''Electric on the Eel'' is a live album by the

Jerry Garcia Band The Jerry Garcia Band was a San Francisco Bay Area rock band led by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. Garcia founded the band in 1975; it remained the most important of his various side projects until his death in 1995. The band regularly tour ...

. It contains three complete concerts on six CDs. The shows were recorded on August 29, 1987, June 10, 1989, and August 10, 1991 at French's Camp in

Piercy, California Piercy is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California. It is located on the South Fork of the Eel River, north-northwest of Leggett, at an elevation of . The first post office at Piercy opened in 1920. The name honors Sam Pie ...

, near the Eel River. The album was released on March 15, 2019. The three performances were promoted by Bill Graham and

Wavy Gravy Hugh Nanton Romney Jr. (born May 15, 1936), known as Wavy Gravy, is an American entertainer and peace activism, activist best known for his role at Woodstock, as well as for his hippie persona and counterculture of the 1960s, countercultural be ...

as benefit concerts for the nearby

Hog Farm The Hog Farm is an organization considered America's longest running hippie commune. Beginning as a collective in North Hollywood, California, during the 1960s, a later move to an actual hog farm in Tujunga, California gave the group its na ...

commune. They featured the mid-1980s to early-1990s lineup of the Jerry Garcia Band –

Jerry Garcia Jerome John Garcia (August 1, 1942 – August 9, 1995) was an American musician best known for being the principal songwriter, lead guitarist, and a vocalist with the rock band Grateful Dead, which he co-founded and which came to prominence ...

on guitar and vocals,

Melvin Seals Melvin Seals (born 1953 in San Francisco, California) is an American musician, best known as a longtime member of the Jerry Garcia Band. Early life and career Melvin Seals began playing piano at age eight and began his musical adventure playin ...

on keyboards,

John Kahn John Kahn (June 13, 1947 – May 30, 1996) was an American electric and acoustic bassist. From 1970 to 1995, Kahn was Jerry Garcia's principal musical collaborator outside of the Grateful Dead. Biography John Kahn was born in Memphis, Tennessee ...

on bass,

David Kemper David Law Kemper (born 1947/8 in Chicago, Illinois) is an American rock drummer who was a member of the Jerry Garcia Band (1983–1994) and Bob Dylan's band (1996–2001). He was with the Jerry Garcia Band from 1983 until January 1994, when he w ...

on drums, and Gloria Jones and Jaclyn LaBranch on vocals. Some copies of the album include a bonus disc called ''Acoustic on the Eel'', recorded by the

Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band The Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band (JGAB) was a band (music), band formed by Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead. They played a number of concerts in 1987 and 1988, and subsequently released two live album, live albums. Band members *Jerry Garcia ...

at the August 29, 1987 concert. Additionally, ''Electric on the Eel: August 10th, 1991'', a four-disc

vinyl LP The LP (from "long playing" or "long play") is an analog sound storage medium, a phonograph record format characterized by: a speed of rpm; a 12- or 10-inch (30- or 25-cm) diameter; use of the "microgroove" groove specification; and a ...

recording of that concert, was released on April 13, 2019 as part of

Record Store Day Record Store Day is an annual event inaugurated in 2007 and held on one Saturday (typically the third) every April and every Black Friday in November to "celebrate the culture of the independently owned record store". The day brings together fa ...

Release and reception

''Electric on the Eel'' debuted at number 1 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart, and at number 154 on the

Billboard 200 The ''Billboard'' 200 is a record chart ranking the 200 most popular music albums and EPs in the United States. It is published weekly by '' Billboard'' magazine and is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of art ...

. On ''

Pitchfork A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves. The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...

