gdead.berkeley.edu/gdead.berkeley.edu.tar/gdead.berkeley.edu/pub/gdead/interviews/Dennis-McNally.03.28.96

Text File | 1996-03-28 | 13KB | 262 lines

This transcript is being distributed to the community courtesy of AOL.  I
will post it soon on my web page as well, http://www.ggould.com/gdforum

Geoff Gould
GD Forum sysop
********************************
Copyright 1996 America Online, Inc. and the AOL Grateful Dead Forum

Geoff  : Welcome everyone.  My name is Geoff Gould, I'm the GD Forum host,
and we have a return guest tonight.  Dennis McNally is the publicist and
official biographer for the Grateful Dead

Welcome Dennis!

Dennis  : Thanks, Geoff.  Nice to be here.

Geoff  : OK, let me ask this first:  Dennis, when you "go to work" nowadays,
does it still  feel like the Grateful Dead?

Dennis  : Umm, good question.  Yeah, mostly, but of course  really different.
 Less exciting, but still righteous.  But obviously, it can't feel the same.
 I  miss him alot.

Geoff  : OK, let's get this out of the way too; tell us all you can about the
upcoming tour!

Dennis  : OK, the tour.  I'm happy to say that you guys are gonna love it a
bunch.  Unfortunately, I'm also gonna piss you all off slightly -- no, it's
not my fault -- because I can't say everything I know at  the moment.  But I
give you my word that you'll love the stuff I'm not saying.

What I can say is this:

We'll have a tour, from June 20 to August 4,  with 32 gigs, all in
amphitheatres, mostly in  places (at least the towns) that we've played
before,  featuring 5 bands.  Three of them are Bob Weir's Ratdog, Mickey
Hart's new band (created  for his album of the same name, which will come out
on June 10th on Rykodisc), "Mickey Hart's Mystery Box", and Bruce Hornsby.
 So obviously, I'm leaving out two names -- all I can say is that they're
 friends of yours.

Also there will be some cool betwen-act entertainment.  Also, a fair sampling
of vendors will be made welcome on the concourses of the various
amphitheatres.  The tour will, as currently planned, go east to west -- with
lots of variations.  Shows will run around 7 hours total.  I  guess that's
the high spots.

Geoff  : this from Rainman55:
Question   : How far back does the "vault" go?

Dennis  : That's really a question for Dick Latvala -- I just  asked Geoff if
he's ever had Dick on and he says no, but I'm gonna suggest it.  You'd like
it, and so would Dick.  Anyway, my best guess is that there's multitrack
stuff from '68 -- which is to say Anthem, the live aspects of Anthem, and
then a scattering of cassettes -- literally the earliest cassettes
manufactured -- from '69, and then fairly  regular tape from 1970 on.  Holes,
of course.
Dennis  :

All you tapers know about Betty boards, and those aren't the only tapes that
should be in the vault  and aren't.  But of course the closer to the present,
 the more solid is the stash.

Geoff  : from RNVP87:
Question   : how did bob come up with the name RATDOG?

Dennis  : Beats the living bejaysus out of me. That's just the world-famous
Bob Weir sense of humor, which in  this case mostly escapes me.  He doesn't
quite hit  your average subject exactly square -- but you've all heard the
yellow dog story, I guess.

Geoff  : I think the next question has to do with the general  plan, if there
is one!
Question   : Will more "from the vault" discs be released?

Dennis  : Oh, sure.  That's what Phil and John Cutler do every day -- (some
people's idea of heaven, I suppose) which is to sit at the studio and listen
to show tapes with the view of what to release next.  The last time I saw
Cutler at the office, he had  nothing specific to say -- nothing had grabbed
anybody too hard yet.

Geoff  : what about the ratio of GDM to commercial releases?

Dennis  : That's very hard to answer.  The distinction is, as I'm sure most
of you know, that we have two streams -- Dick's Picks and Vault.  Vault
releases have been multi-track, and Phil mixes them, and  they get released
commercially -- because they're a little more representative of the band at
its presumed best.  Dick's Picks were recorded two-track only, and you can't
mix them very much, perhaps just clean them up a little, and they've
generally been released only as a mail-order item  for the hard core only.
 As an experiment Phil  recently decided to let Dick's Picks #1 go out to
 record stores through our Arista distribution, just  to see what would
happen.

