On September 5th, 1973, the Hell’s Angels threw a private party aboard a boat named the SS Bay Belle that sailed around the NY Harbor. For entertainment, the infamous motorcycle club brought Bo Diddley, Elephant’s Memory and Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders. A clip of Garcia, Saunders, bassist John Kahn and drummer Bill Kreutzmann performing a cover of That’s Alright Mama at this private party, interspersed with footage of a biker wedding and the party, appears in the 1983 documentary Hells Angels Forever. Today, a pristine rip of Garcia and Saunders’ appearance has turned up on YouTube.
It’s important to note that this “show” was the first time Garcia’s Doug Irwin-built Wolf axe was played in public after it was delivered to Jerry the previous May. You’ve got to think that the filmmakers didn’t just record one tune, so hopefully more of this incredibly historic footage will surface. For now, check out That’s Alright Mama complete with boobies a giggling, so don’t watch this one at work.
Garcia & Saunders – That’s Alright Mama
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