Bertha - Grateful Dead - MP3 instrumental karaoke

Grateful Dead cracked open their 1971 self-titled live album (known as Skull & Roses, whose cover art inspired the band's iconic skeleton logo) with "Bertha," a freewheeling and existential character sketch, of sorts, captured here live on 27 April 1971 at the Fillmore East in New York City. Written by Grateful Dead lyricist Robert Hunter with music by Jerry Garcia, the song is driven by organ from Jerry Garcia's pal Merl Saunders and finds the band in rootsy folk mode. "Bertha" is one of the original Grateful Dead compositions on Skull & Roses (initially called Skull Fuck by the band before their record label turned it down) which is also littered with cover songs, from the outlaw country of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried" to rock 'n' by way of Chuck Berry’s "Johnny B. Goode." In 2021, the record was reissued with remastered audio from the original tapes and bonus live material to celebrate its 50th anniversary.