Grateful Dead - Saint Stephen ) William Tell ) The Eleven - 1968/10/12

Grateful Dead
68-10-12 Avalon Ballroom
San Francisco, CA
Recording Info:
SBD / Master Ree l/ Dat (48k)

[@jasonbauer5488]

If you tell someone how great the Greatful Dead is, this is what you're thinking about. But what they listen to is like truckin from '93 lol. Long live the greatest music ever!!!

[@thisbandreallystix]

The opening of Saint Stephen should be counted among the very heavenliest music ever made by the hand of man! :)

[@jamesm8132]

And the vocals of The Eleven

[@jamesm8132]

54 years ago today and still as great now

[@chrischanin767]

Yup!

[@sealthatsilvermine]

Kick ass jamming on the Eleven. The drummers took no prisoners in 1968.

[@psychobilly09]

Some us Hunters first penned lyrics and what cemented him as a full time member

[@jimwillis6684]

A thing of pure, raw beauty. Music like it is and was meant to be played and heard.... eargasms, one after another!!!!

[@wangson]

"Eargasms". Yep.

[@JoshuaMichael1122]

@@wangsonrawgasms(~);}>>>>

[@Karl_Squell]

I love the walking bass lines Phil does in these 68 St Stephens. Hella fun to play too!

[@ArtHistoryScholar]

God the chorus singing on Eleven is heroic poetic uplifting inspirational very very special

[@wangson]

Well said!

[@LB-sk3vl]

ABSOLUTELY

[@616rcs]

Insane dead at their finest 60’s sound. Energy level is fantastic god bless the Grateful Dead!!!

[@saxfreak01]

Great transition from William Tell to The Eleven!

[@jonyates3918]

I love how their jam sessions became songs of their own. Wish I'd have seen them live. Hung out with the deadheads in 93, probably 94 too, but I don't recall anything mentioned about the gatecrashers tho, I'd definitely remember that since it happened here.

[@derekbowen1754]

that's the funniest thing i'v ever heard , good old Grateful Dead

[@johnhockett2625]

Love this now as I did over 50 years ago.

[@photoslum]

no words, just a blissful, colorful, mindwarp

[@tylerthompson1842]

I’ve never heard any tribute band get even close to what the Dead were in their primal years. This is Jerry with a Les Paul going straight into a tube amp on 10. Bobby’s interwoven rhythmic lines. Phil on his Guild hollow body playing a combination of orchestral counterpoint and jazz bass. Pig Pen either fronting the band like a total badass or in the background comping chords. Billy and Mickey playing their fluid r&b, jazz rock drumming with marching band snare rolls. It’s so much more than what most musicians imagine it to be when they sit down and try to play it.

[@silverbird52]

1970 was the last time they played it. My husband caught one of the last one's on 2/14/70.

[@D-Fens_1632]

And one of the last times I saw someone perform it was your husband, John I presume. Quite some years ago now, not enough GD bands do The Eleven.

[@Isa-vk1bf]

💚

[@dailyflash]

And this is without PIgpen. He couldn't make this show for some reason, but it's still my favorite Eleven.

[@georgehartler3423]

Like we used to say, back in the seventies there ain't nothing like the Grateful Dead sorry I missed the late sixties live Weis. I was in quite old enough at that point

[@cesarcay]

wooooooooooowwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 60's dead gotta love it

[@chrischanin767]

This band fukn rox! Where are they touring next?😂🤣😆

[@jameshowell1512]

What a fabulous sound! These dudes were pretty heavy at this point. This is definitely one of the best versions of this suite. Extra kudos here to Lesh and Garcia of course. Supreme playing 👌

[@robertjack4329]

really just the tightest transition ever

[@gusto1776]

so many reasons to like so many differnent versions but this one sits right up there at the top of em. From start to finish... listening to it again. Thanks for posting!

[@jimilve]

Had a cassette,i think that's how you spell it,,thx for the memories!!!

[@MikeCohenSF]

I love this!

[@Bcasey11]

This sounds like a metal song ! The airplane sound in full effect

[@CreekStream]

😂😂 this is METAL!!

[@CatfishSkinner]

WOW! THIS IS A JAM!!!!

[@DoctorGoodfellow]

indeed. this is magical dead. i had this on tape as a teen.

[@RealSoundNow]

Hard to believe Bob Weir's status was "fired from the band" at the time of this performance.

[@wangson]

I knew that they wanted Bob and Pigpen out...was it during this period?

