[Frenchdead]

after the run in egypt the band has been annouced in london for some shows

posters for the shows have been sold at an auction

nothing about that in the mcnally book
in the family album , it said that stage equipement came from london thhat 's all
some elements had been give by pete townsend , Who fans said this on forums , they recognized elements on the video of the show

anyone got informations , why this shows have been cancelled ?

[jeffm725]

I believe the shows were cancelled because they were behind on finishing Shakedown Street and had to get back to the States for that.

[tigerstrat]

There was supposed to be a 3-week tour of Europe after Egypt- Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, France, England, Scotland- but the whole thing was cancelled. My best guess is because of Billy's broken hand. You wouldn't cancel the Pyramids, but you WOULD cancel everything and anything else, short of the Great Wall!

[jeffm725]

Billys broken hand certainly could have been a factor, but I did read somewhere that the Shakedown street deadlines were the main issue. Just wish I could remember where.

Since touring dollars were the Deads main source of income at that time, and they just spent huge dollars going to Egypt (even though they did not know at the time that they wouldn't be able to release the Egypt tapes to recoup the investment), you would think they would keep any income coming in via keeping the Europe dates.
I believe Arista was really pressing them to get the album done, and iirc they were running back and forth to NYC in between dates on the November east coast run to finish it.

I am trying to rack my brain for the source of that information, it is out there though, I am sure of it.

Who knows, (just wild speculation) Jerry's Persian habit could also have been a factor in not wanting to be in Europe for any period of time after Egypt too. They had to bring over thousands of Percs and assorted Painkillers just to get him through the Egypt shows.

[Frenchdead]

again there is different versions of the bill broken arm ,

horse accident in egypt
basket accident in summer 78 according to mc nally book

[Rusty the Scoob]

I've always heard he fell off a camel in Egypt.

It seems funny that Arista would force them to cancel touring to finish an album... it's not like they were making anybody rich with their recording career. But who ever knew record companies to be logical....

[jeffm725]

I've always heard he fell off a camel in Egypt.

It seems funny that Arista would force them to cancel touring to finish an album.....

I dont know if they literally "forced" cancellation, but the deadline pressure was sure there.

it's not like they were making anybody rich with their recording career. But who ever knew record companies to be logical....

in hindsight that would prove to be the case, but back in the late 1970's, Arista's (and specifically Clive Davis's) belief was that the Dead had a hit record in them. Hence the 3 album run from Terrapin/Shakedown/Go To Heaven in which 3 outside producers (2 of them known hitmakers: Keith Olsen and Gary Lyons; and then Lowell George on Shakedown who was a compromise).

and you know what? after all those years and false starts, it must have been huge vindication for Clive and Arista when In the Dark shot up the charts!

[strumminsix]

We used to play for silver, now we play for Clive

[jeffm725]

We used to play for silver, now we play for Clive

Nassau Coliseum 79 I think,......... but could have been another one........Bobby said exactly that during Jack Straw, although some swear he said "We use to play for acid, now we play for Clive" ........need to dig that one up......archive hear I come.........

[jeffm725]

yup it is "Silver"

11/1/79 Nassau Coliseum jack Straw

[Rusty the Scoob]

I've always heard he fell off a camel in Egypt.

It seems funny that Arista would force them to cancel touring to finish an album.....

I dont know if they literally "forced" cancellation, but the deadline pressure was sure there.

it's not like they were making anybody rich with their recording career. But who ever knew record companies to be logical....

in hindsight that would prove to be the case, but back in the late 1970's, Arista's (and specifically Clive Davis's) belief was that the Dead had a hit record in them. Hence the 3 album run from Terrapin/Shakedown/Go To Heaven in which 3 outside producers (2 of them known hitmakers: Keith Olsen and Gary Lyons; and then Lowell George on Shakedown who was a compromise).

and you know what? after all those years and false starts, it must have been huge vindication for Clive and Arista when In the Dark shot up the charts!

Yeah, good point. Those albums all have that strong-outside-producer feel to them. And nobody really understood yet that a band could make money by touring, to them touring was just a way to support an album.

[astroman99]

Billy's hand was broken before he left, when they played 9-2-78, it was broken,--meadowlands #1