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Devil's Dream
Composer: Traditional

Devil's Dream was played by Jerry Garcia with the Black Mountain Boys in March 1964 and when giving banjo lessons in April 1964. He no doubt played the piece on other occasions as well.

Devil's Dream was originally a fiddle tune and dates back to at least the early years of the 19th century. The earliest written US reference to the piece appears to be in a 1859 manuscript.

Thomas Hardy refers to Devil's Dream in The Return Of The Native as:

. . . perhaps among all the dances which throng an inspired fiddler's fancy, best conveys the idea of the interminable . . .
.

Jerry Garcia

info Before The Dead, Jerry Garcia, 2018

Other recordings

This list is not intended to be comprehensive.

no info 78rpm (Devil's Dream Reel / Speed The Plow Reel), Victor Dance Orchestra, 1908/1912
no info 78rpm (Miss McLeod's Reel / The Devil's Dream Reel), Don Richardson, 1918
no info 78rpm (In And Out / A Fiddler's Contest), Joseph Samuels And Larry Briers, 1919
no info 78rpm (Medley Of Country Reels / Medley Of Country Jigs), Joseph Samuels, 1920
no info 78rpm (The Devil's Dream Medley / Haste To The Wedding), Joseph Samuels / John J. Kimmel, 1920
no info 78rpm (Devil's Dream Reel / Speed The Plow Reel), John Taylor, 1921
no info 78rpm (Irish Reels Medley / Irish Jigs Medley), Dan Carroll And Mario Perry, 1921
no info 78rpm (Liverpool Hornpipe / Durangs Hornpipe / Devil's Dream / Money Musk), Wm. B. Houchens, 1923
no info 78rpm (The Devil's Dream (Reel) / College Hornpipe), Jasper Bisbee, 1924
no info 78rpm (The Campbells Are Coming / Devil's Dream), Uncle Steve Hubbard & His Boys, 1927
no info 78rpm (Two Step Quadrille / Devil's Dream), Tommy Dandurand & His Gang Of W.L.S., 1927
no info 78rpm (Chicken In The Barnyard / Devil's Dream), Kessinger Brothers, 1928
no info 78rpm (Patty On The Turnpike / Devil's Dream), Hobbs Brothers, 1929
no info 78rpm (Hell Among The Yearlings / Devil's Dream), Hobbs Brothers, 1929
no info 78rpm (The Devil's Dream / Soldier's Joy), George Wade And His Cornhuskers, 1935
no info 78rpm (Devil's Dream / Turkey In The Straw), The Frontiersmen, 1946
no info 78rpm (Crazy 'Cause I Love You / Swingin' The Devil's Dream), Spade Cooley And His Orchestra, 1946
no info 78rpm (The Devil's Dream / Shepard's Schottische), Riley Shepard with Shorty Long, 1947
no info 78rpm (The Devil's Dream / Billy In The Low Ground), The Massey Brothers String Band, 1948
no info 78rpm (You'll Rue The Day / Devil's Dream), Spade Cooley And His Orchestra, 1948
no info 78rpm (Bonnie Blue Eyes / Devil's Dream), Dolores and the Bluebonnet Boys, 1948
no info Sagebrush Swing, Spade Cooley And His Orchestra, 1949
no info Square Dance Tonight, Pee Wee King, 1949
no info Square Dance Tonight, Cliffie Stone And His Square Dance Band.1949
no info Square Dance Fiddlin' Without Calls, Clayton McMichen, 1949
no info 78rpm (Sourwood Mountain Square Dance / Chicken Reel Square Dance), Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians, 1949
no info 78rpm (Devil's Dream / Soldier's Joy), Dixie Harper And Her Blue Bonnet Brats, 194?
no info 78rpm (Devil's Dream / Turkey In The Straw), Tommy Jackson, 1950
no info 78rpm (Texas Tiny Boogie / Devil's Dream), Texas Tiny And His Western Boys, 1950
no info Cowboy Dances, Lloyd Shaw with the Duel In The Sun Square Dance Orchestra, 1950
no info Square Dances Without Calls, Guy Lombardo And His Royal Canadians, 1950
no info Single (Mississippi Sawyer / Devil's Dream), Henri And His Cornpoppers, 1950
no info Single (The Girl I Left Behind Me / Devil's Dream), Shorty Warren's Western Rangers, 1950
no info 78rpm (Back Up And Push / Devil's Dream), Fiddlin' Red Herron, 1951
no info 78rpm (Devil's Dream / Old Joe Clark), Coy McDaniel and his Four-in-One Guitar, 1952
no info America's Favorite Square Dances (With Calls), Cecil Brower And His Square Dance Fiddlers, 1953
no info Square Dance Party With And Without Calls EP, The Cimarron Rangers, 1957
no info Square Dance Fiddle Favorites, Tommy Jackson, 1958
no info Swingin' Southern Guitar, Sheldon Bennett, 1958
