Kicking Mule Records was an American independent record label, founded in Berkeley, California in 1971 by guitarist Stefan Grossman and Eugene "ED" Denson, formerly co-owner of Takoma Records. The company's name comes from the country blues sexual two-timing allegory "there's another mule kicking in your stall".
Kicking Mule Records | |
---|---|
Parent company | Concord Music Group Ace Records (UK) |
Founded | 1972 |
Founder | Stefan Grossman ED Denson |
Defunct | 2004 |
Status | Defunct |
Distributor(s) | Concord |
Genre | Country blues, fingerstyle guitar, old-time, bluegrass |
Country of origin | U.S. |
Location | Beverly Hills, California |
During the 1970s, the company did much to popularize solo fingerpicking guitar, expanding the style with recordings of Scott Joplin rags, Beatles hits, big band tunes, and Turlough Carolan harp tunes. The label also released several similarly-styled banjo records.
In the 1980s, Grossman left the label and Denson branched out to include many dulcimer releases as well as recordings by Charlie Musselwhite and Michael Bloomfield. In the early 1990s, Fantasy Records bought both Takoma and Kicking Mule from Denson and soon began to re-release selected LPs on CD. In 2004, all of Fantasy's labels were purchased by Concord Records which was renamed them as the Concord Music Group. A few of the Kicking Mule titles were reissued by Intersound, and a few others were retained by Grossman and reissued by Shanachie Records.
Kicking Mule is handled by Ace Records.[1]
Catalog
edit100 series - fingerpicking guitar
editNo. | Artist(s) | Title | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
101 | Reverend Gary Davis | Children of Zion: Rev. Gary Davis in Concert | 1974 (rec. 1966) | guitar & vocals[2] |
102 | Stefan Grossman | Yazoo Basin Boogie | 1974 (rec. 1970) | guitar solos[3] |
103 | Bob Hadley | Tunes from the Well | 1976 | guitar solos[4] |
104 | Roy Bookbinder, Reverend Gary Davis, Stefan Grossman, Woody Mann, Larry Sandberg | Some People Who Play Guitar... Like A Lotta People Don't! | 1974 | guitar & vocals |
105 | Stefan Grossman | Acoustic Music for the Body and Soul | 1974 (rec. 1969) | guitar & vocals[5] |
106 | Reverend Gary Davis | Ragtime Guitar | 1974 (rec. 1962-70) | guitar solos[6] |
107 | Tom Gilfellon, Tony Marcus, Woody Mann, Dale Miller, Dave Laibman, Eric Schoenberg, Leo Wijnkamp | Contemporary Ragtime Guitar | 1974 | solos[7] |
108 | Art Rosenbaum | Five String Banjo | 1974 (rec. 1973) | later moved to KM 208 |
108 | John James | Live In Concert | 1978 | Kicking Mule re-used #KM 108 |
109 | Stefan Grossman, Aurora Block | How To Play The Blues Guitar | 1979 (rec. 1966) | |
110 | Happy Traum | Relax Your Mind | 1975 | guitar & vocals[8] |
111 | Nick Katzman & Ruby Green | Mississippi River Bottom Blues | 1975 | guitar & vocals |
112 | Stefan Grossman | Fingerpicking Guitar Techniques | 1974 | guitar |
113 | Bob Hadley | The Raven | 1975 (rec. 1973) | guitar solos |
114 | Ton Van Bergeyk | Famous Ragtime Guitar Solos | 1975 (rec. 1974) | guitar solos[9] |
115 | Stefan Grossman & Ton Van Bergeyk | How To Play Ragtime Guitar | 1975 | guitar solos |
116 | Peter Finger | Bottleneck Guitar Solos | 1973 | guitar solos (performed on homemade guitars) |
117 | Leo Wijnkamp | Rags to Riches | 1975 | guitar solos |
118 | Stefan Grossman | Memphis Jellyroll | 1974 | guitar solos |
119 | David Cohen | How To Play Folk Guitar | 1976 | guitar & vocals |
120 | Dave Evans | Sad Pig Dance | 1974 | guitar solos[10] |
