Sam Mitchell on CD

[zimmharpo23]

Hi everyone

Newbie here. I recall either Michael or one of you other guys talking about Sam Mitchell. I remember seeing him as support for John Martyn in about 1978 and he was outstanding, playing his steel Dobro throughout and finishing off his set with a blistering version of ‘Little Wing’.

I don’t have any of his CDs, but checked out ‘The Art Of Bottleneck/Slide Guitar’ on Spotify today. I remember owning a cassette of it in the 80s.

I have 2 questions which I am hoping someone may be able to answer:

1) Can anybody please recommend a specific supplier for obtaining his work on CDs?
2) On the album I just mentioned he plays some slide on a 12-string. Can anyone identify/does anyone know what the model he used was?

Many thanks. I hope to track down one or two of his recordings with a little help from you guys.

Best wishes

Andy

[Michael Messer]

Hello Andy

Welcome to our forum.

Sam was featured on a few compilations that are worth tracking down. These are the solo albums....

Bottleneck/Slide Guitar - Kicking Mule Records - 1975 I think.

Follow You Down - Kicking Mule Records - 1978/79

The Art of Bottleneck/Slide Guitar - Shanachie Records - 1991 (this is the same album as the 1975 one)

Resonating - Taxim Records - 2000 (Sam's last recordings)

Sam died in 2006, he was only 56 years old.

Shine On
Michael

[zimmharpo23]

Hi Michael

Thank you so much for your reply. That’s really good info. I will look out for them. I had a mate in the 80s who collected Kicking Mule LPs, one of them was Sam’s Bottleneck/Slide album.

Sam was pretty excellent and I know you regarded him really highly. Although I gave up looking for his stuff long ago, today, for some reason, I was inspired to check him out on Spotify. It really was a reminder of how versatile slide guitar can be, in the right hands. Wonderful stuff.

56? That’s no age. Without a doubt he’s greatly missed.

Best

Andy

[ken1953clark]

Also an album with Homesick Mac, “ Two Far From Home”

Plus collaborated on a number of Kicking Mule album with Stefan… from memory “The Harmonica according to Charlie Musselwhite”

[zimmharpo23]

Hi guys

Thanks to your advice and knowledge about Sam’s recordings, I have tracked down and purchased a copy of ‘Resonating’ on CD. I am also in the hunt for ‘The Art of Bottleneck/Slide Guitar’ at a reasonable price.

Back to my other question earlier in the thread, can anyone please tell me which other guitars, eg 12-strings etc, Sam was known to use?

Best wishes

Andy

[zimmharpo23]

Hey all

Picked up ‘Resonating’ by Sam, it arrived today. It’s great!

Highly recommended this to anyone.

Andy

[zimmharpo23]

Hi all

The answer to my earlier question about which 12-string Sam uses on The Art Of Bottleneck CD is that he borrowed an old Stella 12-string from Stefan Grossman. It sure sounds fab.

It was on the sleeve notes accompanying the CD which I have just tracked down a copy of.

Really enjoying the album.

Cheers

Andy

[Pickers Ditch]

Still trying to sort out 'Monkey In The Head' - his solo recording on 'Resonating'.

Wonderful track by Sam with superb nods to the masters throughout.