Though Talking Heads made “Take Me to the River” famous in the rock-and-roll community, it was actually written by the Reverend Al Green. Phish has never performed the song in its entirety but has jammed it in soundchecks (see 4/9/93, which circulates) and three times on stage: its 11/21/95 debut inside of “David Bowie,” 7/10/97 out of a monster “Ghost,” and 7/30/97 within “Wolfman’s.” Each time its performance has been much more aligned with the Talking Heads cover than Green’s original. Given the song’s jam potential and popularity in the fan community, it may only be one jam-fest away from springing up again at a concert near you.

Al Green "Take Me to the River"

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