121 | Stefan Grossman | Bottleneck Serenade | 1975 | guitar solos[11] |
122 | Bob Evans, Jim McLennan, Ton Van Bergeyk, Dick Fegy, Dave Laibman, Tim Nicolai | The Entertainer - Scott Joplin Rags | 1975 | guitar |
123 | Dale Miller | Finger Picking Rags & Other Delights | 1975 | guitar solos |
124 | Duck Baker | There's Something for Everyone in America | 1975 | guitar & vocals |
125 | Ton Van Bergeyk | Guitar Instrumentals to Tickle Your Fingers | 1975 | guitar solos |
126 | George Gritzbach | Have You Had Your Gritz Today? | 1976 | guitar & vocals[12] |
127 | Bob Evans, Jim McLennan, Ton Van Bergeyk, Dick Fegy, Dave Laibman, Tim Nicolai, Lasse Johansson, Claes Palmqvist | Novelty Guitar Instrumentals | 1976 | guitar solos |
128 | Eric Schoenberg, Rick Maedler, Eric Park, Dave Auer, Flip Breskin, Julie Sakahara, Cliff Perry, Molly & James Mason, Jack Hansen, Peter Schwimmer | The Puget Sound Guitar Workshop | 1977 | guitar solos |
129 | Sam Mitchell | Bottleneck/Slide guitar | 1976 | guitar solos |
130 | Lasse Johansson & Claes Palmqvist | Ragtime Guitar Duets | 1977 | guitar duets |
131 | Stefan Grossman & His Feet | Hot Dogs! | 1972 | guitars, vocals, tuba, bass, etc. |
132 | Ton Van Bergeyk, Dale Miller, John James, Sam Mitchell | I Got Rhythm | 1976 | guitar solos |
133 | Woody Harris | After Dinner Mints | 1977 | guitar instrumentals |
134 | Dave Evans | Take A Bite Out Of Life | 1976 | guitar solos |
135 | Duck Baker | When You Wore A Tulip | 1977 | guitar solos |
136 | Bob Baxter | Fingerpickin' Blues | 1977 | guitar solos |
137 | Dale Miller | Guitarist's Choice | 1977 | guitar solos |
138 | Davey Graham | The Complete Guitarist | 1978 | guitar & vocals |
139 | Greg Brown | Serious Men Are Running Our World | 1978 | |
139 | Gill Burns, Wendy Grossman, Margo Random, Janet Smith, Lynn Clayton | Women's Guitar Workshop | 1978 | |
140 | Mickey Baker & The Alex Sanders Funk Time Band | Jazz Rock Guitar | 1978 | |
141 | Duck Baker, Davey Graham, Mike Cooper, Sam Mitchell, Tom Paley | Blues Guitar Workshop | 1979 | |
142 | Mickey Baker | Blues and Jazz Guitar | 1977 | |
143 | John James | Descriptive Guitar Instrumentals | 1977 | guitar solos |
144 | Duck Baker | The King of Bongo Bong | 1977 | guitar solos |
145 | Stefan Grossman, Jo Ann Kelly, Son House, Mike Cooper, Sam Mitchell, Paul Rowan | Country Blues Guitar Festival | 1979 | guitar & vocals |
146 | Lasse Johansson, Claes Palmqvist, Tim Nicolai, Ton Van Bergeyk, Duck Baker | Masters of the Ragtime Guitar: Echoes from the Snowball Club | 1977 | guitar solos/duets |
147 | Duck Baker, Lasse Johansson, Claes Palmqvist, Ton Engels, John James, Tim Nicolai | Advanced Fingerpicking Guitar Techniques: School of Ragtime (10 Classic Rags for Guitar by Scott Joplin) | 1977 | guitar solos/duets |
148 | Art Thieme | Songs of the Heartland | 1980 | guitar solos |
149 | Peter Finger | Acoustic Rock Guitar: The Elf King | 1978 | guitar solos |
150 | Art Thieme | Outright Bold-Faced Lies | 1978 | guitar solos |
151 | Stefan Grossman, JoAnn Kelly, Sam Mitchell, Mike Cooper | How To Play The Blues Guitar, Vol. 2 | 1979 | guitar & vocals |
152 | Stefan Grossman & John Renbourn | Stefan Grossman & John Renbourn | 1977 | guitar duets |
153 | David Bennett Cohen | Rock n' Roll Guitar | 1977 | guitar solos |
154 | Duck Baker, Dave Evans, Leo Wijnkamp Jr., Jim MacLennan | Contemporary Guitar Workshop | 1977 | guitar solos |
155 | Dale Miller | Fingers, Don't Fail Me Now | 1980 | guitar solos |
