Day of the Dead (2016 album)

Day of the Dead is the twenty-fifth compilation release benefiting the Red Hot Organization, an international charity dedicated to raising funds and awareness for HIV and AIDS. Featuring fifty-nine exclusive recordings of covers of Grateful Dead songs by a number of independent artists as a tribute to the band, the compilation was released on May 20, 2016, as five CDs, a limited edition vinyl LP box set, and as a digital download. John Carlin, the founder of the Red Hot Organization, was the executive producer for the album. The members of The National first performed with Bob Weir at his Bay Area studio in 2012 as part of the Headcount benefit The Bridge Session. The group's budding friendship with the Dead cofounder pushed them to record the massive Dead tribute.

It is the second compilation album produced by Aaron and Bryce Dessner of The National for Red Hot Organization, following 2009's Dark Was the Night, which has raised over $1.5 million for the organizations fighting AIDS to date.

A Day of the Dead live performance took place at the second annual Eaux Claires Festival on August 12–13, 2016. The performers, who all appear on the record, included Jenny Lewis, Matthew Houck (Phosphorescent), Lucius, Will Oldham, Moses Sumney, Sam Amidon, Richard Reed Parry, Matt Berninger, Justin Vernon, Josh Kaufman, Bruce Hornsby, Ruban Nielson, Aaron and Bryce Dessner and The National.

CD sequence

 * Disc 1
 * 1) Touch of Grey
 * 2) Sugaree
 * 3) Candyman
 * 4) Dire Wolf
 * 5) New Speedway Boogie
 * 6) Friend of the Devil
 * 7) Black Muddy River
 * 8) Morning Dew
 * 9) Black Peter
 * 10) Loser
 * 11) To Lay Me Down


 * Disc 2
 * 1) Box of Rain
 * 2) Rubin and Cherise
 * 3) Me and My Uncle
 * 4) Cassidy
 * 5) Uncle John's Band
 * 6) Mountains of the Moon
 * 7) Dark Star - (Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends)
 * 8) Nightfall of Diamonds
 * 9) Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald
 * 10) Playing in the Band
 * 11) Brokedown Palace


 * Disc 3
 * 1) Peggy-O
 * 2) Garcia Counterpoint
 * 3) Terrapin Station (Suite)
 * 4) Clementine Jam
 * 5) China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
 * 6) Jack-A-Roe
 * 7) Easy Wind
 * 8) Wharf Rat
 * 9) Going Down The Road Feelin' Bad
 * 10) And We Bid You Goodnight


 * Disc 4
 * 1) Ripple
 * 2) Truckin'
 * 3) Dark Star - (The Flaming Lips)
 * 4) Stella Blue
 * 5) Shakedown Street
 * 6) Franklin's Tower
 * 7) Eyes of the World
 * 8) Help on the Way
 * 9) Estimated Prophet
 * 10) What's Become of the Baby
 * 11) King Solomon's Marbles
 * 12) If I Had the World to Give


 * Disc 5
 * 1) Standing on the Moon
 * 2) Ship of Fools
 * 3) Bird Song
 * 4) Brown-Eyed Women
 * 5) Here Comes Sunshine
 * 6) Cumberland Blues
 * 7) Drums -> Space
 * 8) Cream Puff War
 * 9) Rosemary
 * 10) High Time
 * 11) Till the Morning Comes
 * 12) Althea
 * 13) Attics of My Life
 * 14) St. Stephen (live)
 * 15) I Know You Rider (live)

LP sequence

 * 1) Touch of Grey
 * 2) Shakedown Street
 * 3) Loser
 * 4) Jack-A-Roe
 * 5) Peggy-O
 * 6) Bird Song
 * 7) Brown-Eyed Women
 * 8) Sugaree
 * 9) Help on the Way
 * 10) Franklin's Tower
 * 11) King Solomon's Marbles
 * 12) Box of Rain
 * 13) Friend of the Devil
 * 14) Wharf Rat
 * 15) Cassidy
 * 16) Candyman
 * 17) Clementine Jam
 * 18) Playing in the Band
 * 19) Eyes of the World
 * 20) Terrapin Station (Suite)
 * 21) Ship of Fools
 * 22) Estimated Prophet
 * 23) Morning Dew
 * 24) Me and My Uncle
 * 25) China Cat Sunflower -> I Know You Rider
 * 26) If I Had the World to Give
 * 27) Dark Star - (Cass McCombs, Joe Russo & Friends)
 * 28) Nightfall of Diamonds
 * 29) Dark Star - (The Flaming Lips)
 * 30) Rubin and Cherise
 * 31) Althea
 * 32) Mountains of the Moon
 * 33) Stella Blue
 * 34) Standing on the Moon
 * 35) To Lay Me Down
 * 36) Uncle John's Band
 * 37) High Time
 * 38) Dire Wolf
 * 39) New Speedway Boogie
 * 40) Cumberland Blues
 * 41) Black Peter
 * 42) Easy Wind
 * 43) Here Comes Sunshine
 * 44) Rosemary
 * 45) Drums -> Space
 * 46) Transitive Refraction Axis for John Oswald
 * 47) What's Become of the Baby
 * 48) Garcia Counterpoint
 * 49) Brokedown Palace
 * 50) Till the Morning Comes
 * 51) Attics of My Life
 * 52) Cream Puff War
 * 53) Truckin'
 * 54) Going Down The Road Feelin' Bad
 * 55) Black Muddy River
 * 56) Ripple
 * 57) And We Bid You Goodnight
 * 58) St. Stephen (live)
 * 59) I Know You Rider (live)

Personnel

 * Created and curated by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner
 * Produced by Aaron Dessner
 * Co-producer: Bryce Dessner, Josh Kaufman
 * Music direction: Josh Kaufman, Aaron Dessner
 * Co-curators: Scott Devendorf, Bryan Devendorf, Conrad Doucette
 * Project manager: Tom Wironen
 * Co-executive producer: Dawn Barger
 * Executive producer: John Carlin