In January we told you the Grateful Dead was launching a month long call for videos of fans covering their favorite Dead song. Throughout February fans uploaded their videos tagged with Dead Covers Project to YouTube. During March Dead.net will spotlight five artists and find out what made them connect with the Dead in exclusive Dead Covers Project Profiles. The official covers contest appears to be the first in what is to become an annual event.
The top five videos listed were ranked based on Likes on the Dead Covers Project YouTube channel. From Yorkville, IL the progressive, old-time, folkers The Giving Tree Band lay down an exceptional version of “Brown Eyed Women” filled with slide guitar, banjo and violin. New on the jamband scene, but featuring a few vets, SoCal’s Saturn Returns does a rich, bluesy cover of “Good Morning Little School Girl”. Former lead singer of the reggae group Jah Roots and founder of GanJah Records Josh Heinrichs does a skanking acoustic version of “They Love Each Other”. Chicago rocker Packy Lundholm, vocalist and lead guitarist of I Fight Dragons, plays all the instruments and opts for a very faithful rendition of “Bertha”. From San Francisco, Haight and Ashbury buskers Jugtown Pirates pick a cover of the traditional song “I Know You Rider”.
The Giving Tree Band – Brown Eyed Women (Grateful Dead cover)
Saturn Returns – Good Morning Little School Girl (Sonny Boy Williamson cover)
Josh Heinrichs – They Love Each Other (Grateful Dead cover)
Packy Lundholm – Bertha (Grateful Dead cover)
Jugtown Pirates – I Know You Rider (Traditional cover)
For more on the Dead Covers Project visit Dead.net
