Jerry Garcia’s personal acetate of side 1/side 2 of the Grateful Dead’s 1971 self-titled double album, better known as Skull and Roses.  This acetate was sold by Garcia’s widow, Deborah Koons Garcia, at a Bonhams auction of Garcia’s personal property.

Wikipedia notes the album, “Although published without a title, it is generally known by the names Skull and Roses (due to its iconic cover art) and Skull Fuck (the name the band originally wanted to give to the album, which was rejected by the record company.) It was the group’s first album to be certified gold by the RIAA and remained their best seller until surpassed by the [greatest hits album] Skeletons From the Closet.

As an acetate, this was cut directly from the album’s original master tapes, in this case at Artisan Sound Recorders, a legendary record mastering studio in Hollywood.  Queen guitarist Brian May told Record Collector Magazine ‘The acetate’s appeal is that it’s a snapshot in time.  When you’re cutting an acetate, you’ve got as far as your mix, and you’re testing to see if you’ve got it right… Why have I always kept them?  Well, of course, when you start off, you’re immensely excited and proud of what you’ve done, and you want to show your family and everyone…These are history, the minute they’re finished.’

The disc is in Excellent/VG++ condition, and sounds great; there are a few minor ticks here and there, but the fidelity is fantastic.  It is housed in the original Audiodisc sleeve.

This disc was originally sold as part of a lot that included five discs: three acetates and two test pressings.  We are only selling the side 1/side 2 acetate pictured here.

With a letter from Bonhams confirming the this was ‘formerly the property of Jerry Garcia’, a copy of the original Bonhams exhibition card and tag, and a copy of the catalog cover and relevant catalog page.  With Recordmecca’s written lifetime guarantee of authenticity

An extraordinary Jerry Garcia/Grateful Dead collectible, from the personal collection of the man himself.

Read Recordmecca owner Jeff Gold’s blog post on collecting artist-owned records here.