156 | Duck Baker | The Art of Fingerstyle Jazz Guitar | 1980 | guitar solos |
157 | Davey Graham, Duck Baker, Dave Evans & Dan Ar Bras | Irish Reels, Jigs, Hornpipes & Airs | 1980 (rec. 1975) | |
158 | Bob Hadley, Arvid Smith, Stephen Connolly, Woody Harris | A Tribute to John Fahey | 1979 | guitar solos |
159 | Woody Harris | Show of Hands | 1979 | guitar solos |
160 | Leo Wijnkamp Jr. | The Return of Dr. Hackenbush | 1980 | guitar solos |
161 | Davey Graham | Dance for Two People | 1980 | |
162 | Stefan Grossman & John Renbourn | Under The Volcano | 1979 | guitar duets |
163 | John Renbourn | The Black Balloon | 1979 | guitar solos |
164 | Michael Bloomfield & Woody Harris | Gospel Guitar Duets | 1979 | guitar duets |
165 | Robert Stanton | Guitar Poetry | 1980 | guitar solos |
166 | Michael Bloomfield | The Lost Works | 1980 | guitar solos |
167 | Nick Katzman & Ruby Green | Sparkling Ragtime & Hardbitten Blues | 1980 | guitar & vocals |
168 | Ton Van Bergeyk | Lulu's Back in Town: Hot Guitar Solos | 1980 | guitar solos |
169 | Duck Baker | The Kid on the Mountain | 1980 | guitar solos |
170 | Lasse Johansson | King Porter Stomp: The Music of Jelly Roll Morton Arranged for Guitar | 1980 | guitar |
171 | Stefan Grossman | Thunder on the Run | 1980 | guitar solos |
172 | Bob Hadley | On the Trail of the Questing Beast: Fantasias for Guitar | 1980 | guitar solos |
173 | Bob Brozman | Blue Hula Stomp | 1981 | guitar solos |
174 | Seth Austen | Appalachian Fiddle Tunes for Finger Style Guitar | 1982 | guitar solos |
175 | Chris Proctor | Runoff | 1982 | guitar solos |
176 | Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan | Who Drank My Beer? | 1983 | guitar & harmonica duets |
177 | Dave Van Ronk | Your Basic Dave Van Ronk | 1983 | guitar & vocals |
178 | Sam Weis | Hologram | 1984 | guitar solos |
179 | Catfish Keith | Catfish Blues | 1985 | guitar solos |
180 | Scott Appel | Glassfinger | 1985 | guitar solos |
181 | Seth Austen | Christmas Day in the Morning | 1984 | guitar solos |
182 | Ed Sweeney | Scratching the Surface | 1986 | guitar solos |
183 | Seth Austen | Circles | 1987 | guitar solos |
184 | Andy Drake | Woodwork | 1987 | guitar solos |
185 | Tom Ball | Guitar Music | 1987 | guitar solos |
186 | Brian Wendt | Images for Solo Guitar | 1988 | guitar solos |
187 | Ed Sweeney | Inside Fezziwigs: The Spirit of Christmas Past | 1988 |
200 series - other stringed instruments
edit201 | Tom Paley | Hard Luck Papa: Old Time Picking Styles and Techniques | 1976 | banjo solos |
202 | John Burke accompanied by The Old Hat Band | Fancy Pickin' & Plain Singing | 1977 | banjo & vocals |
203 | Art Rosenbaum | The Art of the Mountain Banjo | 1978 | banjo solos |
204 | Tommy Thompson, Buell Kazee, Ola Belle Reed, John Burke, Dan Gellert, Pat Dunford, Bob Winans, Buzz Fountain, Shorty Ralph Reynolds, Reed Martin | The Old-Time Banjo in America | 1978 | banjo solos |
205 | The Delaware Water Gap | From the Rivers of Babylon to the Land of Jazz | 1978 | string band |
206 | Richard Lieberson & The Central Park Sheiks, Michael Auman, Dick Fegy, Tom Gilfellon, Eric Thompson, David Bromberg | Flatpicking Guitar Festival | 1976 | guitar solos |
207 | Fred Sokolow | Bluegrass Banjo Inventions | 1977 | banjo solos |
208 | Art Rosenbaum | Five String Banjo | 1978 (rec. 1974 | banjo solos, moved from KM108 |
209 | Andy Cahan, Ken Perlman, Henry Sapoznik, Bob Carlin, Dana Loomis | Melodic Clawhammer Banjo | 1976 | banjo solos |
