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Spike Driver Blues
Composer: Traditional / Mississippi John Hurt

Spike Driver Blues was performed by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band in 1987. The song was performed by the New Riders Of The Purple Sage in 2010.

Spike Driver Blues was first recorded by Mississippi John Hurt on December 28, 1928. It is an adaptation of the traditional song John Henry. The song is often attributed on recordings to Mississippi John Hurt. The version performed by Jerry Garcia is derived from Hurt's arrangement.



Jerry Garcia

info Almost Acoustic, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 1988
info Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, NYC, 10/31/87, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band/Jerry Garcia Band, 2004
info Pure Jerry: Marin Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Feb 28, 1986, Jerry Garcia & John Kahn, 2009
info On Broadway: Act One: Oct 28, 1987, JGAB/JGB, 2015
info Acoustic on the Eel, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 2019
info Garcia Live: Volume 14: Jan 27, 1986, Garcia / Kahn, 2020
info Garcia Live 14 Bonus CD: Jan 28, 1986, Garcia / Kahn, 2020

Other recordings

no info Single (Spike Driver Blues / Blue Harvest Blues), Mississippi John Hurt, 1929?
info Anthology Of American Folk Music, Vol. 3: Songs, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 1952
no info Dave Van Ronk Sings, Vol. 2, Dave Van Ronk, 1961
info Folk Songs and Blues, Mississippi John Hurt, 1963
info Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson At Folk City, Jean Ritchie and Doc Watson, 1963
info Newport Folk Festival 1963: The Evening Concerts, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 1964
info Today, Mississippi John Hurt, 1966
info Doc Watson On Stage, Doc Watson & Merle Watson, 1971
no info The Original 1928 Recordings, Mississippi John Hurt, 1971
no info Stack O' Lee Blues, Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi John Hurt, 1972
info Doc and the Boys, Doc Watson, 1976
no info 1928 Sessions, Mississippi John Hurt, 1979
info Your Basic Dave Van Ronk, Dave Van Ronk, 1982
no info Avalon Blues 1963, Mississippi John Hurt, 1982
no info 1928 Sessions, Mississippi John Hurt, 1988
no info The Greatest Songsters: Complete Works (1927-1929), Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 1990
info A Touch of the Past, Larry Perkins, 1993
info The Vanguard Years, Doc Watson, 1995
info The Vanguard Years Sampler, Doc Watson, 1995
no info In Concert, Mississippi John Hurt, 1995
no info Satisfying Blues, Mississippi John Hurt, 1995
info Avalon Blues: The Complete 1928 Okeh Recordings, Mississippi John Hurt, 1996
no info Coffee Blues, Mississippi John Hurt, 1996
no info Before The Blues: The Early American Black Music Scene, Volume 3, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 1996
no info Anthology of American Folk Music (Box set), Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 1997
info The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute, Various Artists (Dave Van Ronk), 1998
no info Ain't No tellin': The Best of Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi John Hurt, 1998
no info Terraplane, Scott Ainslie, 1998
info The Complete Studio Recordings, Mississippi John Hurt, 2000
no info Live!, Misissippi John Hurt, 2000
no info American Folk Music, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2000
no info Nothing But the Blues, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2000
no info North Fork Flyer, Black Twig Pickers, 2000
no info Trainfare Home, Last Forever, 2000
info The Roots Of The Grateful Dead & Jerry Garcia, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2001
info American Roots Music, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2001
info North Fork Flyer, Black Twig Pickers, 2001
no info Mississippi John Hurt, Mississippi John Hurt, 2001
no info Revisited, Mississippi John Hurt, 2001
no info King of the Blues, Vol. 4, Mississippi John Hurt,2001
info Two Sides of Dave Van Ronk, Dave Van Ronk, 2002
no info Frankie & Albert, Mississippi John Hurt, 2002
no info Live, Mississippi John Hurt, 2002
no info Blues Twinpack, Lightnin' Hopkins/Mississippi John Hurt, 2002
no info Ain't Nobody's Business, Mississippi John Hurt, 2002
no info Make Me a Pallet, Mississippi John Hurt, 2002
info Patchworks, Linn Barnes and Allison Hampton, 2002
no info Retro Blues: Roots Of Blues Music In America, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2002
info Trouble in Mind: Doc Watson Country Blues Collection, Doc Watson, 2003
info Doc and the Boys/Live and Pickin', Doc Watson, 2003
no info Candy Man Blues, Mississippi John Hurt, 2004
no info Kings of the Blues, Mississippi John Hurt, 2004
no info Music Makers With Taj Mahal, Various Artists (Taj Mahal), 2004
no info Never Let the Same Bee Sting You Twice: Blues, Ballads, Rags and Gospel, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2005
no info D.C. Blues: Library of Congress Recordings Vol. 2, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2005
no info I'm Satisfied, Mississippi John Hurt, 2005
no info Who Will Sing for Me? (Music Traditions from the New American South), Eddie McGee, 2005
no info Broadcasting the Blues: Black Blues in the Segregation Era, Various Artists (Mississippi John Hurt), 2006
info The Harry Smith Project: Anthology of American Folk Music Revisited, Various Artists (Marianne Faithfull), 2006
no info Payday: Lost Jim Plays & Sings Mississippi John Hurt, Vol. 2, Lost Jim, 2006
no info Vanguard Visionaries, Mississippi John Hurt, 2007
no info Legends of Country Blues, Vol. 1, Son House/Mississippi John Hurt, 2007
no info Love Changing Blues, Bill McQuaid, 2007

 
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