April 1967: Olompali Sunday Times #1

OLOMPALI SUNDAY TIMES

Edited by the fan club
Photos by Cadillac Ron & Herb Greene
Cover collage by Talcon
Statistics page artwork by Glenn McKay
Cover litho by Cranium Press

Grateful Dead Fan Club
P.O. Box 80201, SF
California 94131

Everything that's happened to the band recently is so unthinkable, that it's difficult to put in writing. We will try to run it down for you.

The most exciting thing to date is the record. In January the band flew to L.A. to record for Warner Bros. They recorded in R.C.A. studio A with Dave Hassinger as producing engineer. It was a long hard week for the band, and very rewarding. They all learned about recording studios and how different they have to think and play in there as opposed to on stage at the Fillmore. It took long hard hours to produce the GRATEFUL DEAD album. Some tracks went down in three or four takes and some took as many as thirty. The band is pretty well satisfied with the way it sounds, but are constantly wanting to change parts of it. They are never completely satisfied with any of the music they do--- there is always something that bothers them. Which is the reason they keep getting better. The single was recorded in San Francisco a few weeks after the album. Hassinger produced it too.

Golden Road is number 1 in San Francisco after being on the charts only 3 weeks. TERRIBLY FANTASTIC! The album the GRATEFUL DEAD was released four weeks ago, and has sold almost 50,000 through-out the country. We are all very happy (particularly Warner Bros.) it's doing so well but it's not a real shocking surprise. After all it's a truly good album.

The Dead have been into a few other exciting trips recently. They did quite a bit of filming with the B.B.C., for the first color T.V. presentation in England. The film is called "THE SCENE" and was shot in and around the Haight-Ashbury district. There is footage of the Dead at home, at The Avalon Ballroom, and in a club in S.F. (Rock Garden), and in the panhandle in Golden Gate Park. The Dead played in the park one Sunday afternoon, and since then some local band is always playing there for free--- (GOOD TRIPS) It will be shown in England on July 17 on "Wickers World", and hopefully the Dead will be there for it. Plans are being made to release the album in England then too.

There is a chance the band may film a little in Richard Lester's movie "Petulia". They would only be playing in the background in a club, but that's okay, because they want experience before they do any major filming.

That's about all the Big Things that they have been doing recently. In the near future they will be working on tons of new material for a new album, also, don't be surprised if a new single is released very soon...

PERSONALITIES AND BAND SECRETS

PHIL - reads extremely fast...energetic!...played bass only as long as he's been in the band...quick mind...doesn't bleach his hair...
BILL - sleeps alot...eats alot...digs jazz drummers...has a shiny new mustang...not quiet at all...business minded...used to sell wigs...giggles a lot...
JER - talented, talented...has alot to say...digs girls, girls...very open...loves orange juice...tells the best stories...warm...hates dishonesty (they all do)...owns a pedal steel guitar...Leo...
PIG - rides a BSA...walks around the house in strange outfits...has a bright red bathrobe...sings Blue Danube in the shower...washes his hair alot...afraid of bees, but he's not afraid of mice...kind...plays blues on the guitar boss...
BOB - on Zen macrobiotic diet...super nice guy...got A's in school...got kicked out of 7...nickname Mr. Bob Weir Trouble...

AVAILABLE TO YOU

We have just ordered all sizes and colors of Pig-Pen tee-shirts. If you want one write the color, size, and your name and address on something and send it to us with $2.50 from then on it's simple.

--HELP GET THE DEAD HIGHER--

Every chance you get proceed to herald the Grateful Dead records as marvelous super -- to radio stations & record stores & anyone you see on the street. THANKS!


www.dead.net/tags/fan-club