tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post198180174213694610..comments2024-03-26T23:10:34.814-07:00Comments on Grateful Dead Sources: July 1967: Danny Rifkin in LondonLight Into Asheshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5195590583641426943.post-85050696334886071272022-02-03T02:24:27.937-08:002022-02-03T02:24:27.937-08:00This was taken from a "History of Rock" ...This was taken from a "History of Rock" magazine anthology, so it's likely to be edited from the original article. <br />Rifkin's summer '67 visit to England was the first of several unsuccessful attempts by the Dead to play there over the next couple of years. (Plans for shows in December '67, March '68, October '68, and September '69 were scuttled.) It's interesting to see that the Dead already hoped to bring "about 150 people" to tour in England; on the 1972 tour this was whittled down to about 50 people.<br /><br />But even though Rifkin's initial visit didn't bear fruit, he still got to spread the San Francisco gospel, telling everyone about "the most beautiful scene in the world." (He & Scully had been similarly rhapsodic when visiting New York City the previous month, telling the press that New York was "two years behind the Haight.") <br /><br />He's full of hopes and plans for the San Francisco community, and building an independent self-supporting financial scene. He mentions the 5/30/67 HALO benefit show, and points out that the Dead haven't been playing for promoters in San Francisco. This is basically true - other than some benefits, and shows at the Straight Theater, after May '67 the Dead pretty much stopped playing shows for the regular SF ballroom promoters until summer '68, in a quest for independence. Rifkin outlines the plan that would lead to the Carousel Ballroom experiment: "The bands in San Francisco now put on their own dances, and instead of taking the proceeds, they put all the money in a fund."<br /> <br />Record-wise, the Dead are already "not too happy" with their first album and are already thinking of a live "open-air" recording for their next album. The hit single Rifkin hoped for would take a few more years to arrive, though. <br /><br />The trip to New Mexico was a real plan. Garcia told the Seattle Helix in July, "We’re moving to the Southwest...you know, we’re concerned about our productivity. And what we’re going to do is like...get away from a lot of people and a lot of action and a lot of energy, and just go out and do our own thing for a while." <br />http://deadsources.blogspot.com/2014/08/july-16-1967-jerry-garcia-interview.html?showComment=1449461793146#c5952142751642835268 Light Into Asheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06943335142002007213noreply@blogger.com