Europe '72
Encyclopedia
Europe '72 is a 1972 live
triple album of performances by the Grateful Dead
, recorded during their tour of Western Europe
in early 1972.
Despite the band being out of the country, Europe '72 showcased the Dead's mixture of American
bluegrass
, folk
, and country
influences, and provided the culmination to the band's early 1970s sound. Archetypal American images abounded on "Jack Straw", while "Cumberland Blues" and "Tennessee Jed" were firmly rooted in their regional feeling. "Truckin'
", which had recently become the band's first hit song, catalogued its own troubled-but-resilient pathway through American life. The Dead's start-stop-restart segue of "China Cat Sunflower" into "I Know You Rider" also linked their psychedelic
past into a more traditional context. Reviews specially praised the track "(Walk Me Out in the) Morning Dew", a ten-minute rendition of the melancholy folk standard that features guitar crescendoes from Jerry Garcia
.
The tour represented by this album was Ron "Pigpen" McKernan's last with the Dead before he died in 1973, and the last album he would feature on as an active member. It was the first album to feature Keith Godchaux
and his wife Donna Jean Godchaux.
Originally a triple album on vinyl, Europe '72 was later reissued as a two-disc CD
in 1990 and again in 2001 with bonus tracks as part of the band's box set, The Golden Road (1965–1973).
Europe '72 has been the Dead's best-selling live album, and one of their best-selling albums overall, achieving double platinum
status in the U.S.
Although Europe '72 is billed as a live album, the songs featured on the release were subject to significant overdubs after the fact, specifically with respect to the lush harmony vocals. Unadulterated multitrack recordings of the performances used for the album are no longer available (because they were simply snipped from the multitrack concert tapes whereupon the band overdubbed directly onto them, destroying the originals) but, for example, the available two-track soundboard recording of the May 10, 1972 show indicates the band had not yet figured out the vocal arrangements for "He's Gone" that would later be overdubbed in the United States.
. Initially, this was to have been around 60 CDs but this was later revised, co-incidentally it was claimed, to be 72 CDs! Once the final box set was completed, there were 73 CDs.
Per dead.net, as a hedge against the costs of the nearly two-month trip, the Dead’s label, Warner Bros., paid for the band to lug around a 16-track recorder to capture the entire tour. Demand from fans was higher than expected, and the limited numbered box set of 7,200 copies sold out as a pre-order in less than four days. The first three thousand copies ordered were also given a custom personalization option. A music only version without the limited box set accoutrements has been made available, though this may be limited in release as well. The box set shipped in September 2011. Those who have received the box set report the quality of these recordings is simply stunning - and far better than even the best of the sound board tapes currently in circulation .
and Stanley Mouse
under their Kelly/Mouse Studios name (they also did other Dead albums) and set against mostly white, empty foldouts. The front cover shows a large Truckin' boot crossing the Atlantic, while the back cover depicts the corresponding Truckin' fool smashing an ice cream cone against his forehead. (Some of the ice cream flying through the air spells out the word "LIVE".)
The ice cream to the forehead happened while Kelley was in New Haven. Kelley, Bill Brockett, Franz Douskey
and Bill Ness used to hang out together. One night, after buying ice cream at Clark's Dairy, on Whitney Avenue, Bill Brockett took his cone and smashed it on his forehead. The image stuck and Kelley used the image on the Live album.
The inside cover credits are in a reserved type font, but do not forget to list "Family", including Mountain Girl. The included color booklet contains photos of European sites and the concerts, a quote from Revelation
, and a long account of how the tour split into two factions, the Bozos and the Bolos, with references to St. Dilbert and the Feast of Fools
.
On the cover of the 2003 CD re-release, the former back cover now becomes the front cover, and likewise the former front cover becomes the back.
Singles – Billboard
sales certifications for Europe '72 are:
Live album
A live album is a recording consisting of material recorded during stage performances using remote recording techniques, commonly contrasted with a studio album...
triple album of performances by the Grateful Dead
Grateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
, recorded during their tour of Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
in early 1972.
History
This was the third live double or triple album in the Dead's past five releases, revealing how the group's reputation rested on their live performances. Indeed, the liner notes simply stated: "There is nothing like a Grateful Dead concert." The album contained considerable new material in addition to versions of tracks found on previous studio albums.Despite the band being out of the country, Europe '72 showcased the Dead's mixture of American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, and country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
influences, and provided the culmination to the band's early 1970s sound. Archetypal American images abounded on "Jack Straw", while "Cumberland Blues" and "Tennessee Jed" were firmly rooted in their regional feeling. "Truckin'
Truckin'
"Truckin'" is a song by the Grateful Dead, which first appeared on their 1970 album American Beauty. It was recognized by the United States Library of Congress in 1997 as a national treasure....
