Taper's Section

In this space, every Monday, you will find information on the recorded history of the Grateful Dead’s music as it pertains to that week, specifically focusing on the shows for that week, through the band’s 30 year performing history, that reside in the Grateful Dead’s storied tape vault. Although not everything is in there, with more than 1,600 of the band’s 2,400-odd shows represented, there is plenty about which to talk. Check back weekly for new entries and insight into the vault, as well as exclusive audio clips relating to that week in the Grateful Dead’s recorded history.


August 25 - August 31, 2008

This week at the Tapers Section, we have some great music from 1969, 1972 and 1982.
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August 18 - August 24, 2008

This week we have a nice double dose of Pigpen from 1968, a massive 1972 jam, and a very cool 1991 sequence, all fitting into our date-appropriate this-week-in-Grateful Dead-recorded-history format. More »


August 11 - August 17, 2008

Welcome back to the Tapers Section. In this edition we've got a great range of music from this week in the Grateful Dead's recorded history, from 1971, 1972, 1979 and 1987. More »


August 4 - August 10, 2008

This week we have a whole bunch of great music from the Grateful Dead's recorded history from 1971 to 1989, with a couple of stops in between. More »


July 28 - August 3, 2008

Welcome back to the Tapers Section.
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July 21- July 27, 2008

Welcome back to the Tapers Section. This week we're going to hear music from throughout the 1970s and a touch of the 1980s. More »


July 14- July 20, 2008

This week we're going to hear some music from 1970 through to 1989, with a few interesting stops in between. More »


July 7- July 13, 2008

This week we're going spend some time along the Grateful Dead's summer tour of 1989, checking in to four shows over a five night span in the middle of the tour. More »


June 30 - July 6, 2008

This week we'll be hitting some excellent summer Dead spanning the Grateful Dead's recorded history over the course of 19 years, 1970-1989. More »


June 23 - June 29, 2008

This week we're going to jump around a bit, but the end result a whole bunch of really good Grateful Dead music from this week in the band's recorded history. More »


June 16 - June 22, 2008

We have lots of cool stuff this week from throughout the Grateful Dead's recordings, including music from 1976, 1991 and some other nuggets. More »


June 9 - June 15, 2008

June 2 - June 8, 2008

We're going to start our week out with some nice, early Grateful Dead music, as it's always a good way to wake up on a Monday. More »


May 26 - June 1, 2008

This week we'll cover 20 years in the Grateful Dead's recorded history, from 1973 to 1993, with a little taste of something in between. More »


May 19 - May 25, 2008

Welcome back to the Tapers' Section. This week we're going to jump right into a nice, big jam from 1969, followed my some great music from throughout the band's recorded history. More »


May 12 - May 18, 2008

This week we have some nice music from 1970, 1972, 1977, 1978 and 1981, so without further ado, on to the music. More »


May 5 - May 11, 2008

This week we have some very, very classic Grateful Dead, as well as a unique jam from 1972. More »


April 28 - May 4, 2008

As always, lots of great music was found to fit into this week's installment of the Tapers Section, and we're going to play some acoustic music, followed by some electric music. More »


April 21 - April 27, 2008

Well, with today being 4/21, and a Monday, we're sure many of you are feeling a little tired, so we'll start this week with something mellow to get you into the groove… More »


April 14 - April 20, 2008

This week we're going to check out some cool, under-the-radar material from early 1971, as well some other great stuff. More »


April 7 - April 13, 2008

March 31- April 6, 2008

Welcome back to another fine week in the history of the Grateful Dead's recorded legacy. We're going to visit four decades this week, the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s and 1990s, so on to the music... More »


March 24 - March 30, 2008

Welcome back to the Tapers Section.
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March 17 - 23, 2008

This week we're going to hang out on the East Coast during a couple of the fine Spring Tours of the later years that took place, including music from 1990 and 1991. More »


March 10 - March 16, 2008

This week we're going to jump around a bit and play a few things that recently passed by our ears and that we felt you'd dig hearing. More »


March 3 - March 9, 2008

February 25 - March 2, 2008

We’re going to do another Taper’s Section this week that focuses on one year in the Grateful Dead’s recorded history, and we felt 1989 would be a good year to look into.


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February 18 - February 24, 2008

February 11 - February 17, 2008

February 4 - February 10, 2008

January 28 - February 3, 2008

January 21 - January 27, 2008

January 14 - January 20, 2008

January 7 - January 13, 2008

Like the last few weeks, this week here at the Taper’s Section we’re going to focus on one year in Grateful Dead history, and this week we’ve selected 1974 as our year. More »


December 24 - December 30

Week of December 24-30 More »


December 31-January 6 2008

Happy New Year!

