1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:09,959 Speaker 1: Okay. Double Elvis Club is the production of I Heart 2 00:00:10,080 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: Radio and Double Elvis Ron. Pigpen mcernan died at the 3 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: age of and he lived a life that was always 4 00:00:19,560 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: meant to go off the tracks. I can give you 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: twenty seven reasons why that statement is true. Two would 6 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: be the number of times he narrowly avoided a possession 7 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,720 Speaker 1: rap for drugs, drugs that he had absolutely no desire 8 00:00:33,800 --> 00:00:37,560 Speaker 1: to use or even sell. Another four will be the 9 00:00:37,640 --> 00:00:40,280 Speaker 1: number of years of savings pig would lose when the 10 00:00:40,360 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: Dead got taken for a financial ride by a trusted 11 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: member of their family. Eight more would be the number 12 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,240 Speaker 1: of tracks that appeared on The Grateful Dead's fourth studio album, 13 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: Working Man's Dead, which turned away from psychedelia, though not 14 00:00:55,080 --> 00:00:59,880 Speaker 1: directly back towards pigs Beloved blues. Another eleven would be 15 00:00:59,880 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: the number of days pig Pen and the Grateful Dead 16 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:05,600 Speaker 1: would embark on a cross country journey into the Canadian wilderness, 17 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:09,280 Speaker 1: on a train ride that altered their perspective and their minds. 18 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:13,360 Speaker 1: And two will be the number of Englishmen who had 19 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,319 Speaker 1: the unpleasant task of letting an original band member go, 20 00:01:17,000 --> 00:01:19,759 Speaker 1: a member who would die a month later and serve 21 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: as a grim harbinger of what would await pig Pen 22 00:01:22,920 --> 00:01:29,279 Speaker 1: and his good friend all totally on this episode seven 23 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:33,600 Speaker 1: of season five, Possession wraps money Blues riding that train 24 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:39,679 Speaker 1: in Ron Pigpen McCarney, Um, Jake Brennan and this is 25 00:01:39,720 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: the cloth h M. I'd be careful if I were you. 26 00:02:26,919 --> 00:02:30,560 Speaker 1: The voice outside the Grateful Dead's New Orleans Hotels startled wrong, 27 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,519 Speaker 1: Pigpen mccernell. He wasn't used to security guards handing out 28 00:02:34,520 --> 00:02:37,400 Speaker 1: free advice. Pig Pen felt like the rent the cop 29 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:41,560 Speaker 1: was staring into his soul. Be careful. Lots of crazy 30 00:02:41,600 --> 00:02:45,120 Speaker 1: things happened around here. No ship, Sherlock. They were in 31 00:02:45,200 --> 00:02:49,520 Speaker 1: New Orleans, Les Leon Roulette. The big easiest middle name 32 00:02:49,720 --> 00:02:55,160 Speaker 1: was crazy. It was January thirty one. Pig Pen and 33 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:58,359 Speaker 1: his band me Tom Constant, had just returned from a 34 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:03,320 Speaker 1: nearby shop where they had perused antique pistols. Pigpen narrowed 35 00:03:03,320 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 1: his eyes at the guard. What was lots of crazy 36 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: things happened around here? Is supposed to meet? The security 37 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,880 Speaker 1: guard grinned like he knew something Pigpen didn't know. Pigpen 38 00:03:13,919 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 1: decided to brush it off, but couldn't help but feel 39 00:03:16,560 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: like he was being watched. He and Tom walked inside 40 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,520 Speaker 1: the hotel. Pig Pen scanned each person he saw. It 41 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:25,760 Speaker 1: was hard to tell if the scattered souls and the 42 00:03:25,800 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 1: hotel lobby were undercover cops, so just guess the hotel 43 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:33,120 Speaker 1: and question was settled right in the heart of Bourbon Street, 44 00:03:33,480 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: a large brick building with requisite iron porches wrapped around 45 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:41,520 Speaker 1: the facade quintessential French quarter. Pig Pen hoped the grateful 46 00:03:41,560 --> 00:03:44,720 Speaker 1: dead weren't about to be quint essentially fucked. Although the 47 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,800 Speaker 1: ancient building felt foreign, the feeling pig was getting on 48 00:03:47,840 --> 00:03:51,760 Speaker 1: the inside was all too familiar. Pig and Tom ascended 49 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: the stairs to find John McIntyre, the dead store manager, 50 00:03:55,120 --> 00:03:58,839 Speaker 1: hanging out in an upstairs lobby smoking a cigarette. Pig 51 00:03:58,920 --> 00:04:02,000 Speaker 1: Pen were counted as interaction with the security guard, and 52 00:04:02,080 --> 00:04:04,400 Speaker 1: pig was sweating. He thought of the bus on the 53 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: Hate back in sixty seven. He started worry that once 54 00:04:07,680 --> 00:04:09,960 Speaker 1: again he get locked up for something he didn't have 55 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: any party. Wouldn't that be just his luck, especially since Tom, 56 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,200 Speaker 1: in addition to being the only band member besides Pigpen 57 00:04:17,240 --> 00:04:20,640 Speaker 1: who regularly played keys, was also the only band member 58 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:24,120 Speaker 1: besides Pigpen, who didn't regularly partake in the legal narcotics. 59 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:28,719 Speaker 1: John calmed him down, told not to worry. Easier said 60 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:32,000 Speaker 1: than done. Pigpen couldn't shake the feeling that something was 61 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:36,160 Speaker 1: about to go down, and he was right. It was 62 00:04:36,200 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: around an hour later when the commotions started. Pig Pens 63 00:04:40,200 --> 00:04:42,200 Speaker 1: sat up on his bed and stared at the door. 64 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:45,920 Speaker 1: He had heard various members of the Dead's traveling circus 65 00:04:45,960 --> 00:04:49,160 Speaker 1: passed by in the hallway, but nothing that sounded like this. 66 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: He looked over at Tom, who didn't seem to share 67 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: pigpens elevated concerns. Muffled raised voices were now coming from 68 00:04:56,760 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: the other side of the door, and Pigpen began a sweating. 