Grateful Dead Family Discography: Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

Michael, Row the Boat Ashore

Composer: Traditional

Michael, Row the Boat Ashore was played by Bob & Jerry (Robert Hunter and Jerry Garcia) at a private function in May 1961.

Michael, Row the Boat Ashore is an African-American spiritual that was first documented during the American Civil War. It was probably published for the first time in Slave Songs of the United States in 1867. This published version was adapted by Tony Saletan in 1954 to produce the now familiar folk song. This rearranged version was first recorded by Pete Seeger.

The song became widely popular after the success of a Highwaymen single release in 1961 which topped the charts. (Note that the single was by the 60s folk group The Highwaymen not the later country supergroup as suggested by some sources.)

The Highwaymen version had the title Michael. A number of other early 1960s folk groups used this title. There are other small title variations.

Recordings

This list is not intended to be comprehensive.

no info With Voices Together We Sing, Pete Seeger, 1956
no info The Weavers on Tour, The Weavers, 1957
no info Carnegie Concert, Bob Gibson, 1957
no info Goin' Down To Town, The Skifflers, 1957
no info Folksong Jubilee, Rory & Alex McEwen And Isla Cameron, 1958
no info The Folk Singers, The Folk Singers, 1958
no info Singing All Night Long!, Ron And Nama, 1959
no info Folk Sampler 5, Various Artists (The Folk Singers), 1959
no info Single (Michael / Santiano), The Highwaymen, 1960
no info The Highwaymen, The Highwaymen, 1960
no info Folk Music As Heard At The Gourd, Steve Brainard / Mason Williams / Johnny Horton, 1960
no info Against the World, Raunch Hands, 1960
no info Sing Out With Pete!, Pete Seeger, 1961
no info The Lion Sleeps Tonight, The Tokens, 1961
no info Single (Michael, Row The Boat / Ramblin' Round), Lonnie Donegan, 1961
no info Single (Michael, Row The Boat / Lumbered), Lonnie Donegan, 1961
no info The Sound Of Folk Music, Various Artists (The Weavers), 1961
Midnight Special, Harry Belafonte, 1962
no info Best Band On Campus, Les Elgart, 1962
no info Folk Songs, The Wilburn Brothers, 1962
no info Happen To Folk Songs, The Hi-Lo's, 1962
no info Campus Encore, The Four Preps, 1962
no info Jim, Tony And Bob, The Lettermen, 1962
no info Live Concert Extraord!nary: Sing Everybody's Hits, Bud Dashiell & The Kinsmen, 1962
no info Hootenany At Carnegie!, Bob Gibson, 1963
no info We Gotta Shout!, The Dukes Of Dixieland And Clara Ward And Her Gospel Singers, 1963
no info 12 String Guitar! Vol 2, The Folkswingers, 1963
The Big Folk Hits, The Brothers Four, 1963
no info Golden Folk Hits, Bobby Darin, 1963
no info What Kind Of Fool Am I?, Adam Wade, 1963
no info Children's Concert At Town Hall, Pete Seeger, 1963
no info Rhythms Of Childhood, Ella Jenkins, 1963
no info (Encore Of) Golden Hits Of The Groups, The Platters, 1963
no info Sing Along With The Cliff Adams Singers, 1963
no info It's A Folk, Folk, Folk, Folk World, The Banjo Barons, 1964
no info Sings Folk Songs, Clay Hart, 1964
no info The Treasury Of The Golden West, Ken Carson and the Choraliers, 1964
no info We Shall Overcome: Songs Of The Freedom Riders And The Sit-Ins, The Montgomery Gospel Trio/The Nashville Quartet/Guy Carawan, 1964
no info This Land, The Jordanaires, 1964
Walkin' Down the Line, Joe & Eddie, 1965
no info Johnny Rivers Rocks The Folk, Johnny Rivers, 1965
no info Singing Is Our Life, Harmonizing Four, 1965
no info The Best Of, The Carter Family, 1965
no info Rockin' Folk, Brian Hyland, 1965
no info In Concert, Fred Waring And His Pennsylvanians, 1965
no info Single (Michael, Row The Boat Ashore / That Was The Last Thing On My Mind), Joe & Eddie, 1965
no info The Great Gospel Voice Of Marion Williams, 1965
no info It's About Time, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, 1965
no info Brian Poole Is Here!, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, 1965
Hootenanny Special, Various Artists (Brothers Four), 1965
Just Plain Folk, Various Artists (Brothers Four), 1965
no info Hummin' And Strummin' Folk And Country Hits, Various Artists (Banjo Barons), 1965
no info Pow!, Ted Heath And His Music, 1966
no info A Little Traveling Music, Clara Ward Singers With The Dukes Of Dixieland, 1967
no info Southern Soul: Recorded Live!! At The Brave Falcon, Billy Lee Riley, 1967
no info The Tremeloes Are Here!, Brian Poole & The Tremeloes, 1967
no info Again, The Revellers, 1967
no info Now, Pete Seeger With Bernice Reagon & The Reverend Fred Kirkpatrick, 1968
no info On Tour, The Countrymen, 1968
no info Single (Michael Row The Boat Ashore / Love), Max Romeo, 1969
no info Single (Michael Row The Boat Ashore / Who Is Coming To Dinner), The Hippy Boys, 1969
