Great North Special – Details, episodes & analysis

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Podcast Great North Special

Great North Special

Billy Sunday

Music
Music

Frequency: 1 episode/14d. Total Eps: 22

Hosting podcast Libsyn
Take a trip from Canada to the Cosmos as host Billy Sunday explores music by the Grateful Dead and their spiritual companions.
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Score global : 53%


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015: Dealer's Choice

mercredi 19 novembre 2025Duration 57:07

Young Amp is back and I'm strapped with the soundtrack to the vamp for liberty. Btw, did you know that Dr. Jacoby spent 1994-1995 on tour with the Dead as a "senior spiritual adviser"? Follow @greatnorthspecial for more on this and other developments.

Grateful Dead unless noted

[Set 1]

  • 01:41 Feel Like a Stranger, 3/22/90
  • 09:04 Must Have Been the Roses, 3/22/90
  • 15:08 Peggy-O, 9/3/77

[Set 2] Cindy Lee

  • 24:24 Baby Blue
  • 28:20 Dreams of You
  • 31:02 All I Want is You

[Encore] Hamilton, ON 3/21/1990

  • 34:50 New Minglewood Blues
  • 42:03 Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo
  • 50:04 Loose Lucy

Upcoming Shows in Toronto:

  • 11/19: Trombone Shorty @ Massey Hall
  • 11/28: Cherry Garcia Band @ Painted Lady

 

 

014: The Power of Friendship

mercredi 5 novembre 2025Duration 58:00

Ernie Clement was born in Rochester, NY on March 22, 1996. Exactly nine months earlier, the Vince Welnick-era Grateful Dead performed in Albany, NY. Connect the dots, people. While you're at it, donate to Met Radio @ funddrive.ca. And send me your song requests @greatnorthspecial

Grateful Dead unless noted

[Set 1]

  • 02:31 Loser, 3/24/90
  • 09:40 Death Don't Have No Mercy, 9/29/89
  • 16:12 Foolish Heart, 10/8/89

[Set 2] Geese, Toronto, ON

  • 24:37 Islands of Men
  • 31:02 Taxes
  • 34:28 100 Horses
  • 37:38 Cowboy Nudes

[Encore] Albany, NY 3/24/90

  • 41:34 Stella Blue ->
  • 50:13 Not Fade Away
  • 55:18 And We Bid You Goodnight

Upcoming Shows in Toronto:

  • 11/7: Mark T Band @ Noonan's
  • 11/9: Met Radio Fund Drive Party @ Wenona
  • 11/15: Beggar's Waltz @ Gull & Firkin

006: Year 0 GD

mercredi 25 juin 2025Duration 58:01

We're going back to where it all began: Year 0 GD. Also 10 GD because quite frankly there isn't enough from either year to fill an hour. 

This is Part 1 in a series leading up to the GD60 shows. Follow @greatnorthspecial for more. 

Grateful Dead unless noted:

Set 1:

  • Mindbender (Confusion's Prince)
  • Can't Come Down
  • The Only Time Is Now

Set 2:

Encore, 3/23/75:

  • Blues for Allah >
  • King Solomon's Marbles (Stronger Than Dirt or Milkin' the Turkey) >
  • Drums >
  • King Solomon's Marbles (Stronger Than Dirt or Milkin' the Turkey) >
  • Blues for Allah >
  • Johnny B. Goode

Upcoming Dead stuff in Toronto:

  • 6/27Mark T Band @ Drums N Flats
  • 7/26: Cherry Garcia Band @ Toronto Island Marina
  • And follow @nognuisagoodgnu on YouTube for Jerry Church every Sunday and an incredible archive of Dead, Jerry, Toronto shows and more.

005: Me & My Nephew

mercredi 11 juin 2025Duration 57:40

Saddle up, because today I've got songs for my new nephew, and you're gonna like 'em too.

Follow @greatnorthspecial and send me your song requests, as a voice memo if you want it played on air.

Grateful Dead unless noted:

Set 1:

  • Me & My Uncle, Ratdog, 5/9/02
  • Mama Tried, Rose Pedal Band
  • Here Comes Sunshine 12/19/73

Set 2:

Encore:

  • Help > Slip! > Franklin's wsg Branford Marsalis 9/10/91*

Upcoming Dead stuff in Toronto:

  • 6/14Pounds of Sin @ Monarch Tavern
  • 6/27Mark T Band @ Drums N Flats
  • 7/26: Cherry Garcia Band @ Toronto Island Marina

*please forgive me if I said the wrong date on air :(

004: Happy May 1977 to All Who Celebrate

mercredi 28 mai 2025Duration 58:01

Get ready, because today we're exploring the Dead's tour in May 1977 beyond the walls of Barton Hall. We also have new Canadian tracks sung in three different languages. 

Follow @greatnorthspecial and send me your song requests, as a voice memo if you want it played on air.

Grateful Dead unless noted:

Set 1:

Set 2:

  • St. Stephen 5/15/77
  • Iko Iko 5/15/77
  • Not Fade Away 5/15/77
  • Brown Eyed Women 5/26/77

Encore:

Upcoming Dead stuff in Toronto:

  • 5/31: Caution Jam @ Grossman's Tavern
  • 6/6: Beggar's Waltz @ Drums N Flats
  • 6/7: Mark T Band @ Noonan's
  • 6/7: Dead Disco with DJ Stew @ Low Bar 
  • 6/14: Pounds of Sin @ Monarch Tavern
  • 7/26: Cherry Garcia Band @ Toronto Island Marina

003: A Nip to the Air

lundi 12 mai 2025Duration 57:18

See what I did there? This week we're serving up spring-time Dead classics and three flavors of Bob Dylan. 

