Pun2404 really good here. She was a Muscle Shoals studio singer who sometimes had difficulties hearing herself live. But I love her singing, and what she brought to the band
People are waaaaaay too harsh about Donna. She was always great on this tune (and Cassidy and Looks Like Rain, etc) and every time she came in on her 1st entrance on this song ("There's a band out on the highway....") the crowd would go nuts. The girls used to like to look at Bobby during shows and all the guys ogled Donna with her long hair and laid-back attitude. You had to be there....
Unfortunately I wasn't there, but I love Donna's singing, especially in this song, hearing it without her entrance makes it so weird for me, like something is missing
I was, Bob. As a young teenager going to those Dead shows in the early mid Seventies, I can testify to your comment. Donna out front, gently swaying, bathed in a red glow, had me thinking thoughts that were totally natural for a boy my age. It never detracted from the pure joy I was getting from Jerry's guitar work and Weir's strong clear vocals. I commented in another thread that was bashing Donna, every time I saw them she sounded great. This song and The Wheel were show stoppers. I'll always have a place in my heart for Donna Jean. I challenge her critics to listen to Rain from Cats Under the Stars, a song she wrote and sings beautifully.
They all got ahead of themselves and sang out of their shoes sometimes. Anyone bashing Donna has to bash Bob for his occasional hooping and hollering vocals, too. There are times Donna was off, and there are times Bob was off. All of that is part of the charm.
The only bad singing from Donna happened in the brief period between when she first joined and the Wall of Sound in 74 because of monitor issues. That just happens to be a lot of peoples favorite Dead era which gives the false impression that she's actually a bad singer instead of just not having the right equipment because the band had never had a female singer before.
@TheDrmedina - Thanks! People seem to either love or hate what Donna contributed. I personally think the band was in top form during the seventies and on certain songs she added something special. Not always, but when she was in harmony with Bob and Jerry, and all were in sync with each other, a bit of magic was frequently created, imo...
My older brother and a couple of his friends snuck in at the back stage door and watched the whole show from the side of the stage or somewhere relatively close to the stage. He said he thought that Jefferson Airplane/Jefferson Starship/or whatever they were calling themselves at the time opened up for them. He said everyone, even the stage hands were real cool to them. One of my brother's friends said it was a "Religious Like" experience and I said no doy!!
"Keep on dancin' thru the daylight, Greet the mornin' air with song No ones's noticed, but the band's all pack and gone. Was it ever there at all? But they keep on dancin' C'mon children, C'mon children, Come on clap your hands" I love it! :D *dancin'*
yo! People can't say 'jack' about Donna! This was in the 70's during the era of punk music where people got on stage did their passionate best best and whether it was virtuoso quality or not, so what? Like there were worse acts in the 70s, but we still loved the Dead, ALL OF THEM! Apparently, it don't matter...because we still listened to it then and now and later to come...the the quirkiness of the flawed performances are somewhat endearing and memorable for that quality and have ceased to be irritating...
A musician died and went to the pearly gates. St. Peter told him, "You're going to love it. God has a jam session every Tuesday night. Miles Davis, Hendrix, Garcia, Lennon - all the greats will be there." "That sounds amazing," says the musician. "There's one problem," says St. Peter, "You see, God has this girlfriend...and she likes to sit in on the band..."
Personally, I never cared for any Godchauxs' stuff. But once the vocals are out of the way (which is what I usually felt about them, in all eras), the music SOARS. I love your taste, Chase!