210 | Dan Crary, Dick Fegy, Eric Thompson, Barry Solomon, Steve Kaufman | Flatpicking Guitar Festival, Vol. 2 | 1980 | guitar solos |
211 | Clark Buehling, Steve Moore, Henry Sapoznik | Banjo Gems: Solos, Duets, Trios | 1980 | banjo solos/duets/trios |
212 | Fred Sokolow | Ragtime Banjo Bluegrass Style | 1981 | banjo solos |
213 | Various Artists | Southern Clawhammer Banjo | 1978 | banjo solos |
214 | Dick Weissman | Modern Banjo - Mountain Style | 1979 | banjo solos |
215 | Eric Thompson | Eric Thompson's Bluegrass Guitar | 1979 | guitar |
216 | Various Artists | New England Contra Dance Music | 1978 | various |
217 | Robert Force and Albert d'Ossche | The Art of the Dulcimer | 1980 | mountain dulcimer |
218 | Mark Nelson | The Rights of Man | 1980 | mountain dulcimer |
219 | Janita Baker | Fingerpicking Dulcimer | 1982 | mountain dulcimer |
220 | Bonnie Carol | Fingerdances for Dulcimer | 1980 | mountain dulcimer |
221 | Mark Biggs | Season of the Dream | 1983 | mountain dulcimer |
222 | Neal Hellman | Appalachian Dulcimer Duets | 1981 | mountain dulcimer |
223 | Michael Rugg | Rugg's Celtic Collection for Dulcimer | 1981 | mountain dulcimer |
224 | The New York Banjo Ensemble | Plays Gershwin | 1982 | banjo |
225 | Various Artists | Dulcimer Music for the Christmas Season | 1983 | mountain dulcimer |
226 | Randy Wilkinson | Elizabethan Music for Dulcimer | 1982 | mountain dulcimer |
227 | Lance Frodsham | Dulcimer Songs and Dances of the British Islands | 1983? | mountain dulcimer |
228 | Bonnie Phipps | Autoharpin' | 1982 | autoharp |
300 series - Blues, jazz and miscellaneous
editNo. | Artist(s) | Title | Date | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
301 | Happy Traum | American Stranger | 1978 | guitar & vocals |
302 | Bert Jansch | A Rare Conundrum | 1978 | guitar, vocals & band |
303 | Ralph McTell | Easy | 1978 | guitar, vocals & band |
304 | George Gritzbach | The Sweeper | 1978 | instruments & vocals |
305 | Charlie Musselwhite | The Harmonica According to Charlie Musselwhite | 1978 | Chicago blues |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Kicking Mule". Ace Records. Archived from the original on 2012-03-24. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ Stefan Wirz. "A list of LPs issued by Kicking Mule Records". Wirz.de. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ Koda, Cub. "Yazoo Basin Boogie - Stefan Grossman". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ "Bob Hadley - Tunes From The Well (Vinyl, LP, Album) at Discogs". Discogs.com. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ Kicking Mule insert listing catalog as of 1977
- ^ ""Ragtime Guitar", LP album by Reverend Gary Davis". Reverendgarydavis.com. Archived from the original on 2012-07-14. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ "Contemporary Ragtime Guitar CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 2009-10-20. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ Renner, Chip. "Relax Your Mind - Happy Traum". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ "Keep (it) Swinging: Fingerpicking Wizard Still Kicking". Keepswinging.blogspot.com. 2008-07-01. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ "Time Has Told Me". Time-has-told-me.blogspot.com. 2006-10-07. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ Bush, Nathan. "Bottleneck Serenade - Stefan Grossman". AllMusic. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ "George Gritzbach Band". George Gritzbach Band. Archived from the original on 2013-06-10. Retrieved 2012-04-01.