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Grin - Hampton, Va (Late 1968-April 1969) (1969)

Track listing:
  1. Please Don't Be Long 2:06
  2. Smokestack Lightning 6:41
  3. Open Wide 3:03
  4. We All Sung Together 3:50
  5. 18 Faced Lover 3:32
  6. Baby, Please Don't Hide 5:17
  7. If I Were A Song 3:11
  8. Slippery Fingers 5:24
  9. Black Queen Of Emotion 4:05
  10. Red House 9:02

Notes



Stereo audience tape. Small club. Probably an average "C" quality tape for the time period. For Grin, Lofgren collectors, or the particularly curious only.

trk 1 appeared on a 1st album acetate, but was pulled and later appeared on the 3rd LP, possibly in a re-recorded version
trks 2,10 are covers
trks 3,4,5,7 appeared on the 1st LP
trks 6,8 appeared on 2nd LP
trk9 Probably a Lofgren original, and have never heard it, or heard of it, anywhere else


Nils Lofgren; guitar, vocals
Bob Berberich; drums, vocals
Bob Gordon; bass, vocals



I attemped to find a date when George Daly was replaced on bass by Bob Gordon, since it is obviously Gordon singing on the tape. The maven of DC rock history Mark Opsasnick said 1970, an eyewitness fan of the band refutes him and says 1968, and a detailed listing of all Lofgren’s bands says 1969!

I received two pieces of information that the first LP was recorded long before the album was released, not near to the release…as I had assumed. So, I can’t use the LP date for any relation to this show date.

I did nail down that Neil Young “discovered" Nils in late February 1969 in DC. The Grin album may have been recorded summer 1969, when Nils went to California for Neil Young’s “After The Goldrush” sessions. David Briggs produced that one at Neil’s house in Topanga Canyon, and could very well have just kept on going with Grin.

It’s also becoming clear that many Lofgren songs, which were spread out over 3 LPs, were actually written very early. I don’t think I can use live song lists to date the shows, as you might do with any other band.

Given this conundrum, I have to accept the dating as receieved on my (yet to be uploaded) May 1969 Sylvan Theatre tape. One poster received same tape with same date, so I believe I have to go with it. And from the songs, and performance…that tape is a later one than this one….so I have to revise my estimated date for this show to 1968 through April 1969 (Nils was still in Dolphin for part of early 1968). I can hardly believe it myself, but the facts lead there. Possibly two full years before the first album showed up. - "Gangway"