Scarlet Begonias
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| "Scarlet Begonias" | ||
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| Song by the Grateful Dead | ||
| from the album Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel |
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| Released | June 27, 1974 | |
| Recorded | 1974 | |
| Genre | Folk rock | |
| Length | 4:19 | |
| Label | Grateful Dead Records | |
| Writer(s) | Robert Hunter | |
| Composer(s) | Jerry Garcia | |
| Producer(s) | Grateful Dead | |
| Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel track listing | ||
| "Loose Lucy" (4) |
"Scarlet Begonias" (5) |
"Pride of Cucamonga" (6) |
"Scarlet Begonias" is a song by the Grateful Dead. The lyrics were written by Robert Hunter, and the music was written by guitarist Jerry Garcia.[1] The song first appears on the 1974 release, Grateful Dead from the Mars Hotel. Its live debut came on March 23, 1974 at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California.[1]
When performed live, "Scarlet Begonias" would often be paired with "Fire on the Mountain", resulting in what would be nicknamed "Scarlet Fire".[2] Perhaps the most famous and popular version of "Scarlet Fire" occurred on May 8, 1977 at Cornell University, which features strong, heavy bass playing by Phil Lesh.[citation needed]
On at least a few memorable occasions, the Grateful Dead were accompanied by Donna Godchaux during the performance of this song, lending an earthier feel to the more usually smooth quality of vocal work typical to most of their performances and recordings.
[edit] Covers
The song has been covered many times by a variety of artists. Its most famous covers are by Sublime on their album 40 Oz. to Freedom[3] and Phish. The song has also been covered by Jimmy Buffett on his album License to Chill[4] and by Bruce Hornsby in concert.
[edit] Notes
- ^ a b Dodd, David. The Annotated "Scarlet Begonias" (html). The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ Dodd, David. The Annotated "Fire on the Mountain" (html). The Annotated Grateful Dead Lyrics. Retrieved on 2007-01-31.
- ^ Sublime – 40 Oz. to Freedom. Music reviews. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
- ^ Puterbaugh, Parke (2004). Jimmy Buffet – License to Chill. Music reviews. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-02-03.
[edit] External links
- Dead.net, the official homepage of the Grateful Dead.
