Warren Haynes and Allen Woody were the original leaders of Gov’t Mule. They are well-known to Allman Brothers fans because they played in Southern rock’s most famous native boys. Haynes was appointed the second Duane Allman replacement in 1989. He provided a great foil to Gregg Allman (vocals and guitar) and Dickey Bets (bass), respectively. The duo formed Gov’t Mule five years later. This band was influenced by the Allman Brothers, but it also had the psychedelic, bluesy, power trio feel of Cream. The self-titled album Gov’t Mule was released on Capricorn Records in 1995. It was followed by the concert at Roseland Ballroom. Dose was the studio follow-up. A year later, Live…with a Little Help from Our Friends followed. The complete show was released as a limited-edition four-disc set. In 2000, Life Before Insanity was released as a new studio album. Woody, a vital member of the band, was killed in New York City’s hotel room on August 26, 2000. After preparing for its next album, Gov’t Mule decided to continue the project with guest bassists, including Flea and Bootsy Collins. ATO Records produced the two-volume Deep End series. Mike Gordon, Phish’s bassist, was also involved in the project and filmed the recordings for a documentary. The group embarked on a six-week road trip in support of Deep End, Volume. 1; Oteil burbridge was the bass player for most of these dates. In 2002, the second volume of Live…with a Little Help From Our Friends was released. The Deepest End: Live at Concert CD and DVD were released in 2003. Deja Voodoo was Gov’t Mule’s first studio album since Woody’s passing one year later. He was replaced by Andy Hess as bassist, and Danny Louis as keyboardist. The same lineup was released on High
