Originally posted by TornAndFrayed
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All things Grateful Dead.
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The tragic story of the Dead's last keyboard player, Vince Welnick. Sad.
Vince Welnick lived the dream, playing music with the Grateful Dead, but depression dogged him to his final days (sfgate.com)
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Originally posted by Marignygregg View PostThe tragic story of the Dead's last keyboard player, Vince Welnick. Sad.
Vince Welnick lived the dream, playing music with the Grateful Dead, but depression dogged him to his final days (sfgate.com)
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Originally posted by Marignygregg View PostThe tragic story of the Dead's last keyboard player, Vince Welnick. Sad.
Vince Welnick lived the dream, playing music with the Grateful Dead, but depression dogged him to his final days (sfgate.com)
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Originally posted by chopitulas View PostSad story, all right. Musically, I never warmed to Vince in the Dead, particularly the cheesy Casio-like sounds he seemed to favor. I know a B-3 is a lot to haul around but he wasn't lumping the equipment. Why not use a real organ?
Weir did say in the article that they were more interested in finding someone to hit the high harmonies than a keyboard player who could up they're game and they only auditioned 4 or 5 people. Shame, as they were one of the biggest bands on the planet at that time and could have had their pick. Jeff Chimenti would have been great. Maybe hire a vocalist for the harmonies like they had with Keith and Donna.
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Originally posted by Lit View Post
It's like the drummer in Spinal Tap; same story with every Grateful Dead keyboard player except Bruce Hornsby.
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Originally posted by duende View Post
Tom Constanten made it out OK, but it may have been lucky for him that his playing wasn't a good fit. I was personally devastated by Brent's passing and it pretty much ended my enjoyment of the GD live shows. I have some regrets about missing the Hornsby phase, but growing up hearing & seeing the Tubes, I didn't have any appetite for the Vince era. Deadheads can be fickle effers, too.
Agree that Brent was a big and sad loss, and if you have listened to the unabridged Long Strange Trip audio book it's even more of a heart breaker.
I share your lack of appetite for Vince, for precisely the reason chopitulas mentions above, i.e., the cheesy sound. I am a B3 addict so that may have something to do with it.
I did see my share of shows with him, but I far preferred Bruce and saw some very memorable shows with him. Jerry and he seemed to have a great rapport musically. I have a very fond memory of watching Jerry smile and play back and forth with him during a great three-night Denver run in December 1990, exactly 30 years ago this week. On the second night they closed the first set with Bruce's "Valley Road" and Jerry was giving it his all singing backup, a real treat.
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Originally posted by duende View Post
Tom Constanten made it out OK, but it may have been lucky for him that his playing wasn't a good fit. I was personally devastated by Brent's passing and it pretty much ended my enjoyment of the GD live shows. I have some regrets about missing the Hornsby phase, but growing up hearing & seeing the Tubes, I didn't have any appetite for the Vince era. Deadheads can be fickle effers, too.
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Originally posted by Lit View Post
Good call on Constanten. I knew I was forgetting someone. I never saw him with them obviously, but I did see him solo at the Last Day Saloon when I lived in San Francisco. Iirc "Dark Star" was his signature contribution.
Agree that Brent was a big and sad loss, and if you have listened to the unabridged Long Strange Trip audio book it's even more of a heart breaker.
I share your lack of appetite for Vince, for precisely the reason chopitulas mentions above, i.e., the cheesy sound. I am a B3 addict so that may have something to do with it.
I did see my share of shows with him, but I far preferred Bruce and saw some very memorable shows with him. Jerry and he seemed to have a great rapport musically. I have a very fond memory of watching Jerry smile and play back and forth with him during a great three-night Denver run in December 1990, exactly 30 years ago this week. On the second night they closed the first set with Bruce's "Valley Road" and Jerry was giving it his all singing backup, a real treat.
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Originally posted by jjazznj View Post
Wasn't Welnick with them at all of the shows that Hornsby did?
The Hornsby shows had some intense jamming and it was great to have the acoustic piano back, although the music did get a tad 'thick' at times with two keyboards. The wall of sound, but when it worked, it worked great. Eyes of the World and Foolish Heart come to mind. I did sometimes cringe when Bruce would hop on accordion, though.
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Originally posted by jjazznj View Post
Wasn't Welnick with them at all of the shows that Hornsby did?
Those Denver 1990 shows still hold up. Great energy. Hornsby got “it.” Definitely helped that he was a Deadhead first.
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Originally posted by jjazznj View Post
I actually never got over Keith & Donna leaving and was never really into them in the 80s after growing up with them and going to their shows in the mid-late 70s. By 'Go To Heaven' they totally lost me. The only time I saw them after '78 or so was with Hornsby in the early 90s and thought he fit in well and they were great but on certain songs they missed Donna's vocals. After that I never really had any desire to see them again. They just were not the same band that I grew up with.
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Originally posted by Lit View Post
I find that a little bit of Donna goes a long way with me, and it got to the point where there was too much Donna for my ears.
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