Grateful Dead -
Unknown date, probably early to mid 1967 (formerly "November 19, 1967")
Unknown location
practice session

Recording Info:

Source #1: SBD -> ?? -> 7th gen cassette (stereo) -> wav -> FLAC
Source #2: SBD -> ?? -> unknown gen cassette (mono) -> CDR -> wav via EAC -> FLAC


d1t01 - Lovelight take 1		 [0:41] = [0:22] ; Lovelight [0:17] ; [0:02] ;
d1t02 - Lovelight take 2		 [1:26] = Lovelight [0:44] ; [0:42] ;
d1t03 - Lovelight take 3		 [2:16] = Lovelight [0:47] ; [1:29] ;
d1t04 - Lovelight take 4		 [2:04] = Lovelight [0:33] ; [1:31] ;
d1t05 - Lovelight take 5		 [1:05] = Lovelight [0:57] ; [0:08] ;
d1t06 - Lovelight take 6		[10:57] = Lovelight [10:52] ; [0:05] ;
d1t07 - dead air			 [7:04] = [7:04]
d1t08 - "let it shine" vocal rehearsals	 [3:06] = [3:06]
d1t09 - Lovelight take 7		 [0:58] = Lovelight [0:45] ; (1) [0:13] ;
d1t10 - Lovelight take 8		 [0:34] = Lovelight [0:32] ; [0:02] ;
d1t11 - Lovelight take 9		 [0:55] = Lovelight [0:38] ; [0:17] ;
d1t12 - Lovelight take 10		 [1:26] = Lovelight [0:43] ; (2)[0:43] ;
d1t13 - Lovelight take 11		 [2:46] = Lovelight [2:13] ; [0:33] ;
d1t14 - Lovelight take 12		 [1:44] = Lovelight [0:48] ; [0:56] ;
d1t15 - Lovelight take 13		 [2:25] = Lovelight [1:41] ; (3) [0:44] ;
d1t16 - Lovelight take 14		 [2:38] = Lovelight [2:06] ; [0:32] ;
d1t17 - Lovelight take 15//		 [2:47] = Lovelight [2:47#]


(1) Jerry: "It should be loud because that's the melody you know. It should be out over the others."

(2) Jerry: "Let's go over it a time or two and get the arrangement. Hey Pig, do you want to do two verses and then into that uh drum business?  Well let's, let's decide that because that, that's uh..."  Phil: "Bring some more grub man."  Jerry: "Ok that would be the stomp because..."

(3) How many verses do you want to go through on Lovelight?  I think two, two and then a drum thing. And then after, after the bridge come on back and start get back into Lovelight.  Play it man. And you'll have to play organ too. Give us a signal then, at the end. At the end, go back into the regular bar solo. Go back into the regular again. Go back into a regular verse at the end and go 'shine, shine, shine, let it shine'.



Notes:

Source #1: 7th gen cassette (stereo) was used for takes 2-14 (tracks 2 through 16).

Source #2: unknown gen cassette (mono) was used for takes 1 and 15 (tracks 1 and 17).

Source #2 was of lower quality, but had an extra take at the beginning and another at the end,

The take numbers are not spoken on the recording, but are listed for reference.




This was commonly traded on cassette, dated as "11/19/67".  The 45 minute segment has never circulated in digital format till now, with the exception of take 6 which is part of:

gd1967-11-xx.sbd.studio.81259.flac16

as well as:

gd67-10-20.studio.poynton-sirmick.85631.sbeok.flac16




This Lovelight practice session is now labelled as gd67-xx-xx.  There are several reasons to conclude it was made before November 19, 1967 - in fact before August 5, 1967 (currently the earliest known live Lovelight):

- Most importantly, from the talking between takes it is clear they are working out the arrangement. Maybe this the first time they are playing it?

- Definitely only one drummer

- Pigpen sings it a bit differently; in fact he only sings the first verse, over and over.

- The band doesn't have any backing vocals except the "let it shine" bit, which was dropped & never appears live.

- The guitar parts are much simpler - on 8/5/67 they're a lot more complex & bouncy.

- They don't have a transition after the first verse.  By 8/5/67 they have a smoother drum transition.

- Garcia doesn't have his soloing down for this song at all, and doesn't seem to have worked out any part other than the chords.




Dave Sorochty August 4, 2013