Well, like the last two weeks, we’re going to focus on one year this week, specifically 1969. More »


December 17 - December 21

This week we’ve decided to stay in 1971 and check out some great music played in the latter part of the year after Keith had joined the band. More »


December 10 - December 16

This week we have music from 1971, 1977, 1979 and 1984, a little bit for everyone. Except from the1990s. And the 1960s. We’ll work on that for an upcoming week. More »


December 3 - December 9

November 26 - December 2

We're going to stop into a couple of fine years this week, specifically 1979 and 1973. More »

November 19 - November 25, 2007

This being the end November, we have a bit of music from 1972, and of course some terrific material from 1973. More »

November 12 - November 18, 2007

This week we have some terrific jams from 1971 and 1972, some great examples of what made these two years so highly regarded amongst Dead Heads. More »

November 5 - November 11, 2007

This week we have some great material from 1973 and 1985 from this week in Grateful Dead history, plus a little taste of some great music from 1974 just because we thought you’d really dig it.

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October 29 - November 4, 2007

We have often been asked how we’d go about selecting the year from which the next Dick Pick or Vault Release was selected. More »

October 22- October 28, 2007

This week we have some music from 1968, 1982 and 1984 More »

October 15 - October 21, 2007

We’re going to be doing some jumping around the calendar this week, to play you some music we didn’t get a chance to play for you the past few weeks. More »

October 8 - October 14, 2007

This week, we’re going to stop into the years of 1980, 1984 and 1989 exclusively, with some great stuff from both years. More »

October 1 - October 7, 2007

Heading into October, we have some terrific Grateful Dead music to cover this week, including a good selection from the brilliant September-October, 1976 tour. More »

September 24 - September 30, 2007

This is another busy week in the Grateful Dead’s performing history, with music spanning another relatively short span, but containing some exceptional jams. More »

September 17 - September 23, 2007

We’ve got some outstanding music for you this week, covering a rather limited span in the Grateful Dead’s performing history, but it’s a span that includes some of the best years. More »

September 10 - September 16, 2007

This week, as we roll toward the official start of Fall, we have 15 years of Grateful Dead history to cover, starting in 1972. More »

September 3 - September 9, 2007

We have a tremendous variety of music for you this week, spanning almost 20 years of the Grateful Dead’s recorded history, and we hope you’ll find this week’s journey as enjoyable as we did whil More »

August 27 - September 2, 2007

I undertook the Taper's Section last November with a pretty simple vision: to have fun providing folks a regular opportunity to hear vault material that kept their interest in Grateful Dead mus More »

August 20 - August 26, 2007

As we move toward the symbolic end of summer (Labour Day, of course), we have some great music to play spanning about 21 years of Grateful Dead music, from 1968 to 1989, two fine years with which t More »

August 13 - August 19, 2007

In addition to some excellent moments from this week in the Grateful Dead’s recorded history, we also have some great material from outside of our date range, including a good chunk of music from 19 More »

August 6 - August 12

This week, we have 15 years of Grateful Dead music for you, spanning a nice period from 1972 to 1987. More »

July 30 - August 5

We have more than 20 years of Grateful Dead music for you this week, spanning many great eras. Hopefully we’ll have something for everyone. More »

July 23 - July 29

Late July finds us with a whole lot of 1974 material for you, plus a few other choice bits from 1966 and 1982. More »

July 16 - July 22

Rolling along toward the dog days of summer, the Grateful Dead continued to perform exceptional shows around the country, and we have music from 1970 through 1989 from this week in the band’s rec More »

July 9 - July 15, 2007

This week we have almost 25 years of Grateful Dead music for you to hear, including plenty of material from this week in the history of the band’s recorded legacy, as well as a few other bits tha More »

July 2 - July 8, 2007

There is some great music this week, so we’ll jump right in. More »

June 25 - July 1, 2007

The summer months were excellent times to see the band, with not only so many shows, but with so many downright excellent shows. More »

June 18 - June 24, 2007

June was always busy month in the Grateful Dead’s touring schedule, and we once again cover more than 20 years of recorded music. More »

June 11 - June 17, 2007

This week, we have a nice selection of music from 1970 to 1991, with hopefully a little something that’ll suit everyone’s taste.