69 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:04,599 Speaker 1: An fuck. Only weeks earlier, Jefferson airplane were busted in 70 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: the same hotel. Pigpen knew the other members of the 71 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:11,039 Speaker 1: Dead's entourage were holding, and they were never not holding. 72 00:05:12,960 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: A knock came at the door. Pigpen's blood ran cold 73 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: and this was it. It was over. No way to 74 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: get off scot free again. Another knock, fuck, fock focking. 75 00:05:22,080 --> 00:05:25,960 Speaker 1: The door swung open. Two narcotics Asians entered, and it 76 00:05:26,080 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: took a look at the odd couple stationed in the room, 77 00:05:28,560 --> 00:05:31,800 Speaker 1: a sweaty goateed cowboy and a handlebar mustache jan who 78 00:05:31,800 --> 00:05:34,320 Speaker 1: looked like he belonged pulling rabbits out of a hat somewhere. 79 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: And the agents didn't say anything. They just started to 80 00:05:37,600 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: search the room, and pig Pen watched them nervously. He 81 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:43,880 Speaker 1: knew they wouldn't find anything, but he also knew that 82 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,080 Speaker 1: that didn't matter when it came to righteous cops and 83 00:05:46,160 --> 00:05:49,400 Speaker 1: defiant hippies. He wondered how long his sentence would be 84 00:05:49,760 --> 00:05:55,240 Speaker 1: fifteen years twenty. The visions of a backwater Louisiana prison 85 00:05:55,320 --> 00:05:58,840 Speaker 1: ran through Pigpen's head, stuck in the oppressive southern heat 86 00:05:58,839 --> 00:06:01,919 Speaker 1: while carrying out community the service for the next three decades. 87 00:06:02,600 --> 00:06:06,240 Speaker 1: He never should have left northern California. Just as Pig's 88 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:10,960 Speaker 1: mental state was unraveling, Tom, clear minded and sober, began 89 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: to casually talk up the agents. Tom discovered that, like him, 90 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:19,080 Speaker 1: the agents were ex air force, and the mutual bond 91 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,160 Speaker 1: cut some of the tension in the air, but they 92 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:26,320 Speaker 1: continued their search nonetheless and nothing. Pig and Tom were 93 00:06:26,360 --> 00:06:30,240 Speaker 1: both clean. They would not be charged. Jesus. That was 94 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: another close one. Pigpen felt a rush of relief. He 95 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:35,880 Speaker 1: walked out of his room, a new lease on life 96 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:38,640 Speaker 1: for some air and a smoke. The scene in the 97 00:06:38,680 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: hallway was eerie. As Pigpen made his way to the 98 00:06:42,640 --> 00:06:44,720 Speaker 1: end of the hallway, he passed the rooms of the 99 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,480 Speaker 1: rest of the Grateful Dead and their roadies and entourage. 100 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: All the doors were thrown open and agents were in 101 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,320 Speaker 1: each room tearing through possessions, but Pigpen didn't see a 102 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: familiar face in sight. When Pigpen emerged onto Bourbon Street, 103 00:06:58,760 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 1: he found nine team members of their crew, including several bandmates, 104 00:07:02,279 --> 00:07:05,279 Speaker 1: sitting on the sidewalk and handcuffs, and the press was 105 00:07:05,320 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: already on the scene. Cameras clicked and bulbs flashed, and 106 00:07:09,080 --> 00:07:11,560 Speaker 1: the papers would say that the band was caught with marijuana, 107 00:07:11,720 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: l s D, barbiturates and dangerous narcotics. The Grateful Dead, 108 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: on the other hand, claimed it was nothing but some 109 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:22,960 Speaker 1: reson in prescriptions. Regardless. After being held for eight hours 110 00:07:22,960 --> 00:07:26,720 Speaker 1: in a New Orleans jail, all nineteen were released on bail, 111 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:31,440 Speaker 1: aside from Augustus Islesley Stanley ak Bear, so they would 112 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:35,040 Speaker 1: all avoid any serious legal trouble. Bears rap sheet had 113 00:07:35,080 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: finally caught up to him, though he was now looking 114 00:07:37,560 --> 00:07:40,640 Speaker 1: at multiple years in prison, and the Grateful Dead would 115 00:07:40,680 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: soon lose their sound man. But losing Bear wasn't the 116 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: only thing troubling the Dead. After the New Orleans bust, 117 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: the bail money used to spring the detainees depleted vital 118 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: travel funds, leaving the group frightfully low on cash. Lenny Hart, 119 00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:58,320 Speaker 1: Mickey Hart's father, who had become the Dead's money manager 120 00:07:58,360 --> 00:08:00,960 Speaker 1: a few months prior, men as to get the caravan 121 00:08:01,080 --> 00:08:04,200 Speaker 1: released from their holding cells for three thousand, seven hundred 122 00:08:04,240 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: and fifty non refundable dollars. It was more than the 123 00:08:07,520 --> 00:08:10,920 Speaker 1: Dead had made at their previous show. The band held 124 00:08:10,920 --> 00:08:13,880 Speaker 1: a fundraiser at their show of the following night, jamming 125 00:08:13,880 --> 00:08:18,160 Speaker 1: with their opener Fleetwood Mac, then collecting funds to retroactively 126 00:08:18,240 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: pay their bail tab. In typical grateful debt fashion, they 127 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:26,240 Speaker 1: even invited their arresting officers. It's all good, man, but 128 00:08:26,360 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 1: it wasn't okay. The Dead had reached a new level 129 00:08:29,880 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: of notoriety. They found all the terrible trappings of fame 130 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: with seemingly none of the benefits. The traveling entity known 131 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,200 Speaker 1: as the Grateful Dead was becoming a financial fiasco, and 132 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:42,800 Speaker 1: they were pitiful at managing money, and they simply didn't 133 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:45,200 Speaker 1: understand the cost of business in the rock and roll world. 