A new limited edition box set from The Grateful Dead will cover concerts from 1972 that were previously unreleased. The set will be limited to 10,000 copies and will cost $190.
Named Here Comes Sunshine 1973, the boxset will comprise 17 CDs, and feature audio from the group’s shows in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, and two shows in Washington D.C.
Legacy manager David Lemieux discussed the upcoming release and described why the year was so important in the band’s career: “In my early tape-trading days, I only had a few 1973 shows, but my goodness, did I ever love them. There was a fresh, nimble feel that was entirely different from the 1972 Dead sound taking all of the great elements of the Year of Europe and building upon that excellence.”
He continued: “Even with hundreds of tapes at my fingertips, I returned to these 1973 shows frequently. That old saying, ‘I listened to that show so often, I wore the tape out?’ It was created because of shows like this.”
“Looks Like Rain,” “Loser,” and “China Cat Sunflower” are among the songs featured on each tracklist, as well as “Bertha,” “Mexicali Blues,” “Tennessee Jed,” and “Wharf Rat.” The release also features live performances of songs taken from Wake of the Flood, which would be officially released the following year.
Each of the physical copies will feature vibrant, graphic artwork designed by Masaki Koike, liner notes contributed by Ray Robertson and an illustration poster created by Mary Ann Mayer. Additionally, each of the five live shows included will come in their own custom-designed segments.
In addition to Here Comes Sunshine 1973, the band are also set to release a 4 CD, 8 LP set of their performance at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. — the performance of “Ramble On Rose,” taken from the show, will also be released as a digital single.
