Andrew ShieldsMar 13
“Everybody’s playing in the heart of gold”: The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, and a wedding ring. #111Words #TheGratefulDead #ScarletBegonias #NeilYoung #HeartOfGold #WeddingRing #FromTheMarsHotel #Harvest #Music #Lyrics https://111-words.ghost.io/everybodys-playing-in-the-heart-of-gold-the-grateful-dead-neil-young-and-a-wedding-ring/
“Everybody’s playing in the heart of gold”: The Grateful Dead, Neil Young, and a wedding ring

At Grateful Dead concerts, the last line of "Scarlet Begonias" ("From the Mars Hotel", 1974, lyrics by Robert Hunter) felt like a reference to the concert experience: "Everybody's playing in the heart of gold band." The band began to jam on the song's closing riff, and the audience danced along.

111 Words
Italian News by RSSMar 13

Agi: Iconica chitarra di Gilmour venduta al prezzo record di 14,5 milioni

AGI - Una iconica chitarra Fender Stratocaster nera utilizzata da David Gilmour, chitarrista dei Pink Floyd, nella realizzazione di sei album della band, è stata venduta all'asta da Christie's a New York per la cifra record di 14,55 milioni di dollari. La chitarra, soprannominata 'The Black Strat', è diventata così la più costosa mai venduta all'asta, superando di gran lunga il precedente record di 6 milioni di dollari stabilito nel 2020 per la Martin D-18E del 1959 suonata da Kurt Cobain durante lo storico concerto 'MTV Unplugged' del 1993.
Storia del rock
La 'Black Strat' è stata utilizzata da David Gilmour in buona parte degli album della band che ha definito i canoni del rock psichedelico tra il 1967 e il 1983, inclusi gli iconici 'Dark Side of the Moon', 'Wish You Were Here', 'Animals" e 'The Wall'. L'asta riguardava la collezione di strumenti rock appartenuti all'imprenditore Jim Irsay, ex proprietario della squadra di football americano degli Indianapolis Colts, scomparso nel 2025. Tra le chitarre appartenute alla collezione di Irsay spicca anche una Doug Irwin suonata da Jerry Garcia durante il suo ultimo concerto con i Grateful Dead.
La Strato nera suonata da Gilmour era stata già venduta precedentemente per 3.975.000 dollari in un'altra asta nel 2019, faceva parte del lotto di 127 oggetti provenienti dalla collezione personale di Gilmour per raccogliere fondi per ClientEarth, un gruppo di avvocati impegnati contro il cambiamento climatico.

Iconic Gilmour guitar sold for a record price of £14.5 million.

AGI - An iconic black Fender Stratocaster guitar used by David Gilmour, guitarist of Pink Floyd, in the recording of six albums by the band, was sold at auction by Christie’s in New York for a record $14.55 million. The guitar, nicknamed ‘The Black Strat’, became the most expensive ever sold at auction, far surpassing the previous record of $6 million set in 2020 for the 1959 Martin D-18E played by Kurt Cobain during the historic ‘MTV Unplugged’ 1993 concert.

History of Rock

‘The Black Strat’ was used by David Gilmour in much of the band’s albums that defined the canons of psychedelic rock between 1967 and 1983, including the iconic ‘Dark Side of the Moon’, ‘Wish You Were Here’, ‘Animals’ and ‘The Wall’. The auction featured the rock instruments belonging to entrepreneur Jim Irsay, former owner of the Indianapolis Colts football team, who died in 2025. Among the guitars belonging to Irsay’s collection, a Doug Irwin played by Jerry Garcia during his final concert with the Grateful Dead also stood out.

The black Stratocaster played by Gilmour had previously been sold for $3,975,000 in another auction in 2019, and was part of a lot of 127 items from Gilmour’s personal collection to raise funds for ClientEarth, a group of lawyers committed to fighting climate change.

#FenderStratocaster #DavidGilmour #PinkFloyd #Christie’s #NewYork #MartinD-18E #KurtCobain #MTVUnplugged’1993 #JimIrsay #Indianapolis #Irsay #DougIrwin #JerryGarcia #theGratefulDead #Gilmour #ClientEarth

https://www.agi.it/spettacolo/news/2026-03-13/chitarra-pink-floyd-gilmour-asta-36094583/

Andrew ShieldsMar 12
The title of “Scarlet Begonias”, by The Grateful Dead. #111Words #TheGratefulDead #ScarletBegonias #BarbaraAllen #2Samuel #TheScarletLetter #FlowerSymbolism #Warning https://111-words.ghost.io/the-title-of-scarlet-begonias-by-the-grateful-dead/
The title of “Scarlet Begonias”, by The Grateful Dead

The title of the Grateful Dead's "Scarlet Begonias" ("From the Mars Hotel", 1974, lyrics by Robert Hunter) is in the song: "She wore scarlet begonias tucked into her curls." Preparing for class discussion, I thought of the song "Barbara Allen": "In Scarlet Town, where I was born." I found a

111 Words
Andrew ShieldsMar 11
“Scarlet Begonias”, “Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross”, and “My Sweet Gypsy Rose”: The Grateful Dead, a nursery rhyme, and Tony Orlando & Dawn. #111Words #TheGratefulDead #ScarletBegonias #RideACockHorseToBanburyCross #MySweetGypsyRose #TonyOrlandoAndDawn #Music #Lyrics #Allusions https://111-words.ghost.io/scarlet-begonias-ride-a-cock-horse-to-banbury-cross-and-my-sweet-gypsy-rose-the-grateful-dead-a-nursery-rhyme-and-tony-orlando-dawn/
“Scarlet Begonias”, “Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross”, and “My Sweet Gypsy Rose”: The Grateful Dead, a nursery rhyme, and Tony Orlando & Dawn

The second stanza of the Grateful Dead song "Scarlet Begonias" ("From the Mars Hotel", 1974, lyrics by Robert Hunter, music by Jerry Garcia) describes a woman with "rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes." This echoes the nursery rhyme "Ride a Cock Horse to Banbury Cross", whose "fine

111 Words
Andrew ShieldsMar 10
@bourgwick @mangrovevalley Deep down a “Scarlet Begonias” rabbit hole, I came across the claim that Tony Orlando worked in some sort of capacity for/with The Grateful Dead in the late 1960s. But all I can find is the band’s name in lists of artists or groups he worked with (as on the Tony Orlando Wikipedia page). Do either of you, Jesse and Steve, know anything about this supposed work? Or do you know who might know something about it? #TheGratefulDead #TonyOrlando
Andrew ShieldsMar 10
Grosvenor Square in literature, history, and the Grateful Dead song “Scarlet Begonias”. #111Words #TheGratefulDead #ScarletBegonias #FromTheMarsHotel #GrosvenorSquare #OscarWilde #DorianGray #EisenhowerPlatz #WorldWarTwo #EeroSaarinen #USEmbassyLondon #AntiVietnamWarDemonstrations https://111-words.ghost.io/grosvenor-square-in-literature-history-and-the-grateful-dead-song-scarlet-begonias/
Andrew ShieldsMar 9
AoxoToxoA at Rockfact in Münchenstein in association with my course “The Grateful Dead: Music, Lyrics, Culture”. #111Words #TheGratefulDead #AoxoToxoA #RockfactMusicClub #Münchenstein #EnglishDepartment #UniversityOfBasel #Music #LiveMusic #Concert https://111-words.ghost.io/aoxotoxoa-at-rockfact-in-munchenstein-in-association-with-my-course-the-grateful-dead-music-lyrics-culture/
AoxoToxoA at Rockfact in Münchenstein in association with my course “The Grateful Dead: Music, Lyrics, Culture"

In my course on "The Grateful Dead: Music, Lyrics, Culture" this semester at the English Department of the University of Basel, the students and I are hoping to "get shown the light" about the band's music (composing and improvising), lyrics (songwriting and literary traditions), and culture (Deadheads and sociohistorical context)

111 Words
Andrew ShieldsFeb 25
The three parts of the first instrumental break in The Grateful Dead’s performance of “Uncle John’s Band” on 26 December 1979. #111Words #TheGratefulDead #UncleJohnsBand #LiveMusic #Music #Improvisation #SpontaneousComposition #1979 #OaklandColisemArena #DicksPicks5 https://111-words.ghost.io/the-three-parts-of-the-first-instrumental-break-in-the-grateful-deads-performance-of-uncle-johns-band-on-26-december-1979/
The three parts of the first instrumental break in The Grateful Dead’s performance of “Uncle John’s Band” on 26 December 1979

On 26 December 1979 at the Oakland Auditorium Arena, The Grateful Dead started their second set with their first performance of "Uncle John's Band" since October 1977. The concert was released in 1996 as Dick's Picks volume 5, and the song's first instrumental break has stood out for me ever

111 Words
Andrew ShieldsFeb 21
Cities mentioned in The Grateful Dead song “Truckin’” and their roles in the history of music. #111Words #TheGratefulDead #Truckin’ #AmericanBeauty #BourbonStreet #NewOrleans #Houston #Chicago #NewYork #Detroit #Jazz #JazzHistory #Blues #Motown #Music #Lyrics https://111-words.ghost.io/cities-mentioned-in-the-grateful-dead-song-truckin-and-their-roles-in-the-history-of-music/
Cities mentioned in The Grateful Dead song “Truckin’” and their roles in the history of music

The Grateful Dead song "Truckin'" ("American Beauty", 1970) memorializes their drug arrest in New Orleans on 31 January, 1970: "Busted down on Bourbon Street / Set up, like a bowling pin". That background also informs an earlier line in a list of cities the band visited on tours: "Houston, too close

111 Words
WistonFeb 20
Jerry Garcia Playing Guitar Painting by Mauricio Sobalvarro - Fine Art America
https://fineartamerica.com/featured/jerry-garcia-playing-guitar-mauricio-sobalvarro.html #JerryGarcia #GratefulDead #Deadhead #Deadheads #GratefulDeadFamily #JerryGarciaBand #DeadAndCompany #BobWeir #PhilLesh #JamBand #PsychedelicRock #TieDye #VintageGratefulDead #GratefulDeadArt #GratefulDeadShirt #GratefulDeadMerch #ShakedownStreet #DarkStar #Ripple #TouchOfGrey #StealYourFace #SkullAndRoses #AmericanBeauty #WorkingmansDead #Europe72 #LiveDead #CaptainTrips #TheGratefulDead
Jerry Garcia Playing Guitar by Mauricio Sobalvarro

Jerry Garcia Playing Guitar Painting by Mauricio Sobalvarro

Fine Art America