134 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:48,080 Speaker 1: The lack of a contingency plan in New Orleans was 135 00:08:48,160 --> 00:08:51,400 Speaker 1: just more supporting evidence of that. Sure, they wanted to 136 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:54,360 Speaker 1: play more shows, launch bigger tours, buy better sound equipment, 137 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: but all that cost money and required actual planning. The 138 00:08:58,120 --> 00:09:03,880 Speaker 1: Grateful Dead were essentially list in that department. That's where 139 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:06,760 Speaker 1: Lenny Hart fit in. Lenny work to make sure the 140 00:09:06,800 --> 00:09:09,880 Speaker 1: Dead weren't living hand in mouth anymore. Everyone was given 141 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: a livable weekly stipend. Pig Pen didn't have a clue 142 00:09:12,920 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: what to do with the cash. He started leaving a 143 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:17,800 Speaker 1: bit to Lenny every week, stashing it away for the 144 00:09:17,880 --> 00:09:20,720 Speaker 1: day of The Grateful Dead's train inevitably ran off the tracks. 145 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,280 Speaker 1: Pig Pen new it was inevitable because it always seemed 146 00:09:24,320 --> 00:09:27,079 Speaker 1: like whatever tracks they were writing were wobbly at best. 147 00:09:29,040 --> 00:09:31,520 Speaker 1: And in the midst of their roots rock rebrand, the 148 00:09:31,559 --> 00:09:33,839 Speaker 1: Grateful Dead decided it was time to shake up their 149 00:09:33,840 --> 00:09:36,920 Speaker 1: lineup yet again, just as they had done with Bob 150 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,960 Speaker 1: and Pig a few years prior. The band got together 151 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,760 Speaker 1: and decided to let Tom Constantin go. But unlike the 152 00:09:43,800 --> 00:09:47,640 Speaker 1: reasoning they provided regarding Bob and Pig, Tom's departure was 153 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:51,439 Speaker 1: about style. He couldn't bring the energy to the stage 154 00:09:51,480 --> 00:09:55,120 Speaker 1: that the band needed. It was too calculated, perhaps even 155 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:59,480 Speaker 1: too well trained. Tom Constantin was asked for actually having 156 00:09:59,520 --> 00:10:02,400 Speaker 1: his ship together, and the band wanted to start playing 157 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:04,600 Speaker 1: luc again, get back to the soul of the music. 158 00:10:04,640 --> 00:10:07,520 Speaker 1: They loved rock and roll, they just didn't sound like 159 00:10:07,520 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: a rock and roll band with Tom on keys. Tom 160 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:12,800 Speaker 1: didn't sweat it. He had already been asked to arrange 161 00:10:12,880 --> 00:10:15,800 Speaker 1: music for and off Broadway show called Tara, and the 162 00:10:15,920 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: two parties split amicable. Although Tom had originally been brought 163 00:10:19,640 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: into replace Pig, the two had grown close. Pigs warm 164 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: and daring demeanor had one Tom over and they formed 165 00:10:26,800 --> 00:10:31,079 Speaker 1: a strong kinship despite being world's apart musically. Pig Pen 166 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:34,360 Speaker 1: even served as Tom's best man at his wedding. But 167 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,640 Speaker 1: there was no time to dwell on Tom's departure. Pig 168 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:40,439 Speaker 1: Pen was needed to step back behind the keyboard and 169 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,400 Speaker 1: reclaim a piece of his original duties in the band. 170 00:10:44,080 --> 00:11:13,880 Speaker 1: For now, the crowd at the Fillmore East let out 171 00:11:13,920 --> 00:11:17,120 Speaker 1: an emphatic round of applause. The Grateful Dead had just 172 00:11:17,400 --> 00:11:21,240 Speaker 1: gracefully delivered the un characteristically mellow Candy Man, one of 173 00:11:21,320 --> 00:11:24,960 Speaker 1: their latest compositions. Fans were still getting used to this 174 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:27,280 Speaker 1: new version of the Dead, but they were digging in. 175 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: Jerry leaned into the microphone and told the crowd they 176 00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:32,520 Speaker 1: were going to end the night with a gospel tune. 177 00:11:33,240 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: Pig Pen narrowed his eyes, his confidence, which had returned 178 00:11:36,920 --> 00:11:40,080 Speaker 1: in full force since the departure of Tom Constantine, course 179 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: through his veins, and pig Pen leaned into his mind 180 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,120 Speaker 1: and told Jerry to skip it. Jerry tried to laugh 181 00:11:46,160 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 1: it off, but the crowd was on the Pigpen side. Yeah, 182 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: play the blues Man, And Jerry looked back at pig 183 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,560 Speaker 1: Pen and grinned, and then turned to the crowd. You 184 00:11:55,600 --> 00:11:57,959 Speaker 1: want to hear pig Pen? And the crowd gave a 185 00:11:58,040 --> 00:12:01,520 Speaker 1: holdad and Jerry asked again, and they got louder, and 186 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:06,240 Speaker 1: he asked a third time, and the film Moore shook Pigpen, grinned, 187 00:12:06,600 --> 00:12:09,080 Speaker 1: polished off his can of beer, and stepped to the 188 00:12:09,120 --> 00:12:11,360 Speaker 1: mic with an acoustic guitar. To get the crowd what 189 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:16,040 Speaker 1: they wanted. He gave them the Blues, a solo rendition 190 00:12:16,040 --> 00:12:19,760 Speaker 1: of Lightning Hopkins She's Mine. He added his own suggestive 191 00:12:19,840 --> 00:12:22,360 Speaker 1: lyrics to it, as well, a couple of lines about 192 00:12:22,360 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: a woodpecker pecking. Pig was feeling it. He was on 193 00:12:26,760 --> 00:12:30,400 Speaker 1: stage picking an acoustic crooning some dirty old blues to 194 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,080 