Hailing from Liverpool in the mid-1960’s Sam Mitchell grew from humble beginnings. Inspired by his father, Sammy Mitchell, who refused to teach him to play the guitar (despite being a professional Hawaiian/Jazz guitarist himself) Sam Mitchell instead taught himself to play after spending many hours hanging out in the pub ran by his mother! His father was determined that he should “get a proper job instead”, but it was his passion (and, indeed, destiny) to be a musician. This desire secured him not only many jobs with other musicians, but a career in music that would span over decades and eventually he became known as one of England’s finest slide-guitarists!
Growing up in Liverpool in the 1950’s, his guitar playing earned him a profession in music and by 1966 he was playing in folk clubs in Liverpool and, eventually London – where he later moved to. Here, in London he was discovered by Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart after playing in various clubs across the city.
Sam Mitchell’s slide playing on his National Steel guitar became his trademark and he is said to have taught Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits how to play the steel guitar (a National Steel guitar later appeared on the cover of Dire Straits’ Brothers in Arms album)!
His first studio recording was issued on a compilation of folk-blues tracks named Firepoint in 1969 and a year after this release, his fine slide playing featured on Rod Stewarts Gasoline Alley. His fine guitar work can also be heard on Rod Stewarts 1971 Every Picture Tells a Story album where his slide playing serves as the intro to Amazing Grace.
Throughout the 1970’s Sam Mitchell played in various different blues bands, but from 1976 he enlisted his own Sam Mitchell Blues Band and went on to release his first solo album that same year! Though I’m not familiar with any of his other works (yet), I was really rather taken by Laguna Luna the other day after hearing it on the radio. This track featured on his Bottleneck / Slide Guitar album (which I’ve pasted below) and is an absolute dear little track, bursting with a soothing, fresh innocence that nourishes the ears with its feast of vibrant guitar slides. I love its gentle feel!
Check it out above and enjoy the rest of his Bottleneck / Slide Guitar album below!
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