{"title":"Lightnin' Hopkins","description":"\u003cp\u003eSam Hopkins was a Texas country bluesman of the highest caliber whose career began in the 1920s and stretched all the way into the 1980s. Along the way, Hopkins watched the genre change remarkably, but he never appreciably altered his mournful Lone Star sound, which translated onto both acoustic and electric guitar. Hopkins' nimble dexterity made intricate boogie riffs seem easy, and his fascinating penchant for improvising lyrics to fit whatever situation might arise made him a beloved blues troubadour.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHopkins' brothers John Henry and Joel were also talented bluesmen, but it was Sam who became a star. In 1920, he met the legendary Blind Lemon Jefferson at a social function, and even got a chance to play with him. Later, Hopkins served as Jefferson's guide. In his teens, Hopkins began working with another pre-war great, singer Texas Alexander, who was his cousin. A mid-'30s stretch in Houston's County Prison Farm for the young guitarist interrupted their partnership for a time, but when he was freed, Hopkins hooked back up with the older bluesman.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe pair was dishing out their lowdown brand of blues in Houston's Third Ward in 1946 when talent scout Lola Anne Cullum came across them. She had already engineered a pact with Los Angeles-based Aladdin Records for another of her charges, pianist Amos Milburn, and Cullum saw the same sort of opportunity within Hopkins' dusty country blues. Alexander wasn't part of the deal; instead, Cullum paired Hopkins with pianist Wilson \"Thunder\" Smith, sensibly re-christened the guitarist \"Lightnin',\" and presto! Hopkins was very soon an Aladdin recording artist.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\"Katie May,\" cut on November 9, 1946, in L.A. with Smith lending a hand on the 88s, was Lightnin' Hopkins' first regional seller of note. He recorded prolifically for Aladdin in both L.A. and Houston into 1948, scoring a national R\u0026amp;B hit for the firm with his \"Shotgun Blues.\" \"Short Haired Woman,\" \"Abilene,\" and \"Big Mama Jump,\" among many Aladdin gems, were evocative Texas blues rooted in an earlier era.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA load of other labels recorded the wily Hopkins after that, both in a solo context and with a small rhythm section: Modern\/RPM (his uncompromising \"Tim Moore's Farm\" was an R\u0026amp;B hit in 1949); Gold Star (where he hit with \"T-Model Blues\" that same year); Sittin' in With (\"Give Me Central 209\" and \"Coffee Blues\" were national chart entries in 1952) and its Jax subsidiary; the major labels Mercury and Decca; and, in 1954, a remarkable batch of sides for Herald where Hopkins played blistering electric guitar on a series of blasting rockers (\"Lightnin's Boogie,\" \"Lightnin's Special,\" and the amazing \"Hopkins' Sky Hop\") in front of drummer Ben Turner and bassist Donald Cooks (who must have had bleeding fingers, so torrid were some of the tempos).\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut Hopkins' style was apparently too rustic and old-fashioned for the new generation of rock \u0026amp; roll enthusiasts (they should have checked out \"Hopkins' Sky Hop\"). He was back on the Houston scene by 1959, largely forgotten. Fortunately, folklorist Mack McCormick rediscovered the guitarist, who was dusted off and presented as a folk-blues artist; a role that Hopkins was born to play. Pioneering musicologist Sam Charters produced Hopkins in a solo context for Folkways Records that same year, cutting an entire LP, Lightnin' Hopkins, in Hopkins' tiny apartment (on a borrowed guitar). The results helped introduced his music to an entirely new audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eLightnin' Hopkins went from gigging at back-alley gin joints to starring at collegiate coffeehouses, appearing on TV programs, and touring Europe to boot. His once-flagging recording career went right through the roof, with albums for World Pacific; Vee-Jay; Bluesville; Bobby Robinson's Fire label (where he cut his classic \"Mojo Hand\" in 1960); Candid; Arhoolie; Prestige; Verve; and, in 1965, the first of several LPs for Stan Lewis' Shreveport-based Jewel logo.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHopkins generally demanded full payment before he'd deign to sit down and record, and seldom indulged a producer's desire for more than one take of any song. His singular sense of country time befuddled more than a few unseasoned musicians; from the 1960s on, his solo work is usually preferable to band-backed material.