Speaker 1: the audience. He had the place in the palm of 195 00:12:33,160 --> 00:12:37,720 Speaker 1: his hand. This was the ship, This was what pig 196 00:12:37,760 --> 00:12:42,480 Speaker 1: Pen always wanted. He hit the instrumental break, bringing it 197 00:12:42,520 --> 00:12:46,760 Speaker 1: down real low, before easing into the last verse, and 198 00:12:46,800 --> 00:12:49,920 Speaker 1: the protagonist in the narrative of She's Mine leads his 199 00:12:49,960 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: blind girlfriend around. He doesn't care what other people say. 200 00:12:53,559 --> 00:12:56,400 Speaker 1: He's happy with this woman. And pig Pen was happy 201 00:12:56,440 --> 00:13:00,400 Speaker 1: with his band. His band. Yeah, it was starting to 202 00:13:00,400 --> 00:13:03,080 Speaker 1: feel like that again. The tunes were starting to feel 203 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:05,720 Speaker 1: more like The Dead. It wasn't the excess and the 204 00:13:05,760 --> 00:13:08,360 Speaker 1: self indulgent music that could have been so focused on, 205 00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 1: and they stripped it back all the way back to 206 00:13:11,640 --> 00:13:17,000 Speaker 1: its roots. The Dead took more than one page from 207 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:19,319 Speaker 1: the book that the band and Bob Dylan were using. 208 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: They emulated any and all music that used old school 209 00:13:22,960 --> 00:13:25,360 Speaker 1: vibes from the Civil War right up to the country 210 00:13:25,400 --> 00:13:28,120 Speaker 1: tunes of the nineteen fifties. They threw it in a 211 00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:31,200 Speaker 1: blender and then strained the contents through their own unique filter. 212 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:34,000 Speaker 1: The music wound up sounding a lot more like the 213 00:13:34,000 --> 00:13:36,240 Speaker 1: Grateful Dead sound in the early days, and it was 214 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:39,760 Speaker 1: right in tune with what was going down. What would 215 00:13:39,840 --> 00:13:43,400 Speaker 1: later be referred to as Americana was coursing through the 216 00:13:43,440 --> 00:13:47,240 Speaker 1: Dead's new compositions. The essence of the country they called 217 00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: home was right there in the music. The Grateful Dead 218 00:13:50,160 --> 00:13:52,640 Speaker 1: just needed to pull back the curtain. In the entire 219 00:13:52,679 --> 00:13:56,360 Speaker 1: world needed to pull back the curtain. Seventy wasn't just 220 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:58,839 Speaker 1: the turning of the decades on the calendar. It was 221 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: a moment for everyone catched their collective breath. The Dead 222 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:06,559 Speaker 1: were catching their breath, too. But while the music transported 223 00:14:06,559 --> 00:14:10,400 Speaker 1: the band's metaphysical mindset, the harsh realities of their terrestrial 224 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 1: situation were inescapable, and they were broke again. They had 225 00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,080 Speaker 1: just been taken for a ride by someone they had 226 00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: trusted with complete control of their funds, someone that they 227 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:23,720 Speaker 1: believed had been acting in their best interests for the 228 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:26,720 Speaker 1: past year, someone who wasn't just a member of the 229 00:14:26,760 --> 00:14:30,120 Speaker 1: Dead's extended family, but a member of their immediate family, 230 00:14:31,040 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: Lenny Hart. It all started when Lenny pocketed Jerry's paycheck 231 00:14:35,560 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: for his contribution to the Zabrisky Point soundtrack, which had 232 00:14:39,040 --> 00:14:42,160 Speaker 1: arrived at the Dead's office. The Dead began to connect 233 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 1: the dots. Pigpen's organ had been repossessed on stage the 234 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,160 Speaker 1: year before. The Lenny skim money off the top of 235 00:14:49,200 --> 00:14:51,560 Speaker 1: the band's paychecks to open lines of credit with no 236 00:14:51,720 --> 00:14:54,800 Speaker 1: bank would have them. Then they found evidence that Lenny 237 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 1: had written checks to himself right out of the Grateful 238 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: Dead's collective income to the tune of on dollars. The 239 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:05,400 Speaker 1: band and some of their entourage confronted Lenny in his office. 240 00:15:05,800 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: Mickey was distraught, the rest of the band was piste. 241 00:15:09,240 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: Lenny was given a week to get things in order, 242 00:15:11,440 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: and then he was told to fuck right off. Lenny 243 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: did funk right off, but he put nothing in order. 244 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:19,960 Speaker 1: He literally cleared out his office and all the records 245 00:15:20,000 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 1: he had. He took his desk, the filing cabinets, and 246 00:15:22,600 --> 00:15:24,960 Speaker 1: the rest of the furniture and high tiled it to Mexico. 247 00:15:25,840 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: The next time the Dead stepped into Lenny's office, there 248 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:31,760 Speaker 1: was not a scrap of paper remaining. Mickey always wanted 249 00:15:31,800 --> 00:15:34,040 Speaker 1: to read the vibes, decided to step away from the 250 00:15:34,080 --> 00:15:36,560 Speaker 1: band for a while. He couldn't blame the band for 251 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:39,600 Speaker 1: any hard feelings that they'd had towards his father, which 252 00:15:39,600 --> 00:15:42,280 Speaker 1: they wouldn't be able to help feeling towards him, so 253 00:15:42,320 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: he went on sabbatical. By the time he would return 254 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: to the fold, pig Pen would be dead. Ungrateful Dead's 255 00:15:51,320 --> 00:15:54,880 Speaker 1: funds were exhausted, not that they had much to begin with, 256 00:15:55,320 --> 00:15:57,600 Speaker 1: and pig Pen, who had been setting aside some cash 257 00:15:57,680 --> 00:15:59,760 Speaker 1: each we'd build up his own savings, and who had 258 00:15:59,760 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: trust to blending with all of it, was without a net. 259 00:16:02,800 --> 00:16:05,640 Speaker 1: He didn't spend money, didn't live lavishly. He enjoyed the 260 00:16:05,680 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: little things and thought he was being smart with his dough. 