.gif)
Dark Star (song)
Encyclopedia
"Dark Star" is a song
released as a single
by the Grateful Dead
. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter
and composed by lead guitarist Jerry Garcia
; however, compositional credit is sometimes extended to include Phil Lesh
, Bill Kreutzmann
, Mickey Hart
, the late Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bob Weir
. "Dark Star" was an early Grateful Dead classic and became one of their most loved and anticipated numbers, often with the group using it as a vehicle for musical improvisation sessions that extended beyond the original structure of the song. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
Dark Star was the epitome of Grateful Dead's approach to live music and group think. Their most exploratory renditions have never been equaled or copied within context of a rock n' roll performance or recording. Using improvisation techniques, such as playing without meter, let the band to work with ideas that no other rock band would explore, let alone exploit. Jerry Garcia's playing, was often the catalyst to many musical themes that would be nonce to that performance.
, who would become a longtime collaborator with the Grateful Dead, arrived in California and overheard the band playing around with the track. He immediately sat down and wrote the opening line, contributing the lyrics and name of the song.
", a track written by rhythm guitarist Bob Weir
. The single, to quote Phil Lesh
, "sank like a stone."
Due to the relentless touring of the Grateful Dead, and the fact that fans were allowed to tape the band's shows, many live versions of "Dark Star" exist. Interesting to note: the studio recording of Dark Star lasted only 2:40, yet the song was known for its lengthy live performances, many of which clocked in at 20–30 minutes. Running over 23 minutes (13 minutes of it consisting of Jerry Garcia's guitar solo), the popular rendition as found on the Live/Dead
live album was a captivating blend of psychedelia
, jazz
, and jam
elements. "Dark Star" defines the Dead's early improvisational music.
There is spirited debate over which performance of "Dark Star" ran the longest. The December 6, 1973 rendition is sometimes credited as being the longest uninterrupted performance of the song lasting 43:27. The “Dark Star” from August 28, 1969 has been cited as lasting 63:51, although this includes a 9:49 jam on the theme of another song of the band called "The Eleven." Some purists point out that this performance was not by the Grateful Dead, but by “Mickey and the Hartbeats,” the name adopted for shows that band members played in 1968 and 1969 without Weir or McKernan.
After 1973, for several years, "Dark Star" fell out of the normal rotation at Dead shows, and after 1974 became quite rare. Being present for a "Dark Star" performance became a "Holy Grail
" for Deadheads. The song became so legendary that it was often referred to as "IT" by dedicated Heads. Knowing this, the Dead would sometimes tease the song's introduction before switching into another song, finally bringing it back in the end of the seventies with New Years 1978, the closing of Winterland. (Semi-regular guest pianist Bruce Hornsby
would later incorporate such teases into his own concerts, knowing a good number of Deadheads might be in attendance.)
After the New Years 1981 show "Dark Star" would only appear once more in the first half of the eighties (at the Hearst Greek Theatre
in July 1984) and would lay dormant until revived at the legendary "Formerly The Warlocks" Hampton Coliseum two-day run on October 9, 1989. After its 1989 revival, this song would become a dreadnought, performed frequently through 1990, and occasionally through the rest of the band's career. A memorable post-revival Dark Star is from The Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, March 29, 1990 - with jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis
sitting in with the band. One of these performances was featured in the syndicated The Grateful Dead Hour radio program, extending the song's legend somewhat outside the inner circle of Deadheads.
In 1993, Phil Lesh
approached music collage artist John Oswald
to do a project with "Dark Star." He was given over a hundred different performances of the song from between 1968 and 1993. Oswald then built, layered, and "folded" these many performances to produce one large, recomposed version, just sixteen minutes short of two hours in length. The project is called Grayfolded
. This is the only recording known to include performances by every member of the group, from inception in 1965 through 1995.
, New York, N.Y.
April 29, 1972 Musikhalle, Hamburg
, West Germany
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
by the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter
Robert Hunter (lyricist)
Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
and composed by lead guitarist Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
; however, compositional credit is sometimes extended to include Phil Lesh
Phil Lesh
Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
, Bill Kreutzmann
Bill Kreutzmann
Bill Kreutzmann is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career...
, Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart
Mickey Hart is an American percussionist and musicologist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band the Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 to February 1971, and from October 1974 to August 1995...
, the late Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, and Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
. "Dark Star" was an early Grateful Dead classic and became one of their most loved and anticipated numbers, often with the group using it as a vehicle for musical improvisation sessions that extended beyond the original structure of the song. The song is included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll list.
Dark Star was the epitome of Grateful Dead's approach to live music and group think. Their most exploratory renditions have never been equaled or copied within context of a rock n' roll performance or recording. Using improvisation techniques, such as playing without meter, let the band to work with ideas that no other rock band would explore, let alone exploit. Jerry Garcia's playing, was often the catalyst to many musical themes that would be nonce to that performance.
Composition
In May 1967, Garcia composed the preliminary chords of the song, but it was at the time without lyrics. A handful of months later, Robert HunterRobert Hunter (lyricist)
Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
, who would become a longtime collaborator with the Grateful Dead, arrived in California and overheard the band playing around with the track. He immediately sat down and wrote the opening line, contributing the lyrics and name of the song.
