The bears were designed in honor of one of the band’s first sound engineers, Owsley “Bear” Stanley, who was also a practicing chemist and the man behind a large portion of the LSD being circulated in the States at the time. And what a choice it was, as the bears have taken on a whimsical life of their own in the cult surrounding the Dead.īut it gets trippier. They first appeared on the back cover of the album The History of the Grateful Dead, Volume 1 (Bear’s Choice). The dancing bears weren’t there from the start – indeed, they had their debut in 1973, well into The Grateful Dead’s career. “Bear” Stanley and the Backstory of the Grateful Dead Bears While you don’t need an advanced degree in semiotics to uncover the mysterious magic of the dancing bears, some crib notes certainly won’t hurt. Where symbolism is concerned, the dancing bears are certainly nutrient-rich, chock full of good-for-you allusions, metaphors, and insinuations. Let’s get up close with Grateful Dead’s surreal and iconic dancing bears. Then you’re going to want to strap in for this one, because it’s going to be quite a ride. Consider yourself a dyed-in-the-wool Deadhead? A lover of the cultish and mysterious? A fan of all things Ursa (that’s bear in Latin for the kids at the back)?

Dancing bear bonus vol 2