The Grateful Dead‘s cover of “The Weight” by The Band from a 1993 concert with special guest Bruce Hornsby is the latest installment of the Dead’s All The Years Live video series. Filmed at RFK Stadium in Washington D.C. on June 25, 1993, the footage is previously unreleased.
Hornsby played accordion and sang at the Grateful Dead’s June 25 and 26, 1993 concerts in Washington D.C. Guitarist Jerry Garcia handled the first verse of “The Weight” at RFK Stadium. Hornsby took the second verse, bassist Phil Lesh belted out the third verse and guitarist Bob Weir sang the fourth verse. Keyboardist Vince Welnick joined Bruce, Bobby and Jerry on the final verse.
“One of the most welcome additions to the Dead’s cover-song repertoire, The Band’s classic ‘The Weight’ made its debut with the Dead in March 1990 at Nassau Coliseum, and was always well-received, with the band alternating lead vocals,” Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux wrote in a note accompanying the video. “‘The Weight’ would end up being the final song Brent Mydland played with the Dead, on July 23, 1990 in Tinley Park, IL.”
Check out the Dead’s version of “The Weight” from June 25, 1993 below:
