The Grateful Dead Start ’30 Days of Dead’ with Rare Track “Comes a Time”

It’s that time of year again, Deadheads. Yesterday, the Grateful Dead launched their annual 30 Days of Dead series. “Comes a Time” got things started.

Every year, the Dead releases 30 songs from the vault for free. These tracks are usually rarities or live cuts of popular tracks that seldom see the light of day. According to JamBase, Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux hand-selects songs for the collection.

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Lemieux will share one song as a high-quality MP3 every day in November. Fans can head to Dead.net to download a new track every day. At the end of the month, they’ll each have a new and unique album of sorts. Those who miss days or forget about the event until late in the month don’t have to worry. All 30 tracks will be available in a ZIP file at the end of the month.

30 Days of Dead started in 2010 and has since become a tradition for diehard fans and those who are seeking out the deepest of deep cuts. More than that, it’s another way to keep the music and legacy of one of the greatest jam bands of all time alive.

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The series gives fans more than a chance to download free music, though. It also includes a trivia contest. Each track is released without a date or venue attached to it. The site features a form that allows fans to guess when and where the band recorded the song. Those who answer correctly will get a chance to win a Grateful Dead wall calendar. As a result, there’s a winner every day.

“Comes a Time” comes with a hint. “A song that first appeared in 1971 and came and went from the repertoire. It was rare enough that it was always a newsworthy song when the Dead played it right up to its final performance in 1994.”

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The grand prize doesn’t come until the end of the month. After this year’s 30 Days of Dead ends, one lucky winner will receive a Here Comes the Sunshine box set. The limited edition box sold out quickly. Fans can only win it from this contest or buy it on the secondary market with a little luck and a large chunk of change.

Here Comes the Sunshine contains five complete performances from the spring of 1973. The remastered recordings span a mind-blowing 17 CDs. The set also contains liner notes from Canadian author Ray Robinson, The Owsley Stanley Foundation, and Lemieux.

Photo by RB/Redferns