''Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings'' is a 10-CD live album by the rock band the

Grateful Dead The Grateful Dead was an American rock music, rock band formed in 1965 in Palo Alto, California. The band is known for its eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, Folk music, folk, country music, country, jazz, bluegrass music, bluegrass, ...

. It contains four complete concerts recorded on February 27, February 28, March 1, and March 2, 1969, at the

Fillmore West The Fillmore West was a historic rock and roll music venue in San Francisco, California, US which became famous under the direction of concert promoter Bill Graham from 1968 to 1971. Named after The Fillmore at the intersection of Fillmore Stre ...

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

. The album was remixed from the original 16-track concert soundboard tapes. It was released as a box set in November 2005, in a limited edition of 10,000 copies. Five of the seven songs on the Grateful Dead's 1969 album ''

Live/Dead ''Live/Dead'' is the first official live album released by the rock band Grateful Dead. Recorded over a series of concerts in early 1969 and released later the same year, it was the first live rock album to use 16-track recording. In 2005 the tr ...

'' – the first live rock album recorded in 16-track – were selected from these shows. They are " Dark Star", "

St Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

", "

Death Don't Have No Mercy "Death Don't Have No Mercy" is a song by the American gospel blues singer-guitarist Blind Gary Davis. It was first recorded on August 24, 1960, for the album ''Harlem Street Singer'' (1960), released by Prestige Records' Bluesville label durin ...

", "Feedback", and "And We Bid You Goodnight". ("The Eleven" and " Turn On Your Lovelight" were recorded about a month earlier at the

Avalon Ballroom The Avalon Ballroom was a music venue in the Polk Gulch neighborhood of San Francisco, California, at 1244 Sutter Street (or 1268 Sutter, depending on the entrance). The space is known as the location of many concerts of the counterculture move ...

.) ''

Fillmore West 1969 ''Fillmore West 1969'' is a three-CD live album by the rock band the Grateful Dead. It contain selected songs recorded at the Fillmore West in San Francisco on February 27 through March 2, 1969. The album was remixed and remastered from the orig ...

'', released at the same time as ''Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings'', is a three-disc compilation that features highlights of the four nights. The opening acts at these concerts were Pentangle and the

Sir Douglas Quintet The Sir Douglas Quintet was an American Rock music, rock band, formed in San Antonio in 1964. With their first hits, they were acclaimed in their home state. When their career was established (subsequent to working with Texas record producer Huey ...

. A bonus disc included with ''Fillmore East: The Complete Recordings'' includes selections from two additional Fillmore West shows, June 8, 1969 and February 7, 1970. It also includes a 30-minute version of "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" that was recorded on June 14, 1968 during the band's debut run of shows at Bill Graham's newly opened

Fillmore East The Fillmore East was rock promoter Bill Graham's rock venue on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the (at the time) Lower East Side neighborhood, now called the East Village neighborhood of the borough of Manhattan of New York City. ...

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

, when the Grateful Dead performed with an opening act of

the Jeff Beck Group The Jeff Beck Group was a British rock band formed in London in January 1967 by former Yardbirds guitarist Jeff Beck. Their innovative approach to heavy-sounding blues, rhythm and blues and rock was a major influence on popular music. First ...

. Many of the band's recordings from 1968 have been lost and what remains is often incorrectly labeled.

Critical reception

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 ...

, Lindsay Planer said, "Few concert runs... are as highly lauded by Grateful Dead enthusiasts as February 27 through March 2, 1969, at the Fillmore West in San Francisco.... At the very heart of what made the Grateful Dead an anomaly in rock & roll was their ability to improvise and interact in order to make each and every experience different from the last, or the next. Over the course of the ''Fillmore West 1969: The Complete Recordings'' are nine and a half hours of proof.... Curious parties might find the ''

'' three-disc distillation an adequate substitute. However, earnest Deadheads should take whatever measures necessary to obtain this package." In ''

All About Jazz ''All About Jazz'' is a website established by Michael Ricci in 1995. A volunteer staff publishes news, album reviews, articles, videos, and listings of concerts and other events having to do with jazz. Ricci maintains a related site, ''Jazz Near ...

