Fate Music

JGMS: January 11-12, 1974, Winterland, SF (CXL)

Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders, Waylon Jennings, and Alice Stuart and Snake were billed at Bill Graham’s Winterland on the weekend of January 11–12, 1974.

These bookings have been on The List since forever.


Here’s what puzzles me: why are there no attendee recollections anywhere, or am I just missing them? How come no poster? Why no board tape at Wolfgang’s Vault? Any and all thoughts, recollections, information would be most welcomed!

update: Canceled at the last minute, per Elwood 19740112.


! ref: Elwood, Phillip. 19740112. Utter Boredom of
Raunch Rock. San Francisco Examiner,
January 12, 1974, p. 8. 

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4 responses to “JGMS: January 11-12, 1974, Winterland, SF (CXL)”

  1. ChicoArchivist Avatar
    ChicoArchivist

    I think the shows were cancelled. There's a list of BGP shows that's been going around for years, although I don't know who compiled it. Those shows have (CC) next to them, which seems to mean cancelled. Looking through the list, I see many shows with that designation that were definitely cancelled. Here's the list online:
    http://sugarmegs.org/billgrahm.txt

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  2. Corry342 Avatar
    Corry342

    I have the list Chico refers to, and it is pretty accurate, so I think the show was cancelled.

    I think the event was planned to support the Garcia/Saunders Live At Keystone album, which was released by Fantasy around this time. Alice Stuart and Snake were on Fantasy as well, which hints that they had a role. However, I just don't see Garcia being able to fill Winterland, much less two nights, during this period. Hippies hadn't heard of Waylon Jennings yet (I hadn't, anyway, and I was definitely a hippie, if a little one).

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  3. Fate Music Avatar
    Fate Music

    @ David Kramer-Smyth asked in comment to another post about how Jerry and Merl dealt with studio work – regular cash payment, some kind of reciprocity (specific or diffuse), or ? Through a few ideational steps, I landed on this night, when instead of playing Winterland they went to Fantasy Studios and cut a bunch of tracks for what would become Keepers. Here's the connection I made: I think Merl's contract with Fantasy was ending, and it seems like the jamming in Berkeley was a big ol' party on the record company's dime. At least that was what I was thinking.

    I doubt that explains why Winterland canceled. The Corry voice in my head is saying "low ticket sales". But either way, partying on Fantasy's dime on the way out the door seems like a nice plan B.

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  4. runonguinness Avatar
    runonguinness

    "Rolling Stone" No 163 1974-6-20 p 28 reported on a Merl session at Fantasy Studio A at which Merl, Jerry, Kahn and Kreutzmann recorded two takes of a blues sung by Jer. This was presumably for Merl's self titled fourth album but didn't make the cut. As RS reported on this in June, I think that whatever that January session was, it was not Merl having a leaving bash.

    runonguinness

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