On This Day In Music History - 55 Years Ago Today

On This Day In Music History - 55 Years Ago Today

The Grateful Dead released their third studio album, "Aoxomoxoa" on June 21, 1969. There were a series of "firsts" on this project: the album contained only songs composed by guitarist Jerry Garcia & lyricist Robert Hunter; no Bob Weir songs, no covers of other songs; it was the first (and only) time Tom Constanten was included in the liner notes as a band member - he had appeared on previous recordings, as an accompanying keyboard player; it was the band's first album to be recorded exclusively in the Bay Area (Pacific Recording, San Mateo & Pacific High Studios, San Francisco) and it was the second album to include both Bill Kreutzman & Mickey Hart as drummers, a duo that by this time had been dubbed "the rhythm devils" by Garcia. 
Lots of curios, too: Courtney Love would later claim she was one of the children in the B&W back photo. She wasn't. The young girl was actually Bill Kreutzman's daughter, Stacy. The album was originally recorded on eight-track machinery & was "in the can" but not yet pressed to vinyl when sixteen-track recording devices came into being. The band actually scrapped the first production, went back into the studio & re-recorded the entire album, reportedly sinking the band nearly $200,000 into debt. Several live albums followed, in an effort to crawl somewhat out of that financial hole. 
The songs on the album have waxed & waned throughout the Dead's lengthy touring schedule over the next three decades. They include "China Cat Sunflower", "St. Stephen", "Cosmic Charlie" & "Mountains of the Moon". 
Both John "Marmaduke" Dawson & David Nelson of The New Riders of the Purple Sage appear on the album, offering (I am guessing here) acoustic guitars & vocals. The elaborate artwork is by the one & only Rick Griffin, the lettering interpreted in a bazillion opinions, depending on what color the acid was you took before you tried to decipher it.

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