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David Nelson Discography

David Nelson was a founder member of the New Riders Of The Purple Sage and toured with the Dead and NRPS during the early 1970s. During this period he sat in with the Dead on a number of occasions and contributed to three Grateful Dead LPs; Aoxomoxoa, Workingman's Dead and American Beauty. Nelson performed with Garcia in the early 1960s in a variety of bands including the Wildwood Boys and the Black Mountain Boys. He was a member of the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band in 1987.

Nelson left the NRPS in 1982 but continued to perform and record with others including Frank Wakefield, a number of Zydeco bands and the Dead Ringers. In the mid 1990s he released his first recording under his own name and formed the David Nelson Band. In the 2000s he rejoined the New Riders.

Additions, corrections and comments are welcome


Solo or group leader recordings : albums
New Riders Of The Purple Sage : albums/singles/compilations | various artists compilations
Playing on other recordings: albums/singles | various artists compilations

Solo or group leader recordings

info Limited Edition, David Nelson, 1996
info Keeper Of The Key, David Nelson Band, 1997
info Visions Under The Moon, David Nelson Band, 1999
info High Adventure In Japan (Soundtrack CD), David Nelson Band, 1999
info Aloha Nugs, David Nelson & Friends, 2008
info Crystal Bay Live, David Nelson Band, 2010?
info The Wheel: A Musical Celebration of Jerry Garcia, Various Artists, 2011
info Once in a Blue Moon, David Nelson Band, 2014
info Movin' Right Along, David Nelson Band, 2020
info Man Overboard, David Nelson Band, 2020
info Klondike Blues, David Nelson Band, 2020

New Riders Of The Purple Sage: albums/singles/compilations

info New Riders of the Purple Sage, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1971
info Louisiana Lady / Last Lonely Eagle, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1971
info Powerglide, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1972
info Gypsy Cowboy, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1972
info I Don't Know You / Garden Of Eden, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1972
info I Don't Need No Doctor / Runnin' Back To You, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1972
info Dim Lights, Thick Smoke and Loud, Loud Music / Rainbow, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1972
info The Adventures of Panama Red, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1973
no info Groupie / She's No Angel, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1973
info Home, Home on the Road, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1974
no info Panama Red / Cement, Clay and Glass, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1974
info Brujo, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1974
no info You Angel You / Parson Brown, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1974
info Oh, What a Mighty Time, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1975
info New Riders, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1976
no info Fifteen Days Under The Hood / Don't Put Her Down, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1976
no info Dead Flowers / She's Looking Better Every Beer, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1976
info Best of the New Riders of the Purple Sage, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1976
info Who Are Those Guys?, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1977
no info (Just) Another Night In Reno / Home Grown, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1977
no info Love Has Strange Ways / Red Hot Women and Ice Cold Beer, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1977
info Marin County Line, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1978 (1977?)
info Feelin' All Right, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1981
info Night For Making Love / Fly Right, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1981
info Full Moon At Midnight / No Other Love, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1981
info Before Time Began/The Backwards Tapes, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1986
info Vintage NRPS, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1986
info Live on Stage, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1992?
info The Relix Bay Rock Shop, No. 1, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1992
info Relix's Best of the Early NRPS, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1995
info Relix's Best of New NRPS, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1997
info Wasted Tasters, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 1998, Raven
info Take a Red, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 19??
info Gypsy Cowboy/Panama Red, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2000
info The New Riders Of The Purple Sage / Powerglide, The New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2002
info Worcester, MA, 4/4/1973, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2003
info Boston Music Hall, 12/5/1972, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2003
info Veneta, 8/27/1972, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2004
info Home, Home on the Road / Brujo, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2004
info Armadillo World HQ Austin, TX, 6/13/1975, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2005
info Cactus Juice, The New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2006
info Live New Year's Eve 2006, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2007
info Wanted: Live at Turkey Trot, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2007
info Stonybrook, NY 03/17/1973, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2007
info 12/31/77 Winterland, San Francisco, CA, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2009
info Where I Come From, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2009
info Where I Come From: Radio Mixes and Live Bonus, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2009
info Setlist: The Very Best of New Riders of the Purple Sage Live, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2011
info Instant Armadillo Blues: Best of 1971-1975, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2011
info 17 Pine Avenue, New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2012
info Original Album Classics, The New Riders Of The Purple Sage, 2017
info Thanksgiving In New York City, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2019
info Dawn of the New Riders of the Purple Sage, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2020
info Lyceum '72, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2022
info Hempsteader, New Riders of the Purple Sage, 2024

