Lightnin'!

Last updated

Lightnin'!
Lightnin'!.jpg
Studio album by
Lightnin' Hopkins
Released1969
RecordedMay 20, 1969
StudioSierra Sound Laboratories, Berkeley, CA
Genre Blues
Length72:30Original LP
Label Poppy
PYS 60002
Producer Chris Strachwitz
Lightnin' Hopkins chronology
California Mudslide (and Earthquake)
(1969)		Lightnin'!
(1969)		 In the Key of Lightnin'
(2002)
CD Reissue Cover
Lightnin'! CD.jpg

Lightnin'! is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in California in 1969 and released on the Poppy label as a double LP. [1] [2]

Contents

Poppy Records failed to meet the terms of its agreement and, in 1972, Chris Strachwitz released five of the tracks on his Arhoolie label as Lightning Hopkins in Berkeley . In 1977, the album was reissued on Tomato Records and a legal dispute ensued. By 1982, a California court ruled that all rights should revert to Hopkins, and Strachwitz released another eight tracks from the sessions on Arhoolie as Po' Lightnin' in 1983. [3] [4] [5] [6] Finally, in 1993 Arhoolie, through Smithsonian Folkways, reissued the recordings on CD under the original title with some of the song titles slightly corrected.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]
The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings Star full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svgStar empty.svg [8]

At the time of the original release Ralph J. Gleason's Rolling Stone review stated: "This is a twin LP package of twenty tracks by the great blues singer and guitarist and includes many of his older classics, as well as a lot of new material. It is excellently recorded and is one of the best blues packages of the year". [4] AllMusic's Jason Ankeny stated: "Lightnin'!' is a fine introduction to Hopkins' electric blues material". [7] The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings stated: "The programme contains a good deal of familiar stuff, not outstandingly well done". [8]

Track listing

All compositions by Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins except where noted

Original Double LP (1969)

  1. "Hold Up Your Hand" – 3:05
  2. "My Starter Won't Start This Morning" – 3:12
  3. "What'd I Say" (Ray Charles) – 2:44
  4. "One Kind Favor" – 4:25
  5. "Baby Please Don't Go" (Traditional) – 2:55
  6. "Trouble in Mind" (Richard M. Jones) – 3:09
  7. "Annie's Blues" – 2:19
  8. "Baby" – 2:34
  9. "Little and Low" – 3:30
  10. "I Hear You Calling" – 2:00
  11. "Mojo Hand Part 1" – 2:50
  12. "Mojo Hand Part 2" – 2:30
  13. "Have You Ever Had a Woman" – 4:16
  14. "Ain't It Crazy" – 2:27
  15. "Black and Evil" – 3:06
  16. "Rock Me Baby" – 3:27
  17. "Hello Central" – 4:32
  18. "Back Door Friend" – 3:04
  19. "Little Girl, Little Girl" – 6:00
  20. "It's Better Down the Road" – 4:25

CD Reissue (1993)

  1. "Mojo Hand" – 3:00
  2. "Rock Me Baby" – 3:30
  3. "Hello Central" – 4:32
  4. "Ain't It Crazy" – 2:25
  5. "Little and Low" – 3:00
  6. "Hold up Your Head" – 3:05
  7. "Good Times Here, Better Down the Road" – 4:25
  8. "Annie's Boogie" – 2:20
  9. "My Starter Won't Start This Morning" – 3:10
  10. "One Kind Favor" – 4:25
  11. "Little Girl" – 6:00
  12. "Baby Please Don't Go" (Traditional) – 2:55
  13. "What'd I Say" (Charles) – 2:45
  14. "I Hear You Calling Me" – 2:00
  15. "Trouble in Mind" (Jones) – 3:10
  16. "Come on Baby" – 2:35
  17. "At Home Blues" – 3:05 originally released on Texas Blues Man
  18. "Take a Walk" – 2:55 originally released on Texas Blues Man
  19. "Little Antoinette" – 3:35 originally released on Texas Blues Man
  20. "Cut Me Out Baby" – 3:25 originally released on Texas Blues Man

Personnel

Performance

Additional musicians on "Rock Me Baby":

Production

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lightnin' Hopkins</span> American singer-songwriter, pianist, and guitarist (1912–1982)

Samuel John "Lightnin'" Hopkins was an American country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist from Centerville, Texas. In 2010, Rolling Stone magazine ranked him No. 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time.

Arhoolie Records is an American small independent record label that was run by Chris Strachwitz and is based in El Cerrito, California, United States The label was founded by Strachwitz in 1960 as a way for him to record and produce music by previously obscure "down-home blues" artists such as Lightnin' Hopkins, Snooks Eaglin, and Bill Gaither. Strachwitz despised most commercial music as mouse music. Arhoolie still publishes blues and folk music, Tejano music including Lydia Mendoza, Los Alegres de Terán, Flaco Jiménez, regional Mexican music, cajun, zydeco, and bluegrass.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Strachwitz</span> American record label executive (1931–2023)

Christian Alexander Maria Graf Strachwitz von Groß-Zauche und Camminetz was a German-born American record label executive and record producer. He was the founder and president of Arhoolie Records, which he established in 1960 and which became one of the leading labels recording and issuing blues, Cajun, norteño, and other forms of roots music from the United States and elsewhere in the world. Strachwitz despised most commercial music as mouse music.