'' Doug Collette wrote, "Grateful Dead aficionados as well as dilettantes have equal odds for epiphany working their way through all the sets from this entire four-night run at the fabled rock venue.... There is definite progression apparent on ''Fillmore West 1969 The Complete Recordings'' from one night to the next. The band becomes increasingly comfortable as the run goes on, allowing themselves to stretch out in ways it couldn't or wouldn't the first night. It's worth pondering how much early equipment issues affected the group mindset, but a few bum notes and all, this is generally magnificent stuff, the likes of which shakes the ass and the intellect equally roundly." In ''The Music Box'' John Metzger wrote, "Without a doubt, by the time that the concerts featured on ''Fillmore West 1969'' were held, the Grateful Dead had perfected its freewheeling improvisational approach, and nearly everything it touched dripped with the psychedelic transcendence that was forged within the swirling vortex of "Dark Star"'s revolutionary crucible. Arguably, then, the collection contains the most primal music that the band ever unleashed. Although it remained tethered to the R&B-flavored roots favored by harmonica and keyboard player Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, the group had made tremendous strides in pushing the boundaries that defined its music outward in all directions."

Track listing

Disc 1 :''February 27, 1969 — First set:'' #"

Good Morning Little Schoolgirl "Good Morning, School Girl" is a blues standard that has been identified as an influential part of the blues canon. Pre-war Chicago blues vocalist and harmonica pioneer John Lee "Sonny Boy" Williamson first recorded it in 1937. Subsequently, a ...

" ( Sonny Boy Williamson) - 11:47 #"Doin' That Rag" ( Robert Hunter,

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 ...

) - 7:53 #"That's It for the Other One" (Garcia,

Bill Kreutzmann William Kreutzmann Jr. ( ; born May 7, 1946) is an American drummer and founding member of the rock band Grateful Dead. He played with the band for its entire thirty-year career, usually alongside fellow drummer Mickey Hart, and has continued ...

Bob Weir Robert Hall Weir ( ; né Parber, born October 16, 1947) is an American musician and songwriter best known as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the group disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead ...

) - 20:03 :Notes Disc 2 :''February 27, 1969 — Second set:'' #"Dupree's Diamond Blues" > (Hunter, Garcia) - 3:57 #"Mountains of the Moon" > (Hunter, Garcia) - 5:57 #" Dark Star" > (Hunter, Garcia,

Mickey Hart Mickey Hart (born Michael Steven Hartman, September 11, 1943) is an American percussionist. He is best known as one of the two drummers of the rock band Grateful Dead. He was a member of the Grateful Dead from September 1967 until February 19 ...

, Kreutzmann,

Phil Lesh Philip Chapman Lesh (born March 15, 1940) is an American musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career. After the band's disbanding in 1995, Lesh continued the tradition of ...

Pigpen A sty or pigsty is a small-scale outdoor enclosure for raising domestic pigs as livestock. It is sometimes referred to as a hog pen, hog parlor, pigpen, pig parlor, or pig-cote, although pig pen may refer to pens confining pigs that are kep ...

, Weir) - 21:44 #"

St. Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

" > (Hunter, Garcia, Lesh) - 8:22 #"

The Eleven ''Live/Dead'' is the first official live album released by the rock band Grateful Dead. Recorded over a series of concerts in early 1969 and released later the same year, it was the first live rock album to use 16-track recording. In 2005 the tr ...

" > (Hunter, Lesh) - 13:03 #" Turn On Your Lovelight" (Joseph Scott,

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 ...

) - 19:21 :''February 27, 1969 — Encore:'' #

"Cosmic Charlie" (Hunter, Garcia) - 5:52 :Notes Disc 3 :''February 28, 1969 — First set:'' #" (Walk Me Out In The) Morning Dew" (

Bonnie Dobson Bonnie Dobson (born November 13, 1940, Toronto, Ontario, Canada)"Bonnie Dobson"< ...

