Grateful Dead Family Discography: Samson and Delilah

Samson and Delilah

Composer: Traditional

Samson and Delilah was first performed by the Grateful Dead in June 1976. From then on it was a regular in the repertoire being played at least 20 times a year through to 1982. From 1983 onward it was played less often averaging perhaps a dozen performances a year. In total the Grateful Dead played the song over 350 times. The last performance was in July 1995.

Early recordings have the titles If I Had My Way, If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down and Samson And The Woman. Some later recordings use some of these titles though Samson and Delilah is most commonly used and title on all Grateful Dead related recordings. On recordings writing credits are often Traditional, Blind Willie Johnson or Rev. Gary Davis.

The song was recorded a number of times in 1927. Note that the dates given below for these recordings are the recording date rather than the release date. It is possible that the song was also recorded in the early 1920's.

Grateful Dead

Terrapin Station, 1977
Dead Set, 1981
Dick's Picks, Vol. 3, 1995
The Arista Years, 1996
Dick's Picks, Vol. 9, 1997
Terrapin Station (Limited Edition), 1997
Dick's Picks, Vol. 15, 1999
Dick's Picks, Vol. 17, 2000
Dick's Picks, Vol. 18, 2000
View From The Vault, 2000
View From The Vault (DVD), 2000
Dick's Picks, Vol. 20, 2001
Dick's Picks, Vol. 21, 2001
Dick's Picks, Vol. 27, 2003
Dick's Picks, Vol. 29, 2003
The Closing of Winterland, 2003
The Closing of Winterland (DVD), 2003
Dick's Picks, Vol. 33, 2004
Beyond Description, 2004
Dick's Picks, Vol. 34, 2005
Grateful Dead Download Vol. 4: 6/18/76, 2005
Live at the Cow Palace: NYE 1976, 2006
To Terrapin: Hartford '77, 2009
Road Trips: Vol 2, Number 4: Cal Expo 1993, 2009
Winterland June 1977: The Complete Recordings, 2009
Road Trips: Vol 4, Number 2: April Fool's '88, 2011
Road Trips: Vol 4, No. 5: Boston Music Hall 6.9.76, 2011
Spring 1990 (box set), 2012
Spring 1990: So Glad You Made It, 2012
Dave's Picks Vol. 4: Williamsburg, VA, 9/24/76
May 1977 (box set), 2013
Dave's Picks Vol. 8: Atlanta, GA 11/30/80, 2013
Complete Studio Albums Collection, 2013
Live Albums Collection, 2013
Spring 1990 (The Other One), 2014
Dave's Picks Vol 12: Hamilton, 11/4/77, 2014
30 Trips Around The Sun Box Set, 2015
30 Trips Around The Sun: The Definitive Live Story: 1965-1995, 2015
Capitol Theatre, 4/25/77, 2016
Dave's Picks Vol 18, 2016
July 1978 Complete, 2016
Red Rocks: 7/8/78, 2016
May 1977: Get Shown the Light, 2017
Dave's Picks Vol 23: Eugene, 1/22/78, 2017
Dave's Picks Vol 25: Binghampton, 11/6/77, 2018
Dave's Picks Vol 28: Passaic, 6/17/76, 2018
Dave's Picks Vol 29: San Bernardino, 2/26/77, 2019
Dave's Picks Vol 31: Chicago, 12/3/79, 2019
Giants Stadium 1987/1989/1991, 2019
June 1976, 2020
Dave's Picks Vol 35: Philadelphia, 4/20/1984, 2020
The Story Of The Grateful Dead, 2020
Dave's Picks Vol 36: Hartford, 3/26&27/1987, 2020
Dave's Picks Vol 37: Williamsburg, 4/15/1978, 2021
Dave's Picks Vol 41: Baltimore, 5/26/77, 2022
From The Bay To The Pool: Live 1971-1978, 2022
In and Out of the Garden: '81, '82, '83, 2022
Madison Square Garden, New York, NY 3/9/81, 2022
Dave's Picks Vol 45: Portland, 10/1 & 2/77, 2023
Boston 5/7/77, 2023
Dave's Picks Vol 47: St. Louis, 12/9/79, 2023
Dave's Picks Vol 50: New York City, 5/3/77, 2024