no info Square Dance Music, Various Artists (Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1958
no info Do Si Do, Tommy Jackson, 1959
no info The Wild Wild West, The Ralph Hunter Choir, 1959
no info Jigs And Reels, Per's Four Play, 1960
no info The Folk Fiddler Who Electrified The Newport Folk Festival, Jean Carignan, 1960
no info Sings and Plays American Folksongs For Banjo, Peggy Seeger, 1960
no info Hoe Down Fiddle Tunes: Volume 3, Dewayne Wear, 1961
no info Circus Carnival Calliope, Paul Eakins, 1961
no info Square Dance!, Captain Stubby And The Buccaneers, 1961
info Folk Banjo Styles, Eric Weissberg, Tom Paley, Art Rosenbaum, Marshall Brickman, 1962
no info Hoedown! The Fantastic Fiddles Of Felix Slatkin, 1962
no info Square Dance Party With Call And Instructions, 'Mac' Gant And His Tennessee Dew Drops, 1962
no info Square Dances With Calls, The Liberty Square Dance Club, 1962
info Livin' On The Mountain, Bill Keith & Jim Rooney, 1963
no info Single (New John Henry Blues / Devil's Dream), Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, 1963
no info Philadelphia Folk Festival 1962 Vol 2, Various Artists (Bill Keith), 1963
info Hootenanny!, Various Artists (Bill Keith and Jim Rooney), 1963
no info Lawrence Older of Middle Grove, New York, Lawrence Older, 1964
no info EP, The Crofters / The Original Ranchers, 1964
no info Guitar And Fiddle Country Style, Tommy Jackson And Lloyd Ellis, 1965
no info Western Strings, Ray Price's Cherokee Cowboys, 1965
no info Orange Blossom Special And Other Hoe Down Fiddle Favorites, Harold Hensley And The Virginia Mountaineers, 1966
no info Grassy Licks, Roger Sprung and his Progressive Bluegrassers, 1966
no info Hammered Dulcimer, Various Artists (Chet Parker), 1966
no info National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest and Folk Music Festival 1965, Various Artists (Dave Roylance), 1966
no info National Oldtime Fiddlers' Contest and Folk Music Festival 1966, Various Artists (Edna Jenkins), 1966
no info Bluegrass Favorites, Don Reno & Bill Harrell And The Tennessee Cut-Ups, 1967
no info Traditional Music for Banjo, Fiddle and Bagpipe, Frank George, 1967
no info Sweet Bunch of Daisies, Clark Kessinger, 1967
no info Down Yonder And Other Old-Time Favorites, The Country Fiddlers Featuring Wade Ray, 1967
no info String Music, Various Artists (Joe Talbert), 1967
info Fiddle Jam Sessions, Various Artists (Bill Mitchell and Vivian Williams), 1967
no info Bluegrass & Orange Blossoms, Orange Blossom Sound, 1969
no info Old Fashion Country Hoedown, Cousin Cecil, 1970
info Bluegrass Guitar , Dan Crary, 1970
no info The Ranchers Fancy, The Ranchers Folk Dance Band, 1970
no info Classic Country! The Fantastic Fiddles, Felix Slatkin, 1971
no info Fiddle Favorites, Ron Knuth, 1971
no info Mr. Mandolin Man, Dave Martini, 1972
no info The Canterbury Country Orchestra Meets The F&W String Band, 1972
no info Rumor in Their Own Time, Bottle Hill, 1972
no info Chris Darrow, Chris Darrow, 1973
no info Some Old Favorites, Lee Mace's Ozark Opry, 1973
no info Get On Board With The Highlanders, 1973
no info Gimmee Fyve...And 9 More, Hulen Wilson, 1973
no info 37th Annual Old Fiddler's Convention 1972, Various Artists (Tim Smith), 1973
no info Union Grove 50th Anniversary Album, Various Artists (Clark Kessinger/Gene Meade/Olen Gardner), 1973
no info Joe Robertson. Volume 2, Joe Robertson, 1974
no info Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps, Fife and Drums of Williamsburg, Col., 1975
no info Country Music My Way, Shoji Tabuchi, 1975
no info French Canadian Fiddle Songs, Jean Carignan, 1975
no info Single (Devil's Dream / Country), Blue Star Band, 1975
no info Santa Fe Recital, Mason Williams & The Santa Fe Recital, 1975
no info Country Fiddle Band, Gunther Schuller / The New England Conservatory Fiddle Band, 1976
no info Olen & Frances Gardner, Olen & Frances Gardner, 1976
info Mandolin Fantasy, Michael Melford, 1976
no info Fourteenth Annual Old Time Fiddlers' Contest, Various Artists (David Carr), 1976
no info Campbell Family: Champion Fiddlers, Campbell Family, 1977
