Grateful Dead
ListenDon’t Ease Me In / Stealin’ · 1966
Derek See’s playback of the original Scorpio single, posted 25 June 2017.
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1966 · Scorpio
Don’t Ease Me In / Stealin’
The Grateful Dead’s first single was a modest local release on Scorpio in 1966. Two short performances, “Don’t Ease Me In” and “Stealin’,” caught the band before its debut album and long before its concerts became an institution. [1] [2]
| Accession | OMMA-0083 |
|---|---|
| Artist | Grateful Dead |
| Release | 1966 · United States |
| Label | Scorpio · 201 |
| Format | 7-inch vinyl single · 45 rpm |
| Issue | Original commercial pressing |
| Runouts | Don’t Ease Me In: 002/201 · Commercial Recorders Inc. · title · SLS-like symbol Stealin’: 003/201 · Commercial Recorders Inc. · title · SLS-like symbol |
| Recorded grade | G+ · repaired edge crack |
Release history and significance
Jerry Garcia, Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Bill Kreutzmann and Ron “Pigpen” McKernan recorded two songs rooted in older American music for this first single. It appeared on Gene Estribou’s short-lived Scorpio label, a different company from the better-known San Francisco label of the same name. [1] [2]
Discographer Ihor Slabicky describes an initial run of about 250 copies, recalled shortly after release, possibly because the band disliked the tracks. The record’s small circulation contrasts with the audience the Dead would later build. Its original mixes can be heard in Derek See’s playback video below. [1] [3]
Market context
As of 13 September 2026, Discogs reported sales of the original Scorpio edition between US$499.95 and US$1,200.00, with a median of US$800.00. Its most recent recorded sale was dated 13 August 2025. [1]
Physical Description
Black vinyl with red Scorpio labels and black printing. “Don’t Ease Me In” carries side number 002/201 and “Stealin’” 003/201. The copy is housed without a sleeve in a frame described as UV-protective.
Condition
A hairline crack extends inward from the edge toward the dead wax. The crack has been stabilized; the accession notes describe the media as G+ and the playback as VG+, without skips, clicks or crackle at that time. The remaining vinyl surface is glossy.
The labels retain clear printing and show little handling wear, with minor staining near the spindle hole on the “Stealin’” side.
Provenance
According to seller Derek See, archivist and producer Alec Palao obtained six copies from the family of a person involved in the original 1966 release. The copies were consigned to See’s Psychedelphonic Records in 2017. See selected this copy for his own collection and later offered it for sale.
Acquired from Psychedelphonic through eBay on 20 January 2026. See’s video, posted on 25 June 2017, documents playback of an original Scorpio single; his account identifies it with this copy. [3]
Sources
- Discogs, The Grateful Dead — Stealin’ / Don’t Ease Me In, release 10026846. Original Scorpio issue, pressing description, Slabicky discography excerpt and reported sales statistics.
- Grateful Dead Family Discography, Scorpio single. Release, musicians, traditional songs and identification of the Scorpio label.
- Derek See, Grateful Dead — Don’t Ease Me In + Stealin’. Original-single playback video, published 25 June 2017.
- Derek See, personal correspondence. Seller’s account of Alec Palao, the group of six copies and this copy’s subsequent ownership.
Catalogue text reviewed 13 September 2026.