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New Riders of the Purple Sage

 

 

 

12/31/77 Winterland

SAN FRANCISCO, CA

Released: 2009

Label: Kufala

Producer: Rob Bleetstein

Mastered By: Jeffrey Norman at

Garage Audio, Petaluma, CA

Recorded By: Betty Cantor-Jackson

Photos: ©Bob Minkin

 

Band Personnel

John Dawson: guitar, vocals

David Nelson: lead guitar, vocals

Buddy Cage : pedal steel guitar

Stephen Love : bass, vocals

Patrick Shanahan : drums, percussion

 

The New Riders of the Purple Sage celebrated the last evening of 1977 in great style—performing a memorable New Year’s Eve concert at San Francisco’s Winterland with the Grateful Dead. This was the first time the New Riders were teamed up with the Dead for a gig in the Bay Area since the summer of 1974, and while emotions ran high, the music rises even higher.

The NRPS Archives and Kufala Recordings are pleased to present Winterland 12/31/77, a 2-disc recording which captures the New Riders performance that closed out a year filled with invigorating shows as well as the release of their Marin County Line album. The rhythm section of Stephen Love on bass and drummer Patrick Shanahan, both veterans of Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band, assists the band’s core members John Dawson, David Nelson and Buddy Cage to elevating the music new heights. Love resurrects the NRPS favorite “Hello Mary Lou,” and contributes “Love Has Strange Ways,” which gives the band some ample room to stretch their musical wings.

A blazing concert from start to finish, 12/31/77 includes terrific renderings of “Fifteen Days Under The Hood,” “Henry,” “One Too Many Stories,” “Crooked Judge,” “Glendale Train,” “Dead Flowers” and an extended “Portland Woman” that fully captures the magic of Winterland.

The original 2-track master reels were recorded at 7.5 ips by Betty Cantor-Jackson and transferred and mastered by Jeffrey Norman at Garage Audio Mastering using the HDCD format for your sonic enjoyment.

Theres are pressed CDs, not CD-Rs for your quality assurance.

 

 

 

Tracks

Disc One

Hello Mary Lou (Pitney)

Little Old Lady (Wilbur)

Fifteen Days Under The Hood (Tempchin) listen (6.5MB)

Love Has Strange Ways (Love)

Henry (Dawson)

Home Grown (Dryden)

One Too Many Stories (Dawson)

Red Hot Women and Ice Cold Beer (Coben)

Oh What A Night (Love)

Little Miss Bad (Dawson)

 

Disc Two

Jasper (Dawson/Nelson)

Louisiana Lady (Dawson)

T For Texas (Rodgers)

Portland Woman (Dawson)

Crooked Judge (Hunter/Nelson)

You Never Can Tell (Berry)

Glendale Train (Dawson) listen (7.9MB)

Dead Flowers (Jagger/Richards)

 

 

Here's the original NRPS Unite newsletter sent out to fans right after this New Year's Eve show. Enjoy!

New Riders of the Purple Sage


New Riders of the Purple Sage

 

 

 

3/17/73 S.U.N.Y.

STONYBROOK, NY

Released: 2007

Label: Kufala

Producer: Rob Bleetstein

Mastered By: Stephen Barncard

Recorded By: Bill Culhane

 

Band Personnel

John Dawson: guitar, vocals

David Nelson: lead guitar, vocals

Dave Torbert: bass, vocals

Buddy Cage: pedal steel guitar

Spencer Dryden: drums, percussion

 

Guest Musician

Ramblin' Jack Elliott: vocals

 

March 17, 1973 and the New Riders of the Purple Sage are in their prime performing another night of mystical psychedelic cowboy rock and roll in the State University of New York at Stonybrook gymnasium. With songs from the forthcoming The Adventures Of Panama Red being debuted in their infancy on this tour, this crowd of students and the infamous Long Island NRPS heads were treated to an incredible night of music and high times.
Stonybrook 3/17/73 is a 2-disc, full show experience in all it’s time captured glory. Steel guitarist Buddy Cage’s uniquely tasteful tune up of “Amazing Grace” sets the tone for the intense and long night ahead. John Dawson’s “One Too Many Stories” and “You Should Have Seen Me Runnin’” include early lyrics that changed once Panama Red was released.

With plenty of more favorites and jams on "Portland Woman," "All I Ever Wanted" and "Willie and the Hand Jive," we've also got Archive release firsts of "Sweet Lovin' One" and "Crazy Arms." The night gets topped off with Ramblin' Jack Elliott joining in on the encores.

