Not everyone likes the Disco Dead period. I get that. I happen to really like it, although I maintain the position that it was less disco and more funk, but that may be splitting hairs. I think what the band is able to do with the jam on Dancing In The Street is phenomenal. Sure, some of it was rehearsed and scripted – that walk down section isn’t just composing on the fly, but it adds a whole new dimension to the song.
Considering that this is originally a Motown song that undoubtedly clocked in under 3 minutes what we have here is a significant departure. I know that the band played this a bit in the early seventies, but I’ve never heard or read anything discussing what inspired them to give this particular song the treatment they did. If anyone has some insight or a source for that please let me know in the comments!
If you think this version doesn’t do the arrangement justice then the comment section is also your place to tell me how wrong I am!
Keith adds some really nice runs throughout this version, which does well to complement his vamping. Garcia starts exploring during his solo. I don’t know what pedal he’s using here, but he gets a nice thick sound. He adds some really nice chord-based solo type work here as well (by that I mean soloing using chord forms and not just single note runs).
This is a great example of on-the-fly composition in my opinion. The band moves from one theme to the next almost effortlessly. It’s really interesting to hear them get quiet and wait for someone to point the ship in the right direction. Of course, the big walk down riff section was rehearsed. It starts right around the 9 minute mark and cooks, as per usual. Loving the original Motown version of the song I think the walk-down part adds a very unique and distinct Grateful Dead quality to the song.
Back for another chorus, Bob, Jerry, and Donna start singing again. Phil just vamps on a single note for a while, then drops out. It’s only the drummers and an occasional addition from Keith, who gradually works his way into a quiet groove. The vocal improv section continues for a while and it’s clear that everyone is having a good time with it. Bobby’s doing a bit of his “rock star” stuff, and even Jerry tries some ad-libs, if I’m hearing correctly. Gradually Phil resumes his vamp, and the guitars chop at chords here and there. Phil add some random notes as everyone cedes the floor to the Rhythm Devils.
Complete Setlist 5/11/78
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I love the part where Phil makes some funny noises and causes Donna to laugh while she sings- the line “There’ll be laughing and singing”. This has always been my favorite version of this song, at least from the Keith & Donna era.
I agree. I think that’s what sealed this for me. Botched lyrics are fine when they’re having that much fun.
I really like the Dead’s 1970 version and mid 80s version of this song but I absolutely LOVE the so called disco Dancin’ in the Streets, just love it. I prefer this song with Donna but there is a hot Dancin’ from 10-27-79 Cape Cod.
Nice note, Russell, I somehow didn’t piece it together that Donna was laughing while singing, “laughing and singing.”
Again, I will give a word of caution before I copy my review from back in the day. I really, really, really hated DP25, except for the Drums/Space segments and a few musically together moments elsewhere. This release make me cringe any time I even think about it, never mind listen to it. But of course that is just my reaction. Your milage may (and will) vary:
I can’t say enough downright evil things about this one. It contains the absolute worst excuses for music I have ever heard emanate from this band. It all starts innocently enough with the familiar riffs. The vocal entrance is completely blown by Weir jumping the gun. Very effed-up vocal roaring and inside jokes threaten to derail the whole thing in the first verse. The second verse is similarly bizarre, then a jam section begins around 3:25. This actually rocks very hard up until about 7:00. A nice dynamic shift get us through the next minute-plus. At 8:45, a cool, punctuated section starts up (the one you have heard elsewhere). Two times through and we are back to the main song. But this is where the real trouble begins. If the beginning wasn’t goofy enough, the ending will make up for that. An interminably-long repeat vocal finds everyone involved going at the microphones like a herd of chimpanzees on glue. It is embarrassingly awful in every way. After an eternity, Weir mumbles something about letting the drummer(s) have some, then, thank the gods, he does relent and lets this disaster die into a CD track titled “Drums”.
Ironic, the extensive drums and space on DP25 typically get the skip treatment from me.
I will concede that this isn’t the best DP ever released, but it’s certainly not the worst (IMO, of course).
Wow! You don’t like this show? I couldn’t disagree more! This is such a fun show, a little weird, but very entertaining. Supposedly the boys took mescaline that night, which would explain all the craziness. Almost every song in the second set has an extra vocal jam, starting with the very unique Fire on the Mountain, After the Dancin’ and drums, we get a 4 verse Not Fade Away(very rare) which has another extended vocal jam at the end. Next is my favorite Stella Blue of all time. Jerry really gets into the vocals. I just love that “Stella Blue-ahhhh”, which leads into Jerry just ripping up the solo with Morning Dew like fanning. It ends with a rocking Around & Around and a Werewolves encore, both with vocal jams. The fact that the band returns for a second encore is evidence the band thought it was a great show. Then we have Phil thanking the people on the side for “boogieing their butts off all night long”. This show was one of my favorites back in the early 80’s. Dick picking it only confirmed for me how historical it was.
Russell, I hadn’t really thought about the vocal jams. I’ll have to pay attention to that next time I put this one on. I don’t know how much of a “highlight” Werewolves is for some people, what with Weir trying to peel the paint off the walls with his “slide work.” But this is case-in-point about what I love about the Dead. Two different people with two divergent opinions on the same show. Makes things interesting, no?
True, there are those moments on DP25, as always, and that extra syllable in Stella Blue is certainly one of them. I do love that. But something about the other vocal roaring and over-exuberance just gets way under my skin. It is truly like fingernails on a chalkboard to me and I don’t say that often about my beloved Grateful Dead. I even like most of 1978, where some very unhinged jams occur. It’s not the edginess — I like all of my music edgy — it’s that I feel like they went over the edge during these shows (DP25) into an embarrassing mess that I cannot appreciate on any level other than debating the merits (or lack thereof) with fellow Deadheads. I’m glad we can agree to disagree!
I really enjoyed this track the first time I heard it but after listening to it again it wasn’t the same. Bum deal, There is a similar version on DP29 that is proper.
I tend to agree that the ’77 “disco” Dancin’s are top notch. This one is a bit wacky and surreal, which makes it fun in my opinion. Duly noted on the DP29 though. I’ll check it out. Thanks!