'', Jessie Jarnow wrote, "

he recordings He or HE may refer to: Language * He (pronoun), an English pronoun * He (kana), the romanization of the Japanese kana へ * He (letter), the fifth letter of many Semitic alphabets * He (Cyrillic), a letter of the Cyrillic script called ''He'' ...

show Jerry Garcia at both the height of his fame and simultaneously escaping into his not-so-secret identity: himself.... e scope of the set is also a fine way for the Jerry-curious to take a deeper dive into what many consider to be the Garcia Band's golden period.... Its six discs are both a comprehensive document of the group's penultimate lineup and a fine introduction to the Jerry Garcia Band at their best, music to make the hassles disappear." On

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

, Timothy Monger wrote, "Captured during the height of Garcia's late-period fame, these sets have a joyful and relaxed air to them, as did many of the Jerry Garcia Band shows of that era which often provided to him a sense of escapism from the touring and cultural behemoth that the Grateful Dead had become." ''Glide Magazine'' said, "The six compact discs document a period in which this iconic musician was, arguably, as fully and joyfully engaged in such musical endeavors as any other time prior to his untimely passing in 1995.... Though the box set proper focuses on the electric sets, an ''Acoustic on the Eel'' bonus disc is also available exclusively at independent record stores and through JerryGarcia.com and it complements the primary contents..."

Track listing

Disc 1 :''August 29, 1987 – first set:'' # "

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You) "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" is a song recorded by American soul singer Marvin Gaye from his fifth studio album of the same name (1965). It was written in 1964 by the Motown songwriting team of Holland–Dozier–Holland, and produced ...

" (

Lamont Dozier Lamont Herbert Dozier (; June 16, 1941 – August 8, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter, and record producer from Detroit, Michigan. He co-wrote and produced 14 US ''Billboard'' number-one hits and four number ones in the UK. Career Doz ...

Brian Holland Brian Holland (born February 15, 1941) is an American songwriter and record producer, best known as a member of Holland–Dozier–Holland, the songwriting and production team that was responsible for much of the Motown sound, and numerous hit ...

Eddie Holland Edward Holland Jr. (born October 30, 1939) is an American singer, songwriter, and record producer. Holland was born in Detroit, Michigan, United States. Although he was an early Motown artist who recorded minor hit singles such as "Jamie", ...

) – 7:10 # " Forever Young" (

Bob Dylan Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...

) – 7:22 # "

Get Out of My Life, Woman "Get Out of My Life, Woman" is a song written by Allen Toussaint and first recorded by Lee Dorsey. It reached number five on the U.S. ''Billboard'' R&B chart and number 44 on the Hot 100 singles chart in 1966. Background In a song review for Al ...

" (

Allen Toussaint Allen Richard Toussaint (; January 14, 1938 – November 10, 2015) was an American musician, songwriter, arranger and record producer. He was an influential figure in New Orleans rhythm and blues from the 1950s to the end of the century, descri ...

) – 6:46 # "Run for the Roses" (

, Robert Hunter) – 5:16 # "

And It Stoned Me "And It Stoned Me" is a song by Northern Ireland, Northern Irish singer-songwriter Van Morrison. It is the opening track on his 1970 solo album, ''Moondance''. Composition and recording "And It Stoned Me" was recorded in summer 1969 at Warner Pub ...

" (

Van Morrison Sir George Ivan Morrison (born 31 August 1945), known professionally as Van Morrison, is a Northern Irish singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist whose recording career spans seven decades. He has won two Grammy Awards. As a teenager in t ...

) – 6:14 # "My Sisters and Brothers" (Charles Johnson) – 4:01 # "Deal" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:58 Disc 2 :''August 29, 1987 – second set:'' # "

The Harder They Come ''The Harder They Come'' is a 1972 Jamaican crime film directed by Perry Henzell and co-written by Trevor D. Rhone, and starring Jimmy Cliff. The film is most famous for its reggae soundtrack that is said to have "brought reggae to the world". ...

" (

Jimmy Cliff James Chambers OM (born 30 July 1944), known professionally as Jimmy Cliff, is a Jamaican ska, rocksteady, reggae and soul musician, multi-instrumentalist, singer, and actor. He is the only living reggae musician to hold the Order of Merit, t ...

) – 10:25 # "

I Shall Be Released "I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan. Dylan recorded two primary versions. The first recording was made in collaboration with the Band during the Basement Tapes sessions in 1967, and released on '' The Bootleg Series Volu ...