261 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 1: Now he had nothing, nothing but the music. Pig and 262 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:14,200 Speaker 1: the Dead have been running on empty for too long, 263 00:16:14,600 --> 00:16:18,480 Speaker 1: exhausted from living paycheck to paycheck, and they were battered, bruised, 264 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: and left on a dusty road. So for their next record, 265 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 1: the Grateful Dead had to simplify the process, just as 266 00:16:24,680 --> 00:16:28,680 Speaker 1: they had simplified their new tunes. No expensive and overly 267 00:16:28,720 --> 00:16:31,680 Speaker 1: complicated recording studios in New York City or l A. 268 00:16:32,400 --> 00:16:35,840 Speaker 1: They stayed put in San Francisco and checked in the 269 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:40,800 Speaker 1: PACIFICAI Recording studio. Things were noticeably different right from the beginning. 270 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: Pig Pen loved the relaxed setting. In fact, he thrived 271 00:16:45,320 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: in it. It wasn't the blues, but thank fucking god, 272 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:50,560 Speaker 1: it wasn't the tie tied space jazz. The Dead laid 273 00:16:50,600 --> 00:16:53,480 Speaker 1: down on their first three records. These tunes pig Pen 274 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:56,240 Speaker 1: could drive with, and he could actually play them too. 275 00:16:56,480 --> 00:16:59,920 Speaker 1: But he wasn't only playing. He was contributing. The harper 276 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:03,080 Speaker 1: making vocal of easy wind, the near spiritual organ and 277 00:17:03,120 --> 00:17:06,879 Speaker 1: harmonica of the mournful Black Peter, and some good punchy, 278 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: chugging honky tonkys sprinkled throughout. Pig Pen's presence was, for 279 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:13,879 Speaker 1: the first time in a long time, felt on a 280 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 1: Grateful Dead recording. The sessions were like walking in the sunshine. 281 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: There was an ease to the process. No exploring the 282 00:17:21,960 --> 00:17:25,560 Speaker 1: studio for unique sounds, no destruction of equipment or manipulation 283 00:17:25,600 --> 00:17:29,040 Speaker 1: of instruments, and no Jerry and Phil spending months upon 284 00:17:29,119 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: months to fine tune the mix. The Grateful Dead swaggered 285 00:17:32,800 --> 00:17:34,960 Speaker 1: through the tracks like a group of soldiers who had 286 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,840 Speaker 1: just gone through a war. The camaraderie and the trust 287 00:17:37,880 --> 00:17:40,760 Speaker 1: in one another led to a communal, open working environment 288 00:17:40,800 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: in the sound of a band that, while relaxed in sound, 289 00:17:44,160 --> 00:17:48,760 Speaker 1: was tightened in performance. The Dead simply played, and in 290 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:52,040 Speaker 1: just under two weeks they had transferred their sound and 291 00:17:52,119 --> 00:17:56,520 Speaker 1: their current mental state onto wax. One executive Joe Smith 292 00:17:56,560 --> 00:17:59,000 Speaker 1: that Warner Brothers heard the opening acoustic strums of the 293 00:17:59,040 --> 00:18:02,320 Speaker 1: album's first song, Uncle John's Band, he thought someone was 294 00:18:02,359 --> 00:18:04,600 Speaker 1: playing a joke on him. It sounded like a bunch 295 00:18:04,600 --> 00:18:07,240 Speaker 1: of hippie cowboys singing a tune about some long forgotten 296 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:10,920 Speaker 1: old tigers around the campfire. It was weary, yet hopeful, 297 00:18:11,359 --> 00:18:14,879 Speaker 1: rough around the edges, yet direct. The Grateful Dead had 298 00:18:14,920 --> 00:18:17,919 Speaker 1: managed to pull right off the interstate of overblown acid 299 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:21,680 Speaker 1: rock and taken some back road of breezy meditation. They 300 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:26,119 Speaker 1: even add something that resembled a hint too. Working Man's 301 00:18:26,160 --> 00:18:27,960 Speaker 1: Dead made it all the way at the number twenty 302 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:31,040 Speaker 1: seven on the Billboard album charts, got played on FM 303 00:18:31,119 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: stations everywhere, and sold exponentially more than anything the group 304 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:39,000 Speaker 1: had put out prior. It was a massive risk, but 305 00:18:39,119 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: it had paid off in the process of completely reconfiguring 306 00:18:42,880 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: their sound, the Grateful Dead pushed out their finest album yet. 307 00:18:47,119 --> 00:18:49,720 Speaker 1: Him Pigpen, who had been pushed aside when the Dead 308 00:18:49,760 --> 00:18:52,680 Speaker 1: stepped away from the Blues, pushed aside in the studio 309 00:18:52,720 --> 00:18:55,280 Speaker 1: as the Dead chased the sound they never quite manifest, 310 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:59,160 Speaker 1: and pushed aside when Tom Constantine came into helping that pursuit. 311 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:01,879 Speaker 1: Had I only found his way back to the center 312 00:19:01,920 --> 00:19:05,160 Speaker 1: of the band's sound. Pig Van and the Grateful Dead 313 00:19:05,560 --> 00:19:08,760 Speaker 1: had managed to get their train back on track. Now 314 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: it was time to ride that train down the road 315 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:18,000 Speaker 1: and with any luck, leave their troubles behind. We'll be 316 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:31,159 Speaker 1: right back after this word word word, Ron pig Pen 317 00:19:31,280 --> 00:19:34,000 Speaker 1: mcernan closed his eyes and listened as the wheels of 318 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:37,960 Speaker 1: the train clacked loudly against the rail joints. The sound 319 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:40,359 Speaker 1: reminded him at the times he spent sitting outside the 320 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:43,400 Speaker 1: Inn room back in Pao, alto the beat of acoustic 321 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:46,080 Speaker 1: guitari played down by the train tracks that ran behind 322 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:49,359 Speaker 1: the club, then the rolling rhythm of the locomotive providing 323 00:19:49,400 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: a natural backbeat. As the warm California breeze ran wildly 324 00:19:53,240 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: through his hair. Pig opened his eyes and looked out 325 00:19:57,480 --> 00:20:01,119 Speaker 1: the window he was miles from California. Now he lugged 326 00:20:01,160 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: so many miles and sang so many songs since those 327 00:20:03,560 --> 00:20:06,440 Speaker 1: early dreams of becoming a blues man, in those more 328 00:20:06,480 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 1: innocent days of Mother mccree's Uptown jump Champions. Not the 329 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:14,280 Speaker 1: pig minded much. There was something uniquely American about setting 330 00:20:14,280 --> 00:20:17,200 Speaker 1: out on the open road, and something even more American 331 00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:19,680 Speaker 1: about hitching a ride on a train and shooting off 332 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:25,640 Speaker 1: into the country in parts unknown. Only Pigpen wasn't in America. 