no info Blowing In The Wind, The Travellers, 1969
no info Songs From Playschool, Rick Jones / Julie Stevens / Jonathan Cohen, 1969
no info The World Of The Bachelors Vol. 3, The Bachelors, 1969
no info Folk Song Carnival, Hap Palmer, 1970
no info The Gospel Truth, Joe & Eddie, 1970
no info The Big Band World Of Ted Heath, 1970
no info Greatest Hits, The Weavers, 1971
no info Chet Atkins Strum-along Guitar Method, Chet Atkins, 1972
no info The Best Of The Bachelors, 1973
no info Visit Sesame Street, Pete Seeger & Brother Kirk, 1974
no info The Ray McVay Road Show, The Ray McVay Orchestra And Singers, 1974
no info Goodtime Songtime: Sing Along With The Fireside Singers, 1976
no info Children's Greatest Hits, Vol. II, Tom Glazer, 1977
no info The File Series, Lonnie Donegan, 1977
no info Greenfields & Other Gold, The Brothers Four, 1977
no info Sing, Sang, Song Singalong, Sesame Street Featuring Skye Blue, 1978
no info Mexican Whistler, Roger Whittaker, 1978
no info Peace In The Valley, Various Artists (Lonnie Donegan), 1979
no info The Entertainer, Trini Lopez, 1981
no info Sheep May Safely Graze, Pendyrus Male Choir, 1981
no info We Sing To Serve, The Cestrian Male Voice Choir Of Chester, 1982
no info Barbie Sing-along, Barbie, 1982
no info Easy Listening Folk, Various Artists (Fireside Singers), 1982
no info Clearwater Classics, Pete Seeger, 1984
no info Lou And The Q, NRBQ And 'Captain' Lou Albano, 1985
no info A House For Me, Fred Penner, 1985
no info Blowin' In The Wind, Various Artists (Highwaymen), 1985
no info Disney's Children's Favorites Vol III, Larry Groce / Disneyland Children's Sing-Along Chorus, 1986
no info Pulling Together, Gemini, 1986
no info A Festival Of Welsh Male Voice Choirs, Various Artists (Treorchy Male Choir), 1986
no info The Hit Singles Collection, Lonnie Donegan, 1987
no info All Time Greatest Hits Vol. I, Harry Belafonte, 1988
no info The Collection, Harry Belafonte, 1988
no info KidsSongs 2, Nancy Cassidy, 1989
no info Best Of Big Bands, Lester Lanin, 1990
no info EMI Legends Of Rock N' Roll Series, Various Artists (Highwaymen), 1991
no info If We Ever Needed The Lord Before, Marion Williams, 1992
no info Calypso, Harry Belafonte, 1992
no info Rock Island Line: The Best Of Lonnie Donegan And His Skiffle Group, 1992
Troubadours Of The Folk Era Vol. 3, Various Artists (Highwaymen), 1992
no info Folkways: A Vision Revisited, Pete Seeger / Woody Guthrie / Leadbelly, 1994
no info Bananaphone, Raffi, 1994
Johnny Rivers Rocks the Folk/Meanwhile Back at the Whisky A-Go-Go, Johnny Rivers, 1996
no info A Link In The Chain, Pete Seeger, 1996
no info 36 All-Time Greatest Hits, Harry Belafonte, 1996
Folk Music: All That's Folk, Various Artists (Pete Seeger), 1996
no info The Best Of Joe & Eddie, 1997
Southern Country Gospel, Various Artists (The Weavers), 1997
Rock The Planet: Folk 60s, Various Artists (Highwaymen), 1997
no info Around The Campfire, Peter, Paul & Mary, 1998
Songs You Know by Heart: Folk, Various Artists (Highwaymen), 1998
no info Live From Ledbetter's, The New Christy Minstrels, 1999
no info The Decca Years: 1962-1972, The Bachelors, 1999
Treasury of Folk Music: An All Star Hootenany, Various Artists (Highwaymen), 1999
40 Most Popular American Folk Songs, Paul & Margie, 199?
The Brothers Four Songbook / The Big Folk Hits, The Brothers Four, 2000
no info The Curtain Falls: Live At The Flamingo, Bobby Darin, 2000
no info Stops Along The Way, Bob Gibson, 2000
Greatest Hits, Harry Belafonte, 2000
no info Best Of The Vanguard Years, The Weavers, 2001
no info Nearer My God To Thee / Singing Is Our Life, The Harmonizing Four, 2002
no info The Coming Of Jah: Anthology 1967-76, Max Romeo, 2002
no info Eternal Love, Esteban, 2002
no info Earthy! & Golden Folk Hits, Bobby Darin, 2002
no info Pete Seeger's Greatest Hits, Pete Seeger, 2002
Star Box: The Brothers Four, The Brothers Four, 2003?
Request, Pat Flynn, 2004
no info The Folk Den Project, Roger McGuinn, 2005
no info The Essential Pete Seeger, 2005
no info This Land Is Your Land, The Brothers Four, 2005
no info The Folk Hits Collection, The Highwaymen, 2007
no info The Best of Hootenanny, Various Artists (The New Christy Minstrels), 2007
no info You Are My Sunshine, Mary Beth Carlson, 2011
no info Live At Cornell 1957, Bob Gibson, 2011
no info The Complete Bowdoin College Concert 1960, Pete Seeger, 2011
no info Bananarama (Bonus DVD track), Bananarama, 2013
no info Six Classic Albums Vol. 2, Harry Belafonte, 2016
no info Dedicated To The Proposition: Songs Of Pete, Woody & Me Vol. II, Spook Handy & The Seed Planters, 2019
no info The Smithsonian Folkways Collection, Pete Seeger, 2019
no info Complete Recordings, The Gemtones, 2020
no info Scorpio Sun, Sara Rachele, 2020
no info Death Is Bigger 1984-85, Getting The Fear, 2021