no info Born In The Country, Mike Cross, 1977
no info Catskill Mountain Goose Chase, Jay Ungar & Lyn Hardy, 1977
no info One Time Friend, Jay Round And His Hammered Dulcimer, 1977
no info Third Generation Fiddler, John Turner, 1978
no info The Paddy Noonan Irish Party, Paddy Noonan And His Band, 1978
no info EP, Ashfield Ramblers, 1978
no info Fresh Fish, Mason Williams & The Santa Fe Recital, 1978
no info Same Old Roadside Inn, Tim Lake, 1978
no info 30 Fiddlers Greatest Hits, Various Artists (Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1978
no info Bluegrass In Carolina, Bob Shue & The Carolina Mountain Boys, 1979
no info Acoustic, Greg Harris, 1979
no info BoogieWoogieFlatTopGuitarPickin'Man, Joe Maphis With Rose Lee, 1979
no info Allegra, Allegra, 1979
no info Most Of All, Puckett Bros. & The Bluegrass Reunion, 1980
no info Festival Favorites, Vol. 1, Alan Munde, 1980
no info Red Rocking Chair, Doc Watson and Merle Watson, 1981
no info Twin Banjo Workshop, Mark Maniscalco, 1981
no info Live!, Jana Jae, 1981
no info Cajun Fiddle, Fiddlin' Frenchie Burke, 1982
no info Single (Cajun Fiddle / Devil's Dream), Fiddlin' Frenchie Burke, 1982
no info "Pappy" Wade Ray, "Pappy" Wade Ray, 1982
no info Fiddle Classics, Buddy Spicher, 1982
no info Shakin' Down The Acorns, Tony Elman, 1983
info Banjo And Fiddle: Franklin Mint Record Society, Various Artists (Bill Keith & Jim Rooney), 1983
no info Fiddlin Man, Fiddlin' Frenchie Burke, 1984
info Bleecker & MacDougal: The Folk Scene Of The 60s, Various Artists (Eric Weissberg), 1984
no info Fifty Years of Bluegrass Hits, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Joe Maphis and Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1985
no info Idle Time, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, 1986
no info I'll Get By, Greg Marvin, 1986
no info Patchwork, Carol Stober, 1986
info Classic Bluegrass Instrumentals, Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys, 1987
no info Out in Our Meadow, Bill Hinkley & Judy Larson, 1987
no info Hold The Mustard, Hold The Mustard, 1987
no info American Hammered Dulcimer, Vol. 2. 25 Years with the O.D.P.C., Various Artists (Jay Round), 1988
info Rounder Bluegrass Two, Various Artists (Nashville Bluegrass Band), 1988
no info The Tenth Anniversary Edition, Wes Linenkugel, 1989
no info Acoustic II, Greg Harris, 1990
no info Authentic Old Time Fiddle Tunes, Various Artists (Kelly Jones), 1990
info Bluegrass Class Of 1990, Various Artists (Nashville Bluegrass Band), 1990
no info Flatpicking Guitar Festival, Various Artists (Doc Watson), 1991
no info 200 Years - American Heritage in Song, Various Artists, 1991
info Bluegrass 1959-1969, Bill Monroe, 1991
no info Volume 3: Traditional Instrumental Fiddle Music, Hillar Bergman, 1991
no info Rip Van Winkle, Jay Ungar, Molly Mason, Anjelica Huston, 1992
no info Come To The Yetties' Barn Dance, The Yetties, 1992
no info Shakin' Down The Acorns Volume One, Tony Elman, 1992
no info 50 Years of Bluegrass Hits, Various Artists (Joe Maphis and Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1992
no info Orange Blossom Special - 16 Instrumentals, Various Artists (Joe Maphis and Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1992
no info Songs and Tunes from Wolf Run, Mark Hamilton, 1992
no info Festival Favorites Revisited, Alan Munde, 1993
info Mountain Music Collection, Vol. 3: Pictures from Life's Other Side, Various Artists (Joe Maphis and Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1994
info Rhythm of the Mountains, Various Artists (Joe Maphis and Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1994
no info The Prestige/Folklore Years Vol. 4: Singing Out Loud: The Philadelphia Folk, Various Artists (Keith And Rooney), 1994
no info Minstrel Banjo Style, Various Artists (Bob Carlin), 1994
no info Live At Gettysburg College, Jay Ungar & Molly Mason, 1994
no info Dulcimer Country, Kendra Ward & Bob Bence, 1995
no info French Canadian, Irish and Scottish Fiddle Music, Jean Carignan, 1995
no info Tennessee Mountain Bluegrass Favorites, Various Artists (Buddy Spicher And The Nashville Superplckers), 1995