Tim Rose Timothy Alan Patrick Rose (September 23, 1940 – September 24, 2002) (unofficial website by long-term correspondent of Rose's) was an American singer and songwriter who spent much of his life in London, England, and had more success in E ...

) - 11:04 #"Good Morning Little School Girl" (Williamson) - 11:00 #"Doin' That Rag" (Hunter, Garcia) - 6:56 #"

I'm a King Bee "I'm a King Bee" is a swamp blues song written and first recorded by Slim Harpo in 1957. It has been performed and recorded by numerous blues and other artists and in 2008, Slim Harpo's original received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award. Original song ...

" (

Slim Harpo Slim Harpo (born James Isaac Moore; January 11, 1924 – January 31, 1970) was an American blues musician, a leading exponent of the swamp blues style, and "one of the most commercially successful blues artists of his day". He played guitar and w ...

) - 7:09 #"Turn On Your Lovelight" (Scott, Malone) - 19:09 Disc 4 :''February 28, 1969 — Second set:'' #"That's It for the Other One" > (Garcia, Kreutzmann, Weir) - 19:46 #"Dark Star" > (Hunter, Garcia, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, Pigpen, Weir) - 19:45 #"St. Stephen" > (including William Tell Bridge)" (Hunter, Garcia, Lesh) - 7:51 #"The Eleven" > (Hunter, Lesh) - 15:12 #"

" (

Reverend Gary Davis Reverend Gary Davis, also Blind Gary Davis (born Gary D. Davis, April 30, 1896 – May 5, 1972), was a blues and gospel singer who was also proficient on the banjo, guitar and harmonica. Born in Laurens, South Carolina and blind since infancy ...

) - 10:38 Disc 5 #"Alligator" > (Hunter, Pigpen, Lesh) - 4:08 #"Drums" > (Hart, Kreutzmann) - 4:02 #"Jam" > (Grateful Dead) - 14:57 #"Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" > (Grateful Dead) - 8:47 #"Feedback" > (Grateful Dead) - 5:40 #"And We Bid You Goodnight" (traditional, arr. Grateful Dead) - 1:08 Disc 6 :''March 1, 1969 — First set:'' #"That's It for the Other One" > (Garcia, Kreutzmann, Weir) - 21:22 #"New Potato Caboose" > (Bobby Petersen, Lesh) - 11:43 #"Doin' That Rag" > (Hunter, Garcia) - 5:58 #"Cosmic Charlie" (Hunter, Garcia) - 5:51 Disc 7 :''March 1, 1969 — Second set:'' #"Dupree's Diamond Blues" > (Hunter, Garcia) - 4:48 #"Mountains of the Moon" > (Hunter, Garcia) - 5:04 #"Dark Star" > (Hunter, Garcia, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, Pigpen, Weir) - 23:01 #"St. Stephen" > (Hunter, Garcia, Lesh) - 8:06 #"The Eleven" > (Hunter, Lesh) - 5:47 #"Turn On Your Lovelight" (Scott, Malone) - 23:59 :''March 1, 1969 — Encore:'' #

Hey Jude "Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles that was released as a non-album single in August 1968. It was written by Paul McCartney and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. The single was the Beatles' first release o ...

" (

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

) - 7:44 Disc 8 :''March 2, 1969 — First set:'' #"Dark Star" > (Hunter, Garcia, Hart, Kreutzmann, Lesh, Pigpen, Weir) - 21:09 #"St. Stephen" > (Hunter, Garcia, Lesh) - 8:21 #"The Eleven" > (Hunter, Lesh) - 12:43 #"Turn On Your Lovelight" (Scott, Malone) - 15:25 Disc 9 :''March 2, 1969 — Second set:'' #"Doin' That Rag" (Hunter, Garcia) - 7:38 #"That's It for the Other One" > (Garcia, Kreutzmann, Weir) - 22:44 #"Death Don't Have No Mercy" (Davis) - 11:21 #"Morning Dew" (Dobson, Rose) - 10:16 :Notes Disc 10 #"Alligator" > (Hunter, Pigpen, Lesh) - 4:15 #"Drums" > (Hart, Kreutzmann) - 6:52 #"Jam" > (Grateful Dead) - 25:31 #"Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" > (Grateful Dead) - 9:13 #"Feedback" > (Grateful Dead) - 7:54 #"And We Bid You Goodnight" (trad., arr. Grateful Dead) - 2:01 :Notes Bonus disc :''June 14, 1968 Fillmore East New York, New York'' #"Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" (Grateful Dead) - 30:07 :''June 8, 1969, Fillmore West:'' #

