The “Dreams to End All Dreams”
9/19/71 SUNY Stony Brook
Welcome back to Long Live the ABB. Glad to have you here. Today’s post is brought to you by the Student Activities Board of SUNY-Stony Brook, who booked the Allman Brothers Band for 3 appearances in 1970 and one in 1971.1
1. SUNY Stony Brook and the ABB
EPIC “Dreams” from the Allman Brothers Band’s final performance at what is now Stony Brook University.
2. New at Long Live the ABB
📑WORDS: 4 new posts
📺 VIDEO: LLtABB In Conversation: Episode 3: David Goldflies
🎶 SOUND: “Dreams” 7/9/70 SUNY Stony Brook
🎥 DIGITAL SHORTS
3. Lagniappes
9/16/71 Warehouse
1/16/82 Gainesville
The Reverend Brother Warren Haynes
1. SUNY Stony Brook & the ABB
On September 19, 1971, the Allman Brothers made their final appearance at SUNY Stony Brook. They had been the campus’s unofficial house band since their initial appearance April 28, 1970 opening for Chicago. Per usual, the ABB “stole the show.”2 They performed three more dates in 1970: June 93 & 10 and October 23.
Gary Wishik called the September 19 show “a smashing return engagement. Whether their fifth or sixth time back doesn't matter. What matters is that they are returning as superstars” due to the success of At Fillmore East.
“Now, with their live album high on the Billboard charts and with the group in constant demand all over the country, they are flying into New York from Ohio just to do this show.”4
From the stage that night, Duane acknowledged the bond. “We enjoyed it last year, we enjoy it this year, and we'll enjoy it next year I'm sure.”5
This entire set is really, really good. It’s almost 2 hours long and has the typical 1971 set with two MAJOR additions:
1. Blue Sky
2. Dreams
The group had played Blue Sky 3 days earlier at the Warehouse in New Orleans6, a version that’s about half the length of this gem from Stony Brook. Duane and Dickey play gorgeous solos that give a hint to the ways the band could’ve extended the song, while the band comps beautifully underneath them.
And Berry’s bassline…my lord!
BLUE SKY 9/19/71
SPOTIFY
YOUTUBE
Then there’s the “Dreams to End All Dreams” (more)7
There are too-few “Dreams” from 1971. The song had fallen out of rotation while the band played a tight setlist that focused on the songs from At Fillmore East. (See “About those 1971 Setlists.”)
This one’s 19-minutes of transcendent Allman Brothers Band jamming, at times reminiscent of “Mountain Jam” in improvisational conversation.
DREAMS 9/19/71
SPOTIFY
YOUTUBE
Enjoy!
2. New from 8
📑WORDS: Posts
📺 VIDEO Long Live the ABB in Conversation
Episode 3: David Goldflies9
I’ve been teasing Episode 3 of Long Live the ABB in Conversation for a few months
Episode 3 features David Goldflies, Allman Brothers Band bassist from 1979-1982. In part 1 of our 3-part interview, David and I discuss how he came to join up with Dickey in 1977 and how an impromptu appearance in 1978 led to the Allman Brothers Band's 1979 reunion.
🎶 SOUND “Dreams”
7/9/70 SUNY Stony Brook
Every Dreams with Duane is special,10 and this version, in front of less than 100 people, is no exception. Here's backstory from James Moyssiadis, aka Moyssi, on why we have so many quality recordings from SUNY Stonybrook:
“It was a Thursday night with just ABB in 1970, followed by them opening for two shows with Mountain on Friday [NB: 7/10/70]. ABB did Stormy Monday, which Mountain also did as the headliner. After the early show, Leslie West wisely asked if he could open for ABB on the late show. What a friggin' wonderful show that turned out to be!11
Many, most, maybe all of those shows were recorded with permission on an Ampex 300 or 301 from the sound mixer. Seth Dworkin was the mixer—a brainiac who went on to win a Grammy with the Grateful Dead and direct satellite operations for Wall Street Journal—kept all the original recordings (made on Scotch professional 1/4" tape supplied by me).”12
🎥DIGITAL SHORTS
Long Live the ABB provides me with the means to share the wealth of material I’ve collected over the years. Turns out, a lot of y’all dig it, too.13
Lately I’ve been trying something new: digital shorts. My basic idea is to take an ABB quote, a photograph, a 15-second snippet of music,14 along with a shroom gif and a link here to the blog or Youtube.
Here’s an example
"Listen with your eyes closed"
This is a Bob Johnson photo from Duane’s last Macon show, 4/9/71.15 Notice Thom “Ace” Doucette on harmonica between Duane and Gregg. I chose “Don’t Keep Me Wonderin’” from the Fillmore East sessions because that track features Ace.16 (Something tells me some of y’all appreciate these little details as much as I.)
To get more bang for my creative efforts, I put a few together into a one-minute montage. This one features Duane, Gregg, Butch, and Jaimoe talking about the Allman Brothers Band.
I’m sure you’ll make your own connections between the images, quotes, and music.
Lagniappe
Warehouse 9/16/71
This week is also when Shroom Nation celebrates Warehouse 9/16/71 Day—my favorite full show from 1971. Like 9/19/71, it has “Blue Sky.” It’s also got “Hot ‘Lanta,” a partial “Whipping Post” (due to a tape flip), and one of the best versions of “Mountain Jam” this side of the Eat a Peach version recorded for At Fillmore East.17
Gainesville Bandshell 1/16/82
Speaking of David Goldflies, here he is in action. The Allman Brothers Band played a benefit show in my hometown (Stuart, Florida) a week earlier.18
The band broke up by the end of the month. (Or did they?)
The Reverend Brother Warren Haynes
I’ve featured Warren in a couple shorts recently. This one speaks to how respectful Warren is of the legacy he is a part of. It’s one of my favorite things about Warren:
Warren Haynes on playing Duane’s guitar
Warren & Stefani Haynes: Up Close, at Home in Bedford from Bedford New Canaan Magazine.
Thanks for being here y’all.
Let me know your thoughts in the comments after you’ve digested that 9/19/71 “Dreams” a few times.
It’s impossible to overstate how important these campus organizations were to the rock scene of the late 1960s and early 1970s. For more on Stony Brook’s student activities board, see “Stony Brook Forever.”
Gary Wishik, “S.B. ‘House’ Band Rivaled by Live Album,” Statesman 9/17/71.
ICYMI, here’s “Dreams” from 7/9/70
Gary Wishik, “Sweet Wine,” Statesman 9/14/71.
Duane died about 6 weeks later. The band didn’t play Stony Brook again until 1980.
9/16/71 is my favorite bootleg show of 1971.
I’ve posted all of this on my Youtube channel: www.youtube.com/@longlivetheabb
Link here in case you overlooked it above:
Wrote a bit about this here: “Where’s Dreams?”
That show was among the first I ever acquired as a fan. It was long mislabeled 7/26/70 but is now confirmed as 7/10/70.
See www.moyssi.com.
Deep down, I knew this, but the validation I have received has been pretty awesome.
Right now I’m creating these in Instagram and 15-seconds is their max. I’m purposely limiting myself to that (for now) so as not to overwhelm with possibilities.
Bob’s photo of Duane is on the cover of Play All Night!
It’s also readily available on Instagram, which is where all of this work begins.
The 9/19/71 release ends with “In Memory of Elizabeth Reed,” not “Whipping Post.” This could mean they didn’t play WP or it wasn’t recorded. It could also mean the master tape was too damaged to clean up for release.
Really proud of this post on that benefit show.
as memory serves me, the 7/9/70 Mountain Jam at Stoneybrook was one of the best.