[@psychobilly09]

It was shortly after maybe a few weeks later

[@kenscapes]

:: - ) great sound. thanks

[@fordprefect7316]

Great performance here

[@MJK4444]

very good post

[@mrsmiguy]

Stellar version. As a point of reference however there is no need to label the William Tell bridge in St Stephen. It's actually part of St Stephen not its own song not is it part of the 11 as many people also think. Any pre hiatus(75) Stephen is assumed to have the bridge. But again, great version and thanks for posting

[@MikeCohenSF]

I always thought of it as part of St. Stephen, not a separate song.

[@uncasist]

Jeezum, they could play!

[@benhavens-ez]

the last time they played it complete was 4/24/70. not counting September 28 1975 jam during truckin'

[@ArtHistoryScholar]

The Eleven is Heaven! I didn't even know that rhymed at first

[@wangson]

The Eleven is (in my estimation) the hands-down greatest music ever created by the Dead ...and it's in competition with all of the greatest music ever written! It's magnificent, musical exploration with climactic vocals and soloing by both Jerry and Phil. I love it!

[@scottinghent]

Airplane. One of the Best.

[@Bcasey11]

Scott Dahl that was the metallic sound they heard from the airplane

[@jordankuchukian6782]

Why did they stop doing "William tell" ending:(??

[@RS-jh2fz]

The way it was sung required taking a long inhale and speaking entire lines with a single breath. "High green chilly, winds are windy, vines in loops around the twilling shafts of lavender, they're crawling to the Sun~". I'd assume after years of smoking and partying it got a little exhausting for something that probably didn't get much feedback at the time. I also think Jerry got a bit tired of St. Steven in the later years entirely

[@PHILLIPBENNETTful]

Good ol' GD!

[@michaelmbr365]

Wish I could have seen them live!

[@hobgoblin4199]

Where now? ENJOY!❤

[@robditeodoro6923]

Goddamn!!

[@ArtHistoryScholar]

Sweet!

[@skovie23232]

the best ever

[@robertjack4329]

grateful dead in their prime

[@PsyTalez]

yes sir!

[@philipshirk2228]

+Robert Jack With the original lineup ---'-,-{@

[@fidgetysloth5150]

Primal dead

[@jeffrywik5073]

they were literally kids....like the oldest member at this point was 22 idk exactly...bob weir looks like 13 lol... i think my greatest life achievement at that age was like a really high score on tony hawk pro skater... like a very high score.

[@jimmyfighera1495]

i beg to differ,i believe i heard one in 1973-4???

[@456subway]

I don't know if there are any "William Tells" after 1969 (or The Eleven, for that matter). Definitely not after 1970.

[@jimilve]

both great totally diff.Sorry Bro,too much acid?

[@CRITICNO]

I think 12/31/69 is it for both

[@AlligatorWhine]

Thankgod The DEAD

[@psychobilly09]

Primal GD

[@suanne3244]

Saint Stephen with a rose In and out of the garden he goes Country garland in the wind and the rain Wherever he goes the people all complain Stephen prosper in his time Well he may and he may decline Did it matter? does it now? Stephen would answer if he only knew how Wishing well with a golden bell Bucket hanging clear to hell Hell halfway twixt now and then Stephen fill it up and lower down And lower down again Lady finger dipped in moonlight Writing `what for?' across the morning sky Sunlight splatters dawn with answers Darkness shrugs and bids the day goodbye Speeding arrow, sharp and narrow, What a lot of fleeting matters you have spurned Several seasons with their treasons Wrap the babe in scarlet covers call it your own Did he doubt or did he try? Answers aplenty in the bye and bye Talk about your plenty, talk about your ills One man gathers what another man spills Saint Stephen will remain All he's lost he shall regain Seashore washed by the suds and the foam Been here so long he's got to calling it home Fortune comes a crawlin, Calliope woman Spinning that curious sense of your own Can you answer? Yes I can, but what would be the answer to the answer man? High green chilly winds and windy vines in loops around the twining shafts of lavender, they're crawling to the sun Underfoot the ground is patched with climbing arms of ivy wrapped around the manzanita, stark and shiny in the breeze Wonder who will water all the children of the garden when they sigh about the barren lack of rain and droop so hungry 'neath the sky... William Tell has stretched his bow till it won't stretch no furthermore and/or it may require a change that hasn't come before

[@CreekStream]

MY FAVORITE RECORDING RUINED BY AN AD RIGHT BEFORE "WILLIAM TELL"!!!!! I HAD TO DISLIKE THIS VIDEO....