The band released their debut album, Gov't Mule, in 1995, and have since released an additional nine studio albums, plus numerous EPs and live releases. Gov't Mule has become a staple act at music festivals across North America, with both its members and frequent guests from other notable bands adding various funk and blues rock elements to the band's sound.
In February 2000, the band released Life Before Insanity, to critical praise,[3] and although the band had already experienced previous successes, they anticipated a greater commercial success with this album. Unfortunately, Allen Woody was found dead in New York City on August 26 of that year.[4] On September 21, 2000, a benefit concert was organized called "One for Woody",[5] with the proceeds going to Woody's daughter, Savannah Woody, intended for her education. The Allman Brothers, the Black Crowes, Phil Lesh and Friends, Jimmy Herring, Edwin McCain and several more of Woody's friends also performed at the concert. Haynes and Abts continued to do limited touring in the Fall of 2000 supporting Ben Harper and the Innocent Criminals as an homage to Woody. Their subsequent "Smile at Half Mast Tour" that followed was named in reference to a poem Haynes wrote for Woody's funeral.
At the "One for Woody" performance and subsequently at other shows, Haynes began appearing with the Allman Brothers Band again. With Dickey Betts' departure from the Allmans, Haynes came back full-time to the band at the beginning of 2001 and has continued splitting his time between the Allman Brothers, Gov't Mule and for a period Phil Lesh and Friends and other re-formed Grateful Dead bands.
The first CD with Louis and Hess, Deja Voodoo, was released in September 2004. The album won the Jammy award for Best Album and was the last studio album involving Michael Barbiero as producer and engineer. Additional material from those sessions was released in 2005 as Mo' Voodoo. The new lineup's second full release, High & Mighty, was released on August 22, 2006, and it was followed in 2007 by a dub/reggae album called Mighty High – including versions of covers and original songs with special guest appearances by Michael Franti, Toots Hibbert, and Willi Williams.
Gov't Mule continues to tour extensively and has become a staple act at many music festivals including Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, Mountain Jam, Vegoose, All Good, and their annual New Orleans Jazzfest night show, where they filmed and recorded the last show of the Deepest End tours, with 17 guest musicians in a six-hour show.
Every year since 1989, Warren Haynes hosts the Annual Christmas Jam in his hometown of Asheville, North Carolina.[9] The concert usually takes place the first weekend in December at the Asheville Civic Center, as a fundraiser for Habitat For Humanity. Many artists who play at the Christmas Jam also perform separate gigs in various Asheville clubs, usually the day before the Jam proper. The Pre-Jam, as it is called, features many of the same artists, in smaller clubs. The 19th edition of the Jam took place on December 15, 2007[10] with performances by Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Shelly Colvin, Jason Isbell, Jackson Browne, G. Love, Bruce Hornsby, Peter Frampton, and others. Gov't Mule headlined.
On June 28, 2008, while keyboardist Danny Louis was drafted by Cheap Trick[11] to revisit Sgt. Pepper at the Hollywood Bowl, Gov't Mule performed as a power trio[12] for the first time since 2000, this time with its regular bassist Andy Hess. The band titled their set "Old School Mule" and ran through some of their older songs such as "Wandering Child" and "Thorazine Shuffle".
On September 15, 2008, Haynes' wife, Stefani Scamardo [13] announced on her Sirius radio show[14] that Andy Hess would be leaving the band and a new bassist would be in place for the fall tour. Hess was subsequently replaced by Jorgen Carlsson,[15] who had been rehearsing with the band for six months.
On August 17, 2009, it was announced on the band's official website that Gov't Mule's eighth studio album, By a Thread,[16] would be released on October 27, 2009.[17] On the same date, the first track of the new album, "Broke Down on the Brazos", featuring Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, was made available for listening on the website.[18]
On October 31, 2009, Gov't Mule gave a special Halloween concert at the Tower Theater outside Philadelphia. From the Gov't Mule web site: "Following in the tradition of 2007's Holy Haunted House and last year's Pink Floyd spectacular, the band, once again, has something very special planned for the occasion."[19] This third in their series of Halloween shows featured a first set of over two hours, composed entirely of Rolling Stones covers. Previous sold-out shows had featured covers of Led Zeppelin's Houses of the Holy and an assortment of Pink Floyd compositions.
