Touch of Grey
Encyclopedia
"Touch of Grey" is a 1987 single by the Grateful Dead
, and is the band's biggest commercial hit
. The song is known for its refrain
"I will get by / I will survive". It combines non sequitur
lyrics with a pop tempo. The music was written by Jerry Garcia
, and the words are by Robert Hunter
. It was also released as a music video, the first one by the Grateful Dead.
First performed as an encore on September 15, 1982 at the Capital Centre
in Landover, Maryland
, it was finally released on In the Dark in 1987, and went to the top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100
and number 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
chart, the only song by the band ever to do so on both charts. It was released as a single with "My Brother Esau" and later "Throwing Stones", and has appeared on a number of album
s and collections.
gained major airplay on MTV
and featured a live performance of the band, first shown to be life-size skeleton
marionette
s dressed as the band, then as themselves. The video's popularity helped introduce the Grateful Dead to a new generation of fans, resulting in the Grateful Dead gaining mainstream attention after years of existing on the fringes of the music scene. The video was directed by Gary Gutierrez, who had previously created the animation sequences for The Grateful Dead Movie
.
, about the production of the video. The documentary was directed by Justin Kreutzmann, the son of drummer Bill Kreutzmann
.
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...
, and is the band's biggest commercial hit
Hit single
A hit single is a recorded song or instrumental released as a single that has become very popular. Although it is sometimes used to describe any widely-played or big-selling song, the term "hit" is usually reserved for a single that has appeared in an official music chart through repeated radio...
. The song is known for its refrain
Refrain
A refrain is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the "chorus" of a song...
"I will get by / I will survive". It combines non sequitur
Non sequitur (absurdism)
A non sequitur is a conversational and literary device, often used for comedic purposes. It is a comment that, because of its apparent lack of meaning relative to what it follows, seems absurd to the point of being humorous or confusing....
lyrics with a pop tempo. The music was written by 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...
, and the words are by 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...
. It was also released as a music video, the first one by the Grateful Dead.
First performed as an encore on September 15, 1982 at the Capital Centre
Capital Centre
The Capital Centre was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland, unincorporated Prince George's County, Maryland; a suburb of Washington, D.C. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey....
in Landover, Maryland
Landover, Maryland
Landover is an unincorporated community in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States, within the census-designated place of Greater Landover. The Prince Georges County Sports and Learning Complex is in Landover...
, it was finally released on In the Dark in 1987, and went to the top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and number 1 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks
Mainstream Rock Tracks
Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks is a ranking in Billboard magazine of the most-played songs on mainstream rock radio stations, a category that includes stations that play primarily rock music. Modern rock tracks are counted in the Alternative Songs chart.This chart began with the March 21, 1981, issue...
chart, the only song by the band ever to do so on both charts. It was released as a single with "My Brother Esau" and later "Throwing Stones", and has appeared on a number of album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
s and collections.
Music video
Its videoMusic video
A music video or song video is a short film integrating a song and imagery, produced for promotional or artistic purposes. Modern music videos are primarily made and used as a marketing device intended to promote the sale of music recordings...
gained major airplay on MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and featured a live performance of the band, first shown to be life-size skeleton
Skeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
marionette
Marionette
A marionette is a puppet controlled from above using wires or strings depending on regional variations. A marionette's puppeteer is called a manipulator. Marionettes are operated with the puppeteer hidden or revealed to an audience by using a vertical or horizontal control bar in different forms...
s dressed as the band, then as themselves. The video's popularity helped introduce the Grateful Dead to a new generation of fans, resulting in the Grateful Dead gaining mainstream attention after years of existing on the fringes of the music scene. The video was directed by Gary Gutierrez, who had previously created the animation sequences for The Grateful Dead Movie
The Grateful Dead Movie
The Grateful Dead Movie, released in 1977 and directed by Jerry Garcia, is a film that captures performances from the Grateful Dead's October 1974 five-night stand at the Winterland Ballroom in San Francisco. This end-of-tour run marked the beginning of an extended hiatus for the band, with no...
.
Video documentary
The Grateful Dead also released a 30-minute documentary called Dead Ringers: The Making of Touch of GreyDead Ringers: The Making of Touch of Grey
Dead Ringers: The Making of Touch of Grey is a music documentary film about the American rock group the Grateful Dead. It depicts the production of the band's first music video, for their song "Touch of Grey"....
, about the production of the video. The documentary was directed by Justin Kreutzmann, the son of drummer 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...
.