Released November 15, 1978 Genre Jam Label Arista | Recorded 1978 Length 3:46 Writer(s) Robert Hunter | |
"Fire on the Mountain" is a song by the Grateful Dead. It was written by lyricist Robert Hunter and composed by drummer Mickey Hart. It was commercially released on the album Shakedown Street in November 1978. An earlier instrumental version titled "Happiness is Drumming" appeared in 1976 on Mickey Hart's album Diga with the Diga Rhythm Band. The song should not be confused with the Marshall Tucker Band single of the same name.
Prior to the Dead recording, the song premiered at a concert on March 18, 1977 in San Francisco. It would often be paired with "Scarlet Begonias" during live performances, producing lengthy musical excursions. The paired songs were soon nicknamed "Scarlet Fire". One notable performance of the paired "Scarlet Begonias"/"Fire On The Mountain", at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, on May 8, 1977, lasted for a total of 25 minutes and 50 seconds.
"Fire on the Mountain" was performed in concert by the Grateful Dead 253 times between 1977 and 1995. It appears on numerous Grateful Dead albums. An outtake of the song appeared as a bonus track on the 2004 reissue of Terrapin Station.
This song is also featured as downloadable content for the video game Rock Band.