"He Was a Friend of Mine" > (Traditional) - 12:14 #"

China Cat Sunflower "China Cat Sunflower" is a song performed by the Grateful Dead which was first recorded for their third studio album ''Aoxomoxoa''. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and the music composed by Jerry Garcia. The song was typically sung by J ...

" > (Garcia, Hunter) - 4:15 #"New Potato Caboose" (Lesh, Peterson) - 13:36 :''February 7, 1970, Fillmore West:'' #

"China Cat Sunflower" > (Garcia, Hunter) - 5:29 #"

I Know You Rider "I Know You Rider" (also "Woman Blues" and "I Know My Rider") is a traditional blues song that has been adapted by numerous artists. Modern versions can be traced back to Blind Lemon Jefferson's "Deceitful Brownskin Blues", which was released as ...

" > (Traditional) - 5:08 #"High Time" (Garcia, Hunter) - 7:04

Personnel

Grateful Dead * Jerry Garcia -

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

vocals Singing is the act of creating musical sounds with the voice. A person who sings is called a singer, artist or vocalist (in jazz and/or popular music). Singers perform music (arias, recitatives, songs, etc.) that can be sung with or without ...

* Bob Weir -

, vocals *

Tom Constanten Tom Constanten (born March 19, 1944) is an American keyboardist, best known for playing with Grateful Dead from 1968 to 1970, for which he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994. Biography Early career Born in Long Branch, N ...

keyboards Keyboard may refer to: Text input * Keyboard, part of a typewriter * Computer keyboard ** Keyboard layout, the software control of computer keyboards and their mapping ** Keyboard technology, computer keyboard hardware and firmware Music * Musi ...

* Ron "Pigpen" McKernan - keyboards, vocals,

harmonica The harmonica, also known as a French harp or mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used worldwide in many musical genres, notably in blues, American folk music, classical music, jazz, country, and rock. The many types of harmonica inclu ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Exc ...

* Phil Lesh -

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

, vocals * Bill Kreutzmann -

drums A drum kit (also called a drum set, trap set, or simply drums) is a collection of drums, cymbals, and other Percussion instrument, auxiliary percussion instruments set up to be played by one person. The player (drummer) typically holds a pair o ...

* Mickey Hart - drums Production * David Lemieux – producer *Cameron Sears – executive producer *Bob Matthews – recording engineer * Betty Cantor – recording engineer *Jeffrey Norman – mixing, mastering, producer *Eileen Law – archival research *Rosie McGee – photography *

Herb Greene Herb “Herbie” Greene (born April 3, 1942) is an American photographer best known for his portraits of the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Grace Slick, Led Zeppelin, Rod Stewart, Jeff Beck, The Pointer Sisters, Carlos Santana, and Sly Stone, pu ...

– photography *Michael Merritt – photography *

Baron Wolman Baron Wolman (June 25, 1937 – November 2, 2020) was an American photographer best known for his work in the late 1960s for the music magazine ''Rolling Stone'', becoming the magazine's first chief photographer from 1967 until late 1970.Rhodes, ...

– photography *Peter Simon – photography *Amalie R. Rothschild – photography *Suanne C Skidd – photography *Sylvia Clarke Hamilton – photography *Richard Biffle – cover lettering *Brian Connors – art coordination *Robert Minkin – package design *Dennis McNally – booklet essay

References

{{Authority control Albums recorded at the Fillmore Grateful Dead live albums 2005 live albums Grateful Dead Records live albums