I still have the recording of that evening and it’s not that different. I said “Try this out,” and David Nelson and John Dawson helped by smoothing out some of the rough changes. We were sitting around practicing one night and I had “Friend of the Devil” more or less already written. I was playing bass with the New Riders, although I never did actually get to the stage with them. Robert Hunter spoke on this with with Relix in 1980, during a conversation where he also discussed several of the band’s other noteworthy songs: While “Friend of the Devil” feels like the perfect song for the Grateful Dead, Robert Hunter initially wrote the lyrics with John Dawson of the New Riders of the Purple Sage, with the intention of it being their song. They played different variations of this version until the end, with a few instances of kicking the tempo up a notch, such as in July of 1989, with none other than Brent Mydland on keys. Upon their return to the stage in 1976, the Dead introduced a slowed-down version of “Friend of the Devil”, which gave the song an entirely new character that is more thoughtful and elegant (some fans find these versions boring, however).
Then, they brought it into their electric sets beginning in 1972, still with that blazing hot tempo right up until their hiatus at the end of 1974. The Dead performed “Friend of the Devil” in many different ways over the years, beginning with acoustic performances in 1970, with the same speedy tempo on the studio recording. It remained in regular rotation during all years except 19, right up until its final performance in June of 1995. “Friend of the Devil” first appeared in the band’s live repertoire in March of that year. The tune saw official release on the band’s classic 1970 album American Beauty, along with many other excellent songs including “Ripple” and “Brokedown Palace”. With lyrics by Robert Hunter and John “Marmaduke” Dawson and music by Jerry Garcia, “Friend of the Devil” tells the story of an outlaw on the run in a way that seems to capture the entire ethos of the Grateful Dead. “Friend of the Devil” is a quintessential Grateful Dead song, and one of the most popular songs in their entire discography. Bootleg version of Dick’s Picks Volume 8, Harpur College 1970, Friends of the Devil.
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