
Zefiro ZA2 soundcard, tracked and normalized in Sound Forge and burned to 2 cdrs (61:47 and 42:41) using CD Architect. Nothing from the original tapes was omitted; one or two quick
fades were done to make cuts less abrupt.

As you can hear, Rick paused his recorder in-between 'songs' or 'jams'
that day. Rick adds, "My tape has some bits of me asking a guy near me to be quiet.
I go shhhhhhh and say something"
Easy Ed adds: that is a beautiful thing, Rick asking that person not to
play tambourine right near his microphone, which tapers all over the world should be
thankful for and take lesson from. Even if they could keep a beat, which this person couldn't quite do.

Copies of this recording have been made for a few folks over the years,
but only analog copies. This is the first time a digital transfer has been
made directly from the master tapes.

There is a fair amount of Jerry in this recording, at least 20 minutes
of good early 70's Jerry jamming. David Crosby plays guitar a bit and sings
intermittently on one 'song'. Phil is all over this recording. Mickey is
all over it. There is a fair amount of Cipollina, he's on over half the material I'd
guess. Bobby sings a song, Winin' Boy, I think. There is also brief appearances
by a couple of other folks contributing to the musical jam, who's identities Rick didn't know/can't remember and whom I don't recognize either.

Again, what I'm asking for is one lister and one digester, who have
access to the known circulating version of this show, to whom I can sent the
cdrs (2 audio or one shorten),who will them compare and let me and the BUDD list know what they think.

Thanks in advance,
Easy Ed

PS. Rick's commitments preclude him from taking the time to deal with
the details of spreading this recording, as much as he shares our enthusiasm for the
music and the taping of the music and the sharing of the music.
Trades Allowed Yes
SHNID 6634
Hart Jam: Garcia, Lesh, Crosby, And others:Recorded on a Sony TC-24 with
supplied Sony stereo mic**.
Owned by Rich Willis · Last Updated Jun 27, 2005