New Riders Of The Purple Sage: on various artist compilations

info Fillmore : The Last Days, Various Artists, 1972
info Music People, Various Artists, 1972?
info Welcome The Rock People, Various Artists, 1972?
info World's Greatest Rock Festival (Reunion '74), Various Artists, 1974
info The Heavyweights, Various Artists, 1975
info Stetson Salutes Country Music: Hats Off To Country, Various Artists, 1981
info Relix Sampler #2, Various Artists, 1989
info Rock Classics of the 70s, Various Artists, 1989
info Rock Classics of the 70s: Vol. 2, Various Artists, 1989
info Songs Of Dylan: As Performed By Fifteen Great Artists, Various Artists, 1989
info Songs Of Bob Dylan (Start label), Various Artists, 1989
info Country Rock, Vol. 1: Freewheelin', Various Artists, 1993
info Relix Sampler (Europe), Various Artists, 1993
info Peaceful Easy Feeling, Various Artists, 1994
info Rebel Rock, Various Artists, 1995
info The Very Best Of Country Rock, Various Artists, 1995
info Greatest Hits of the Seventies, Vol. 1-3, Various Artists, 1995
info Hillbilly Fever, Vol 5 - The Best of Country Rock, Various Artists, 1996
info Heroes of Country Music, Vol. 5, Various Artists, 1996
info The Best Of Country Rock, Various Artists, 1996
info The Relix Bay Rock Shop, No. 9: Tribute To Jerry Garcia, Various Artists, 1997
info Rock The Planet: 70'S Southern Rock, Various Artists, 1997
info Easy Riders, Vol. 3, Various Artists, 1997
info Southern_Nights: Highway Rock, Various Artists, 1998
info Feel The Buzz: Hit Time, Various Artists, 1998
info Made in America, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 1998
info Made in America, Vol. 2, Various Artists, 1998
info Dead Delites, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 1998
info The Country-Rockin' Trust Presents...Hickory Wind, Various Artists, 1998
info Made in America, Vols. 1 & 2, Various Artists, 1999
info Sounds of the Seventies: FM Rock, Vol. 3, Various Artists, 199?
info Dead Delites, Vol. 4, Various Artists, 2000
info Desperado: The Best Of Country Rock, Various Artists, 2002
info Kufala Sampler 5: The Finest In Authorized Bootlegs, Various Artists, 2003
info Music from the Vietnam War Years, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 2004
info Southern Cookin': All Time Greatest Southern Rock Hits, Various Artists, 2006
info Pure... Psychedelic Rock, Various Artists, 2011