" (Dylan) – 7:28 # "Think" (

Jimmy McCracklin James David Walker Jr. (August 13, 1921 – December 20, 2012), better known by his stage name Jimmy McCracklin, was an American pianist, vocalist, and songwriter. His style contained West Coast blues, Jump blues, and R&B. Over a career tha ...

Deadric Malone Don Deadric Robey (November 1, 1903 – June 16, 1975) was an American record label executive, songwriter, and record producer. As the founder of Peacock Records and the eventual owner of Duke Records, he was responsible for developing the caree ...

) – 6:36 # "Evangeline" (

David Hidalgo David Kent Hidalgo (born October 6, 1954, in Los Angeles.) is an American singer-songwriter, best known for his work with the band Los Lobos. Hidalgo frequently plays musical instruments such as accordion, violin, 6-string banjo, cello, requin ...

Louie Perez Louie may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Louie'' (American TV series), by comedian Louis C.K. * ''Louie'' (French TV series), animated series about a young rabbit who draws pictures which come to life * "Louie" (song), by Blood Raw * ''L ...

) – 2:57 # "Gomorrah" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:20 # " Let It Rock" (

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

) – 6:37 # "

That Lucky Old Sun "That Lucky Old Sun (Just Rolls around Heaven All Day)" is a 1949 popular song with music by Beasley Smith and words by Haven Gillespie. Background Like "Ol' Man River", its lyrics contrast the toil and intense hardship of the singer's life w ...

" (

Haven Gillespie James Lamont Gillespie (February 6, 1888 – March 14, 1975) pen name Haven Gillespie, was an American Tin Pan Alley composer and lyricist. He was the writer of "You Go to My Head", "Honey", "By the Sycamore Tree", "That Lucky Old Sun", " Breez ...

Beasley Smith John Beasley Smith (September 27, 1901 – May 14, 1968)William F. Lee, ''American Big Bands'' (Hal Leonard Corporation, 2005) p50 was an American composer and big band musician. "That Lucky Old Sun" (1949) one of his better known works, was cove ...

) – 8:30 # "

Tangled Up in Blue "Tangled Up in Blue" is a song by American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan, which was released as the opening track on his 15th studio album ''Blood on the Tracks'' (1975). The song was written by Dylan and produced by David Zimmerman, Dylan's brot ...

" (Dylan) – 9:43 Disc 3 :''June 10, 1989 – first set:'' # "I'll Take a Melody" (Toussaint) – 10:23 # "They Love Each Other" (Garcia, Hunter) – 6:20 # "Get Out of My Life Woman" (Toussaint) – 7:51 # "Run for the Roses" (Garcia, Hunter) – 5:31 # "Stop That Train" (

Peter Tosh Winston Hubert McIntosh, OM (19 October 1944 – 11 September 1987), professionally known as Peter Tosh, was a Jamaican reggae musician. Along with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer, he was one of the core members of the band the Wailers (1963� ...

) – 8:09 # "Mission in the Rain" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:41 # "My Sisters and Brothers" (Johnson) – 4:08 # "Deal" (Garcia, Hunter) – 7:25 Disc 4 :''June 10, 1989 – second set:'' # "The Harder They Come" (Cliff) – 11:16 # "Waiting for a Miracle" (

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to jazz-influenced rock and his lyrics cover a broad range of topics including human rights, environmental issues, po ...

) – 6:16 # "I Shall Be Released" (Dylan) – 10:22 # "Think" (McCracklin, Malone) – 6:54 # "I Hope It Won't Be This Way Always" (Barbara Allison) – 4:50 # " Don't Let Go" (

Jesse Stone Jesse Albert Stone (November 16, 1901 – April 1, 1999) was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres. He also used the pseudonyms Charles Calhoun and Chuck Calhoun. His best-know ...