", which had recently become the band's first hit song, catalogued its own troubled-but-resilient pathway through American life. The Dead's start-stop-restart segue of "China Cat Sunflower" into "I Know You Rider" also linked their psychedelic
Psychedelic music
Psychedelic music covers a range of popular music styles and genres, which are inspired by or influenced by psychedelic culture and which attempt to replicate and enhance the mind-altering experiences of psychedelic drugs. It emerged during the mid 1960s among folk rock and blues-rock bands in the...
past into a more traditional context. Reviews specially praised the track "(Walk Me Out in the) Morning Dew", a ten-minute rendition of the melancholy folk standard that features guitar crescendoes from Jerry Garcia
Jerry Garcia
Jerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
.
The tour represented by this album was Ron "Pigpen" McKernan's last with the Dead before he died in 1973, and the last album he would feature on as an active member. It was the first album to feature Keith Godchaux
Keith Godchaux
Keith Richard Godchaux was a musician best known for his tenure in the rock group the Grateful Dead.-Biography:Keith Godchaux was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Concord, California...
and his wife Donna Jean Godchaux.
Originally a triple album on vinyl, Europe '72 was later reissued as a two-disc CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
in 1990 and again in 2001 with bonus tracks as part of the band's box set, The Golden Road (1965–1973).
Europe '72 has been the Dead's best-selling live album, and one of their best-selling albums overall, achieving double platinum
Double Platinum
Double Platinum is a 1999 musical telefilm starring Diana Ross and Brandy.-Plot:The story begins with a scene featuring star singer Olivia King leaving her daughter Kayla, who was an infant at the time. It is revealed that Kayla was born in Atlanta, Georgia, but in her later years, she would move...
status in the U.S.
Although Europe '72 is billed as a live album, the songs featured on the release were subject to significant overdubs after the fact, specifically with respect to the lush harmony vocals. Unadulterated multitrack recordings of the performances used for the album are no longer available (because they were simply snipped from the multitrack concert tapes whereupon the band overdubbed directly onto them, destroying the originals) but, for example, the available two-track soundboard recording of the May 10, 1972 show indicates the band had not yet figured out the vocal arrangements for "He's Gone" that would later be overdubbed in the United States.
Europe '72: The Complete Recordings
These "lost" original multitrack recordings have been recovered. Early in 2011, dead.net has announced a release of the complete Europe '72 shows, every note played on all 22 shows for the tour, under the name Europe '72: The Complete RecordingsEurope '72: The Complete Recordings
Europe '72: The Complete Recordings is a box set of live recordings by the rock band the Grateful Dead. Billed as a "mega box set", it contains all of the band's spring 1972 concert tour of Europe — 22 complete shows, on 73 CDs...
. Initially, this was to have been around 60 CDs but this was later revised, co-incidentally it was claimed, to be 72 CDs! Once the final box set was completed, there were 73 CDs.
Per dead.net, as a hedge against the costs of the nearly two-month trip, the Dead’s label, Warner Bros., paid for the band to lug around a 16-track recorder to capture the entire tour. Demand from fans was higher than expected, and the limited numbered box set of 7,200 copies sold out as a pre-order in less than four days. The first three thousand copies ordered were also given a custom personalization option. A music only version without the limited box set accoutrements has been made available, though this may be limited in release as well. The box set shipped in September 2011. Those who have received the box set report the quality of these recordings is simply stunning - and far better than even the best of the sound board tapes currently in circulation .
Cover art and packaging
Europe '72s packaging was designed by Alton KellyAlton Kelly
Alton Kelley was an American artist best known for his psychedelic art, in particular his designs for 1960s rock concerts and albums...
and Stanley Mouse
Stanley Mouse
Stanley George Miller , better known as Mouse and Stanley Mouse, is an American artist, notable for his 1960s psychedelic rock concert poster designs and Grateful Dead album cover art.-Early life:...
under their Kelly/Mouse Studios name (they also did other Dead albums) and set against mostly white, empty foldouts. The front cover shows a large Truckin' boot crossing the Atlantic, while the back cover depicts the corresponding Truckin' fool smashing an ice cream cone against his forehead. (Some of the ice cream flying through the air spells out the word "LIVE".)
The ice cream to the forehead happened while Kelley was in New Haven. Kelley, Bill Brockett, Franz Douskey
Franz Douskey
Franz Douskey is an American writer. Between the late 1960s and the early 1980s, his work was published in nearly two hundred publications.Douskey has lived in Memphis, New Orleans, Tucson, and the West Indies. William M...
and Bill Ness used to hang out together. One night, after buying ice cream at Clark's Dairy, on Whitney Avenue, Bill Brockett took his cone and smashed it on his forehead. The image stuck and Kelley used the image on the Live album.