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June 4 - June 10, 2007

Once again this week, we’ll be covering more than 20 years of the Grateful Dead’s recorded history in the Tapers Section, from 1969 through to 1991, plus a taste of 1967. More »

May 28 - June 3, 2007

This is quite a light week in regards to vault tapes from this week in the Grateful Dead’s recorded history, so as we’ll often do, we have some music from outside of this week that we think you’ More »

May 21 - May 28, 2007

We’ve got almost 25 years of Grateful Dead music to cover in this week’s installment, so let’s jump right into it. More »

May 14 - May 20, 2007

This week, we’ll span 23 years of the Grateful Dead’s recorded history, from 1970 to 1993. More »

May 7 - May 13, 2007

It seems as though as the year rolls on, the music just keeps getting better, and this week, like last, is filled with a good variety of some deep, big jams. More »

April 30 - May 6, 2007

The year seems to keep getting busier for the Grateful Dead, at least in regards to their recorded history. We have a nice span of music this week, hopefully something for everyone. More »

April 23 - April 29, 2007

Plenty took place this week in the Grateful Dead's recorded history, including some rehearsal material, plus a lot of live material 1969 to 1991, which we're pleased to bring to you today.< More »

April 16- April 22, 2007

April continues to roll on strongly in the history of the Grateful Dead's recordings. We have a great variety of music this week, spanning 20 years, 1969 to 1989. More »

April 9- April 15, 2007

Like last week, we've got some very good early-1970s material from this week in the Grateful Dead's recorded history, as well as some nice early 1980s material and a taste of 1989. More »

April 2- April 8, 2007

This week, with plenty of Spring Tours happening throughout the years, we have plenty of music to play, spanning the years 1972-1990. More »

March 26 - April 1, 2007

Week of March 26-April 1 More »

March 19 - March 25, 2007

This week, we’re going to continue with some gems from the Spring Tour of 1990, as well as music from throughout the band’s career in regards to its recorded history as it exists in the vault. More »

March 12 - March 18, 2007

Mid-March often the saw the band in full swing with East Coast touring, and we therefore have some great East Coast Dead to play this week, plus a bit of West Coast and Midwest for good measure. More »

March 5- March 11, 2007

Week of March 5-11 More »

February 26 - March 4, 2007

We’ve got some great material this week in the Grateful Dead’s recorded history, plus a few extra tracks that we didn’t play in December, but which have significance in the history of the ban More »

February 19 - February 25, 2007

By mid-February, the Grateful Dead’s touring year was really getting under way, with the usual March madness just around the corner. More »

February 12 - February 18, 2007

There’s plenty to play from this week in the Grateful Dead’s recorded history, and in addition to loads of great material from the week of February 12-18, we also have a great jam from a week l More »

February 5- February 11, 2007

There’s plenty of great material that was played during this week in the Grateful Dead’s performing history, much of which thankfully resides in the Grateful Dead’s vault. More »

January 29 - February 4, 2007

Mid-winter occasionally saw the band playing shorter runs of shows around the country, including the exceptional six show tour in the Midwest in 1978, consisting of the three shows at the Uptown Th More »

January 22 - January 28, 2007

We have some great music to play this week, spanning this week in the Grateful Dead’s recorded history from 1969 to 1993, with a cool studio jam from 1968 thrown in, just because we thought you More »

January 15 - January 21, 2007

Another relatively quiet week in the Grateful Dead’s performing history, although there were some great shows performed as the new year got rolling. More »

January 8 - January 14, 2007

Like the previous week, the week of January 8 was also a less-than-prolific week in the Grateful Dead’s performing history. More »

January 1 - January 7, 2007

As with us all, the week after New Year’s Eve was usually a quiet one in the Grateful Dead world. More »

December 25 - December 31, 2006

Well, if there was one holy week in Grateful Dead performing history, it certainly was the pre-New Year’s Eve week, culminating with the big New Year’s extravaganza hosted by Bill Graham and hi More »

December 18 - December 24, 2006

The week before Christmas was usually a quiet week for the Grateful Dead, as they needed their rest, too, before the big annual New Year’s festivities, which often ran the entire week from Decemb More »

December 11 - December 17, 2006

December moves along in the Grateful Dead recorded-history world to the tune of some outstanding shows. More »

December 4 - December 10, 2006

One of the most intriguing short tours in Grateful Dead history took place in the first two weeks of December, 1971, and featured the return of Pigpen, who had been resting himself the previous cou More »

November 27 - December 3, 2006

Welcome to the first installment of the weekly feature, the Taper Section. More »

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