September 27 2005
LOS ANGELES --

One of the greatest concert albums ever recorded, the Grateful Dead's landmark 1969 Live/Dead, immortalized the band at its cosmic zenith performing on its home turf in San Francisco. One of the best is about to get better as Rhino Records, in collaboration with Grateful Dead Productions, revisits those shows for GRATEFUL DEAD FILLMORE WEST 1969. The three-disc set includes more than three previously unreleased hours of the very best free-form performances from the Dead's legendary stand at the fabled Fillmore.

A stellar album, Live/Dead was also the first successful 16-track live recording in music history at a time when two track was the standard and eight track was considered state-of-the-art. FILLMORE WEST is mixed from those original 16-track master tapes and contains 19 iconic Dead songs presented in pristine HDCD. Recorded between February 27 and March 2, 1969, FILLMORE WEST distills the essential moments from all four Fillmore concerts and features original vocalist Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, Jerry Garcia on guitar and vocals, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann on drums, Phil Lesh on bass and vocals, Bob Weir on guitar and vocals, and Tom Constanten on keyboards.

The first disc of FILLMORE WEST mixes covers of classic blues like Sonny Boy Williamson's "Good Morning Little School Girl" and a charged version of the signature Bobby "Blue" Bland tune "Turn On Your Lovelight" with "Doin' That Rag" and a revved-up shuffle version of "Cosmic Charlie" from the Dead's 1969's Aoxomoxoa. The second disc is a tape trader's delight that includes for the first time in HDCD the much-sought-after February 28 Fillmore performances of "Dark Star," "St. Stephen," "The Eleven," and the brooding cover of Rev. Gary Davis' "Death Don't Have No Mercy." The final disc is highlighted by a 55-minute marathon that sandwiches the customary drum break and improvisational jam between the Dead's "Alligator" and "Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)" along with a complete version of the band's traditional closer "We Bid You Goodnight," originally cut short on Live/Dead.

The deluxe packaging for FILLMORE WEST features a 72-page hardbound booklet filled with nearly 100 rare photos and extensive liner notes including a new essay by longtime Dead publicist and biographer Dennis McNally.

GRATEFUL DEAD: FILLMORE WEST 1969
Track Listing


Disc 1

1. "Morning Dew" (2/28/69)
2. "Good Morning Little School Girl" (2/28/69)
3. "Doin' That Rag" (2/28/69)
4. "I'm A King Bee" (2/28/69)
5. "Cosmic Charlie" (2/27/69)
6. "Turn On Your Lovelight" (2/28/69)

Disc 2

1. "Dupree's Diamond Blues" (3/1/69)
2. "Mountains Of The Moon" (3/1/69)
3. "Dark Star" (2/28/69)
4. "St. Stephen" (2/28/69)
5. "The Eleven" (2/28/69)
6. "Death Don't Have No Mercy" (2/28/69)

Disc 3

1. "That's It For The Other One" (3/2/69)
-- "Cryptical Envelopment"
-- "The Other One"
-- "Cryptical Envelopment"
2. "Alligator' (3/2/69)
3. "Drums" (3/2/69)
4. "Jam" (3/2/69)
5. "Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)" (3/2/69)
6. "Feedback" (3/2/69)
7. "We Bid You Goodnight" (3/2/69)

Grab the cover art, press release, and photo here:
http://www.specialopsmedia.com/GratefulDead/Assets.zip

E-Card:
http://www.rhino.com/flashcards/gratefuldead

Product Page:
http://www.rhino.com/store/ProductDetail.lasso?Number=73193

Audio Streams:
http://www.rhino.com/fun/listeningparties/73193_PartyPlayer.lasso
http://www.rhino.com/fun/listeningparties/73193_album.ram
http://www.rhino.com/fun/listeningparties/73193_album_100.asx
http://www.rhino.com/fun/listeningparties/73193_album_56.asx