Death Don't Have no Mercy

wgscott · July 15, 2017

One of the staples in the Grateful Dead canon is Samson and Delilah, which was originally composed by the Rev. Blind Gary Davis. A second-such track from the same album (Harlem Street Singer) is Death Don't Have no Mercy, which the Dead occasionally visited. I saw this performed twice. Once at Shoreline in Mt. View in 1989, and then in 2015 in Santa Clara. It appears at least once in their earlier works, and the new TV mini-series on Amazon begins with an old version and ends with a late version (possibly the 1989 performance). It was quite poignant to hear Bobby Weir perform this (solo) in 2015 at the 50th Ann. concert on Sunday, but I have no recollection of the 1989 version. I found it on So Many Roads and finally purchased that album. Here is a youtube version:

Jerry, Brent and Bobby all participate on this stellar performance. It seemed like they performed it quite frequently toward the end.

wgscott · July 16, 2017

I just tried listening with a Shysteria power cord, and all I can say is "wow!" The difference is not subtle. It was as if, ... let me struggle for the words here ... a veil had been lifted. The clouds parted, angels with trumpets appeared, and Jerry really began to sing. It almost makes Phil sound good.

Ralf11 · July 16, 2017

I'm an advocate of veil lifting

wgscott · July 17, 2017

Islamophobic micro-aggression

Ralf11 · July 17, 2017

you've misconstrued my veiled reference

wgscott · July 17, 2017

You ain't sayin' shi'ite.

Ralf11 · July 17, 2017

it's my sunni disposition

AnotherSpin · July 17, 2017

Death was a constant recurring theme for Dead. I believe they were in a vein of its understanding in accordance with Eastern mystics, who were told one should die while alive and stop dying forever.

christopher3393 · July 17, 2017

Thanks, Bill. I had a vague memory of this song. Turns out it was on Hot Tuna's first album (1970). Evidently, Jorma still likes to play it.

wwaldmanfan · July 17, 2017

Jorma has covered quite a few of Rev. Gary Davis' songs. I think his renditions are the best.

What's interesting is that, unlike David Bromberg, Stephan Grossman, Roy Book Binder, Rory Block, and other white blues artists who all took guitar lessons from Rev. Davis, Jorma never met the man.

Ralf11 · July 17, 2017

12 hours ago, AnotherSpin said:

Death was a constant recurring theme for Dead. I believe they were in a vein of its understanding in accordance with Eastern mystics, who were told one should die while alive and stop dying forever.

IIRC, that came later and the original basis is in the grateful man who was dead in Euro-magical traditions who came back to life and had a favor done for him by someone

Ralf11 · July 17, 2017

4 hours ago, wwaldmanfan said:

Jorma has covered quite a few of Rev. Gary Davis' songs. I think his renditions are the best.

What's interesting is that, unlike David Bromberg, Stephan Grossman, Roy Book Binder, Rory Block, and other white blues artists who all took guitar lessons from Rev. Davis, Jorma never met the man.

any Jorma albums you can suggest re this?

or albums by J&J?

AnotherSpin · July 17, 2017

14 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

IIRC, that came later and the original basis is in the grateful man who was dead in Euro-magical traditions who came back to life and had a favor done for him by someone

Well, this was an explanation by some authors, who wrote about the Dead (for example, I read something like that in Dennis McNally' book). But it was their explanation. I always thought with Dead one may have more than one idea about almost anything..?)

Ralf11 · July 17, 2017

Quite possible...

wwaldmanfan · July 17, 2017

1 hour ago, Ralf11 said:

any Jorma albums you can suggest re this?

or albums by J&J?

The best covers of Rev. Gary Davis songs by Jorma are on two early Hot Tuna Albums, "Hot Tuna", and "Quah".

Davis covers and strong influence aslo found on "Just Dave Van Ronk", "Try Me One More Time" (David Bromberg), "Travelin' Man" (Roy Book Binder), and "I Belong To The Band: A Tribute To Reverend Gary Davis" (Rory Block).

Davis played Piedmont (North Carolina) style blues and gospel. His two essential albums are "Harlem Street Singer", and "A Little More Faith". Some of his contemporaries, who in turn influenced others, included Pink Anderson ("Medicine Show Man"), Mississippi John Hurt ("The Immortal)", Blind Willie McTell ("Atlanta Twelve String"), and Blind Boy Fuller ("East Coast Piedmont Style").