To answer the question directly, though, I've no idea because I'm not aware
 if there's any conscious pattern between  releases -- whether they're
supposed to alternate or   what.  Fact is, and you know it, we've never  put
in much time on long-term planning except for  touring, and I've always
assumed that it was a matter of what was ready first and when.  So the short
answer is:  I'll go ask Cutler if there's a plan and get back to you on that.

Geoff  : from buspower:
Question   : Dennis.  What can you tell us about the book your  working on?

Dennis  : I'll keep this short, because I'm superstitious about talking about
it too much.  Jerry asked me long ago -- or rather invited me -- to do a
history of the band.  When I became the publicist I  perceived a conflict of
interest -- honest historian v. publicist who is paid to put a good  face on
things -- and put it aside.  I'm slowly  beginning to work on it again, but
it's a couple of years away anyway -- got to get it just exactly  perfect,
you know -- and since I'm still working  too damn many hours a week for GDP,
it's not yet ful time.  But puhleeeze keep your interest.

Geoff  : from Alfus:
Question   : Dennis, what is the current state of the Dead's offshoot
enterprises, and their charity efforts such as the Rex Foundation?

Dennis  : Good question.  I'm real pleased to say that the Rex Board met
recently.  To be honest, I thought  that they were going to decide to give
away what's in  the bank account and call it a day, but they  made me wrong.
 Instead, they're looking into ways to  raise money -- the band was largely
the source of all funds -- without going out with a tin cup.  So if they can
figure it out, they're going to keep on.  There's one very cool scheme which
it's too  early to talk about yet that should raise a very large chunk, and
you'll hear about it as soon as I  can talk about it.

By the way, if you have ideas for Rex -- money making ideas that seem
reasonably reasonable -- let us have them.  Send 'em to Geoff -- and he'll
give them to me.

Geoff  : Tell us some more about the last guitar Jerry Garcia  ever signed.

Dennis  : Yeah, let's stay with charity.  Let me explain a few  things.
 Toward the end of his life, Jerry got  to hate signing things in general,
and guitars in particular.  I can't even tell you particularly why, because I
don't know, but it was a good part of  my job and it wasn't the most fun -- a
pissy Jerry G. was no fun.

But he did do it if I asked only once in a while, and  in May-June at
Shoreline, our old friend, Merl Saunders Jr., who works for Gibson, talked me
into  getting the band to sign a very nice acoustic  for the Taylor Family
Foundation, which supports children with AIDS -- they finance a summer camp
and also work at the Oakland Children's Hospital and  like that.  They still
have the guitar.  So, my question to you all is, do you know anybody rich?
Because in Auyust we're going to auction it off. We've already had a bid of
$20,000 -- twenty thousand   beans -- so I'm serious when I say rich.

But what the hay -- it's the last one Jerry signed,  and it's nice that it'll
be for something really righteous.  Let me or Geoff know if there's somebody
 you think might be interested.

Geoff  : from buspower:
Question   : How's Mickey's new band sounding?

Dennis  : Like nothing you ever heard before or expected from  Mickey.  When
we finished promoting "Planet Drum", he and I were talking one night and I
teased him and  told him I wanted him to do something a little easier to
promote and publicize next time -- and he  said, sure.  Amazingly enough, he
meant it.