The inside cover credits are in a reserved type font, but do not forget to list "Family", including Mountain Girl. The included color booklet contains photos of European sites and the concerts, a quote from Revelation
Book of Revelation
The Book of Revelation is the final book of the New Testament. The title came into usage from the first word of the book in Koine Greek: apokalupsis, meaning "unveiling" or "revelation"...
, and a long account of how the tour split into two factions, the Bozos and the Bolos, with references to St. Dilbert and the Feast of Fools
Feast of Fools
The Feast of Fools, known also as the festum fatuorum, festum stultorum, festum hypodiaconorum, or fête des fous, are the varying names given to popular medieval festivals regularly celebrated by the clergy and laity from the fifth century until the sixteenth century in several countries of Europe,...
.
On the cover of the 2003 CD re-release, the former back cover now becomes the front cover, and likewise the former front cover becomes the back.
Side One
- "Cumberland Blues" (Jerry GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
, Phil LeshPhil LeshPhillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
, Robert HunterRobert Hunter (lyricist)Robert C. Hunter is an American lyricist, singer-songwriter, translator, and poet, best known for his association with Jerry Garcia and the Grateful Dead.-Biography:He was born Robert Burns in San Luis Obispo, California...
) - 5:47 - "He's Gone" (Garcia, Hunter) - 7:12
- "One More Saturday NightOne More Saturday Night (song)"One More Saturday Night" is a song written by Bob Weir and performed by the Grateful Dead. Weir is credited with writing "One More Saturday Night", although there is evidence that the song was originally written with Robert Hunter, with different lyrics...
" (Bob WeirBob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
) - 4:45
Side Two
- "Jack StrawJack Straw (song)Jack Straw is a rock song written by Bob Weir and Robert Hunter in the Troubadour tradition. The track appeared on the Grateful Dead album, Europe '72, and was frequently performed live by the band....
" (Weir, Hunter) - 4:46 - "You Win AgainYou Win Again (Hank Williams song)"You Win Again" is a 1952 song by Hank Williams. In style, the song is a blues ballad and deals with the singer's dispair with his partner. "You Win Again" would peak at number ten on the Most Played in C&W Juke Boxes chart, where it remained for a single week .-Cover versions:* Late in 1957,...
" (Hank Williams) - 3:54 - "China Cat SunflowerChina Cat Sunflower"China Cat Sunflower" is a song performed by the Grateful Dead which was first recorded for their third studio album Aoxomoxoa. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and the music composed by Jerry Garcia. The song is typically sung by Jerry Garcia. The first live recording of this song...
" (Garcia, Hunter) - 5:33 - "I Know You RiderI Know You Rider"I Know You Rider" is a traditional woman's blues song that has been adapted by numerous artists. Modern versions can be traced back to the song's appearance in the 1934 book, American Ballads and Folk Songs, by the noted father and son musicologists and folklorists, John Lomax and Alan Lomax...
" (trad., arr. The Grateful Dead) - 4:55
Side Three
- "Brown-Eyed Women" (Garcia, Hunter) - 4:55
- "It Hurts Me TooIt Hurts Me Too"It Hurts Me Too" is a blues standard that is "one of the most interpreted blues [songs]". First recorded in 1940 by Tampa Red, the song is a mid-tempo eight-bar blues that features slide guitar...
" (Elmore JamesElmore JamesElmore James was an American blues guitarist, singer, songwriter and band leader. He was known as "the King of the Slide Guitar" and had a unique guitar style, noted for his use of loud amplification and his stirring voice.-Biography:James was born Elmore Brooks in the old Richland community in...
) - 7:18 - "Ramble On Rose" (Garcia, Hunter) - 6:09
Side Four
- "Sugar MagnoliaSugar Magnolia"Sugar Magnolia" is a song by the Grateful Dead. Written by Robert Hunter and Bob Weir, it is one of the most well-known songs by the band, alongside such hits as "Truckin'," "Casey Jones," "Uncle John's Band," and "Touch of Grey."...
" (Weir, Hunter) - 7:04 - "Mr. Charlie" (Ron McKernan, Hunter) - 3:40
- "Tennessee Jed" (Garcia, Hunter) - 7:13
Side Five
- "Truckin'Truckin'"Truckin'" is a song by the Grateful Dead, which first appeared on their 1970 album American Beauty. It was recognized by the United States Library of Congress in 1997 as a national treasure....
" (Garcia, Lesh, Weir, Hunter) - 13:08 - "Epilogue" (The Grateful Dead) - 4:33
Side Six
- "Prelude" (The Grateful Dead) - 8:08
- "(Walk Me Out in the) Morning DewMorning Dew"Morning Dew", also known as " Morning Dew", is a post-apocalyptic folk-rock song written by Canadian singer Bonnie Dobson in 1962.According to Dobson in a 1993 interview, "Morning Dew" was inspired by the film On the Beach....
