THE BAND
RACEWAY,
WATKINS GLEN NY

I also have copies of the Grateful Dead’s performance on these dates. You can find them here and here.

Disc 1

FRIDAY JULY 27, 1973
THE SOUND CHECK

1 INSTRUMENTAL
2 audience
3 INSTRUMENTAL
4 audience
5 DONíT DO IT
6 audience
7 W.S. WALCOTT MEDICINE SHOW

Disc 2

SATURDAY JULY 28, 1973
THE CONCERT Part 1

1 Audience/ TUNING
2 INSTRUMENTAL
3 Audience
4 INTRODUCTION
SAM CUTLER & BILL GRAHAM
5 GOIN BACK TO MEMPHIS
WE’VE GOT A VISITOR
Comments about parachutist who sadly would die
6 audience
7 LOVINí YOU IS SWEETER THAN EVER
8 THE SHAPE IíM IN
9 THE WEIGHT
10 STAGE FRIGHT
1I SHALL BE RELEASED
12 DONíT DO IT
13 ENDLESS HIGHWAY
14 GENETIC METHOD
15 CHEST FEVER

Disc 3

SATURDAY JULY 28, 1973
THE CONCERT Part 2

1 THE NIGHT THEY DROVE OLD DIXIE DOWN
2 ACROSS THE GREAT DIVIDE
3 INSTRUMENTAL
4 HOLY COW
5 Audience
6 LIFE IS A CARNIVAL
7 SAVED
8 UP ON CRIPPLE CREEK
9 Audience
10 SHARE YOUR LOVE
11 WHEELS ON FIRE
12 W.S WOLCOTT MEDICINE SHOW
13 SLIPPINí & SLIDINí
14 Audience idiot demands allmans
15 RAG MAMA RAG

Disc 4

SATURDAY JULY 28, 1973
THE CONCERT Part 3

SUMMER JAM (various members of)
ALLMAN BROTHERS, THE BAND & Grateful DEAD)
WATKINS GLEN, NY. RACEWAY
JULY 28, 1973
AFTER THE MAIN EVENT

RICK DANKO
1 A CHANGE IS GONNA COME (1st Take)
2 A CHANGE IS GONNA COME
3 RICK & CROWD CONVERSE
4 RAININí IN MY HEART
5 ìIT HASNíT BEEN PLANNEDî
6 TUNING & DIRECTION AS VARIOUS MUSICIANS CONVERGE & PROCEED TO MILL ABOUT & PLAY
7 Richard Manuel vocal Have you ever been mistreated
8 ìGO JERRYî
9 DA DI DE DAY Rick vocal
10 NOT FADE AWAY
11 ìLEVEL CHECKINGî
12 LET ME WRAP YOU IN MY WARM & TENDER LOVE Rick and Jerry vocals
13 REELINí & ROCKINí
14 ìWE WANT OUR MONEY BACKî
15 MOUNTAIN JAM
16/17 AMAZING GRACE
18 MOUNTAIN JAM

WATKINS GLEN EXPERIENCE
I had not been to the Woodstock festival, so Watkins Glen was my chance to go to ìWoodstockî in style: A tent, cooler, ice, food, beer, and a í61 Chrysler

Newport, and my friend Arti.
We had 2 brand new Sony ECM-22P electret condenser microphones and the trusty Hitachi 222TRQ stereo cassette recorder.
The concert was scheduled for Saturday, we arrived Tuesday afternoon, set up camp a ways from the concert field. Friday morning there was a rumor that the

sound check was going to happen later that afternoon, and that ticket holders would be allowed in. Friday, just around noon the gates were opened. We headed

for the front, our goal 40 feet out dead center from the stage. Unfortunately there were people already there, the only prime real estate in that vicinity

was covered by about 2 inches of water, as it had been raining off & on all week. The promoters were thoughtful enough to supply bottled water, pallets of

it, to the ticket holders. Seizing the opportunity we gathered 4 wooden pallets and walked them all the way up to the prime but flooded area. We placed the

pallets over the water and squared them, put coverage on top and presto, we were dry and soon would be high. We were about 40 feet, dead center from stage,

or about halfway between the soundboard & the stage.
We had brought 4, 4 ft long 1 inch wide metal conduit, with couplers, to hoist the microphones. Everything was set as THE BAND took the stage. We had our

