Grateful Dead Release ‘Angel’s Share’ of ‘American Beauty’ Demos
The Grateful Dead will mark the 50th anniversary of their American Beauty by releasing another “Angel’s Share,” a companion collection of never-before-heard demos, alternate mixes and outtakes from the LP, Number 215 on Rolling Stone‘s new list of the 500 Greatest Albums.
The October 15th arrival of American Beauty: The Angel’s Share follows the July 2020 release of Workingman’s Dead: The Angel’s Share which similarly excavated the band’s vaults from that 1970 album’s recording sessions. Both were released as a gift to fans separate from each album’s respective 50th-anniversary edition.
Ahead of the full 56-song digital release from American Beauty: The Angel’s Share, the Grateful Dead have shared 10 demos featuring the entirety of American Beauty — sans “Box of Rain” — in its early studio form, as well as a demo for “To Lay Me Down,” later included on Jerry Garcia’s first solo album Garcia. The 10 tracks were recorded in August 1970 at San Francisco’s Pacific High Recording Studio.
The rest of the collection is filled with alternate mixes of “Box of Rain,” “Candyman” and “Truckin’” along with about seven takes each of “Operator,” “Attics of My Life” and “Hand Me Down” (the original version of “Ripple”). However, the centerpiece of the latest “Angel’s Share” is 20 takes of the Dead classic “Friend of the Devil.”
The official Grateful Dead podcast also launched its second season Thursday with new episodes dedicated to American Beauty
American Beauty: The Angel’s Share Tracklist
1. “Friend Of The Devil” – Demo
2. “Sugar Magnolia” – Demo
3. “Candyman” – Demo
4. “To Lay Me Down” – Demo
5. “Truckin’” – Demo
6. “Hand Me Down” (“Ripple”) – Demo
7. “Brokedown Palace” – Demo
8. “Till the Morning Comes” – Demo
9. “Attics of My Life” – Demo
10. “Operator” – Demo
11. “Box of Rain” – Acoustic Mix
12. “Candyman” – Alternate Take
13. “Truckin’” – Alternate Mix
14. “Operator” (Take 1) [Slated]
15. “Operator” (Take 2 Breakdown) [Slated]
16. “Operator” (Take 3) [Slated]
17. “Operator” (Take 4 Breakdown) [Slated]
18. “Operator” (Take 5) [Misnamed As Take 6] [Slated]
19. “Operator” (Take 6 Breakdown) [Slated]
20. “Operator” (Take 7 Breakdown) [Slated]
21. “Operator” (Take 8) [Slated]
22. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 1 Breakdown) [Slated]
23. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 2 Breakdown) [Slated]
24. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 3 Breakdown) [Slated]
25. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 4 Breakdown) [Slated]
26. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 5) [Slated]
27. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 6) [Slated]
28. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 7) [Slated]
29. “Friend of the Devil” (Arranging Take 1) [Not Slated]
30. “Friend of the Devil” (Arranging Take 2) [Not Slated]
31. “Friend of the Devil” (Arranging Take 3) [Not Slated]
32. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 9 Breakdown) [Slated]
33. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 10 Breakdown) [Slated]
34. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 11) [Slated]
35. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 12 Breakdown) [Slated]
36. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 13) [Not Slated]
37. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 14 Breakdown) [Slated]
38. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 15) [Slated]
39. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 16) [Slated]
40. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 17) [Slated]
41. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 18) [Slated]
42. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 19) [Not Slated]
43. “Friend of the Devil” (Take 20) [Slated]
44. “Attics of My Life” (Take 1) [Slated]
45. “Attics of My Life” (Take 2 Breakdown) [Slated]
46. “Attics of My Life” (Take 3 Breakdown) [Slated]
47. “Attics of My Life” (Take 4 Breakdown) [Slated]
48. “Attics of My Life” (Take 5) [Slated]
49. “Attics of My Life” (Solo Version)
50. “Hand Me Down” (aka “Ripple”) [Take 1 Breakdown] [Slated]
51. “Hand Me Down” (aka “Ripple”) [Take 2 With Vocals] [Slated]
52. “Hand Me Down” (aka “Ripple”) [Take 3] [Slated]
53. “Hand Me Down” (aka “Ripple”) [Take 4] [Slated]
54. “Hand Me Down” (aka “Ripple”) [Take 5 Breakdown] [Slated]
55. “Hand Me Down” (aka “Ripple”) [Take 6 Breakdown] [Slated]
56. “Hand Me Down” (aka “Ripple”) [Take 7] [Slated]
