Terrapin Station~Robert Hunter

I had to cut 55 seconds off the end of the song to fit it to youtube : ( Damn!

Robert Hunter's introduction to Terrapin from his book "Box Of Rain," February 28 1990:
"I wrote Terrapin, Part One, at a single sitting in an unfirnished house with a picture window overlooking San Francisco Bay during a flamboyant lightning storm. I typed the first thing that came into my mind at the top of the page, the title Terrapin Station.

Not knowing what it was to be about, I began my writing with an invocation to the muse and kept typing as the story began to unfold.

On the same day, driving into the city, Garcia was struck by a singular inspiration. He turned his car around and hurried home to set down some music that popped into his head, demanding immediate attention.

When we met the next day, I showed him the words and he said "I've got the music." They dovetailed perfectly and Terrapin edged into this dimension.

Part One was for free. A good deal of Part Two, the essential idea, was contained in the first writing, but was too irregular to be easily set. I went through many approaches and versions over the years, having lost the original typescript, attempting to recapture the initial spark and place it in a lyrics contect.

"Jack O'Roses" and "Ivory Wheels/Rosewood Track" are examples of subsequent attempts to complete the cycle. They are included here as part of the suite since they do have pieces of the resolution within them, but they did not really satisfy the initial inspiration. I've omitted or changed a few lines from "Ivory Wheels/Rosewood Track," as I originally recorded it, feeling that they do not serve the rest of the work well.

Several years ago, I discovered the original typescript of Terrapin Station in one of the "files" of miscellaneous papers scooped off my desk and stashed away in trunks, at the completion of an album, to make way for new material. It is incorporated into this version, which I offer as reasonably complete"
For more of the Terrapin songs not included in this video or for more of Hunter's description of Terrapin see his book Box of Rain or check out this site:
http://www.whitegum.com/introjs.htm?/songfile/TERRSUIT.HTM.
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[PhotoCher]

wonderful images to go with this great jackoroses song. Ty.

[realvsmith]

@PhotoCher Thank you for the comment.

[russuk34]

More, more more and some more please xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

[realvsmith]

@russuk34 Thanks for the comment darlin'

[24kGoldenRocket]

Thank you for this. I needed to hear this story. It is the right time.

[realvsmith]

@24kGoldenRocket :)

[alewish3]

Hunters inspiration moves me brightly. Love these masterful works . I fancy those '78 live versions with Larry Klein on bass and the Lady of Carlisle intro.

[edgluhrs]

@realvsmith Found it! Excellent... thanks.

[daeusto]

I understand that the masters of "Jack O' Roses" was lost. I still have the album and it remains a very favorite.

This is a masterpiece, at least to me.

[daeusto]

I love this ...