GOOD OL’ GRATEFUL DEADCAST — "Tales of the Great Rum Runners 50"

Date: June 13, 2024
Hosts: Rich Mahan & Jesse Jarnow
Guests/Contributors: Barry Melton, Nicholas Merriweather, Ted Claire, John Perry, and others

Episode Overview

This special bonus episode marks the 50th anniversary deluxe reissue of Tales of the Great Rum Runners, Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter’s first solo album (originally released in 1974). The episode explores the album’s origins, Hunter’s journey as both a lyricist and burgeoning singer-songwriter, overlooked corners of Dead history, and the winding creative paths that led to this underappreciated record. With a blend of interviews, musical outtakes, and lots of storytelling, Rich Mahan and Jesse Jarnow illuminate Hunter’s creative voice and the evolution of Rum Runners from concept to cult favorite.

Key Themes & Discussion Points

1. Hunter’s Emergence as a Solo Artist

• Rum Runners was Robert Hunter’s assertion as a performer, transitioning from the Dead’s shadowy lyricist to an artist in his own right.
  • “It was a powerful but humble statement from a familiar but new voice.” (Jesse Jarnow, 04:40)
• The album became the first release on the Dead’s new label, Round Records, mixed by Jerry Garcia and financed by Hunter himself.

2. Hunter’s Life Before the Album

• Hunter’s early folk days: sang and played with Jerry Garcia in the early ‘60s Palo Alto folk scene.
  • "When he sang, he sometimes also yodeled." (Jesse Jarnow, 12:39)
• Psychedelic pioneer: volunteered for early LSD trials at Stanford in the ‘60s, an experience that deeply influenced his worldview and lyrical perspective.
  • "Here I was...finally realized the full truth about just what was going on and the powers of the mind. And I had to tell the world." (Robert Hunter, 13:28)

3. The Secret Bands and Early Recording Sessions

• Hunter adopted the pseudonym “Lefty Banks” while playing clandestinely with the Liberty Hill Aristocrats (later Roadhog) in San Francisco clubs.
  • “He was so used to being a solo performer where you can get away with that kind of stuff. But when there’s a band chugging behind you and you go off into outer space, everybody would look at each other...He’d rearrange songs in the middle of the song, which only a solo performer can really do.” (Ted Claire, 28:33)
• The earliest drafts of Rum Runners were recorded with various configurations, including American bluegrass players and a British band.

4. “Rum Runners” Recording Process: Chaos & Craft

• First sessions took place at Mickey Hart’s experimental Barn studio in Nevada—a casual, off-grid space that fostered creativity (and technical messiness).
  • “We were just playing and ended up somewhere that was great. And if it didn’t, that was great.” (Barry Melton, 34:07)
• $25,000 production budget (huge for the time) came out of Hunter’s own pocket.
• Tracks featured member-rotating bands, contributions from Dead alumni, and Hunter’s community of folk and roots musicians.
  • Donna Jean Godchaux, Keith Godchaux, Mickey Hart, and others contributed to various tracks.
  • “He wasn’t really a musician per se…he played great pipes, Scottish pipes. He played really well.” (Mickey Hart, 07:27 & Barry Melton on Hunter’s style, 38:48)

5. Songwriting, Lyrics, and the Rose Muse

• “Must Have Been the Roses” originated for this album, later entering the Grateful Dead’s live sets and becoming one of Hunter’s most beloved works.
  • “[It] came out. Out of the head of Zeus, full born, clad in armor.” (Hunter, 49:13)
  • Hunter reveals it was partly inspired by Faulkner’s “A Rose For Emily.” (53:44)
• Hunter saw himself as channeling “muses”—forces that delivered vivid imagery like roses and barrooms.
  • “I had to put the roses in or [the muse] goes away for a while.” (Hunter, 49:38)
• Literary ambitions: also pursued pure poetry, not just lyrics; some of his unpublished poems and a roman-à-clef novel about the Palo Alto scene are discussed.

