1973-10-15
Wake Of The Flood
Grateful Dead
By Maeve C.
A leaflet to fans explained that the band had decided to produce, manufacture and distribute their records themselves, and Wake of the Flood became the first album on Grateful Dead Records. It was recorded in August 1973 at the Record Plant in Sausalito.
It was also the first album without founding member Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, while Keith Godchaux’s keyboards and Donna Jean Godchaux’s voice are part of the lineup. “Eyes of the World” and “Stella Blue” sit alongside “Weather Report Suite,” a long piece built around Bob Weir’s writing with lyrics by John Perry Barlow.
Sources
Rights-holder metadata (℗ 1973 Grateful Dead Productions, marketed by Rhino) gives release date 15 October 1973.Corroborates 15 October 1973; first album on Grateful Dead Records; recorded at the Record Plant, Sausalito, August 1973; first without Pigpen; Godchauxs; track credits; Billboard No. 18.
Grateful Dead family discography: original LP GD-01 released 15 October 1973; fan leaflet about producing, manufacturing and distributing their own records. (MusicBrainz lists a US 1973-11-15 release; resolved in favour of 15 October, stated by the rights-holder and two independent discographies.)