Frankie Lee Sims was an American singer-songwriter and electric blues guitarist. He released nine singles during his career, one of which, "Lucy Mae Blues" (1953), was a regional hit. Two compilation albums of his work were released posthumously.

<i>Last Night Blues</i> 1961 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins with Sonny Terry

Last Night Blues is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, with Sonny Terry, recorded in 1960 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.

<i>Smokes Like Lightning</i> 1963 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Smokes Like Lightning is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Texas in 1962 and released on the Bluesville label the following year.

<i>Lightnin and Co.</i> 1962 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Lightnin' and Co. is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Texas in 1962 and released on the Bluesville label. The album was reissued in 1981 on Fantasy Records as a double LP compilation titled How Many More Years I Got, with additional tracks from the sessions.

<i>Lightnin Sam Hopkins</i> 1962 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Lightnin' Sam Hopkins is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in California in late 1961 and Texas in early 1962 and released on the Arhoolie label.

<i>Lightnin Hopkins</i> (album) 1959 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Lightnin' Hopkins is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in 1959 and released on the Folkways label. The album was first released around the time that the book The Country Blues came out and was an instant success. It gave Hopkin's career a new lease on life.

<i>Walkin This Road by Myself</i> 1962 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Walkin' This Road by Myself is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Texas and released on the Bluesville label.

<i>Hootin the Blues</i> 1964 live album by Lightnin Hopkins

Hootin' the Blues is a live album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Philadelphia in 1962 and released on the Prestige Folklore label in 1964.

<i>Something Blue</i> (Lightnin Hopkins album) 1967 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Something Blue is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in Los Angeles in 1965 and released on the Verve Folkways label in 1967.

<i>Texas Blues Man</i> 1968 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Texas Blues Man is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded in Texas in late 1967 and released on the Arhoolie label.

<i>Free Form Patterns</i> 1968 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Free Form Patterns is an album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins backed by the rhythm section of the 13th Floor Elevators, recorded in Texas in 1968 and released on the International Artists label.

<i>Lightning Hopkins in Berkeley</i> 1972 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

Lightning Hopkins in Berkeley is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in California in 1969 and originally released on the Arhoolie label in 1972. The original LP featured one side of previously unreleased recordings and the other six track which were originally released on Lightnin'!.

<i>Po Lightnin</i> 1983 compilation album by Lightnin Hopkins

Po' Lightnin' is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in California in 1969 and originally released on the Arhoolie label in 1983.

<i>Live at Newport</i> (Lightnin Hopkins album) 2002 live album by Lightnin Hopkins

Live at Newport is a live album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965. Several tracks were released on three Vanguard Records compilation albums, The Great Blues Men (1971), Great Bluesmen Newport (1977), and Blues with a Feeling (1993), before the complete performance was released on CD in 2002.

<i>In the Key of Lightnin</i> 2002 studio album by Lightnin Hopkins

In the Key of Lightnin' is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded at the sessions that produced Lightnin'! in California in 1969, but not released until 2002 on the Tomato label.

<i>The Swarthmore Concert</i> 1993 live album by Lightnin Hopkins

The Swarthmore Concert, subtitled King of the Blues, is a live album by the blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins, recorded at the Swarthmore College Folk Festival in 1965. It was originally released as part of the seven-CD box set Lightnin' Hopkins: The Complete Prestige/Bluesville Recordings, in 1991, before being reissued on Bluesville as a single CD in 1993.

<i>Lightning Hopkins with His Brothers Joel and John Henry / with Barbara Dane</i> 1966 live album by Lightnin Hopkins, Joel Hopkins, John Henry Hopkins and Barbara Dane

Lightning Hopkins with His Brothers Joel and John Henry / with Barbara Dane is an album by blues musician Lightnin' Hopkins recorded in Texas and California in 1964 and released on the Arhoolie label. The original album was split with one side featuring tracks with Hopkins and His Brothers and the other performances with Barbara Dane. In 1991 through Smithsonian Folkways, Arhoolie released the Hopkins Brothers tracks on CD as The Hopkins Brothers: Joel, Lightning & John Henry with additional unreleased recordings, then in 1994 the tracks with Barbara Dane were released as Sometimes I Believe She Loves Me with unreleased tracks.

References

  1. ↑ Both Sides Now: Poppy Album Discography accessed November 14, 2018
  2. ↑ Discogs: Lightnin'! album details accessed November 14, 2018
  3. ↑ Wirz' American Music: Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins discography accessed November 14, 2018
  4. 1 2 Lightnin'! CD liner notes accessed November 14, 2018
  5. ↑ Discogs: Lightning Hopkins in Berkley album details accessed November 13, 2018
  6. ↑ Discogs: Po' Lightning album details accessed November 13, 2018
  7. 1 2 Ankeny, Jason. Lightnin' Hopkins: Lightnin'! – Review at AllMusic . Retrieved November 14, 2018.
  8. 1 2 Russell, Tony; Smith, Chris (2006). The Penguin Guide to Blues Recordings. London: Penguin. p. 282. ISBN   978-0-140-51384-4.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.