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D Chase's Collection

Grateful Dead   02/01/1966

Viola Lee Blues Rehearsals, Los Angeles, CA
Source Owsley's Master Reel->?->DAT->WAV(SBEok)->FLAC
Media cdr   1 disc
Notes A fascinating glimpse of extremely early Grateful Dead, with the band arranging and rehearsing Viola Lee Blues, the song that would blow many a mind on their first LP, the following year. Legendary LSD chemist and soundman Owsley Stanley mixed and recorded this rehearsal session and can also be heard communicating with the band. The recording is excellent quality and sounds like a studio recording. The band does multiple takes of Viola Lee Blues as they discuss and develop the arrangement, with Garcia, Pigpen and Weir all taking a stab at lead vocals. The earliest known live performance of this song is dated February 23, 1966, so this is presumed to be recorded sometime prior to that, in January or early February of 1966. This is one of the earliest surviving Grateful Dead recordings.
Tech Notes (Source tape cuts at 15:37 on track 20)
Trades Allowed Yes   Traded from: bt.etree.org
Owned by D Chase · Last Updated May 23, 2023