) – 14:13 # "Evangeline" (Hidalgo, Perez) – 3:35 # "That Lucky Old Sun" (Gillespie, Smith) – 8:45 # "Tangled Up in Blue" (Bob Dylan) – 10:30 Disc 5 :''August 10, 1991 – first set:'' # "

The Way You Do the Things You Do "The Way You Do the Things You Do" is a 1964 hit single by the Temptations for the Gordy (Motown) label. Written by Miracles members Smokey Robinson and Bobby Rogers, the single was the Temptations' first charting single on the ''Billboard'' Ho ...

" (

Smokey Robinson William "Smokey" Robinson Jr. (born February 19, 1940) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and former record executive director. He was the founder and front man of the Motown vocal group the Miracles, for which he was also chief ...

Bobby Rogers Robert Edward Rogers (February 19, 1940 – March 3, 2013) was an American musician and tenor singer, best known as a member of Motown vocal group the Miracles from 1956 until his death. He was inducted, in 2012, as a member of the Miracles to t ...

) – 10:41 # "And It Stoned Me" (Morrison) – 8:25 # " You Never Can Tell (C'est La Vie)" (Berry) – 7:08 # "Waiting for a Miracle" (Cockburn) – 5:32 # "Struggling Man" (Cliff) – 6:34 # "My Sisters and Brothers" (Johnson) – 4:53 # "Deal" (Garcia, Hunter) – 8:18 Disc 6 :''August 10, 1991 – second set:'' # " Shining Star" (Paul Richmond, Leo Graham) – 11:29 # "Think" (McCracklin, Malone) – 7:13 # "

Lay Down Sally "Lay Down Sally" is a song performed by Eric Clapton, and written by Clapton, Marcy Levy, and George Terry. It appeared on his November 1977 album ''Slowhand'', and reached No. 3 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart. Background "Lay Down Sally" i ...

" (

Eric Clapton Eric Patrick Clapton (born 1945) is an English rock and blues guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He is often regarded as one of the most successful and influential guitarists in rock music. Clapton ranked second in ''Rolling Stone''s list of ...

Marcy Levy Marcella Levy (born June 21, 1952), known professionally as Marcy Levy and (later in her career) Marcella Detroit, is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist. She co-wrote the 1977 Eric Clapton hit "Lay Down Sally" and released her debut al ...

, George Terry) – 8:00 # "Twilight" (

Robbie Robertson Jaime Royal "Robbie" Robertson, OC (born July 5, 1943), is a Canadian musician. He is best known for his work as lead guitarist and songwriter for the Band, and for his career as a solo recording artist. With the deaths of Richard Manuel in ...

) – 9:24 # "See What Love Can Do" (

Jerry Lynn Williams Jerry Lynn Williams (1948–2005) was an American rock music singer and composer. He wrote such hits as " Forever Man", " See What Love Can Do", " Something's Happening", "Running on Faith" and " Pretending" for Eric Clapton. He contributed tw ...

) – 6:32 # "Lazy Bones" (

Hoagy Carmichael Hoagland Howard Carmichael (November 22, 1899 – December 27, 1981) was an American musician, composer, songwriter, actor and lawyer. Carmichael was one of the most successful Tin Pan Alley songwriters of the 1930s, and was among the first ...

Johnny Mercer John Herndon Mercer (November 18, 1909 – June 25, 1976) was an American lyricist, songwriter, and singer, as well as a record label executive who co-founded Capitol Records with music industry businessmen Buddy DeSylva and Glenn E. Wallich ...

) – 6:28 # "

Everybody Needs Somebody to Love "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love" is a song written by Bert Berns, Solomon Burke, and Jerry Wexler, and originally recorded by Solomon Burke under the production of Bert Berns at Atlantic Records in 1964. Burke's version charted in 1964, but miss ...

" (

Jerry Wexler Jerry may refer to: Animals * Jerry (Grand National winner), racehorse, winner of the 1840 Grand National * Jerry (St Leger winner), racehorse, winner of 1824 St Leger Stakes Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Jerry'' (film), a 2006 Indian fil ...

