The Grateful Dead’s Martin Scorsese-Produced Doc ‘Long Strange Trip’ Headed to DVD
The Grateful Dead‘s Long Strange Trip, a 2017 documentary about the pioneering jam band, will be released in various physical formats on November 9th. The four-hour, Martin Scorsese-produced film will be available on Blu-Ray, double-DVD and a “Deluxe Edition” that boasts a previously unreleased six-song live concert filmed May 24th, 1970 at England’s Hollywood Festival. The deluxe version is available exclusively at the Grateful Dead website.
All editions of Long Strange Trip: The Untold Story of the Grateful Dead will include the original documentary in stereo and a new 5.1 surround mix, along with a commentary from director Amir Bar-Lev and editor John Walter. The deluxe version will also include two live performances from 1989 (“Dear Mr. Fantasy” and “Death Don’t Have No Mercy”), snippets of which were used in the film.
Grateful Dead archivist David Lemieux spoke about the previously unseen footage, including backstage video from the Dead’s first visit to the U.K., in a statement about the project.
“Around 2003, while winding through the 16mm film outtakes for The Grateful Dead Movie in preparation for its DVD release, I came across a couple of unlabeled cans of 16mm film,” he said. “I loaded the first reel onto the Steenbeck film viewing/editing table and was amazed by what I saw. Not only rare, exceptional quality material from the performance at the Hollywood Festival, but loads of other terrific footage, showing the band at a Warner Bros. Records party in London (Pigpen surrounded by suits!), at a photo shoot (‘that’s one uncooperative bunch of musicians!’), at a rehearsal hall performing ‘Candyman’ vocal harmonies and, most exciting of all, backstage at the festival. This is truly some of the most remarkable, candid, and interesting footage in existence of the Grateful Dead and we’re thrilled to be releasing the entirety of this wonderful historical document.”
The Grammy-nominated Long Strange Trip – which Rolling Stone named one of 2017’s 10 Best Documentaries – chronicles the band’s formation, musical prowess and darker side, utilizing previously unseen live footage, vintage interviews and newly filmed conversations with surviving band members Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart and Bill Kreutzmann.