333 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:30,399 Speaker 1: This was Canada. Yeah, close enough. The train whizzed by 334 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,679 Speaker 1: rolling firms and herds of cattle, wind swept planes for 335 00:20:33,760 --> 00:20:36,480 Speaker 1: as far as the eye could see. This wasn't your 336 00:20:36,480 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: typical airplane, bus, hotel tour. This was a different kind 337 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:43,720 Speaker 1: of trip. It's suited Pigpen just fine. He took the 338 00:20:43,760 --> 00:20:45,840 Speaker 1: final drag of his cigarette and flipped it off the 339 00:20:45,880 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: back of the train. He pulled the flask from his 340 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:52,360 Speaker 1: back pocket, unscrewed it, and brought it to his lips, empty, 341 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:55,880 Speaker 1: of course it was. Pigpen shipped the last drops out 342 00:20:55,920 --> 00:21:00,159 Speaker 1: of the overturned flask and headed back inside. That's him. 343 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:02,560 Speaker 1: As he opened the door, everything hit him at once. 344 00:21:03,040 --> 00:21:05,400 Speaker 1: The smell of booze, the haze of smoke, the sound 345 00:21:05,480 --> 00:21:08,080 Speaker 1: of music. The train car was full of musicians and 346 00:21:08,119 --> 00:21:11,119 Speaker 1: their friends, many of which were currently performing your country 347 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:15,160 Speaker 1: fried version of the Dixie Land standard Careless Love. Down 348 00:21:15,200 --> 00:21:18,040 Speaker 1: at the end of the car, Pigpen watched Janice Joplin 349 00:21:18,040 --> 00:21:22,479 Speaker 1: and Jerry Garcia harmonize. Janice's voice was raw and ragged. 350 00:21:22,840 --> 00:21:24,680 Speaker 1: It didn't matter that the tune was one of a 351 00:21:24,760 --> 00:21:29,160 Speaker 1: traditional bluestummers. Of course, she loved country music. Janice had 352 00:21:29,200 --> 00:21:32,200 Speaker 1: once told Pigpen, after all, that she was from Texas, 353 00:21:32,680 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: And the wheels turned in Pigpen's head like the wheels 354 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:40,280 Speaker 1: of the train rolling along the tracks. The blues, country, bluegrass, folk, 355 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:42,959 Speaker 1: R and B. That ship wasn't supposed to be separate. 356 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,440 Speaker 1: They are all parts of one big sound. That one 357 00:21:46,480 --> 00:21:49,880 Speaker 1: big sound stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from 358 00:21:49,960 --> 00:21:53,119 Speaker 1: Janie's home in Texas up to wherever the Canada they 359 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:56,000 Speaker 1: were rolling through at the moment. This train wasn't just 360 00:21:56,040 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: a joy ride through the countryside. It was a rolling circus. 361 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,000 Speaker 1: And they were calling it the Festival Express. And it 362 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: had been organized as a moving concert. Instead of having 363 00:22:06,560 --> 00:22:09,199 Speaker 1: hundreds of thousands of kids send on one location and 364 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,560 Speaker 1: risk another Altamont. The organizers deciety to put the show 365 00:22:12,640 --> 00:22:15,600 Speaker 1: on wheels and delivered to the people one whistle stop 366 00:22:15,640 --> 00:22:19,120 Speaker 1: at a time. The hope was up north in Canada, 367 00:22:19,400 --> 00:22:22,240 Speaker 1: the bands get a brief respite from the madness unfolding 368 00:22:22,240 --> 00:22:26,440 Speaker 1: in the United States. Haltimont Manson should have gone way 369 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 1: dark in the supposed land of the Free. The idealism 370 00:22:30,960 --> 00:22:33,360 Speaker 1: of the sixties had always been there to balance out 371 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:37,200 Speaker 1: the violence, but now violence was taking over. This adventure 372 00:22:37,320 --> 00:22:40,320 Speaker 1: was designed to avoid that mess entirely. It was an 373 00:22:40,359 --> 00:22:44,840 Speaker 1: intentional break from America. Janice the Dead, the Band, Buddy 374 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,600 Speaker 1: Guy Mountain, the Flying Burrito Brothers, Delaney and Bonnie. The 375 00:22:48,640 --> 00:22:51,399 Speaker 1: only places they'd even entertained a performance for the moment 376 00:22:51,440 --> 00:22:54,720 Speaker 1: were north of the border. Pig in the Dead, however, 377 00:22:55,200 --> 00:22:58,119 Speaker 1: very much played the part of the Americans, even if 378 00:22:58,160 --> 00:23:01,000 Speaker 1: it was a mythic America. They were repper sending. They 379 00:23:01,000 --> 00:23:03,960 Speaker 1: were clad in Western ware, knives and all, like outlaws 380 00:23:03,960 --> 00:23:07,400 Speaker 1: in the gold Rush, and like cowboys, they're always open 381 00:23:07,480 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: whatever the open road had to offer. The unique format 382 00:23:10,760 --> 00:23:13,199 Speaker 1: of the tour also allowed the band's ample amount of 383 00:23:13,240 --> 00:23:16,600 Speaker 1: time to spend together something they weren't used to. Instead 384 00:23:16,640 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 1: of hanging out backstage for a few hours during the show, 385 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: the groups would live on top of each other in 386 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,920 Speaker 1: train cars for a week. The party never stopped. There 387 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:28,360 Speaker 1: was a blues car, a folk car, a country car, 388 00:23:28,480 --> 00:23:31,560 Speaker 1: a rock car. Different jams popped up in every part 389 00:23:31,560 --> 00:23:33,719 Speaker 1: of the train, and the musicians would play with whoever 390 00:23:33,800 --> 00:23:37,200 Speaker 1: was around. Janis Joplin, for one, saying the praises and 391 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,960 Speaker 1: the chorus