"Touch of Grey" Grateful Dead History: How One Hit Changed Everything
- Eric Senich
- 5 days ago
- 1 min read
In 1987, “Touch of Grey” gave the Grateful Dead their first—and only—Top 10 single, introducing the band to a massive new audience through radio and MTV. In this episode of Booked On Rock, author John Brackett discusses his new book, Touch of Grey, or How the Grateful Dead Became Pop Stars. He traces the song from Robert Hunter’s original lyrics and its early live performances to Jerry Garcia’s recovery from a diabetic coma, the recording of In the Dark, and the promotional campaign that made the summer of 1987 a turning point in "Touch of Grey" Grateful Dead history.
Brackett also explores the complicated consequences of that breakthrough. The song brought the Dead greater financial security and helped preserve their enormous archive of live recordings, but the influx of new fans also transformed the concert scene and created new problems for the band. Watch the video interview or listen to the audio episode to discover how one unlikely pop hit changed the Grateful Dead’s future—and helped ensure that their music and cultural legacy would not fade away.
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"Touch Of Grey" Studio Version
"Touch Of Grey" Official Video
