Summer tours are always the breeding ground for new Phish material, as the band typically takes a few weeks (or months, in 2016) off to work on new songs. We recently spotlighted two Phish favorites, “Waste” and “Character Zero,” that were debuted in June of 1996, but this Phishtory feature goes back one year further to a little tune called “Prince Caspian.”

While “Caspian” would eventually sail his way onto the late 1996 album release Billy Breathes, the Narnia namesake had some trouble finding his footing in the earliest days. The slower song was a better fit for arena rock than Phish’s complex improvisation, though the band was able to stretch the tune out in later renditions. The first-ever version sounds similar, yet somewhat different from its current form. The false-ending and longer jam sections weren’t added until ’96.

Of course, “Prince Caspian” took on a new life in summer of 2015, during Phish’s Magnaball Festival. It’s interesting how a twenty-year old song can take on such energy while still remaining in regular rotation.

The debut show itself is some classic 1995 Phish, opening with a rare gospel cover called “Don’t You Want To Go?” that hasn’t been performed since the year of 1995. There’s some “Ha Ha Ha,” some “Runaway Jim,” a great “Tweezer -> Lifeboy” in the second half, and many more Phish gems. Fortunately, you can listen to the whole 6/8/95 show below, thanks to fromtheaquarium.

Setlist: Phish at The Delta Center, Salt Lake City, UT – 6/8/95

Set 1: Don’t You Want To Go?, Ha Ha Ha > Runaway Jim > Guelah Papyrus, Mound, Fast Enough for You, Reba[1], Prince Caspian[2], Chalk Dust Torture

Set 2: Simple > Rift > Free > Bouncing Around the Room > Tweezer -> Lifeboy > Poor Heart > Julius

Encore: Good Times Bad Times

[1] No whistling.
[2] Debut.

Teases: Third Stone From the Sun tease in Runaway Jim

Notes: Runaway Jim contained Third Stone from the Sun teases. Reba did not have the whistling ending. This show marked the debut of Prince Caspian. This gig was originally scheduled for the outdoor Wolf Mountain Amphitheatre in Park City; due to a late spring snowstorm, the day before the show took place it was moved to the indoor Delta Center.

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