of Chris Christofferson's Meet and Bobby McGhee Delaney 392 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: Bromlett sat down with Jerry Garcia and taught him how 393 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,240 Speaker 1: to play a song called going down the Road Feeling Bad, 394 00:23:46,640 --> 00:23:50,879 Speaker 1: an old traditional popularized by Woody Guthrie. Assumed both songs 395 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:54,040 Speaker 1: would be staples of The Grateful Dead's live show, and 396 00:23:54,080 --> 00:23:56,840 Speaker 1: the whole thing loosened. Pig pen up, hell, it loosened 397 00:23:56,840 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: to everybody up, and so did the booze. He spent 398 00:23:59,640 --> 00:24:01,960 Speaker 1: most of days in the blues car, rubbing shoulders with 399 00:24:02,000 --> 00:24:05,560 Speaker 1: Buddy Guy and talking music, or firmly positioned in the 400 00:24:05,600 --> 00:24:08,840 Speaker 1: bar car, sitting on Canadian whiskey while Janet Study too 401 00:24:08,880 --> 00:24:12,000 Speaker 1: were back of tequila and lemons. Someone had set up 402 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: an oversized bottle complete with the dispenser on a table 403 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,000 Speaker 1: and what had been deemed the country car, and it 404 00:24:17,119 --> 00:24:20,800 Speaker 1: became the holy grail everyone who drink from it. It 405 00:24:20,920 --> 00:24:23,919 Speaker 1: was the rest of the Dead's first real introduction alcohol, 406 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:29,639 Speaker 1: and everyone was drunk as help, including Jerry. One evening, 407 00:24:29,840 --> 00:24:32,760 Speaker 1: Pigpen sat nursing a tall glass of Canadian Club with 408 00:24:32,840 --> 00:24:35,360 Speaker 1: his feet kicked up and his hat pulled low. He 409 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: wasn't drunk. Pigpen wasn't ever really drunk in any out 410 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: of control way. He just got, as Jerry put it, 411 00:24:41,760 --> 00:24:45,399 Speaker 1: more mellow, And now he was mellowing out listening to Jerry, 412 00:24:45,440 --> 00:24:47,879 Speaker 1: Bob Janis and Rick Danko of the band jam on 413 00:24:47,960 --> 00:24:52,680 Speaker 1: some old timey music and it sounded glorious, uplifting and joyous. 414 00:24:53,520 --> 00:24:57,680 Speaker 1: The journey was just under a week, but it rejuvenated Pigpen. 415 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,520 Speaker 1: His performances on each stop were inspired. He ripped off 416 00:25:01,520 --> 00:25:04,439 Speaker 1: transcendent harmonica fills and vocals while the Dead grooved on 417 00:25:04,520 --> 00:25:08,119 Speaker 1: new tunes from working Man's Dead. Pigpen wasn't only enjoying 418 00:25:08,119 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 1: the blues numbers. He was enjoying the new tunes the 419 00:25:10,480 --> 00:25:13,240 Speaker 1: Grateful Dead were writing. When it came down to it, 420 00:25:13,640 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: pig wasn't ever really interested in rocking the boat, and 421 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:18,480 Speaker 1: the dead were never really interested in letting their brother 422 00:25:18,520 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: in arms go. Pigpen's second chance at the Grateful Dead 423 00:25:22,320 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: became a rebirth. The train ride felt like a dream, 424 00:25:25,840 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: but Pig was firmly aware that it was indeed reality. 425 00:25:29,000 --> 00:25:31,320 Speaker 1: He would have stayed on forever if he could, but 426 00:25:31,440 --> 00:25:35,320 Speaker 1: the ride wouldn't go on forever, and neither were pigs. 427 00:26:01,400 --> 00:26:04,480 Speaker 1: Twelve months before the Festival Express got on the tracks 428 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,880 Speaker 1: of Bentley took its last turn onto a quiet farm road. 429 00:26:08,800 --> 00:26:11,320 Speaker 1: The two long Hairs up front, one adorned in a 430 00:26:11,440 --> 00:26:14,480 Speaker 1: smart but stylish suit and the other in bell bottoms 431 00:26:14,480 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: and a choice vest, both sporting several expensive rings, had 432 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:22,480 Speaker 1: traveled just over an hour to reach their destination that day, 433 00:26:22,800 --> 00:26:25,840 Speaker 1: the end they'd been in sight for months. The two 434 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: long Hairs weren't just a couple of hippies of her 435 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:31,960 Speaker 1: joy ride. They're on a mission. And the car pulled 436 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:33,960 Speaker 1: to a stop in front of a large red house 437 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,600 Speaker 1: on a pristine estate. Neither Mick Jagger nor Keith Richards 438 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,119 Speaker 1: wanted to be where they were, but the job hadn't 439 00:26:40,119 --> 00:26:44,360 Speaker 1: been done. They stood, and in erguous crossroads, they had 440 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:47,040 Speaker 1: watched as the original leader of the Rolling Stones became 441 00:26:47,160 --> 00:26:50,639 Speaker 1: cooler and colder, fell into a drug confused haze, and 442 00:26:51,080 --> 00:26:55,159 Speaker 1: apart from a few moments of inspiration, disengaged entirely from 443 00:26:55,200 --> 00:26:58,480 Speaker 1: the music they were creating. Mick and Keith took a 444 00:26:58,520 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: long look at each other. They didn't wait any longer. 445 00:27:01,480 --> 00:27:03,600 Speaker 1: Minutes later, they were seated in the home of their 446 00:27:03,640 --> 00:27:07,399 Speaker 1: band made for the time being. They smoked cigarettes as 447 00:27:07,440 --> 00:27:10,640 Speaker 1: casually as they could and given the circumstances, But as 448 00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:13,320 Speaker 1: the last bit of tobacco burned away, they knew it 449 00:27:13,400 --> 00:27:17,159 Speaker 1: was time. Like those cigarettes, their host had reached the 450 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,720 Speaker 1: end of his rope. He was burnt out. He was 451 00:27:20,760 --> 00:27:23,280 Speaker 1: simply no longer up to the task. He was holding 452 00:27:23,320 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: them back, and the Stones were set to head out 453 00:27:25,720 --> 00:27:28,000 Speaker 1: on a tour of the States. But the rap sheet 454 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: of their host man he wouldn't be able to join them, 455 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,360 Speaker 1: and there was only one choice. The bank could make. 456 00:27:33,200 --> 00:27:39,000 Speaker 1: Brian gear out. Brian Jones glanced over at Mick and 457 00:27:39,040 --> 00:27:42,400 Speaker 1: then at Keith. He nodded, It's not like he wasn't 458 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:47,040 Speaker 1: expecting this news, but fuck there it was set out loud. 459 00:27:49,440 --> 