"Mickey Hart's Mystery Box" is what it -- and the  band -- are called.  The
band features four drummers (boy, there's a surprise), including Mickey, my
favorite of all time Zakir Hussain, Sikiru Adepoju, (Baba Olatunji's
right-hand, the best  talking-drummer in the world), and Dave Garibaldi, from
Tower of Power.  A bassist -- on the album, Youssou N'Dour's bassist, Habib
Faye -- and on the tour, a guy whose name I can't spell and won't try -- and
I just realized I don't think it's definite yet so I'll shut up about bass --
but another guy -- and on vocals, yes, vocals, the  Mint Juleps, six women
from London, who normally sing  a capella.  Hunter wrote the lyrics.  So  the
songs are what I call experimental rhythm and  blues -- grooves, dance tunes
for Dead Heads.  Very different from Planet Drum or anything you've heard
before.  Very beautiful.  Mickey sings a couple -- well, sings if you think
of his old rendition of Fire on the Mountain as singing -- more recites --
and one is called "Down the Road," which is about  lost heroes -- you'll dig
it.  And one is called "Only the Strange Remain", which is industrial
chainsaw rap.  Very weird.  You'll like it too.  And one of them is Smokey
Robinson in '96, "Where Love Goes."  Out June 10 on Rykodisc.  You can also
go see the first  performance at Laguna Seca (near Monterey, California) on
May 26.

Geoff  : from EPinnella:
Question   : How is Jerry's wife doing ?

Dennis  : I don't see a lot of her, but as I understand it, she's doing
great.  Going to India soon.

Geoff  : again from EPinnella:
Question   : Will GDTS be handling ticket sales for future events?

Dennis  : It's not a definite, but I'm hearing that the answer is "Yes" for
Laguna Seca, and anything else remains as an open possibility.

Geoff  : from Wharfie:
Question   : will there be taping on summer tour?

Dennis  : Good question which I can't answer. We're still  putting real
crucial things together -- like gig sites and such -- so I don't think it's
been  addressed.  Thanks for asking, and I'll get an answer.

Geoff  : from Jammin72:
Question   : In your opinion dou you think that we on the Right coast will
ever see Phil Lesh play again in any format??

Dennis  : I'm a San Franciscan, so I'm just going to assume  that you're
hopelessly lost and think of the East Coast as the "Right Coast", in which
case I can only say that I've heard of no plans for him to go anywhere.
 Those civilized citizens living in God's own land of these Western United
States can catch him June 14-16, 1996 at Davies Hall, S.F., where he, Mickey,
and Bobby will jam with MTT --   Michael Tilson Thomas, conductor, and the
San Francisco Symphony.  (Sorry, had to do it).

Geoff  : A followup from Scrlt Beg:
Question   : How are the other band members doing these days?

Dennis  : Seem fine.  Mickey's busy as hell with the Mystery Box details;
Phil's in the studio; Billy's surfing and studying oceanography; Vince is
writing songs and  playing with Second Sight; and Bobby's got Ratdog and his
work on his play about Satchel Paige, which he's doing with Michael Nash, a
Bay Area writer, Taj Mahal and David Murray.

Geoff  : from RSDEAD:
Question   : There has been lots of talk of shows on video being released.
 Where does that stand?

Dennis  : That's one of the things Phil is working on; otherwise, I don't
know where it stands except it won't be soon.

Geoff  : from MKeller18
Question   : how are things coming on a studio album of new stuff  from the
dead ?

Dennis  : Ditto.

Geoff  : In the days since Jerry passed, what's the crassest and nicest
things that came out of it?

Dennis  : I suppose this is a good way to wind all this up, although I like
to go out with something smart  to say, and I find myself kind of at a loss.
 I think  most of us have been brought closer by our loss -- I know I try (if
unsuccessfully) to be nicer  to my friends and family, 'cause I'm reminded
that they won't always be there -- and I know I'm not the only one.  The
crass stuff is all pretty obvious -- I guess the guy who called me  about
three days after Jerry checked out to ask  me if we wanted to sell official
Jerry Garcia something - or - others at a "nice profit for everybody".  You
get the picture.

Geoff  : Take it home Dennis!

Dennis  : Anyway, thanks for having me on, and keep on.  And thanks for the
level of questions this time.  I thought they were at a nice intelligent
level.  When I've got more to let you know, I'll be back.

And we're going to have Geoff at our press conference to talk about the tour
-- hopefully  within the next two weeks or so.  And remember:  in the
immortal words of John "Bluto" Belushi in Animal House:  "It ain't over 'till
we say it's  over."  Hang in there.

Geoff  : I'd like to thank Dennis for coming here again, let's   all give him
a round of applause!

We bid you goodnight!