New Riders

These 1971-74 LPs-"New Riders of the Purple Sage," "Powerglide," "Gyspy Cowboy," "The Adventures of Panama Red" and "Home, Home on the Road"-saw this band evolve from a Grateful Dead offshoot to a simply stellar country-rock band. Jerry Garcia, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Nicky Hopkins and Donna Jean Godchaux are heard with John Dawson, David Nelson, Dave Torbert and the rest of the Riders; includes "Portland Woman," "Louisiana Lady," "California Day," "Contract," "Panama Red," their spins on "Willie and the Hand Jive," "Hello Mary Lou" and more! Sony UK.

For most of the early '70s, the New Riders of the Purple Sage™ (yes, the name is trademark-protected) were the successful offshoots of the Grateful Dead. Although they never remotely approached the success or longevity of the Dead, they attracted a considerable audience through their association with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart, whose fans couldn't be satisfied with only the Dead's releases – the New Riders never reached much beyond that audience, but the Deadheads loved them as substitutes (along with Garcia's periodic solo projects) for the real article.

New Riders Of The Purple Sage American country rock band founded in 1969 in San Francisco.

Bear's Sonic Journals: Dawn of the New Riders of the Purple Sage is a live album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded at various venues in the San Francisco Bay Area from August 1969 to June 1970. It was released on January 17, 2020.

For most of the early '70s, the New Riders of the Purple Sage™ (yes, the name is trademark-protected) were the successful offshoots of the Grateful Dead. Although they never remotely approached the success or longevity of the Dead, they attracted a considerable audience through their association with Jerry Garcia, Phil Lesh, and Mickey Hart, whose fans couldn't be satisfied with only the Dead's releases – the New Riders never reached much beyond that audience, but the Deadheads loved them as substitutes (along with Garcia's periodic solo projects) for the real article.

This 5-CD set features nearly two-dozen songs never before officially released by the New Riders or the Grateful Dead, including several New Riders’ originals from a largely undocumented period in the band’s evolution.
The performances begin on Jerry Garcia’s 27th birthday at the aptly-named Bear’s Lair in Berkeley and captures performances from 4 different venues on 9 different nights.The band consists of John “Marmaduke” Dawson (guitar, vocals), Jerry Garcia (pedal steel), David Nelson (electric guitar), Mickey Hart (drums), and Bob Matthews and Dave Torbert on bass.

New Riders Of The Purple Sage emerged out of the San Francisco music scene in 1969 - their original lineup featuring several Grateful Dead members - and soon became one of the hottest live acts to catch. They released their debut in 1971 (peaking at #39 on the Top 200) and 1973’s The Adventures Of Panama Red reached RIAA Gold status.

With Billboard magazine hailing the New Riders Of The Purple Sage as “the definitive band of the country-rock genre,” 1972 was a year of major growth for the band. By the time Summer rolled around, Buddy Cage was now firmly entrenched as Jerry Garcia’s replacement on pedal steel guitar and their second studio album, Powerglide, was getting rave reviews. On the live front, they were beginning to fill concert halls across the U.S. while continuing to emerge from the shadows of the Grateful Dead with an intoxicating mix of classic and original American songwriting from the worlds of country, rock, bluegrass, and soul.August 27, 1972 found the New Riders once again on the bill with the Grateful Dead for what turned out to be one of the more legendary events in this subculture’s history. On the grounds of what is now the Oregon Country Faire, Chuck Kesey (brother of author and Merry Prankster icon Ken Kesey) put together this benefit concert, which quickly became known as the “Field Trip,” for the local Springfield Creamery. As fellow Prankster Ken Babbs recalls, “no one ever suspected it would become a historic event with an attendance of 20,000 on the hottest day ever—they ran out of water, the guitars warped in the heat and now everyone you talk to, hundreds of thousands, were there on that all time greatest most spectacular day.”

Lyceum '72 is a live album by the country rock band the New Riders of the Purple Sage. It was recorded at the Lyceum Theatre in London on May 26, 1972. It was released on CD on September 23, 2022. It was released as a three-disc LP on April 22, 2023.