Whenever the New Riders of the Purple Sage appeared on Long Island, it was literally an event unto itself. NRPS Stonybrook 3/17/73 is not only proof of that, but we’ve done our best to present this evening to you just as it was. Theres are pressed CDs, not CD-Rs for your quality assurance.

 

 

 

Tracks

Disc One

Amazing Grace Tuneup / Introduction

Teardrops In My Eyes (Allen/Sutton)

One Too Many Stories (Dawson)

Take A Letter Maria (R.B. Greaves)

School Days (Berry)

Portland Woman (Dawson)

It's Alright With Me (Torbert)

Rainbow (Dawson)

Hello Mary Lou (Pitney)

Lochinvar (Dawson)

She's No Angel (Ballman/Arnold)

You Should Have Seen Me Runnin (Dawson)

Long Black Veil (Wilkin/Dill)

Truck Drivin' Man (Fell)

Contract (Torbert)

Sweet Lovin' One (Dawson) listen (3.6MB)

- Second Set -

Groupie (Torbert)

Sutter's Mill (Dawson)

I Don't Need No Doctor (Ashford, Simpson)

 

Disc Two

Henry (Dawson)

Crazy Arms (Mooney)

Glendale Train (Dawson)

All I Ever Wanted (Dawson)

Whiskey (Dawson)

Who Likes Louie Louie?

California Day (Torbert) listen (3.3MB)

Louisiana Lady (Dawson)

Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (Maphis, Fiddler, Lee)

Willie and the Hand Jive (Otis)

Encore (with Ramblin' Jack Elliott):

Connection (Jagger/Richards)

Honky Tonk Women (Jagger/Richards)

 


New Riders of the Purple Sage

 

 

 

6/13/75 ARMADILLO WORLD HQ AUSTIN, TX

Released: 2005

Label: Kufala

Producer: Rob Bleetstein

Mastered By: Stephen Barncard

Recorded By: Onion Audio

 

Band Personnel

John Dawson: guitar, vocals

David Nelson: lead guitar, vocals

Skip Battin: bass, vocals

Buddy Cage: pedal steel guitar

Spencer Dryden: drums, percussion

 

Austin, Texas, 1975. The “Outlaw Country” movement was reaching its peak with weekly musical meetings of hippies and rednecks at the 1500 capacity Armadillo World Headquarters.
The New Riders had been making Austin a home away from home for a few years by the time this middle night of a three-night run of performances came about. Bassist Skip Battin had been in the band for a full year now. Live at the Armadillo was mastered directly off of the original 1/4 track reel to reel recording and captures this night just as it was—in all of its hot, sweaty, beer-soaked and smoke-filled glory.

 

 

 

Tracks

Disc One

I Don't Know You (Dawson)

Panama Red (Rowan)

Lonesome L.A. Cowboy (Rowan)

Austin, Texas (Battin)

Instant Armadillo Blues (Dawson)

Teardrops In My Eyes (Allen/Sutton)

Dirty Business (Dawson)

Henry (Dawson)

Sutter's Mill (Dawson)

Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (Maphis, Fiddler, Lee)

Louisiana Lady (Dawson) listen (3.6MB)

Strangers On A Train (Battin/Fowley)

Portland Woman (Dawson)

 

Disc Two

I'm Bringing Home Good News (Haggard)

You Angel You (Dylan)

She's No Angel (Ballman/Arnold)

My Dog Peaches (Dawson)

On The Amazon (Battin/Fowley)

Before The Next Teardrop Falls (Peters/Keith)

Over And Over (Dawson)

Whiskey (Dawson)

Crooked Judge (Nelson/Hunter)

I Will Never Make You Blue (Wakefield)

New Orleans (Guida/Royster)

La Bamba (Valens)

Glendale Train (Dawson) listen (4.6MB)

Dead Flowers (Jagger/Richards)

Nadine (Berry)


New Riders of the Purple Sage

 

 

 

8/27/72 TEMPLE MEADOW  VENETA, OR

Released: 2004

Label: Kufala

Producer: Rob Bleetstein

Recorded By: Bob Matthews & Betty Cantor

Mixed and Mastered By: Stephen Barncard

16-Track Transfer By: Jeffrey Norman

 

Band Personnel

John Dawson: guitar, vocals

David Nelson: lead guitar, vocals

Dave Torbert: bass, vocals

Buddy Cage: pedal steel guitar

Spencer Dryden: drums, percussion

 

 

August 27, 1972...the New Riders on the bill with the Grateful Dead for what became one of the more legendary events of this subculture’s history. Chuck Kesey (brother of author and Merry Prankster icon Ken Kesey) put together this benefit concert, which quickly became known as the “Field Trip,” for the Springfield Creamery.

As fellow Prankster Ken Babbs recalls, “no one ever suspected it would become a historic event with an attendance of 20,000 on the hottest day ever…they ran out of water, the guitars warped in the heat and now everyone you talk to was there on that all time greatest most spectacular day.”

 

 

 

Tracks

 

Truck Drivin' Man (Fell)

Rainbow (Dawson)

Lochinvar (Dawson)

Groupie (Torbert)

Stage Announcement - White Bird Tent

Whatcha Gonna Do (Dawson)

Dim Lights, Thick Smoke (Maphis, Fiddler, Lee)

Hello Mary Lou (Pitney)

Stage Announcement - Field Tripping

Whiskey (Dawson)

Stage Announcement - Salt Tabs & Blue Acid

Runnin' Back To You (Dawson) listen (3.9MB)

I Don't Need No Doctor (Ashford, Simpson) listen (5.9MB)

Linda (Dawson)

Louisiana Lady (Dawson)

Last Lonely Eagle (Dawson)

Willie and the Hand Jive (Otis)


New Riders of the Purple Sage

 

 

 

12/5/72 BOSTON MUSIC HALL  BOSTON, MA

Released: 2003

Label: Kufala

Producer: Rob Bleetstein

Recorded By: Bill Culhane

Mastered By: Stephen Barncard

 

Band Personnel

John Dawson: guitar, vocals

David Nelson: lead guitar, vocals

Dave Torbert: bass, vocals

Buddy Cage: pedal steel guitar

Spencer Dryden: drums, percussion

 

Guest Musicians

Eric Andersen: guitar, vocals

 

 

Our second Live Archive Series release finds the Riders with their engines primed as they pull into the historic confines of Tremont Street's Boston Music Hall. Eric Andersen, who opened the show, guests on the evening's encores.

 

 

 

Tracks

Disc One

Truck Drivin' Man (Fell)

Whatcha Gonna Do (Dawson) listen (4.8MB)

Hello Mary Lou (Pitney)

Rainbow (Dawson)

Down In The Boondocks (South)

Portland Woman (Dawson)

She's No Angel (Ballman/Arnold)

School Days (Berry)

Henry (Dawson)

Long Black Veil (Wilkin/Dill)

Sailin' (Dawson)

Contract (Torbert) listen (4.7MB)

Glendale Train (John Dawson)

Louisiana Lady (Dawson)

 

Disc Two

I Don't Know You (Dawson)

Sutter's Mill (Dawson)

Groupie (Torbert)

Whiskey (Dawson)

Last Lonely Eagle (Dawson)

Willie and the Hand Jive (Otis)

I Love To Sing My Ballad, Mama (But They Only Wanna Hear Me Rock 'N' Roll) (Andersen)

Honky Tonk Women (Jagger/Richards)


New Riders of the Purple Sage

 

 

 

4/4/73 CLARK UNIVERSITY WORCESTER, MA

Released: 2003

Label: Kufala

Producer: Rob Bleetstein

Recorded By: Bill Culhane

Mastered By: Rich Winter

 

Band Personnel

John Dawson: guitar, vocals

David Nelson: lead guitar, vocals

Dave Torbert: bass, vocals

Buddy Cage: pedal steel guitar

Spencer Dryden: drums, percussion

 

Guest Musicians

Keith Godchaux: piano

Donna Jean Godchaux: vocals

 

 

This first release in our Live Archive Series captures the band in their prime in the Spring of 1973 after a tour opening for the Grateful Dead in various East Cost cities.

 

 

 

Tracks

Disc One

I Don't Know You (Dawson)

Lochinvar (Dawson)

Rainbow (Dawson)

It's Alright With Me (Torbert) listen (3.2MB)

Sailin' (Dawson)

Whatcha Gonna Do (Dawson)

California Day (Torbert)

Linda (Dawson)

Groupie (Torbert)

One Too Many Stories (Dawson)

Contract (Torbert)

Teardrops In My Eyes (Allen/Sutton)

Long Black Veil (Wilkin/Dill)

You Ain't Woman Enough (Lynn)

Whiskey (Dawson)

 

Disc Two

Dirty Business (Dawson)

Down In The Boondocks (South)

Hello Mary Lou (Pitney)

You Should Have Seen Me Runnin (Dawson)

Portland Woman (Dawson)

Henry (Dawson) listen (3.9MB)

Glendale Train (John Dawson)

Last Lonely Eagle (Dawson)

Louisiana Lady (Dawson)

Willie and the Hand Jive (Otis)