PIVOT! a.k.a. 'Wait, what?!'

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Air date: 
Sat, 01/21/2023 - 12:00pm to 2:00pm
This special presents some times The Grateful Dead upended their own long-established musical patterns.

***

The Grateful Dead innovated in many ways, on-stage and off.  

In concert they were likely best known for their extended group improvisations.  But I'd assert that equally important to their live shows was the way they connected songs in sequences of two (and often more) titles.  

Across their many musical eras, the band created many well-known, seamless pairings (and triplets) emphasizing group improvisation.  

Think China > Rider.  Scarlet > Fire.  Playin' > Uncle John's.  Help > Slip > Franklin's.

There are also other strong pairings that have far more crisply delineated transitions, without much improvisation.

Think Me & My Uncle > Big River.  Alabama > (Greatest Story / Promised Land).

These 'tightness' of these associations vary; some songs had one steady companion (perhaps variable through time), others had a tight core of a few regular tunes.  Some juxtapositions were instantaneous and enduring, whereas others developed over time and just "sang a little while and then flew on."

In this new multi-part special, which I'm calling 'PIVOT!' a.k.a. 'Wait, what?!' I'm going to focus on performances where the band makes a left-turn on stage and breaks one of these long-established patterns.  

But to break a pattern, it needs to exist.  For example, when the band debuted 'Fire on the Mountain,' 'Scarlet Begonias' preceded it.  The next time they played 'Scarlet' there was no 'Fire,' but the next four times it DID follow.  Then there was another interruption; THIS does not meet my loosely defined criteria of breaking a pattern, because four consecutive pairings just isn't enough.  

The band proceeded to perform several more Scarlet > Fires in sequence for nearly a year, until April 1978 when they interrupt the pattern again.  THAT break can be eligible for this special, since there had been a reasonably long-standing practice of 'Scarlet' melting right into 'Fire.'

I'll definitely create two shows for this special, maybe more; four is a likely limit, because there are only so many pairings to interrupt.  As with some of my other specials, certain songs may be featured more than once due to their deeply entwined connection to the theme.

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Episode Playlist

  • Time
    12:06
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Scarlet Begonias > Dancing in the Street
    Album
    04-18-1978 - Pittsburgh Civic Arena, Pittsburgh, PA
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd78-04-18.sbd.cotsman.14036.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    12:34
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Truckin' > Bird Song
    Album
    10-17-1981 - Hippodrome, Paris, France
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd1981-10-17.sbd.miller.116993.flac16
  • Time
    1:01
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    The Other One > Alligator
    Album
    02-04-1969 - The Music Box, Omaha, NB
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd69-02-04.sbd.barbella.7294.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    1:14
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Playing in the Band > Dear Mr. Fantasy
    Album
    06-14-1984 - Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison, CO
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd84-06-14.sbd.hinko.18804.sbeok.shnf
  • Time
    1:38
    Artist
    The Grateful Dead
    Song
    Throwing Stones > Iko Iko
    Album
    06-20-1991 - Pine Knob Music Theatre, Clarkston, MI
    Label
    http://www.archive.org/details/gd91-06-20.sbd.aj.2787.sbeok.shnf

