Robert Hunter Archival Series Launches With 50th Anniversary ‘Tales Of The Great Rum Runners’ Reissue

Robert Hunter’s 1974 debut solo album, Tales of the Great Rum Runners, has received the deluxe edition treatment — including 16 previously unreleased tracks — to launch a new archival series from Rhino Records. Due out on June 7 in double LP, 2-CD and digital formats, Tales Of The Great Rum Runners (Deluxe Edition) is previewed with a newly remastered version of album track “Standing At Your Door.”

Celebrating the LP’s 50th anniversary, Tales Of The Great Rum Runners originally arrived in spring 1974 on Grateful Dead Records offshoot, Round Records. Hunter — best known as the Grateful Dead‘s lyricist — recorded Tales Of The Great Rum Runners at GD drummer Mickey Hart’s converted barn studio in Novato, California. The record contains contributions from Dead members including Hart, Jerry Garcia, Keith Godchaux and Donna Jean Godchaux.

Also performing on the LP are guitarist Barry Melton (Country Joe & The Fish), bassist David Freiberg (Quicksilver Messenger Service/Jefferson Starship), pedal steel guitarist Buddy Cage (The New Riders Of The Purple Sage) and more.

Tales Of The Great Rum Runners (Deluxe Edition) boasts 16 unreleased tracks including alternate versions of six songs that are on the original album, among them “Keys To The Rain” and “It Must Have Been The Roses.” The deluxe edition also contains 10 previously unreleased tracks that didn’t make the record including “The Word,” “Buck Dancer’s Choice” and “Elijah.”

Jesse Jarnow (author, DJ and co-host of the Good Ol’ Grateful Deadcast) described Tales Of The Great Rum Runners in the deluxe edition’s liner notes:

“The music was as warm and handmade as the tapestries and tie-dyes adorning the Barn studio walls, an idiosyncratic continuation of the cosmic folk vocabulary that Hunter and Dead explored on Workingman’s Dead and American Beauty. In an era when the Dead’s own studio albums were growing slicker, Rum Runners doubled down on organic earthiness.”

Preview Tales Of The Great Rum Runners (Deluxe Edition) with the remastered version of “Standing At Your Door” below:

Tales Of The Great Rum Runners (Deluxe Edition) Tracklist:

Disc One: Original Album (2024 Remaster)

1. Lady Simplicity
2. That Train
3. Dry Dusty Road
4. I Heard You Singing
5. Rum Runners
6. Children’s Lament
7. Maybe She’s A Bluebird
8. Boys In The Barroom
9. It Must Have Been The Roses
10. Arizona Lightning
11. Standing At Your Door
12. Mad
13. Keys To The Rain

Disc Two: Bonus Tracks (2024 Remaster)

1. Boys In The Barroom – Alternate Version *
2. Elijah *
3. The Word *
4. Rum Runners – Alternate Version *
5. It Must Have Been The Roses – Alternate Version *
6. Road Hog *
7. Green Briar Song *
8. Reelin’ And A-Pitchin’ *
9. Briney Deep *
10. Children’s Lament – Alternate Version *
11. Lady Simplicity – Alternate Version *
12. Southern Fried Shuffle *
13. West Virginia Steel Guitar *
14. Buck Dancer’s Choice *
15. Boats *
16. Keys To The Rain – Alternate Version *

• * – Previously unreleased