Fare Thee Well shows 2015

Fare Thee Well July 3, 4 & 5 2015 Complete Box, 2015
Fare Thee Well July 5, 2015

The Dead

Mansfield, MA, June 22, 2003
Vernon, NY, June 29, 2003
Morrison, CO, July 6, 2003
Somerset,WI, August 3, 2003
Wantagh, NY, August 10, 2003
George, WA, September 21, 2003
Morrison, CO, June 20, 2004
Sacramento, CA, June 27, 2004
Camden, NJ, August 8, 2004
Bristow, VA, August 15, 2004
Dead '09: Greensboro, NC, April 12, 2009
Dead '09: Worcester, MA April 19, 2009
Dead '09: Hartford, CT, April 26, 2009
Dead '09: Philadelphia, PA, May 2, 2009

Furthur

Feb 14, 2010, Ithaca, NY
Feb 23, 2010, New York, NY
Mar 6, 2010, Denver, CO
May 30, 2010, Angels Camp, CA
July 4, 2010, Oxford, ME
September 26, 2010, Morrison, CO
November 14, 2010, Cincinnati, OH
March 13, 2011, New York, NY
March 27, 2011, New York, NY
July 17, 2011, Wantagh, NY
July 24, 2011, Holmdel, NJ
July 31, 2011, Alpharetta, GA
Oct 2, 2011, Morrison, CO
Nov 6, 2011, Amherst, MA
Nov 20, 2011, St. Louis, MO
July 8, 2012, Columbia, MD
July 15, 2012, Bethel, NY
September 23, 2012, Morrison, CO
September 30, 2012, Mountain View, CA
October 7, 2012, Santa Barbara, CA
December 30, 2012, San Francisco, CA
February 24, 2013, Broomfield, CO
April 21, 2013, Port Chester, NY
July 14, 2013, Cooperstown, NY
Sept 8, 2013, Arrington, VA
Sept 22, 2013, Morrison, CO

Dead & Company

Flushing, NY, 26 June, 2016
Boulder, CO, 03 July, 2016
Elkhorn, WI, 10 July, 2016
Phoenix, AZ, 28 May, 2017
Mountain View, CA, 4 Jun, 2017
oston, MA, 18 Jun, 2017
New York, NY, 12 Nov, 2017
Boston, MA, 19 Nov, 2017
Riviera Maya, MX, 18 Feb, 2018
New York, NY, 23 Jun, 2019
Cancún, MX, 19 Jan, 2020
Hartford, CT, Sep 5, 2021
Los Angeles, CA, Oct 31, 2021
Philadelphia, PA, July 10, 2022
Atlanta, GA, May 28, 2023
Saratoga Springs, NY, June 18, 2023
Boston, MA, June 25, 2023
Boulder, CO, July 2, 2023
San Francisco, CA, July 16, 2023

Ratdog

Poughkeepsie NY: October 26, 2003
Albany NY, March 21, 2004
Las Vegas NV, February 6, 2005
Johnson City NY, May 1, 2005
Charlottesville, VA, August 7, 2005
Orlando, FL, November 20, 2005
Long Beach, CA, December 11, 2005
Majesty of the Seas, Carribean Sea, Feb 5, 2006
Morrison, CO, July 2, 2006
St. Paul MN, October 22, 2006
Las Vegas NV, February 11, 2007
Vancouver BC, February 18, 2007
Greensburg PA, March 4, 2007
San Francisco CA, April 22, 2007
Lowell MA, August 12, 2007
Darien Center NY, August 19, 2007
Lebanon, NH, October 28, 2007
University Park, PA, November 4, 2007
Raleigh, NC, November 11, 2007
Upper Darby, PA, March 30, 2008
Hunter, NY, June 1, 2008
Hiram, ME, August 10, 2008
Bridgeport, CT, November 9, 2008
Greensboro, NC, November 16, 2008
Columbus, OH, July 5, 2009
Rochester, NY, July 12, 2009
Seattle, WA, August 23, 2009
Boulder, CO, August 30, 2009
Negril, Jamaica, January 24, 2010
Negril, Jamaica, January 31, 2010
Port Chester, NY, March 2, 2014
Atlanta, GA, March 16, 2014
Asbury Park, NJ, June 8, 2014

Phil Lesh & Friends

April 19, 2014, Las Vegas, NV, 2014
May 30, 2014, Port Chester, NY, 2014
October 19, 2014, Las Vegas, NV, 2014
November 21, 2014, Port Chester, NY, 2014
November 1, 2015, Port Chester, NY, 2015
February 28, 2016, Las Vegas, NV, 2016
August 28, 2016, Arrington, VA, 2016
March 16, 2017, Port Chester, NY, 2017
May 26, 2017, Port Chester, NY, 2017