Bert Berns Bertrand Russell Berns (November 8, 1929 – December 30, 1967), also known as Bert Russell and (occasionally) Russell Byrd, was an American songwriter and record producer of the 1960s. His songwriting credits include "Twist and Shout", "Piece ...

Solomon Burke Solomon Vincent McDonald Burke (born James Solomon McDonald, March 21, 1936 or 1940 – October 10, 2010) was an American singer who shaped the sound of rhythm and blues as one of the founding fathers of soul music in the 1960s. He has been ...

) – 10:25 Bonus disc: ''Acoustic on the Eel'' :''Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band – August 29, 1987:'' # "

Deep Elem Blues The "Deep Elm Blues" (also spelled "Deep Elem Blues" or "Deep Ellum Blues"Pask, Kevin.Deep Ellum Blues ''Southern Spaces'', 30 October 2007.) is an American traditional song. The title of the tune refers to the historical African-American neighbor ...

" (Joe Shelton, Robert Shelton) – 6:56 # "I've Been All Around This World" (traditional, arranged by Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band) – 5:50 # "

Friend of the Devil "Friend of the Devil" is a song recorded by the Grateful Dead. The music was written by Jerry Garcia and John Dawson and the lyrics are by Robert Hunter. It is the second track of the Dead's 1970 album '' American Beauty''. The song is lar ...

" ( John Dawson, Garcia, Hunter) – 7:23 # " Trouble in Mind" (

Richard M. Jones Richard M. Jones, born Richard Marigny Jones (sometimes written Richard Mariney Jones), (June 13, 1892 – December 8, 1945) was an American jazz pianist, composer, band leader, and record producer. Numerous songs bear his name as author, includi ...

) – 5:06 # "

Little Sadie "Little Sadie" is a 20th-century American folk ballad written in Dorian mode. It is also known variously as "Bad Lee Brown", "Cocaine Blues", "Transfusion Blues", "East St. Louis Blues", "Late One Night", "Penitentiary Blues" and other titles. It ...

" (traditional, arranged by Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band) – 4:08 # "Diamond Joe" ( Tex Logan) – 4:08 # "Spike Driver Blues" (

Mississippi John Hurt John Smith Hurt (March 8, 1893 – November 2, 1966), better known as Mississippi John Hurt, was an American country blues singer and guitarist. Raised in Avalon, Mississippi, Hurt taught himself to play the guitar around the age of nine. He wo ...

) – 4:54 # "Oh Babe, It Ain't No Lie" (

Elizabeth Cotten Elizabeth "Libba" Cotten ( Nevills; January 5, 1893 – June 29, 1987) was an American folk and blues musician. She was a self-taught left-handed guitarist who played a guitar strung for a right-handed player, but played it upside down. This po ...

) – 5:51 # "I'm Troubled" (traditional, arranged by Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band) – 4:26 # "

Ripple Ripple may refer to: Science and technology * Capillary wave, commonly known as ripple, a wave traveling along the phase boundary of a fluid ** Ripple, more generally a disturbance, for example of spacetime in gravitational waves * Ripple (electri ...

" (Garcia, Hunter) – 4:27

Personnel

Jerry Garcia Band *

– guitar, vocals *

– keyboards *

– bass *

– drums * Jaclyn LaBranch – backing vocals * Gloria Jones – backing vocals Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band * Jerry Garcia – guitar, vocals *

Sandy Rothman Sandy Rothman (born January 30, 1946, Miami, Florida) is an American, San Francisco Bay Area bluegrass multi-instrumentalist and record producer. He plays mandolin, dobro and banjo, and he also sings. Rothman was a friend and colleague of Grat ...

– banjo, dobro, mandolin, vocals * David Nelson – guitar, vocals * John Kahn – bass Production * Produced by Marc Allan, Kevin Monty * Project Coordination by Lauren Goetzinger * Recording: John Cutler * Mastering: Fred Kevorkian * Design and illustration: Thos Chapman * Package layout and design: Ryan Corey

Charts

References

{{Authority control Jerry Garcia Band live albums 2019 live albums