" (Bonnie DobsonBonnie DobsonBonnie Dobson is a Canadian folk music songwriter, singer, and guitarist, most known in the 1960s for composing the songs "I'm Your Woman" and "Morning Dew"...
, Tim RoseTim RoseTimothy Alan Patrick Rose , best known professionally as Tim Rose, was an American singer-songwriter, who spent much of his life in London, England and had more success in Europe than in his native country...
) - 10:35
Disc eleven
- "Looks Like Rain" (John BarlowJohn Perry BarlowJohn Perry Barlow is an American poet and essayist, a retired Wyoming cattle rancher, and a cyberlibertarian political activist who has been associated with both the Democratic and Republican parties. He is also a former lyricist for the Grateful Dead and a founding member of the Electronic...
, Weir) - "Good Lovin'" (Rudy ClarkRudy ClarkRudy Clark is an American songwriter about whom little biographical information seems to be known. Supposedly a former mail carrier hailing from New York City, he was most active from the early 1960s through the early 1970s...
, Arthur Resnick) > - "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" (Garcia, Bill KreutzmannBill KreutzmannBill Kreutzmann is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career...
, Lesh) > - "Who Do You Love" (Bo DiddleyBo DiddleyEllas Otha Bates , known by his stage name Bo Diddley, was an American rhythm and blues vocalist, guitarist, songwriter , and inventor...
) > - "Caution (Do Not Stop on Tracks)" (Garcia, Kreutzmann, Lesh) >
- "Good Lovin'" (Clark, Resnick)
- "The Yellow Dog Story" (Grateful Dead)
Recording dates
The actual dates for most of the tracks have been determined as follows:- "Cumberland Blues", "Looks Like Rain", and "The Yellow Dog Story" – April 8, 1972 at Wembley Empire Pool, Wembley
- "Brown-Eyed Women" and tracks 6-10 on disc 11 – April 14, 1972 at Tivolis Koncertsal, Copenhagen
- "Jack Straw", "China Cat Sunflower", "I Know You Rider" and "Tennessee Jed" – May 3, 1972 at Olympia TheatreParis OlympiaThe Olympia is a music hall in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. Located at No. 28, Boulevard des Capucines, its closest métro/RER stations are Madeleine, Opéra, Havre – Caumartin and Auber....
, Paris - "Sugar Magnolia" – May 4, 1972 at Olympia Theatre, Paris
- "He's Gone" – May 10, 1972 at ConcertgebouwConcertgebouwThe Concertgebouw is a concert hall in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The Dutch term "concertgebouw" literally translates into English as "concert building"...
, Amsterdam - "Mr. Charlie" – May 23, 1972 at Lyceum Theatre, London, London
- "You Win Again" and "Hurts Me Too" – May 24, 1972 at Lyceum Theatre, London
- "Truckin'", "Epilogue", "Prelude", "Morning Dew", "One More Saturday Night", "Ramble on Rose" – May 26, 1972 at Lyceum Theatre, London
Personnel
- Jerry GarciaJerry GarciaJerome John "Jerry" Garcia was an American musician best known for his lead guitar work, singing and songwriting with the band the Grateful Dead...
– lead guitar, vocals - Bob WeirBob WeirBob Weir is an American singer, songwriter, and guitarist, most recognized as a founding member of the Grateful Dead. After the Grateful Dead disbanded in 1995, Weir performed with The Other Ones, later known as The Dead, together with other former members of the Grateful Dead...
– rhythm guitar, vocals - Phil LeshPhil LeshPhillip Chapman Lesh is a musician and a founding member of the Grateful Dead, with whom he played bass guitar throughout their 30-year career....
– electric bass, vocals - Ron (Pigpen) McKernan – organ, harmonica, vocals
- Keith GodchauxKeith GodchauxKeith Richard Godchaux was a musician best known for his tenure in the rock group the Grateful Dead.-Biography:Keith Godchaux was born in Seattle, Washington and grew up in Concord, California...
– piano - Bill KreutzmannBill KreutzmannBill Kreutzmann is an American drummer who played with the rock band the Grateful Dead for their entire thirty-year career...
– drums - Donna Godchaux – vocals
Charts
Album – BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | Pop Albums | 12 |
Singles – Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | "Sugar Magnolia" | Pop Singles | 91 |
Certifications
The Recording Industry Association of AmericaRecording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
sales certifications for Europe '72 are:
| Certification | Date |
|---|---|
| Gold | December 14, 1972 |
| Platinum | August 24, 2001 |
| Double Platinum | August 24, 2001 |