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The Grateful Dead Play Motown

The Grateful Dead played around 12 songs during their existence that were originally released by Motown artists or closely associated with Motown. The majority of these songs were only performed on rare occasions by the Grateful Dead. A few of the songs, including Dancing In The Street and How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You), were performed many times by the Grateful Dead or Jerry Garcia. Some of these same songs, and a number of other Motown songs, were performed by various Jerry Garcia bands, Ratdog, The Dead, Phil Lesh & Friends and other groups related to the Grateful Dead.

This page documents 29 Motown songs played by the Grateful Dead of members of the Grateful Dead.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough

Ain't No Mountain High Enough was played at least once by the Jerry Garcia / Merl Saunders group in 1974.

Ain't No Mountain High Enough was originally released on the Tamla label by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell in 1967. The song was also recorded by the Supremes and Temptations together and was a solo hit for Diana Ross in 1970.

More information about the song


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Ain't That Peculiar

Ain't That Peculiar was played once by the Grateful Dead during a soundcheck on 25th June 1993. The song was performed by Bobby & The Midnites in 1983 and 1984 and by Ratdog in 1995.

Ain't That Peculiar, released on the Tamla label, was a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1965.

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All I Need Is Time

All I Need Is Time was performed by Bobby & The Midnites and by Kingfish.

The song was originally released by Gladys Knight & The Pips in 1973 on the Motown label Soul.

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Another Star

Another Star was performed about 12 times by Reconstruction, featuring Jerry Garcia, in 1979.

The song was first released on the Stevie Wonder album Songs In The Key Of life.

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Baby Don't You Do It

Baby Don't You Do It was played by Bob Weir with Tea Leaf Green in 2007 and by Phil Lesh & Friends in 2016.

Baby Don't You Do It was first released on a Marvin Gaye single in 1964 on the Tamla label.

More information about the song


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Boogie On Reggae Woman

Boogie On Reggae Woman was performed about 20 times by the Jerry Garcia/Merl Saunders band and Legion of Mary during 1974 and 1975. A Legion Of Mary performance of the song has been released on the Absolute Mary bonus CD.

Jerry Garcia and Merl Saunders started playing the song shortly after it's release on the Fulfillingness' First Finale album.

More information about the song


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Brick House

Brick House was performed by Bob Weir sitting in with Joan Osborne in 2003.

The song was originally released by The Commodores in 1977 on the Motown label as a single and on an album.

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Come See About Me

Come See About Me was performed by the Keith and Donna Band, on one occasion with Jerry Garcia sitting in.

The song was originally released by The Supremes on the Motown label in 1964.

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Creepin'

Creepin', another Stevie Wonder composition from the Fulfillingness' First Finale album, was performed by Legion Of Mary in 1975.

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Dancing In The Street

Dancing In The Street was performed over 100 times by the Grateful Dead between 1966 and 1987. The song has also been played by Kingfish, The Dead, Ratdog and Phil Lesh & Friends.

Dancing In The Street was a hit for Martha & The Vandellas in 1964. This single was released on the Gordy label.

More information about the song including Grateful Dead recordings


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Devil With The Blue Dress On

Devil With The Blue Dress On was performed a handful of times by the Grateful Dead in 1987.

The original Shorty Long version of the song was released on the Motown subsidiary Soul in 1964.

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Honey Chile

Honey Chile was performed once by the Jerry Garcia/Merl Saunders band in the early 1970's.

The song was first released on a Martha Reeves & The Vandellas single, on the Gordy label, in 1967.

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How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)

How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You) was performed once by the Grateful Dead in March 1972. This performance has been released on Dick's Picks 30. The songs was performed over 400 times by various Jerry Garcia groups between 1972 and 1995.

The original Marvin Gaye version of the song was released on the Tamla label in 1964.

More information about the song including Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia recordings


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The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game

The Hunter Gets Captured By The Game was performed about a dozen times by various Jerry Garcia groups between 1973 and 1993.

The Marvelettes first recorded this Smokey Robinson song on the Tamla label in 1966.

More information about the song including Jerry Garcia recordings.


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I Second That Emotion

I Second That Emotion was performed a handful of times by the Grateful Dead in April 1971. The song was a regular part of the repertoire of various Jerry Garcia bands between 1973 and 1994 and was played over 200 times.

The original Smokey Robinson & The Miracles version was released on the Tamla label in 1967.

More information about the song including Grateful Dead and Jerry Garcia recordings.


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I Was Made To Love Her

I Was Made To Love Her was performed about 10 times by the Jerry Garcia / Merl Saunders band between 1971 and 1973.

The original Stevie Wonder version of the song was released in 1967.

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I'll Be Doggone

I'll Be Doggone was performed by Bobby & The Midnites.

The song was originally released on the Tamla label and was a hit for Marvin Gaye in 1965.

More information about the song including Bob Weir recordings.


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(I'm A) Road Runner

(I'm A) Road Runner was performed twice by the Grateful Dead in 1986. The song was performed about 70 times by various Jerry Garcia bands between 1973 and 1983.

The song was first released on the Junior Walker and the All Stars album Shotgun in 1965.

More information about the song including Jerry Garcia recordings.


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Love Having You Around

Love Having You Around was performed by Jerry Garcia when sitting in with the Merl Saunders group Aunt Monk on May 9, 1975.

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Money (That's What I Want)

Money (That's What I Want) was performed by Ratdog 1997. The song was possibly played by The Warlocks in 1965.

The song was first recorded by Barrett Strong and released as a single in 1960 on the Tamla label.

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Ngiculela

Ngiculela was performed by the Merl Saunders Band, with Jerry Garcia sitting in, in 1978.

The song was first released on the Stevie Wonder album Songs In The Key Of life.

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Peace And Understanding (Is Hard To Find)

Peace And Understanding (Is Hard To Find) was performed by Bob Weir with Kingfish in the 1970's.

The song was originally released on the Motown subsidiary Soul label by Junior Walker & The All-Stars in 1973.

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Shake And Fingerpop

Shake And Fingerpop was performed by Bob Weir with Kingfish and appears on the Live 'N' Kickin album.

The song was originally released on the Motown subsidiary Soul label and was a minor hit for Junior Walker & The All-Stars in 1965.

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Shakey Ground

Since I Lost My Baby was performed by performed by Further, Bob Weir solo, Ratdog and Dead & Company.

The song was first released on an album and a single by the Temptations in early 1975.

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Shop Around

Shop Around was performed by Bob Weir with Kingfish.

The song was originally released by The Miracles on the Tamla label in 1960 and was the first Million selling Motown release.

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Since I Lost My Baby

Since I Lost My Baby was performed by Legion of Mary in 1975 and appears on the The Jerry Garcia Collection, Vol. 1: Legion of Mary album.

The Temptations first released this Smokey Robinson song on the Gordy label in 1965.

More information about the song


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The Tears Of A Clown

The Tears Of A Clown was performed by Phil Lesh & Friends.

The song was first released on the Smokey Robinson & The Miracles album Make It Happen in 1967. The song was not released as a single until 1970.


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The Way You Do The Things You Do

The Way You Do The Things You Do was performed about 150 times by the Jerry Garcia Band between 1976 and 1995.

The song was first released by the Temptations on the Gordy label in 1964.

More information about the song including Jerry Garcia recordings.


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What's Going On

What's Going On was performed once by the Grateful Dead, with Daryl Hall and John Oates, at the Benefit for Rainforests on 24th September 1988.

The original Marvin Gaye version of the song was first released on a single and on the What's Going On album in 1971.

More information about the song


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Last updated October 2022