mikes up, way up, and with the surprise of the Friday event, the crowd was not so dense, making us quite visible from the stage.
There were flyers circulated by the promoters which threatened that there was to be no recording of the concert ìcords would be cutî the flyer stated.
THE BAND went through there sound check, we went through ours, the sound was a little strong, especially with our mikes so high and close, we were thrilled.
I do not remember if there was a complete BAND song as the first soundcheck tune. If it was, we either had the pause button on or were not ready. I do not

remember either way.
The levels attenuated properly towards the end of the set, and then the Allmans came on. We decided not to record the brothers. Next the DEAD came on, as

they began to play Phil Lesh looked out and asked ìare you all ready out thereî? We thought he was talking to us, but werenít sure. Everything was going

fine, the first set was drawing to a close. It was during BIRD SONG that we were accosted suddenly by a big red headed and bearded goon, who waded through

the crowd and demanded that we cease taping immediately and wanted ìour tapes and our blanksî. I was standing, Arti crouched down and began fiddling, I kept

yelling at the goon to waste time and keep the jackass busy so as not to actually be able to see or get his paws on our stuff. He was also distracted looking

behind us to locate his next victim, anyone who was taping the show. Arti came up, handed him a cassette tape and 1 box of TDK SD90 tapes, it was half of our

supply. The goon grabbed our stuff and took off behind us. Arti had given him a blank, good thing because the tape we were using for the DEAD was also the

one we had used for THE BANDís Sound check.
We stopped taping, our tape ends in the middle of BIRD SONG.
The set ended and during the break it got dark. We hand held the mikes and taped the spectacular 2nd set with that awesome jam, we were shaken, paranoid, but

determined to pull this off.
Saturday, we decided to lower the mikes, using one four foot section hand held just about head level. This is why you can hear lots of audience during the

Saturday show.
Also, with the crowd gathering and the inevitable crush of the latecomers to the front, this caused jostling even up on our pallets. Arti & I kept watch over

the deck and recording levels. There were 2 other “friends, mitchell +1” who held the poles with the mikes. The instructions were to keep the mikes down at

head level. This is why there are multiple dropouts of the high frequencies, mainly on the left side. The mikes were separated, held by 2 people who at times

could not see each other. There are periods when the stereo image is better than others. The idea was that any recording would be better than no recording.
Also, it rained throughout the day, mainly during the BANDís set. At a couple of points it rained so hard we stopped recording and covered everything, even

the wires. That is why there is no Garth solo during the rain.
ON SATURDAY :
The DEAD played first, we were paranoid and did not take our eyes off the goon squad on stage. We operated in stealth mode for THE BAND, who played next.
The ALLMAN BROTHERS played in the dark, we were not so paranoid by them, we had also peaked during THE BAND, so we were a little more composed. This was my

first association with Genesee cream ale, which we had an ample of supply in the cooler.
I have not traded this show ever, the only people who had copies were 3 of us and a small circle of trusted friends.
It would be nice to get a sound board of THE BANDíS SET, One exists, for the bogus ìlive from Watkins Glenî official lp contains a few soundboard tunes, as

does The Bands “TO KINGDOM COME”, An entire Sound Board of this show would be great.
Ever wonder why the dead shows were all taped but the supporting bands were not????

I think the playing order was:
FRIDAY JULY 27, 1973 THE SOUNDCHECK
1 THE BAND
2 ALLMAN BROS
3 GRATEFUL DEAD

SATURDAY JULY 28, 1973 THE CONCERT
1 GRATEFUL DEAD
2 THE BAND
3 ALLMAN BROTHERS
4 SUMMER JAM (members of all 3 bands playing)

TECH NOTES:
2 SONY ECM-22P electret condenser
microphones into
HITACHI TRQ-222 stereo cassette recorder
using TDK SD-90 cassette tape

Transferred the MC using a Sony tc we-175 deck with a dbx 2231 EQ
to a Sony rcd w500c, which is a standalone cd recorder

Master Audience Cassettes > EQ > CDR > EAC > CDR >
EAC > WAVE > TRADER’S LITTLE HELPER > FLAC

Jim Cooper January 2010