History
"Dark Star" was initially released as a two-minute single in 1968, backed with "Born Cross-EyedBorn Cross-Eyed
Born Cross-Eyed is an original composition by the San Francisco, CA Psychedelic rock group the Grateful Dead. It was written by rhythm guitarist Bob Weir during the band's sessions creating the album Anthem of the Sun, produced by David Hassinger, in 1968...
", a track written by rhythm guitarist Bob Weir
Bob Weir
Bob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
. The single, to quote Phil Lesh
Phil Lesh
Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
, "sank like a stone."
Due to the relentless touring of the Grateful Dead, and the fact that fans were allowed to tape the band's shows, many live versions of "Dark Star" exist. Interesting to note: the studio recording of Dark Star lasted only 2:40, yet the song was known for its lengthy live performances, many of which clocked in at 20–30 minutes. Running over 23 minutes (13 minutes of it consisting of Jerry Garcia's guitar solo), the popular rendition as found on the Live/Dead
Live/Dead
Live/Dead is the first official live album released by the San Francisco-based band Grateful Dead. It was recorded over a series of live concerts in early 1969 and released later in the year on November 10...
live album was a captivating blend of psychedelia
Psychedelic rock
Psychedelic rock is a style of rock music that is inspired or influenced by psychedelic culture and attempts to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues rock bands in United States and the United Kingdom...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and jam
Jam band
-Ambiguity:By the late 1990s use of the term jam band also became ambiguous. An editorial at jamband.com suggested that any band of which a primary band such as Phish has done a cover of be included as jam band. The example was including New York post-punk band Talking Heads after Phish performed...
elements. "Dark Star" defines the Dead's early improvisational music.
There is spirited debate over which performance of "Dark Star" ran the longest. The December 6, 1973 rendition is sometimes credited as being the longest uninterrupted performance of the song lasting 43:27. The “Dark Star” from August 28, 1969 has been cited as lasting 63:51, although this includes a 9:49 jam on the theme of another song of the band called "The Eleven." Some purists point out that this performance was not by the Grateful Dead, but by “Mickey and the Hartbeats,” the name adopted for shows that band members played in 1968 and 1969 without Weir or McKernan.
After 1973, for several years, "Dark Star" fell out of the normal rotation at Dead shows, and after 1974 became quite rare. Being present for a "Dark Star" performance became a "Holy Grail
Holy Grail
The Holy Grail is a sacred object figuring in literature and certain Christian traditions, most often identified with the dish, plate, or cup used by Jesus at the Last Supper and said to possess miraculous powers...
" for Deadheads. The song became so legendary that it was often referred to as "IT" by dedicated Heads. Knowing this, the Dead would sometimes tease the song's introduction before switching into another song, finally bringing it back in the end of the seventies with New Years 1978, the closing of Winterland. (Semi-regular guest pianist Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Hornsby
Bruce Randall Hornsby is an American singer, pianist, accordion player, and songwriter. Known for the spontaneity and creativity of his live performances, Hornsby draws frequently from classical, jazz, bluegrass, folk, Motown, rock, blues, and jam band musical traditions with his songwriting and...
would later incorporate such teases into his own concerts, knowing a good number of Deadheads might be in attendance.)
After the New Years 1981 show "Dark Star" would only appear once more in the first half of the eighties (at the Hearst Greek Theatre
Hearst Greek Theatre
The William Randolph Hearst Greek Theatre, known locally as simply the Greek Theatre, is an 8,500-seat amphitheater owned and operated by the University of California, Berkeley in Berkeley, California, USA....
in July 1984) and would lay dormant until revived at the legendary "Formerly The Warlocks" Hampton Coliseum two-day run on October 9, 1989. After its 1989 revival, this song would become a dreadnought, performed frequently through 1990, and occasionally through the rest of the band's career. A memorable post-revival Dark Star is from The Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, NY, March 29, 1990 - with jazz saxophonist Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis
Branford Marsalis is an American saxophonist, composer and bandleader. While primarily known for his work in jazz as the leader of the Branford Marsalis Quartet, he also performs frequently as a soloist with classical ensembles and has led the group Buckshot LeFonque.-Biography:Marsalis was born...
sitting in with the band. One of these performances was featured in the syndicated The Grateful Dead Hour radio program, extending the song's legend somewhat outside the inner circle of Deadheads.
In 1993, Phil Lesh
Phil Lesh
Phillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
approached music collage artist John Oswald
John Oswald (composer)
John Oswald is a Canadian composer, saxophonist, media artist and dancer. His best known project is Plunderphonics, the practice of making new music out of previously existing recordings .-Philosophy:Oswald coined the term "plunderphonics" to describe his craft in a paper called which he...
to do a project with "Dark Star." He was given over a hundred different performances of the song from between 1968 and 1993. Oswald then built, layered, and "folded" these many performances to produce one large, recomposed version, just sixteen minutes short of two hours in length. The project is called Grayfolded
Grayfolded
Grayfolded is an album produced by John Oswald featuring the Grateful Dead song "Dark Star". The album's name, Grayfolded, is a homophone of "Grateful Dead".-Creation:...
. This is the only recording known to include performances by every member of the group, from inception in 1965 through 1995.
Selected performances
February 13, 1970 Fillmore EastFillmore East
The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village neighborhood of the Manhattan borough of New York City. It was open from 1968 to 1971, and featured some of the biggest acts in rock music at the time...
, New York, N.Y.
April 29, 1972 Musikhalle, Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
, West Germany