Dead of the Day: 05-02-1970

Harpur College

Binghamton, New York

Our Dead of the Day brings us back to 1970 for the legendary Harpur College show. It is hard to express just how unbelievable this show is. A wonderful acoustic set leads off with some lovely versions, much like the previous night at Alfred. Each and every song is a spectacular rendition, from Don’t Ease Me In with Pig’s great harp work to the hot jam that is Cumberland. And after listening to that Uncle John’s that closes out the set, you can pretty much die happy.

Recording info
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Identifier:
gd1970-05-02.138227.sbd.miller.flac1648
Source:
SBD > Master Reel (7inch @ 7.5ips 1/2trk) > Dat/48k
Notes:
Notes: — Dat supplied By Dick Latvala — Thanks to Rich Gastwirt for his help with the project
Description:
Set 1 Don’t Ease Me In, I Know You Rider, Friend Of The Devil, Dire Wolf, Beat It On Down The Line-> Black Peter, Candyman-> Cumberland Blues, Deep Elem Blues, Cold Jordan*, Uncle John’s Band Set 2 Saint Stephen-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Drums-> The Other One-> Cryptical Envelopement-> Cosmic Charlie, Casey Jones, Good Lovin’-> Drums-> Good Lovin’, Cold Rain & Snow, It’s A Man’s World, Dancin’ In The Streets Set 3 Morning Dew, Viola Lee Blues-> Feedback-> We Bid You Good Night *with members of NRPS Other artist(s): NRPS. First set acoustic. This date is featured on Dick’s Picks 8.
Lineage:
Dat (Sony PCM-R500) > Sound Devices 744T > Adobe Audition CC 2015 >Samplitude Pro X3 Suite > FLAC/
Transferrer:
Charlie Miller
Play
Pause
Back
Forw.
Volume
00:00
1
01 Tuning
01:47
2
02 Don’t Ease Me In
02:57
3
03 I Know You Rider
07:58
4
04 Friend Of The Devil
06:03
5
05 Dire Wolf
05:01
6
06 Beat It On Down The Line
02:48
7
07 Black Peter
07:37
8
08 Candyman
01:52
9
09 Tuning
02:46
10
10 Cumberland Blues
05:53
11
11 Deep Elem Blues
07:38
12
12 Cold Jordon
02:37
13
13 Uncle John’s Band
06:34
14
14 Workin’ Man Blues
03:48
15
15 Brown Eyed Handsome Man
04:41
16
16 Truck Driving Man
03:41
17
17 If You Hear Me When I’m Leaving
06:16
18
18 Whatcha Gonna Do
04:41
19
19 All I Ever Wanted
07:16
20
20 Henry
04:20
21
21 Lodi
05:55
22
22 Saw Mill
03:27
23
23 The Race Is On
02:10
24
24 Mama Tried
03:27
25
25 Me And My Uncle
03:40
26
26 The Weight
06:33
27
27 Saint Stephen
03:35
28
28 That’s It For The Other One
28:45
29
29 Cosmic Charlie
07:24
30
30 Casey Jones
04:37
31
31 Good Lovin’
17:35
32
32 Cold Rain And Snow
08:39
33
33 It’s A Man’s World
09:26
34
34 Dancing In The Street
16:31
35
35 Morning Dew
12:51
36
36 Viola Lee Blues
16:57
37
37 And We Bid You Good Night
05:04
Choose recording

You don’t have to though, because there is an outstanding second set, beginning with an earth-shattering Stephen that heads straight into The Other One Suite, which is pure fiery bliss. Then Phil, with some quaking bombs, leads the boys into an intense Cosmic Charlie that hits you over the head with the Dead’s ridiculous powers; this song flat out rocks with its psychedelic vocals and whirly, funked out playing. The rest of the set is all equally out of sight, including the face-melting Dancin’ in the Streets that puts a cap on the set. We are not sure exactly when it will dawn on you that this is clearly one of the most epic shows ever, but it surely will be sometime during that set, if not earlier. And, what’s more, there is another set – a sort of extended encore – yet to come with, among other gems, an absurd Viola Lee. As we said, it is really difficult to put into words how incredible this show is.

This show was released as Dick’s Picks 8. While there is a decent soundboard of some of the show (the first recording above), there is no crisp version of the entire night out there, and even this partial board is wanting in quality. The Dick’s Picks is a pristine recording but does not include the Cold Rain and Snow.

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Comments

9 responses to “05-02-1970”

  1. SixHundredPoundsofSin Avatar
    SixHundredPoundsofSin

    Is this Pigpen on the vocals (mostly) for The Weight?

  2. kosiorek Avatar
    kosiorek

    Great question. It certainly sounds like Pig, but could it also be Torbert? Anyone else know anything about this?

  3. jerry fish Avatar
    jerry fish

    It’s John “Marmaduke” Dawson.

  4. Rick Brenner Avatar
    Rick Brenner

    Why is Cold Rain and Snow missing from Dick’s Picks? This has been my favorite Dead show since the ’70’s when I first heard it. In fact, I was sent a survey before Dick choose it asking what my top ten choices were for the next Dick’s Pick. I entered this show in all ten slots! I got a letter back saying I have good taste, and it was chosen! The Other One is the most incredible Garcia I’ve ever heard.

  5. Sean V Baker Avatar
    Sean V Baker

    Love the extended Jerry riff near the end of the Dancin’ In the Streets jam that is almost note-for-note as he played in Dark Star in the Live Dead album. Man.

  6. Sean O'Donnell Avatar
    Sean O’Donnell

    I bought a 3 cd set of the portland futher show 2010 I broke one of the disks by adjusting my car seat.
    Is the anyway to get a new disk

  7. Bob Webb Avatar
    Bob Webb

    New Riders collaborating?

  8. Toast in VT Avatar
    Toast in VT

    Jerry’s miss at 18:13 of The Other One makes it so much better…he WAS human!

  9. Climb14er Denver, Colorado Avatar
    Climb14er Denver, Colorado

    My first Grateful Dead show and as many know, a classic. A few months later, I entered Harpur College as an incoming freshman, graduating four years later. I heard about The Dead two years prior listening to Allison Steel, ‘The Nightbird’ on WNEW radio NYC. Used to stay up late simply to catch ‘The San Francisco Sound’, the bands she played on her show. My favorite was The Dead! I saw them with other acts at Woodstock the summer prior in 1969, but that didn’t count in my book. The Harpur show was everything to me as were a few of the shows at the Fillmore East in the City and the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester. The Harpur show was fifty four years ago and still listen to it on Dick’s Picks #8. 5-2-70, Very cool night indeed.

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