Episode Playlist

Episode Playlist

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    12:01
    Artist
    Merkfolk
    Song
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    Album
    Kolovrat
    Label
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  • Time
    12:06
    Artist
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    Song
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    Album
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    Label
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    Artist
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    Song
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    Album
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    Label
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  • Time
    12:17
    Artist
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    Song
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    Album
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    Label
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    12:25
    Artist
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    Song
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    Album
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  • Time
    12:31
    Artist
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    Song
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    Album
    Indigenocide
    Label
    Damage Overdose
  • Time
    12:34
    Artist
    Damage Overdose
    Song
    Blood Driven
    Album
    Indigenocide
    Label
    Damage Overdose
  • Time
    12:39
    Artist
    YOB
    Song
    Adrift In the Ocean
    Album
    Atma
    Label
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  • Time
    12:43
    Artist
    Yob
    Song
    Adrift in the Ocean
    Album
    Atma (Deluxe Edition)
    Label
    ORCHARD - Relapse Records
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    12:55
    Artist
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    Song
    A Frail Beginning
    Album
    Label
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    1:01
    Artist
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    Song
    Insanity
    Album
    Abyss
    Label
    New Heavy Sounds
  • Time
    1:03
    Artist
    Blacklab
    Song
    Insanity
    Album
    Abyss
    Label
    New Heavy Sounds
  • Time
    1:09
    Artist
    Arch Enemy
    Song
    Symphony of Destruction (cover version)
    Album
    Covered In Blood
    Label
    Century Media
  • Time
    1:11
    Artist
    Arch Enemy
    Song
    Symphony of Destruction (cover version)
    Album
    Covered In Blood
    Label
    SME - Century Media
  • Time
    1:13
    Artist
    Arkona
    Song
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    Album
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    Label
    Napalm Records
  • Time
    1:15
    Artist
    Arkona
    Song
    Slavsia, Rus’!
    Album
    Ot Serdca K Nebu
    Label
    UMG - Vertigo/Capitol
  • Time
    1:18
    Artist
    AutopseBr
    Song
    Fear and Death
    Album
    Insanity
    Label
    AutopseBr
  • Time
    1:22
    Artist
    Ava Inferi
    Song
    Viola
    Album
    The Silhouette
    Label
    Season of Mist
  • Time
    1:24
    Artist
    Ava Inferi
    Song
    Viola
    Album
    The Silhouette
    Label
    Season of mist
  • Time
    1:30
    Artist
    Aztlán
    Song
    Día de Muertos
    Album
    Legion Mexica
    Label
    Aztlan
  • Time
    1:32
    Artist
    Aztlan
    Song
    Dia de Muertos
    Album
    Legion Mexica
    Label
    MERLIN - Aztlan
  • Time
    1:35
    Artist
    13
    Song
    Wither
    Album
    Grief split
    Label
    Parasitic Records
  • Time
    1:42
    Artist
    Castrator
    Song
    Tormented by Atrocities
    Album
    Defiled in Oblivion
    Label
    Dark Descent Records
  • Time
    1:43
    Artist
    Castrator
    Song
    Tormented by Atrocities
    Album
    Defiled in Oblivion
    Label
    Dark Descent Records
  • Time
    1:46
    Artist
    Nemesis
    Song
    The War Is On
    Album
    The War Is On
    Label
    Grom Records
  • Time
    1:49
    Artist
    Ron (Cass) Gascoigne
    Song
    Bird Fly (Happy On The Wing)
    Album
    All In Life I Need
    Label
    BELIEVE - Frenzy
  • Time
    1:50
    Artist
    Nemesis
    Song
    Vengeance
    Album
    promo
    Label
  • Time
    1:53
    Artist
    Nemesis
    Song
    The War Is On
    Album
    The War Is On
    Label
    Grom Records
  • Time
    1:57
    Artist
    Madder Mortem
    Song
    Hangman
    Album
    Desiderata
    Label
    Peaceville Records
  • Time
    2:04
    Artist
    Lutharo
    Song
    Wings of Agony
    Album
    Wings of Agony
    Label
    Lutharo
  • Time
    2:10
    Artist
    Grigory Stadnik
    Song
    Рождение
    Album
    Бронислав
    Label
    MERLIN - AMIREc
  • Time
    2:11
    Artist
    Dehydrated
    Song
    Parallels
    Album
    Parallels
    Label
    877323 Records DK
  • Time
    2:16
    Artist
    Konvent
    Song
    Pipe Dreams
    Album
    Pipe Dreams
    Label
    UMG - Napalm Records
  • Time
    2:20
    Artist
    Konvent
    Song
    Trust
    Album
    Trust
    Label
    WMG - Napalm Records
  • Time
    2:26
    Artist
    Diomedes Y El Grupo Mio
    Song
    Porque Me Haces Llorar
    Album
    Porque Me Haces Llorar
    Label
    BELIEVE - Urban Music Group
  • Time
    2:26
    Artist
    Oceano
    Song
    The Taken
    Album
    The Taken
    Label
    WMG - Earache Records
  • Time
    2:30
    Artist
    Deviloof
    Song
    Ruin
    Album
    Ruin
    Label
    Self-Released
  • Time
    2:33
    Artist
    Felled
    Song
    The Salt Binding
    Album
    The Intimate Earth
    Label
    ORCHARD - Transcending Obscurity Records
  • Time
    2:50
    Artist
    My Own Sorrow
    Song
    The Entity
    Album
    The Entity
    Label
    My Own Sorrow
  • Time
    2:58
    Artist
    Fuz Hyperblue
    Song
    Go Away
    Album
    Multi Purpose Life Form
    Label
    MERLIN - Fuz Hyperblue
  • Time
    2:58
    Artist
    ЛадЬя
    Song
    Мангалица
    Album
    Цепная
    Label
    O2 record label
  • Time
    2:59
    Artist
    Laurent Weiler
    Song
    The Lost Knowledge
    Album
    EPIC DRAMA
    Label
    APM Music - AXS APM
  • Time
    3:00
    Artist
    Madder Mortem
    Song
    Hangman
    Album
    Desiderata
    Label
    Peaceville Records
  • Time
    3:06
    Artist
    Lutharo
    Song
    Wings of Agony
    Album
    Wings of Agony - EP
    Label
    Lutharo
  • Time
    3:12
    Artist
    Dehydrated
    Song
    Parallels
    Album
    Awake in Era
    Label
    877323 Records DK
  • Time
    3:18
    Artist
    Konvent
    Song
    Pipe Dreams
    Album
    Call Down the Sun
    Label
    Napalm Records Handels GmbH
  • Time
    3:22
    Artist
    Konvent
    Song
    Trust
    Album
    Puritan Masochism
    Label
    Napalm Records Handels GmbH
  • Time
    3:28
    Artist
    Oceano
    Song
    The Taken
    Album
    Ascendants
    Label
    Earache Records Ltd
  • Time
    3:31
    Artist
    DEVILOOF
    Song
    Ruin
    Album
    Purge - EP
    Label
    Deviloof
  • Time
    3:35
    Artist
    Felled
    Song
    The Salt Binding
    Album
    The Intimate Earth
    Label
    Transcending Obscurity Records
  • Time
    3:44
    Artist
    Aberrancy
    Song
    The Night Morgue
    Album
    Kill The People
    Label
  • Time
    3:51
    Artist
    Bergtroll
    Song
    Intro
    Album
    demo
    Label
  • Time
    3:52
    Artist
    Bergtroll
    Song
    Song of Bloody Dwarfs
    Album
    demo
    Label
  • Time
    3:55
    Artist
    Bergtroll
    Song
    Forest Hunter
    Album
    demo
    Label
  • Time
    3:59
    Artist
    Bergtroll
    Song
    The Gates To The World
    Album
    demo
    Label

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