Dark Star Orchestra

DSO Live: Jan 23, 2004, Columbus, OH, 2004
DSO Live: Jan 24, 2004, Cincinnati, OH, 2004
DSO Live: Feb 13, 2004, Austin, TX, 2004
DSO Live: Mar 10, 2004, Pittston, PA, 2004
DSO Live: Mar 12, 2004, New Haven, CT, 2004
DSO Live: Mar 13, 2004, Wantagh, NY, 2004
DSO Live: Mar 15, 2004, Winooski, VT, 2004
The 1000th Show, 2005

Other recordings

no info Single (If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down / If I Had A Ticket Lord Can I Ride?), Rev. T.E. Weems, March 1927
no info Single (I've Got A Hiding Place / If I Had My Way), Rev T.T.Rose and Gospel Singers, April 1927?
no info Single (The First Born Was A Murderer / Samson and the Woman), Rev. J.M. Gates, Oct 1927
no info Single (Mother's Children Have A Hard Time / If I Had My Way I'd Tear The Building Down), Blind Willie Johnson, Dec 1927
no info Single (Motherless Children / Oh Lord, If I Had My Way), The Blind Pilgrim, Dec 1927 (same recordings as for the Blind Willie Johnson release)
no info Single (If I Had My Way / Way Down In Egypt Land), Golden Gate Jubilee Quartet, 1939
no info Blind Willie Johnson: His Story Told, Annotated and Documented, Blind Willie Johnson, 1957
no info Treasures of North American Negro Music, Vol 2, Blind Willie Johnson, 1958
Hootenanny at Carnegie Hall, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1960
American Street Songs, Pink Anderson and Rev. Gary Davis, 1961
no info Peter Paul and Mary, Peter Paul and Mary, 1962
Pure Religion!, Rev Gary Davis, 1963
In Concert, Peter, Paul and Mary, 1964
Blues At Newport, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1964
no info Freedom Highway, The Staple Singers, 1965
no info At Newport, Rev. Gary Davis, 1967?
Dave Van Ronk, Folksinger, Dave Van Ronk, 1967
no info Bring Your Money, Honey, Rev. Gary Davis, 1968
Forty Niner, Clover, 1971
Van Ronk, Dave Van Ronk, 1972
The Great Blues Men, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1972
no info Hard Line, The Blasters, 1985
Gospel, Blues and Street Songs, Pink Anderson and Rev. Gary Davis, 1987
The Washington Squares, The Washington Squares, 1987
Hesitation Blues, Dave Van Ronk, 1988
Inside Dave Van Ronk (comp), Dave Van Ronk, 1989
no info Sweeter As The Years Go By, Blind Willie Johnson, 1990
no info The Blasters Collection, The Blasters, 1991
Blues At Newport (1959-64), Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1991
no info News & the Blues: Telling It Like It Is, Various Artists (Blind Willie Johnson), 1991
Harlem Street Singer, Rev. Gary Davis, 1992
no info Travelin' Shoes, Golden Gate Quartet, 1992
no info Remember Me, Tim & Mollie O'Brien, 1992
Tom Hanway & Blue Horizon, Tom Hanway & Blue Horizon, 1992
Complete Recordings Of, Blind Willie Johnson, 1993
no info From Blues to Gospel, Rev. Gary Davis, 1993
no info Blues Junk, Jeff Howell, 1993
no info Revolution Mind, Magdalen, 1993
no info Meetin' Tonight!, The Clara Ward Singers, 1994
The Gospel Sound, Various Artists (Blind Willie Johnson), 1994
Folk Song America, Vol. 2, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1994
Prestige/Folklore Years, Vol. 4: Singing Out Loud: Philadelphia Folk Festival, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1994
no info Their Early Years: 1937-1939, The Golden Gate Quartet, 1995
The Music Never Stopped: Roots of the Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 1995
Gospel At Newport, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1995
Dark Star: The Music of the Grateful Dead, David Murray, 1996
Riverside Folklore Series, Vol. 2: Singing the American Roots, Various Artists (Rev Gary Davis), 1996
no info The Roots of Rap: Classic Recordings from the 1920's and 30's, Various Artists (Blind Willie Johnson), 1996
no info Live & Kicking, Rev. Gary Davis, 1997
Dark Was the Night: The Essential Recordings, Blind Willie Johnson, 1997
Pickin' On The Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 1997
From Greenwich Village: The Complete Washington Squares, The Washington Squares, 1997
