Song of the Day 1/12: The Grateful Dead, “Playing in the Band”

Bob Weir, the co-founder of the Grateful Dead who died Saturday at 78, was the subject of countless Deadhead debates over the years. Was he an essential member of the band, or totally extraneous? Did he add to their jams or gum them up? Did his songs help structure their sprawling concerts or interrupt the flow?

Weir was sort of like the team’s utility infielder. He wasn’t their best guitar player, or singer, or songwriter – that was Jerry Garcia’s role. But Weir added balance to their ethereal sound. He was called a rhythm guitarist, but he didn’t strum the instrument on the beat. He provided riffs and fills in unusual voicings and rhythms, forming a bridge between the dueling improvisations of Garcia and bassist Phil Lesh. And after Garcia died, Weir, like a good utility man, stepped up to keep the Dead music and ethos alive through a succession of spin-off bands.

Garcia’s roots were in bluegrass, and Lesh brought jazz to Dead’s house blend. Weir’s influences were folk and country, but he kept it interesting by composing in unusual time signatures. “Playing in the Band” is a good example. It’s in 10/4, which is why it feels a little odd when you try to dance to it.

As Weir told the story at a Wolf Bros concert in 2021, Weir and other members of the band were jamming with David Crosby, who came up with the guitar riff that serves as the song’s intro. Drummer Mickey Hart suggested Weir write a song using it, and the next day Weir had the music composed. The lyrics are by longtime Dead wordsmith Robert Hunter. Its first official release was on the 1971 live Skull and Roses double album.

Weir cleaned it up in the studio the next year for his solo album “Ace.”

For those who are fans, the song is notable because in concert the middle section would invariably lead to long improvisational jam. This recording from April 22, 1977, at Philadelphia’s Spectrum is considered among the best. Or maybe not, I can’t tell. Deadheads like nothing better than arguing over stuff like that. But maybe now they can all agree it wouldn’t have been the Grateful Dead without Bobby Weir.