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Cumberland Blues
Composer: Jerry Garcia / Robert Hunter

Cumberland Blues was first performed by the Grateful Dead in November 1969. It was played very regularly during the following few years and then less regularly during the 1972 to 1974 period. After October 1974 the song was not performed again until August 1981. It then became an occasional part of the repertoire through to 1995. Cumberland Blues was last performed live by the Grateful Dead on July 9, 1995.

Robert Hunter commented on this song in Box Of Rain: Lyrics 1965-1993;

The best compliment I ever had on a lyric was from an old guy who'd worked at the Cumberland mine. He said, 'I wonder what the guy who wrote this song would've thought if he'd ever known something like the Grateful Dead was gonna do it.'

Grateful Dead recordings

info Workingman's Dead, 1970
info Europe '72, 1972
info The Rock Revelation, Various Artists, 1975
info What A Long Strange Trip It's Been, 1977
info American Beauty / Workingman's Dead, 198?
info Dick's Picks, Vol. 8, 1997
info Downhill from Here (DVD), 1997
info Dick's Picks, Vol. 11, 1998
info Dick's Picks, Vol. 16, 2000
info Ladies and Gentlemen ... The Grateful Dead, 2000
info The Golden Road (1965-1973), 2001
info Workingman's Dead, 2003 expanded CD has extra version
info Dick's Picks, Vol. 30, 2003
info Dick's Picks, Vol. 35, 2005
info Dick's Picks, Vol. 36, 2005
info Trilogy, 2005
info Grateful Dead Download Vol. 3: 10/26/71, 2005
info Grateful Dead Download Vol. 5: 3/27/88, 2005
info Grateful Dead Download Vol 10 - 7/21/72, 2006
info Three From The Vault, 2007
info Eternally Grateful, Grateful Dead, 2007

The Dead

info Holmdel, NJ: June 24, 2003
info Austin, TX: July 4, 2003
info Ft Lauderdale, FL: July 29, 2003
info Columbus, OH: August 6, 2003
info Morrison, CO: June 18, 2004, 2004
info San Diego, CA: June 23, 2004, 2004
info Sacramento, CA: June 27, 2004, 2004
info George, WA: July 3, 2004, 2004
info Indianapolis, IN: July 25, 2004, 2004
info Holmdel, NJ: August 10, 2004, 2004
info Bristow, VA: August 15, 2004, 2004

Phil Lesh & Friends

info Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: June 25, 2006, Atlanta, GA, 2006
info Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: July 1, 2006, Holmdel, NJ, 2006
info Phil Lesh & Friends: Instant Live: July 9, 2006, Bethel, NY, 2006

 
Other recordings

info Step Up To Big Pay, Cache Valley Drifters, 1979
info Dead Ringers, Dead Ringers, 1994
info Deadbeats Acoustic, Deadbeats, 1996
info Pickin' On The Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 1997
info Dead Delites, Vol. 3, Various Artists, 1998
info Release 1, The Schwag, 1998
info Swingin' To The Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 1999
info Stolen Roses, Various Artists, 2000
info Live At Twenty North, Jake's Leg, 2001
info Long Strange Trip: Swingin' and Pickin' on the Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 2001
info Jerry Jams, Jerry Cares, Various Artists, 2005
info Deadgrass, Deadgrass, 2005
info I Don't Miss Trains, The Orchard Boys, 2006

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