In October 2010, Gov't Mule celebrated Halloween at the Fox Theater in Oakland, California. Warren Haynes and company used their first set to cover the Who's album Who's Next in its entirety.
Except for its regular festival appearances, the band was mostly on hiatus during the early part of the decade while band members pursued other projects, particularly Haynes and his Warren Haynes Band. In the summer of 2013, the band gave details on their album Shout!, their first studio album in four years and their first release on Blue Note Records, which was released on September 24 of that year. In what Haynes contends is a first, the album included a bonus disc consisting of covers of the album's tracks by artists including Elvis Costello, Dr. John, Grace Potter and Steve Winwood.[21]
The following year, they performed at the Beacon Theatre again with Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge. They performed 18 classic AC/DC songs in a second set with Kennedy on vocals for the New Year's Eve "Back at the Beacon" show.[23]
Recent years
On June 9, 2017, Gov't Mule released their tenth studio album Revolution Come... Revolution Go on Fantasy Records. Following the Rolling Stone premiere of "Stone Cold Rage", "Sarah, Surrender" was premiered exclusively at KBCO, and the album launched for pre-orders on April 12. When talking about "Stone Cold Rage", Haynes points out that the song represents "the divide that's going on in our country right now." He explains that "even though it was written before the election, it was written knowing that whichever way the results went, we were going to have close to fifty percent of the nation very angry. Musically, it's an aggressive up-tempo rock song that reflects the anger of the lyrics, but with a sense of sarcasm and humor."[24]
Peace... Like a River followed in 2023.[26] Days prior to the release, Jorgen Carlsson announced he was departing the band, to be replaced on tour by Kevin Scott.[27]
Following is a listing of Gov't Mule's major releases. Nearly every concert that Gov't Mule plays is recorded and sold online in both high- and low-resolution MP3 format, and in the lossless FLAC format.[28]
"—" denotes albums that were released but did not chart.
Related Research Articles
The Allman Brothers Band were an American rock band formed in Jacksonville, Florida in 1969 by brothers Duane Allman and Gregg Allman, as well as Dickey Betts, Berry Oakley (bass), Butch Trucks (drums), and Jai Johanny "Jaimoe" Johanson (drums). Subsequently, based in Macon, Georgia, they incorporated elements of blues, jazz and country music and their live shows featured jam band-style improvisation and instrumentals.
Déjà Voodoo is the sixth studio album by southern rock jam band Gov't Mule. The album was released on September 14, 2004, by ATO Records. It was the first Gov't Mule album to feature Andy Hess as a member, and the first studio album to feature Danny Louis as a member. It was also the first album that Gov't Mule did not play live before its release. The title is a reference to the band's belief that it rocks just like it used to before the death of former bassist Allen Woody.
Gov't Mule is the self-titled debut studio album by southern rock jam band Gov't Mule. The album was produced and mostly recorded live by Michael Barbiero at Bearsville Sound Studios with many tracks running into each other. "Mule" is still a concert favorite, and "Rockin' Horse" was later recorded by The Allman Brothers Band when Warren Haynes rejoined the group for the album Hittin' the Note.
Dose is the second studio album by American rock band Gov't Mule. It was released on February 24, 1998, by Capricorn Records and by Evil Teen Records. It was produced, recorded and mixed by Michael Barbiero and is a much darker record than Gov't Mule's self-titled debut album. The songs "Thelonius Beck" and "Birth of the Mule" were tributes to jazz musicians Thelonious Monk and Miles Davis, respectively, whereas the subtitle "Beck" refers to Jeff Beck, who also recorded a song named "Thelonius".
