It’s official release day - yahoo! If there is anything better than reading about the Dead, it is talking about the Dead! See you on the road in a few weeks!!! @dukepress.bsky.social
John Brackett
@livedeadbook.bsky.social
Deadscholar.com Gratefuldocuments.substack.com
To end the summer, check out some August reads like "Touch of Grey, or How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars" by @livedeadbook.bsky.social, which tells the behind-the-scenes story of how one song fundamentally transformed the legacy of one of rock’s most iconic groups. buff.ly/4hqz3v7
Can’t wait for the official release date of August 4? Get a copy of the new book NOW from @dukepress.bsky.social ! www.dukeupress.edu/touch-of-gre...
For a deeper dive into one of the stories I shared on GTY, check out my latest post. And for even MORE Dead goodies, check out my forthcoming book, Touch of Grey, or How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars available for pre-order from @dukepress.bsky.social (link in comments). See you on the road!
From In the Red to In the Dark
The Economics of the Grateful Dead's Commercial Breakthrough
open.substack.com
Monday blues? Well turn that frown upside down and check out the latest episode of Guess the Year! Tune in for inspiring song selections, heady conversations, and lots of fun. Thanks again to Mike and all of the amazing contestants! I had a blast! podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/g...
That’s right - you can now read the introduction to my new book here: buff.ly/a4H2eon! Yahoo! If you like what you read and look forward to reading more, I would encourage you to preorder a copy. Use the code E26TOUCH for 30% off! As Alfred E. Neuman would say: Cheap!
buff.ly
Duke University Press@dukepress.bsky.social · 3mo ago"Touch of Grey, or How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars" by @livedeadbook.bsky.social tells the story of how one song transformed the popular legacy of one of rock’s most iconic musical groups. Read the intro for free & pre-order now for 40% off with coupon SPRING26. buff.ly/a4H2eon
"Touch of Grey, or How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars" by @livedeadbook.bsky.social tells the story of how one song transformed the popular legacy of one of rock’s most iconic musical groups. Read the intro for free & pre-order now for 40% off with coupon SPRING26. buff.ly/a4H2eon
Hello again, everybody. I just wanted to let you know that my new book is available for pre-order. Yahoo! Check below for more info - and use the code E26TOUCH to get 30% off! Yay savings!! @dukepress.bsky.social It’s going to be a Dead summer!!
Touch of Grey, or How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars
dukeupress.edu
No foolin’ - just some more Dead for your head!!
“The guys are everything we know and love… minus tissue”
Planning and producing the "Touch of Grey" music video
open.substack.com
Consider heading over to @dukepress.bsky.social blog to check out my post remembering Bob Weir.
No Final Curtain: Bob Weir, “Touch of Grey,” and the Evolving Legacy of the Grateful Dead. A Guest Post by John Brackett.
Photo by Chloe Weir On August 3, 2025, the musical group Dead & Company performed the song “Touch of Grey” as the encore to their final concert celebrating the sixtieth anniversary of the Grate…
dukeupress.wordpress.com
Arriving just in time for the So Far watch party tomorrow night! m.youtube.com/watch?v=j4S9...
The “Grateful Dead 20th Anniversary Video” and the Early History of So Far (1984-1986)
The history of the long form video So Far offers a unique glimpse into the creative and corporate mindset of the Grateful Dead and the Grateful Dead organization in the middle of the 1980s.
open.substack.com
Some more historical Dead tidbits! DIG IT!!!https://open.substack.com/pub/gratefuldocuments/p/the-roots-of-relix?r=3cnrij&utm_medium=ios
The Roots of Relix
For over fifty years, Relix magazine has played an influential role in promoting and documenting an eclectic roster of musical improvisers and live performers spanning an array of traditions and styl...
open.substack.com
More Dead for your head!! And eyes! And ears!! open.substack.com/pub/grateful...
“With Rainbow Colors Blended”
Revisiting the Recorded Form of Anthem of the Sun
open.substack.com
deep new @livedeadbook.bsky.social project examining documents from the grateful dead archive. he's got a new scholarly book out in spring about "touch of grey" (!!). "live dead" was ace, too, a close read of the dead's live recordings. gratefuldocuments.substack.com/p/hauling-it... #deadfreaksunite
"Hauling items for the mob": "Independent promotion companies," payola, and "Touch of Grey" (1987)
This is a document that I examine in my forthcoming book, Touch of Grey, or, How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars (forthcoming spring 2026 from Duke University Press).
gratefuldocuments.substack.com
For historical tidbits on the Dead… open.substack.com/pub/grateful...
"Hauling items for the mob": "Independent promotion companies," payola, and "Touch of Grey" (1987)
This is a document that I examine in my forthcoming book, Touch of Grey, or, How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars (forthcoming spring 2026 from Duke University Press).
open.substack.com
In this week's new episode of the Future Knowledge podcast, author JOHN BRACKETT joins musician DAVID GANS to discuss Brackett's book LIVE DEAD & how live recordings shaped the sound, story, & legacy of the Grateful Dead. Listen & subscribe ⤵️ futureknowledge.transistor.fm
📚 TOMORROW! Join the LIVE DEAD #booktalk. Musicologist JOHN BRACKETT & musician DAVID GANS explore how tapes, bootlegs & fan recordings shaped the #GratefulDead. 📅 May 22 🕚 10 AM PT / 1 PM ET 📍 ONLINE 🎟️ www.eventbrite.com/e/1289972294... #livemusic #InternetArchive #AuthorsAlliance
Stop on by @archive.org tomorrow to hear me chat with @dgans.bsky.social (1ET/10PT). Should be Head-y!! @dukepress.bsky.social
And if you want to learn why these non-commercial, shared live recordings of the Dead have been key to the band’s enduring legacy, register for our May book talk for “Live Dead” by John Brackett. 🎟️ blog.archive.org/event/book-t...
Internet Archive@archive.org · last yr.Oh you want Grateful Dead concerts? We have band-sanctioned live recordings from the Dead & hundreds of other musicians, preserved online & available for listening now ➡️ archive.org/details/etree