Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins had one of the two most distinctive voices in the world of the Blues (the other being Howlin' Wolf's) and I enjoy everything he recorded. But as a guy raised on rock, I find the crisp, clean sound of an electric guitar far more palatable than that of a battered old acoustic. And unfortunately, the vast majority of Lightnin's recordings were made with those flat-top boxes.
My favorite Lightnin' album, It's a Sin to Be Rich, is a live recording from 1972 with an electric guitar. I couldn't find anything from that album on YouTube, but I did find a great version of "Mojo Hand," and a couple of other electrified tunes. The others featured here are cleaner-than-average acoustic recordings.
If you haven't listened closely to Lightnin' before, maybe this will give you enough of a taste of that amazing voice that you'll want to seek out some of the raw, street-corner stuff.
Forgotten Music is a monthly event hosted by Scott Parker. See HIS BLOG for more of this month's music. And think about joining us next month. We want to hear what you've been grooving to.
Mojo Hand
Easy on Your Heels
Rock Me Baby
Come Go With Me/Lightnin's Blues
Cotton
Take a Trip with Me & Last Night Blues
Blues, coffee and a cursed window not staying closed. Great morning indeed ;)
ReplyDeleteGreat choice!
ReplyDeleteMy blues education is sorely lacking.
ReplyDeletea good one, to be sure. Too bad the sound technology wasn't better when he was recording his earlier albums.
ReplyDeleteNice post. Lightnin' is one of my favs. Tough to find good copies of his work on vinyl at a reasonable price these days, but that is a sad truth for blues albums in general - at least in my lily white part of the country.
ReplyDeleteSooo good to hear, thanks. What a great way to end a long, long day.
ReplyDelete