One of umpteen British R&B groups to make a single or two in the mid-1960s,
the Muleskinners' entry was a sole 45 in January 1965, "Back Door Man"/"Need Your Lovin'." "Back Door Man" was a raw cover of the
Howlin' Wolf classic, and "Need Your Lovin'" a competently energetic R&B-rock number that did not offer certain evidence of future greatness.
The Muleskinners' one claim to fame is that
Ian McLagan played with them before joining
the Small Faces; also, singer
Terry Brannan was in
the Roosters, the record-less band that included
Eric Clapton and
Manfred Mann men
Paul Jones and
Tom McGuinness before all of them went on to bigger and better things. Both "Back Door Man" and "Need Your Lovin'" are included on the compilation English Freakbeat Vol. 2.
–
Richie Unterberger, Rovi