Playing on other recordings: albums/singles/compilations

info Aoxomoxoa, Grateful Dead, 1969
info Dupree's Diamond Blues / Cosmic Charlie, Grateful Dead, 1969 (possibly)
info Workingman's Dead, Grateful Dead, 1970
info American Beauty, Grateful Dead, 1970
info Slewfoot, David Rea, 1973
info Skeletons From The Closet, Grateful Dead, 1974 (possibly)
info Pistol Packin' Mama, The Good Old Boys, 1976
info What A Long Strange Trip It's Been, Grateful Dead, 1977 (possibly)
no info Bluegrass, The Good Old Boys, 1978
info End Of The Rainbow, Frank Wakefield, 1980
info Rock Columbia, Robert Hunter, 1986
info A Wing And A Prayer, Matt Kelly, 1987
info Almost Acoustic, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 1988
info Goodbye, The Usual Suspects, 1989
info American Beauty / Workingman's Dead, Grateful Dead, 198?
info Zydeco To Go, Al Rapone, 1990
info Frank Wakefield & Good Old Boys, Frank Wakefield & Good Old Boys, 1992
info She's No Angel, Frank Wakefield & Good Old Boys, 1992
info Dead Ringers, Dead Ringers, 1994
info Blue Morning, Toni Brown, 1996
info Don't Stop The Music (Arrets Pas La Musique), Allen Fontenot & The Country Cajuns, 1997
no info Blues Stay Away From Me, Frank Wakefield, 19??, Takoma
info The Golden Road (1965-1973), Grateful Dead, 2001
info The Very Best Of The Grateful Dead, Grateful Dead, 2003
info Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, NYC, 10/31/87, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band/Jerry Garcia Band, 2004
info Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, The Best Of The Rest, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band/Jerry Garcia Band, 2004
info For Rex : The Black Tie Dye Ball, The Zen Tricksters and Special Guests, 2006
info Eternally Grateful, Grateful Dead, 2007
info Crossing The Line, Bill Cutler, 2008
info Road Trips: Vol 3, Number 3: Fillmore East, 5/15/70, Grateful Dead, 2010
info Songs of the Grateful Dead: A Tribute to Jerry Garcia & Robert Hunter, Jesse McReynolds & Friends, 2010
info Ragged But Right, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 2010
info On Broadway: Act One: Oct 28, 1987, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band / Jerry Garcia Band, 2015
info Get Together: Banana Recalls Youngbloods Classics, Lowell Levinger, 2015
info November 5, 2015, The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, Phil Lesh & Friends, 2015
info November 6, 2015, The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, Phil Lesh & Friends, 2015
info November 7, 2015, The Capitol Theatre, Port Chester, NY, Phil Lesh & Friends, 2015
info Christmas Time's A-Comin', Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 2016
info Folk Time, Hart Valley Drifters, 2016
info Good Old Boys Live: Drink Up And Go Home, Good Old Boys, 2018
info Before The Dead, Jerry Garcia, 2018
info Acoustic on the Eel, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 2019
info Aoxomoxoa (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition), Grateful Dead, 2019
info Family Business, Ronnie Penque, 2019
info The Story Of The Grateful Dead, Grateful Dead, 2020
info Workingmans Dead (50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition), Grateful Dead, 2020
info Workingmans Dead (50th Anniversary LP), Grateful Dead, 2020
info American Beauty 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition, Grateful Dead, 2020
info American Beauty 50th Anniv. Picture Disc LP, Grateful Dead, 2020
info American Beauty 50th Anniv. Colored Vinyl LP, Grateful Dead, 2020
info Ragged But Right (2 LP), Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 2022

With others: on various artist compilations

David Nelson's exact contribution to Aoxomoxoa is not known. Compilations that include material from Aoxomoxoa are included below though it's possible that the tracks on the compilations do not involve him.

His contribution to Workingman's Dead is known - he plays on Cumberland Blues. His contribution to American Beauty is partly known - he plays on Box Of Rain. However American Beauty also credits the New Riders Of The Purple Sage. It's not known if this means that members of NRPS, specifically Nelson, played on any other tracks. For the purposes of the compilations below it is assumed that Nelson played only on the tracks specified on these two albums.

info The 1969 Warner/Reprise Record Show, Various Artists, 1969 (possibly)
info For Dead Heads, Various Artists, 1976
info Bluegrass Suspects, Various Artists, 1990
info Relix's Best Of Truck Driving Songs, Various Artists, 1997
info Dead Delites, Vol. 1, Various Artists, 1998
info Dead Delites, Vol. 2, Various Artists, 1998
info Dead Delites, Vol. 3, Various Artists, 1998
info Sunset Strip To Haight-Ashbury, Various Artists, 2012


New Riders Of The Purple Sage
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Adventures Of Panama Red
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Home Home On The Road
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Brujo
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Pistol Packin' Mama
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Who Are Those Guys?
album cover

Rock Columbia
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Almost Acoustic
album cover

She's No Angel
album cover

Dead Ringers
album cover

Limited Edition
album cover

Keeper Of The Key
album cover

Visions Under The Moon
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Pure Jerry: Lunt Fontanne
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Songs Of The Grateful Dead
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Last updated April 2024