Follow @greatnorthspecial, where I'm taking requests for an upcoming episode. More info will posted there.

Grateful Dead unless noted:

Set 1:

Set 2:

  • Bertha 4/23/77
  • Althea 3/20/92
  • Playin in the Band 4/16/72

Upcoming Dead stuff in Toronto:

  • 6/6: Beggar's Waltz @ Drums N Flats
  • 6/7: Mark T Band @ Noonan's
  • 6/7: Dead Disco with DJ Stew @ Low Bar 
  • 6/14: Pounds of Sin @ Monarch Tavern
  • 7/26: Cherry Garcia Band @ Toronto Island Marina

Links:

002: A Chill to the Winter

lundi 28 avril 2025Duration 58:00

This week we have wintertime Dead, Jack White playing Neil Young, and lots of other good music you'll want to hear, so stop reading and press play. Then come back to read some more. 

Greatful Dead unless noted:

Set 1:

  • Terrapin Station 2/26/77
  • Rockin' in the Free World, Jack White
  • Cold Rain and Snow 2/3/78

Set 2:

  • Love Takes Miles, Cameron Winter
  • When the Deal Goes Down, Luka Kuplowsky + Holy Oak Family Singers
  • Row Jimmy 1/22/78

Set 3: 

  • Scarlet Begonias, Pounds of Sin
  • Music Never Stopped 1/22/78
  • Close Encounters Jam 1/22/78

Links:

Thanks for listening I'll get the podcast schedule locked in here soon.

Follow me @greatnorthspecial where I swear I'll start posting good stuff any day now.

By the way, if you're still reading thisI first of all, thank you, second of all, why?, third of all, if the audio mix on any of the songs or spoken parts sounds weird to you, please let me know. If it sounds great I guess you can let me know that too.

 

001: Festival Express

Season 1 · Episode 1

jeudi 17 avril 2025Duration 57:58

Today is all about the Festival Express, a tour that took the Dead, the Band, Janis Joplin, and others across Canada by train in 1970. We're playing classic performances and hard-to-find jams from this legendary run of shows.

Follow @greatnorthspecial on Instagram to see photos and posters from the tour.

Set 1:

  • Uncle John's Band
  • Hard to Handle 

Set 2: 

  • The Band - The Weight
  • Buddy Guy - Money
  • Janis Joplin - Cry Baby

Set 3: 

  • Rick, Janis, Jerry, Bob - Ain't No More Cane
  • Delaney, Jerry, Leslie - Blue Yodel #1 
  • Ian, Sylvia, Jerry - CC Rider

Encore: 

  • New Speedway Boogie
  • China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider

013: Let's! Play! Ball!

mercredi 22 octobre 2025Duration 53:40

Who's got my Game 1 miracle? Heady jams for your extra. Follow @greatnorthspecial if you want to know Ernie Clement's top 3 Altheas.

Grateful Dead unless noted

[Set 1]

  • 01:52 Helpless, Jeff Tweedy
  • 06:03 Cats Under the Stars, Grateful Shred
  • 14:23 Passenger, Grateful Shred

[Set 2] San Francisco, CA 10/21/78

  • 19:34 Estimated Prophet ->
  • 34:16 He's Gone
  • 41:54 I Need a Miracle
  • 48:51 The Promised Land

[Encore]

  • 53:28 Home Run Call, George Springer f/ Dan Shulman

Upcoming Shows in Toronto:

  • 10/25: Grateful Shred @ Mod Club
  • 10/25: Caution Jam @ Grossman's Tavern
  • 10/30: Drop Dead Poppies @ Monarch Tavern
  • 11/1: Special Delivery @ Low Bar

012: There's Only One Step Left

mercredi 8 octobre 2025Duration 58:01

... the clues. Yeah, it's clue time. We're playing Grateful Dead trivia to prep for next week's Pounds of Sin show. This one is loaded with tasty tunes, hot hints, and a ridiculous review. Oh yeah, do you have an extra ticket for Geese?  DM me @greatnorthspecial with the good news.

Grateful Dead unless noted, answers to the mystery songs down below.

[Set 1] Hartford, CT 10/15/83

  • Dire Wolf
  • Mystery Song #1 

[Set 2] Toronto, ON 11/2/77

  • Mystery Song #2
  • Looks Like Rain

[Set 3] Boston, MA 6/28/74

  • Big River
  • Mystery Song #3

[Encore] Pounds of Sin

  • Cassidy
  • Black Throated Wind
  • Second That Emotion

Upcoming Dead stuff in Toronto:

  • 10/18: Pounds of Sin @ Monarch Tavern GRAB TIX!
  • 10/25: Grateful Shred @ Mod Club
  • 10/31: Beggars Waltz @ Gull & Firkin

 

!MYSTERY TRACK SPOILERS!

  1. Big Railroad Blues
  2. Candyman
  3. To Lay Me Down

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