Grateful Dead bassist Phil Lesh celebrates his 81st birthday today (March 15th). The song “Shakedown Street” was produced by Little Feat guitarist Lowell George, as was the album of the same name. . Well, sort of, explains Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart.
“That was sort of a joke. Lowell was certainly not a producer. He was a good guitar player-songwriter, really. He was just the only one that wanted to do it. Nobody wanted to produce the Grateful Dead, it’s an impossible thing. They knew it. It was a sure way to Palookaville. It’ll be the last job you’ll ever have. But ‘Shakedown Street’ was just what it was, y’know. It was just in that kind of a mode, a straight kind of rock and roll mode.”
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