Grateful Dead – “Fire On The Mountain” Live
A Great Guitar Riff Will Never Be Forgotten
“Fire on the Mountain” was written by Robert Hunter and composed by Mickey Hart. It was released on November 15, 1978 as part of the album, “Shakedown Street.” Since during concerts and other live performances they would pair this song with “Scarlet Begonias,” the combination was then called “Scarlet Fire.”
The lyrics, according to Robert Hunter in Box of Rain, were “Written at Mickey Hart’s ranch in heated inspiration as the surrounding hills blazed and the fire approached the recording studio where we were working.”
Aside from appearing on several albums, this track has been played for 253 times by the Grateful Dead.
The song’s catchy rhythmic figure is a perfect foil for Garcia’s playful guitar work, as it winds in and out of the beats. The solos between the choruses might find Garcia screaming, dancing, or both simultaneously.