00:27:52,280 Speaker 1: Brian started the Rolling Stones in the first place, he 460 00:27:52,480 --> 00:27:55,600 Speaker 1: gave them direction, he even chose the bloody fucking name. 461 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:58,879 Speaker 1: But the Stones were no longer his claim. It was 462 00:27:58,920 --> 00:28:01,000 Speaker 1: crystal clear that his presence in the group and his 463 00:28:01,080 --> 00:28:05,520 Speaker 1: influence on their music had deteriorated. Brian had always thought 464 00:28:05,560 --> 00:28:08,119 Speaker 1: of the Stones as a blues group, no more and 465 00:28:08,200 --> 00:28:11,560 Speaker 1: no less. Like pig Pen, Brian Jones wanted to play 466 00:28:11,600 --> 00:28:14,400 Speaker 1: the music of his heroes, the music that first inspired 467 00:28:14,440 --> 00:28:16,879 Speaker 1: him to pick up a harmonica and a guitar, the 468 00:28:16,960 --> 00:28:19,680 Speaker 1: music that gave him meaning, They made him feel alive, 469 00:28:20,240 --> 00:28:24,720 Speaker 1: the blues, and also like pig Pen, Brian Jones watched 470 00:28:24,760 --> 00:28:27,119 Speaker 1: his band slip away right in front of him, But 471 00:28:27,280 --> 00:28:30,119 Speaker 1: unlike the Grateful Dead, he wasn't able to hang around 472 00:28:30,119 --> 00:28:32,760 Speaker 1: to see where the band would go next, or if 473 00:28:32,760 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: they would ever circle back around to the music he 474 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:38,880 Speaker 1: aspired to make. Mick and Keith offered him the terms 475 00:28:38,880 --> 00:28:42,920 Speaker 1: of his termination, and that was that. Brian let his 476 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,640 Speaker 1: now former bandmates out of the house, and as the 477 00:28:45,680 --> 00:28:48,320 Speaker 1: Bentley pulled away from the estate and charted its course 478 00:28:48,360 --> 00:28:51,600 Speaker 1: back towards London, Brian Jones was left on his own. 479 00:28:52,160 --> 00:28:54,840 Speaker 1: He walked slowly through his living room and gazed out 480 00:28:54,880 --> 00:28:59,040 Speaker 1: into the backyard. The sun was shining brilliantly reflecting off 481 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: the water of a swimming pool as Brian reflected on 482 00:29:01,600 --> 00:29:04,360 Speaker 1: what had just happened. During the last eight years, he 483 00:29:04,360 --> 00:29:06,920 Speaker 1: had formed a band, traveled the world, written hit records, 484 00:29:06,920 --> 00:29:09,840 Speaker 1: and ran through the excess in madness of the nineteen sixties. 485 00:29:09,840 --> 00:29:13,320 Speaker 1: With his brothers his friends, The Rolling Stones made some 486 00:29:13,360 --> 00:29:15,520 Speaker 1: of the greatest albums of all time, with Brian as 487 00:29:15,520 --> 00:29:19,280 Speaker 1: their driving creative force. He was versatile, he played dozens 488 00:29:19,280 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: of instruments. His vision and the stones ambition helped them 489 00:29:22,400 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: ascend to the stars like a rocket. They became household 490 00:29:25,680 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: names and left the trail of notoriety that gave them 491 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,040 Speaker 1: the title of the most dangerous band in the world. 492 00:29:30,600 --> 00:29:33,680 Speaker 1: They shared a connection that was beyond words. They had 493 00:29:33,720 --> 00:29:37,080 Speaker 1: lived out their dreams together and now for Brian Jones, 494 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:41,440 Speaker 1: at least, it was all over in the end. Whether 495 00:29:41,480 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: it was the fame, the drugs, or the evolution in 496 00:29:44,120 --> 00:29:47,640 Speaker 1: power struggle of the Rolling Stones themselves, Brian Jones just 497 00:29:47,680 --> 00:29:51,440 Speaker 1: couldn't handle it. Less than a month later, his lifeless 498 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:53,680 Speaker 1: body would be pulled from the bottom of a swimming 499 00:29:53,720 --> 00:29:56,920 Speaker 1: pool and they found traces of sleeping pills and copious 500 00:29:56,920 --> 00:30:00,560 Speaker 1: amounts of alcohol present in his blood stream. A night 501 00:30:00,600 --> 00:30:03,080 Speaker 1: that had begun with him and his girlfriend hosting friends 502 00:30:03,120 --> 00:30:06,760 Speaker 1: had ended in what was deemed quote unquote death by misadventure. 503 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:11,120 Speaker 1: Misadventure that might have been the title of Brian's life story. 504 00:30:11,600 --> 00:30:14,960 Speaker 1: Pig Pens story, in many ways, ran parallel to Brian's story. 505 00:30:15,680 --> 00:30:19,200 Speaker 1: Both were obsessed with the blues, Both started a band 506 00:30:19,200 --> 00:30:22,760 Speaker 1: that originally had played blues music. Both watched as their 507 00:30:22,800 --> 00:30:27,400 Speaker 1: bands changed with the times, incorporating new influences that increasingly 508 00:30:27,440 --> 00:30:31,560 Speaker 1: marginalized their input into the overall sound. And just like 509 00:30:31,640 --> 00:30:34,760 Speaker 1: the blues Men that they both held as a chief influence, 510 00:30:35,000 --> 00:30:39,880 Speaker 1: Robert Johnson, both Brian Jones and Ron Pigpen mcernin would 511 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:43,480 Speaker 1: be dead at the age of twenty seven, But before 512 00:30:43,560 --> 00:30:46,600 Speaker 1: pigpen soul left the earth, he would have to swallow 513 00:30:46,640 --> 00:30:49,160 Speaker 1: the difficult news of the death of a close friend 514 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: whose soul would also descend from this planet at the 515 00:30:52,280 --> 00:31:01,960 Speaker 1: same ominous and foreboding number. Seven. Um Brennan and This 516 00:31:02,920 --> 00:31:18,040 Speaker 1: is the Seven Club Club is hosted and produced by 517 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:21,320 Speaker 1: me Jake Brennan for Double Elvis in partnership with I 518 00:31:21,520 --> 00:31:25,440 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Zeth Lundie is the lead writer and co producer. 519 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,640 Speaker 1: This episode was mixed by Joel Edinburgh. Additional music and 520 00:31:29,720 --> 00:31:33,600 Speaker 1: score elements by Ryan Spraaker and Henry Lunetta. This episode 521 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:36,719 Speaker 1: was written by ted Oma, story and copy ending by 522 00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,600 Speaker 1: Pat Healy. Sources for this episode are available at Double 523 00:31:40,640 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: Elvis dot com on the seven Club series page, talk 524 00:31:44,480 --> 00:31:46,880 Speaker 1: to me on Social act disgrace Land pod, and hang 525 00:31:46,920 --> 00:31:49,040 Speaker 1: out with me live on a Twitch channel of disgrace 526 00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:52,480 Speaker 1: Land Talks. For more news on your favorite podcast, follow 527 00:31:52,480 --> 00:32:00,480 Speaker 1: at Double Elvis on Instagram. Rocco rolla it now for 528 00:32:00,520 --> 00:32:01,200 Speaker 1: your years