6. The British Detour & Lost Versions

• After initial US sessions, Hunter traveled to London, cutting another version of the album with British musicians (Over the Hill, featuring John Perry), even using Jerry Garcia’s famed “Live/Dead” Gibson SG guitar.
  • The guitar was later stolen, becoming the subject of Deadhead sleuthing. (74:33)
• Some tracks and versions never saw the light of day due to technical incompatibilities and tapes getting scrambled, leading Hunter to start over back in California.

7. Final Release and Reception

• Jerry Garcia mixed the final record, sorting through technical “monstrosities” to deliver a coherent album.
  • "Good luck. You used every misrecording technique known to man on that album." (Garcia to Hunter, 87:44)
• The album was criticized, even by Hunter himself, for being rough-hewn and noncommercial but gained a devoted following for its raw honesty and folk spirit.
• Rick Griffin designed the cover, cementing the record’s mythic visual atmosphere.

8. Legacy: Songs, Impact, and Influence

• Songs like “It Must Have Been the Roses,” “Boys in the Barroom,” and “Keys to the Rain” became staples for Hunter and entered the Dead’s orbit.
  • The Dead debuted “It Must Have Been the Roses” live months before the album’s release (90:42).
• The album is now recognized for its importance in the Dead’s solo orbit and for establishing Hunter as an essential American songwriter.
  • “It stands as perhaps the most interesting solo album to emerge from the Dead’s ambit.” (Rolling Stone review, 89:38)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Hunter's Stage Anxiety & Identity:
  “I want to be able to go into someplace and not have anybody know who I am. And I can dig it. He’s real paranoid about it for sure. He doesn’t want it in his life.” (Jerry Garcia, 06:00)

• On Songwriting vs. Lyricism:
  “I’m rather a stiff poet. I don’t get the flow going that I get going lyrically. I’ve got the knack for lyrical poetry, but the other stuff…” (Hunter, 15:32)

• Reflecting on "Must Have Been the Roses":
  “As to beauty, delicacy, and short-livedness, there is no better allegory for—dare I say it—life than roses.” (Hunter, 49:38)
  “That’s a ten minute thing. I sat down, got hit by a muse and put it on paper. Ask me what it means…I don’t. But it seems, still when I sing it, very solid.” (Hunter, 50:48)

• On Technical Messiness:
  “You used every misrecording technique known to man on that album. I know where it all is because I went through the hell of mixing it.” (Garcia, 87:44)

Timestamps and Segment Guide

• 03:37 - Hunter's debut single, origins of Rum Runners
• 06:16–07:27 - Hunter’s low-key press presence and ambivalence about fame
• 12:04–14:32 - Folk era, LSD experiments, and early creative worldview
• 21:07–30:05 - The Liberty Hill Aristocrats, "Lefty Banks," and Roadhog era
• 31:14–35:01 - Sessions at Mickey Hart’s Barn, recording logistics, and All-Star contributors
• 39:38–44:01 - Early drafts, communal songwriting, and the evolution of album tracks
• 48:27–56:41 - Creation, meaning, and literary influences driving "Must Have Been the Roses"
• 64:23–73:03 - Hunter's London sojourn and the British recording sessions
• 80:35–83:08 - Final recording phase and the Dead's community musicians shaping the album
• 86:51–88:18 - Album mixing, Garcia’s involvement, and Hunter’s self-critique
• 89:25–93:45 - "Roses" legacy, being covered by Garcia, Dead, and Elvis Costello
• 94:33–96:33 - The album’s closing place in Hunter’s solo sets and the Dead’s world

Listener Takeaways

• Tales of the Great Rum Runners was more than just a solo debut; it was Hunter’s deeply personal shift from the Dead’s backstage poet to an artist forging his own mythos.
• The record’s rough edges, far-flung recording sessions, and circuitous genesis make it a rich tapestry within the Grateful Dead’s extended universe.
• Iconic songs like “It Must Have Been the Roses” blossom from literary strangeness and spiritual openness and would outgrow Hunter’s original intention—embodying the yin-yang of individual vision and collective legacy.
• The new deluxe reissue finally brings lost versions and outtakes into the light, offering a much fuller view of Hunter’s creative ambition in this pivotal moment.

For links to referenced interviews, rare tracks, and bonus materials, as well as ongoing listener engagement, visit dead.net/deadcast.