"Mike's Song" is a song by the rock band
Phish
Phish is an American rock band formed in Burlington, Vermont, in 1983. The band consists of guitarist Trey Anastasio, bassist Mike Gordon, drummer Jon Fishman, and keyboardist Page McConnell, all of whom perform vocals, with Anastasio being the ...
. Originally written in 1985, and debuting that year on March 16, the song written and named after bass player/singer
Mike Gordon
Michael Eliot Gordon (born June 3, 1965) is an American bass guitarist and vocalist most recognized as a founding member of the band Phish. In addition to bass, Gordon plays banjo, piano, and guitar. He is a filmmaker ('' Rising Low'', '' Outs ...
has been played a total of 488 times (appearing in 28.26% of all of Phish live shows), the third most played song in Phish history (after "
You Enjoy Myself" and "Possum").
Release
Despite being one of the band's most popular songs it wasn't until 1997–12 years after its debut, that it finally was officially released on a Phish album when a live version from
Hamburg
Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...
, Germany was released on ''
Slip Stitch and Pass''. It has since appeared on numerous live Phish releases including ''
Hampton Comes Alive'', ''
Hampton/Winston-Salem '97'', and ''
Chicago '94''. No studio recording of the song has ever been commercially released.
"Mike's Groove"
"Mike's Song" is the first song in a
series
Series may refer to:
People with the name
* Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series
* George Series (1920–1995), English physicist
Arts, entertainment, and media
Music
* Series, the ordered sets used i ...
of three songs known to Phish fans as "Mike's Groove", which traditionally consists of "Mike's Song" > "
I Am Hydrogen" >
Weekapaug Groove. “I Am Hydrogen” may be replaced with other songs such as “Lawn Boy” on ‘Slip Stitch and Pass’.
References
Further reading
*French B, Cohen J. Live at Madison Square Garden New Year’s Eve 1995. Billboard. 2006;118(1):37. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19361005&site=eds-live&scope=site
*Reece D, Ratliff M. Elektra slips a live set to Phish faithful. (cover story). Billboard. 1997;109(44):1. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=9710310001&site=eds-live&scope=site
*Hendrickson M. Phish. Rolling Stone. 2000;(847):65. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=3444919&site=eds-live&scope=site
*O’Donnell K. At the Roxy. Rolling Stone. 2008;(1066):129. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=35398392&site=eds-live&scope=site
*Hoard C. Viva Phish Vegas. Rolling Stone. 2007;(1040):80. Accessed May 15, 2025. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f6h&AN=27658478&site=eds-live&scope=site
*https://www.jambase.com/article/phish-jon-fishman-least-favorite-song-argent-midnight-special
*https://www.jambase.com/article/phish-tour-2022-dicks-setlist-skinny-night-3-thunderhead
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Phish songs
1985 songs