no info Return Of..., Rico Bell, 1996
info The Honky Tonk Years: 1950-1966, Ray Price & the Cherokee Cowboys, 1996
no info Watson Country, Doc Watson and Merle Watson, 1996
no info The Return Of Rico Bell, 1996
no info Ireland, Linn Barnes / Allison Hampton, 1996
no info Borders No More, Glenn Morgan, 1996
no info Reelgrass, The Huckleberries, 1996
info Blue Ribbon Guitar, Various Artists (Doc and Merle Watson), 1996
no info Home Sweet Home, Alisa Jones, 1997
no info Southern Journey, Vol. 3 - 61 Highway Mississippi, Various Artists (Sid Hemphill/Lucius Smith ), 1997
no info Southern Journey, Vol. 6 - Sheep, Sheep Don'tcha Know The Road, Various Artists (Hobart Smith), 1997
no info Complete Recordings, Vol. 1, 1928-1929), Kessinger Brothers, 1997
no info Alan Lomax Collection Sampler, Various Artists (Sid Hemphill), 1997
info The Great American Fiddle Collection, Various Artists (Fiddlin Red Herron)), 1997
no info Liberty Soundtrack, Mark O'Connor, 1997
no info Live at the Great American Music Hall, Radiators, 1998
info Southern Banjo Sounds, Mike Seeger, 1998
no info Fire In The Kitchen, The Chieftains, 1998
no info Fiddles That Destroyed the World, Various Artists (Fiddlin' Red Herron), 1998
info Heart of Bluegrass, Various Artists (Benny Martin), 1998
no info Bluegrass Delivers - Theme from Deliverance, Various Artists (Benny Martin), 1998
info The Best Of Bill Monroe & His Blue Grass Boys, Bill Monroe & his Blue Grass Boys, 1999
info Where The Bottles Break, Hank Wedel & Ray Barron, 1999
no info Country Music 2: Band/Solo, Martyn Laight, 1999
info Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 6: Comin' from the Ball, Various Artists (Bill Keith/Jim Rooney), 1999
info Kentucky Old-Time Banjo, Various Artists (Blanche Coldiron), 1999
no info Dev'lish Mary, Hot Club of Cowtown, 2000
no info Best Of Frenchie Burke: Volume One & Two, Frenchie Burke, 2000
no info Gone to Australia (On Tour 1975-1984), Steeleye Span, 2001
info Blue Ridge Legacy, Hobart Smith, 2001
no info Old-Time Fiddle Tunes From The Elk River Country, Ernie Carpenter, 2001
info Fiddler's Hall of Fame, Various Artists (Red Herron with Joe Maphis), 2001
no info Cajun Memories, Fiddlin' Frenchie Burke, 2002
info Rhythm of the Mountains: Bluegrass Explores Its Roots, Various Artists (Joe Maphis and Red Herron), 2002
info Bluegrass Mountain Style, Various Artists (Nashville Bluegrass Band), 2002
info Anthology, Bill Monroe, 2003
info July 1963: Two Days at Newport, Bill Monroe, 2003
info Further Down the Old Plank Road, The Chieftains, 2003
info Perspectives, Matthew Abelson, 2003
no info Fantastic String Music, Matt Valentine & Erika Elder, 2003
no info Standing Room Only, Woods Tea Company, 2003
info Live At Mechanics Hall, Bill Monroe & The Blue Grass Boys, 2004
no info Shady Grove, Ned & Rebecca Spurlock, 2004
info Holy Mountain Banjo, Edward James Richard, 2004
info Black Mountain Rag, Doc & Merle Watson, 2006
no info Franklin George, Franklin George, 2007
no info Asleep at the Wheel with the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, 2007
no info Loafer's Dream, Whitetop Mountain Band, 2008
no info Chris Darrow / Under My Own Disguise, Chris Darrow, 2009
no info 30 Years Outside The Box, Yo-Yo Ma, 2009
no info The Lost Southlake Sessions, The Radiators, 2009
no info Dapple Patti, Alan Munde And Adam Granger, 2011
no info Steal Guitars, Jib Kidder, 2012
no info 2013, The Rhythm Playboys, 2013
no info Live At Caffè Lena, Various Artists (Smoke Dawson), 2013
no info Music From And Inspired By 12 Years A Slave, Various Artists (Tim Fain), 2013
no info Fiddle, Smoke Dawson, 2014
no info Single (Duncan & Brady / Devil's Dream Medley), Frank Fairfield, 2014
no info Archive Recordings Volume One 1969-1979, David Bromberg, 2014
info Del and Dawg: Live!, Del McCoury and David Grisman, 2016
no info Western Clambake, The Hot Club Of Cowtown, 2017
no info Best Of Green Hill Music: The Celtic Connection, Various Artists (Craig Duncan), 2021
no info Kicked Up A Devil Of A Row, Hog-Eyed Man, 2023

 
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