Heaven Help the Fool

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Heaven Help The Fool was the second solo album by Grateful Dead rhythm guitarist Bob Weir, released in 1978. It was recorded during an enforced vacation in the summer of 1977, when Grateful Dead drummer Mickey Hart was injured in a car crash. Weir recruited some well-known studio musicians for the project including Toto members David Paich and Mike Porcaro.

Track listing

1. "Bombs Away" (John Perry Barlow, Bob Weir) – 5:06
2. "Easy to Slip" (Lowell George, Martin Kibbee) – 3:05
3. "Salt Lake City" (Barlow, Weir) – 4:04
4. "Shade of Grey" (Barlow, Weir) – 4:30
5. "Heaven Help the Fool" (Barlow, Weir) – 5:30
6. "This Time Forever" (Barlow, Weir) – 4:09
7. "I'll Be Doggone" (Warren Moore, Smokey Robinson, Marv Tarplin) – 3:07
8. "Wrong Way Feelin'" (Barlow, Weir) – 5:12

Credits

Personnel

• Bob Weir – rhythm guitar, vocals
• Mike Baird – drums on tracks 1, 3-6 & 8
• Bill Champlin – background vocals on tracks 1 & 3-8, keyboards on tracks 2 & 7, organ on tracks 3 & 8
• David Foster – keyboards on tracks 1-8
• Lynette Gloud – background vocals on tracks 5-8
• Tom Kelly – background vocals on tracks 1-6 & 8
• Dee Murray – bass guitar on track 2
• Nigel Olsson – drums on tracks 2 & 7
• David Paich – keyboards on tracks 1, 3-6 & 8
• Mike Porcaro – bass guitar on tracks 1 & 3-8
• Peggy Sandvig – keyboards on track 4
• Tom Scott – saxophones on tracks 1, 3 & 5
• Carmen Twilley – background vocals on tracks 5-8
• Waddy Wachtel – lead guitar on tracks 2-3 & 7

Production

• Producer – Keith Olsen
• Engineers – David de Vore and Keith Olsen
• Art direction – Ria Lewerke
• Photography – Richard Avedon

Trivia

The title track of the album was played at 17 Grateful Dead concerts, all in 1980 (A year in Grateful Dead history famous for its acoustic sets ). The performances were at concerts at the Warfield Theatre in San Francisco (9 performances), Twice at the Saênger Performing Arts Center in New Orleans, and 6 times at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City. Since the vocal personnel who recorded Heaven Help the Fool in the studio weren't present in the Grateful Dead's touring company, the Dead instead opted to perform Heaven Help the Fool as a jazz instrumental song, without the Bob Weir lead vocal which you hear on the album.

"Salt Lake City" was played at one Grateful Dead concert, in Salt Lake City, at the Delta Center on February 21, 1995.