Vanguard Collector's Edition, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1997
no info Generations of Blues, Vol. 3: Guitar Greats, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1997
no info Legendary Blues Singers, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1997
no info Dark Was the Night, Blind Willie Johnson, 1998
no info Gospels & Spirituals, Golden Gate Quartet, 1998
no info The Collection: Their Greatest Hits & Finest Performances, Peter, Paul and Mary, 1998
no info Early Soul Gospel, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 1998
no info Preachers and Congregations, Vol. 7: 1925-1928, Various Artists (Rev. T.E. Weems), 1998
Terrapin, Joe Gallant and Illuminati, 1999
Two Rivers, Ben Murray & Siobhan Quinn, 1999
Friends With You, Side By Side, 19??
no info Live at Cambridge 1971, Rev. Gary Davis, 2000
no info Complete Recorded Works, Vol. 3: 1939, The Golden Gate Quartet, 2000
no info Rev. J.M. Gates, Vol. 5: 1927, Rev. J.M. Gates, 2000
no info Blues Advice, Ernie Hawkins, 2000
no info Carry the Word, Spencer Bohren, 2000
no info Division Street, Devil in a Woodpile, 2000
no info Gospel Singers & Preachers: 1926-1948, Various Artists (Rev T.T.Rose), 2000
no info Amazing Gospel, Various Artists (Blind Willie Johnson), 2001
no info Philadelphia Folk Festival: 40th Anniversary, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 2001
Newport Folk Festival: Best of the Blues 1959-68, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 2001
Cool Blue Rocks: Rock 'N' Roll in the Bluegrass Tradition, Various Artists (Tim O'Brien), 2001
There Is No Eye: Music For Photographs, Various Artists (Rev Gary Davis), 2001
Long Strange Trip: Swingin' and Pickin' on the Grateful Dead, Various Artists, 2001
The Roots Of The Grateful Dead & Jerry Garcia, Various Artists (Leadbelly), 2001
no info Testament: The Complete Slash Recordings (1981-1985), The Blasters, 2002
no info Great Gospel Performance, Golden Gate Quartet, 2002
Vanguard: Roots of Folk, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 2002
If I Had My Way: Early Home Recordings, Reverend Gary Davis, 2003
Heroes of the Blues: The Very Best of, Rev. Gary Davis, 2003
no info Blues Story, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 2003
no info The Singing Waiters: 1947-1948, The Jubalaires, 2004
no info Soul of a Man, Blind Willie Johnson, 2004
no info King of the Guitar Evangelists, Blind Willie Johnson, 2005
no info Yes! Yes!! Yes!!!, Edison Rocket Train, 2005
no info A Summer Song, Chad & Jeremy, 2005
Blind Willie Johnson and the Guitar Evangelists, Various Artists (Blind Willie Johnson), 2005
no info Don't Stop at Half, Jim MacDougall & the Funky Divas of Gospel, 2006
no info Oh Glory, How Happy I Am: The Sacred Songs of Rev. Gary Davis, Andy Cohen, 2006
no info Let Us Get Together, Marie Knight, 2007
Nobody's Fault But Mine, Blind Willie Johnson, 2007
no info 900 Miles, Bethany & Rufus, 2007
no info Now and Forever, Chad & Jeremy, 2007
no info Manchester Free Trade Hall 1964, Reverend Gary Davis, 2008
no info Dixiefrog: 2008 Roots & New, Various Artists (Marie Knight), 2008
Classic African American Gospel, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 2008
no info Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Soundtrack, Various Artists, 2008
no info I'm Gonna Live the Life I Sing About, Danny Kalb, 2009
no info About Time, McNamara & Neeley, 2009
no info Beyond the Headlights, Keith Miles, 2009
Deep South, Bill Leverty, 2009
no info God Don't Never Change, Ashley Cleveland, 2009
no info Live at Gerdes Folk City 1962, Rev. Gary Davis, 2009
Make It Your Sound, Make It Your Scene: Vanguard Records & The 1960s Musical Revolution, Various Artists (Rev. Gary Davis), 2012
A Buck Dancer's Choice, Various Artists, 2013
7/2/15, Chicago, IL, Infamous Stringdusters & Keller Williams, 2015
10/18/2016 Nashville, Phish, 2016
Our Trip Is Short Vol. 2, Your Trip Is Short, 2018
Live At Brooklyn Bowl, Night 3, Grateful Shred, 2020
Shred 420, Grateful Shred, 2021
Live at Belly Up, 12/30/21, Grateful Shred, 2022