The Stumble


"The Stumble" is a blues guitar instrumental composed and recorded by American blues artist Freddie King, for his 1961 album Hide Away and [Dance Away">Hide Away (instrumental)">Hide Away and [Dance Away with Freddy King]. It is considered a blues classic and follows in a string of popular instrumentals recorded by King in the early 1960s, including "Hide Away", "San-Ho-Zay", and "Sen-Sa-Shun".
King uses a melodic guitar line and a chord progression that differs somewhat from that of the typical I–IV–V 12-bar format, such as starting on the IV chord and a vi–ii–V–I turnaround. In comparison to the more widely-known "Hide Away", music writer Dave Ruben describes it as "a virtuosic recording, with only 'Remington Ride' hot on its tail in the chops-required department". "The Stumble", along with several other of King's most well-known instrumentals, is included on Rhino Entertainment's Hide Away: The Best of Freddy King.
As perhaps King's second most popular instrumental, "The Stumble" has been recorded by many artists. Rubin notes recordings by: