Playing in the Band
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| "Playing in the Band" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Grateful Dead | |
| from the album Grateful Dead | |
| Released | October 1971 |
| Recorded | April 6, 1971 |
| Venue | Hammerstein Ballroom, New York City |
| Genre | Rock, jam, psychedelic rock |
| Length | 4:39 |
| Label | Warner Bros. |
| Composer | Bob Weir |
| Lyricist | Robert Hunter |
| Producer | Grateful Dead |
"Playing in the Band" is a song by the Grateful Dead. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter and rhythm guitarist Bob Weir composed the music, with some assistance from percussionist Mickey Hart.[1] The song first emerged in embryonic form on the self-titled 1971 live album Grateful Dead. It then appeared in a more polished form on Ace, Bob Weir's first solo album (which included every Grateful Dead member except Ron "Pigpen" McKernan and Mickey Hart).
The instrumental break of "Playing in the Band" was introduced as early as the February 19, 1969 "Celestial Synapse" show at the Fillmore West, in which it appears somewhat indistinct from the preceding and following jams.[2] The completed song debuted (along with five others) on February 18, 1971, at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.[3] It was also included on Mickey Hart's 1972 solo album Rolling Thunder within "The Main Ten", making reference to the song's time signature of 10
4. "The Main Ten" appears on Dick's Picks Volume 16, from their performance at the Fillmore West on November 8, 1969. On that set, it appears in the middle of "Caution (Do Not Stop On Tracks)".
During a Bob Weir and Wolf Bros concert livestream on February 12, 2021, Weir credited David Crosby with the composition of the main riff. Weir stated, "David Crosby came up with the seminal lick... and then he left. We were out at Mickey's barn. So Mickey said, 'Make a song out of that'. Next day, I had it".[4]