Life Before Insanity is the third studio album by Gov't Mule. The album was released on February 15, 2000, by Capricorn Records.
The Deep End, Volume 1 is the fourth studio album by American rock band Gov't Mule. It was released on October 23, 2001, by ATO Records and Evangeline Records.
The Deepest End, Live in Concert is a two-CD live album and DVD video by American southern rock band Gov't Mule, released on October 7, 2003. It was recorded in New Orleans on May 3, 2003.
Forrest Richard Betts is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and composer best known as a founding member of the Allman Brothers Band.
Warren Haynes is an American musician, singer and songwriter. He is best known for his work as longtime guitarist with the Allman Brothers Band and as founding member of the jam band Gov't Mule. Early in his career he was a guitarist for David Allan Coe and The Dickey Betts Band. Haynes also is known for his associations with the surviving members of the Grateful Dead, including touring with Phil Lesh and Friends and the Dead. In addition, Haynes founded and manages Evil Teen Records.
Douglas Allen Woody was an American bass guitarist best known for his eight-year tenure in the Allman Brothers Band and as a co-founder of Gov't Mule.
Ronald Edward Holloway is an American tenor saxophonist. He is listed in the Biographical Encyclopedia of Jazz where veteran jazz critic Ira Gitler described Holloway as a "Hard bear-down-hard-bopper who can blow authentic R&B and croon a ballad with warm, blue feeling."
Matt Abts is an American drummer, best known as one of the founding members of the rock band Gov't Mule.
"Soulshine" is a song written by American musician Warren Haynes and originally recorded by Larry McCray on his 1993 album, Delta Hurricane. It is best known as a recording that The Allman Brothers Band released on their 1994 album, Where It All Begins, featuring Gregg Allman on vocals. The song's title originates from Haynes's nickname, given by his father.
By a Thread is the ninth studio album by American Southern rock jam band Gov't Mule. The album was released on October 27, 2009, by Evil Teen Records. It is the first album to feature bassist Jorgen Carlsson, who joined the band in 2008, replacing Andy Hess.
Curated and presented by Grammy Award-winning vocalist-songwriter and revered guitarist Warren Haynes, the Christmas Jam is a one-of-a-kind music marathon. Since its inception in 1988, the concert has provided an opportunity for the performing artists, audience and the local community to give back during the holiday season. Over the past 18 years, Haynes - an Asheville native - has worked closely with the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity.
Mulennium is a live album by American southern rock band Gov't Mule. It includes all three sets from the band's December 31, 1999/January 1, 2000 New Year's Eve show at the Roxy Theatre in Atlanta, Georgia. The band had headlined the same venue exactly one year before, which resulted in their second live album Live... With a Little Help from Our Friends. Unlike that release, which came out within a year of the actual concert, Mulennium was not released until 2010.
Johnny Neel is an American vocalist, songwriter, and musician based in Nashville, Tennessee. He is best known for his songwriting, stage, and being a member of the Allman Brothers Band and the Dickey Betts Band.
Dan Matrazzo, also known as "Dr. Dan Matrazzo" or simply "Dr. Dan," is an American keyboardist and pianist. He was a member and composer for Grammy winning blues artist Clarence "Gatemouth" Brown. Matrazzo started playing the piano at the age of three in 1962 and performed classical recitals while growing up in Tokyo. His uncle was a well known big band leader and bassist for Japanese TV networks.
Duane Betts is an American guitarist and singer-songwriter. He leads Duane Betts & Palmetto Motel, and is a co-founding member of The Allman Betts Band. He was also a guitarist and singer for Dickey Betts & Great Southern, led by his father, Dickey Betts. He was previously a member of several other groups, including Backbone69, Whitestarr, Brethren of the Coast, Dawes, Jamtown, and Duane Betts & the Pistoleers.
Heavy Load Blues the twelfth studio album is by American band Gov't Mule. It was released on November 12, 2021 by Fantasy Records.
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