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFilmmaker Les Blank captured the Texas troubadour's informal lifestyle most vividly in his acclaimed 1967 documentary, The Blues Accordin' to Lightnin' Hopkins. As one of the last great country bluesmen, Hopkins was a fascinating figure who bridged the gap between rural and urban styles. ~ Bill Dahl, Rovi\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-essential-recordings","title":"Essential Recordings","description":"Includes liner notes by Athan Maroulis.\nLiner Note Author: Athan Maroulis.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: CD\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 1\/1\/1980\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44562217697513,"sku":"53UJT5-1EMI-00","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Lightnin-Hopkins-Essential-Recordings_kbhbM.jpg?v=1758841692"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-complete-aladdin-rec","title":"COMPLETE ALADDIN REC","description":"Personnel includes: Lightnin' Hopkins (vocals, guitar); Wilson \"Thunder\" Smith (vocals, piano).\nRecoded in Los Angeles, California \u0026amp; Houston, Texas in 1946-1948. Includes liner notes by Pete Welding.\nDigitally remastered by Ron McMaster (Capitol Recording Studios, Hollywood,\nCalifornia, September 1991).\nPersonnel: Lightnin' Hopkins (vocals, guitar, piano).\nLiner Note Author: Pete Welding.\nRecording information: Commercial Studios, Houston, TX (11\/09\/1946-02\/25\/1948); Quinn Studio, Houston, TX (11\/09\/1946-02\/25\/1948); Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA (11\/09\/1946-02\/25\/1948); Radio Records, L.A., CA (11\/09\/1946-02\/25\/1948).\nPhotographer: Geoff Spear.\nTHE COMPLETE ALADDIN RECORDINGS collects all 43 of Lightnin' Hopkins' tracks for Aladdin, a Los Angeles-based label that was the first to record the legendary Texas bluesman. One might be amazed at how fully developed Hopkins' art appears here, until one realizes that he was already 35 years old and a fully developed musician in 1947, when the first of these sessions took place. From the very first cut, the now standard \"Katie May,\" Hopkins' confidence and mastery are apparent throughout this essential two-disc set.\nHopkins recorded four sessions for Aladdin, two with a small ensemble and two later sessions as a solo performer. The ensemble recordings, which fill the first half of the first disc, are raw, gritty, and sensual: in other words, rock \u0026amp; roll for adults. \"Short Haired Woman\" and \"Let Me Play With Your Poodle\" are among the highlights. The latter portion of this set features Hopkins alone, a setting that shows off both his guitar prowess and his haunting vocals. \"Shotgun\" and \"Abeline\" are among the R\u0026amp;B hits recorded at these sessions. This set is a must for blues devotees. Newcomers to the genre might prefer MOJO HAND, a career retrospective on Rhino Records.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: CD\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 10\/6\/1998\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44562404409577,"sku":"78APT0-PAWI-00","price":18.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Lightnin-Hopkins-COMPLETE-ALADDIN-REC_DNfw4_c6de5b25-3f2d-41e9-9770-2b4523c2bba9.jpg?v=1758932006"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-hello-central-the-best-of","title":"HELLO CENTRAL: THE BEST OF","description":"Personnel: Lightnin' Hopkins (vocals, guitar); Donald Cooks (bass instrument).\nLiner Note Author: Bill Dahl.\nSam \"Lightnin'\" Hopkins (1912-1982) was a pivotal figure in the evolution of blues--along with John Lee Hooker and a few others, he was a link between acoustic country blues and electrified urban blues styles. Hopkins played electric guitar (though later in his career, during the 1960s folk boom, he'd return to the acoustic) in an improvisational manner, not restricted to the usual 12-bar structure (making it notoriously difficult for most musicians to accompany him). He had a spacious, always-midnight guitar sound that could lunge and bite like a coiled snake, and his voice was an unpolished stray-cat yowl that could be wise, ominous, and\/or joyous.\nHELLO CENTRAL collects songs, either solo or accompanied by a bassist, recorded in Houston and New York in 1950 and '51, and previously released on the Mainstream label. These recordings capture Hopkins at a peak period, a set of rough gems that anticipates both R\u0026amp;B and rock \u0026amp; roll (the rollicking \"Tap Dance Boogie\") and conveys the lonesome moan of despair (the baleful \"Broken Hearted Blues\" and the stark, dissonant \"Freight Train Blues\"). A fine introduction for neophytes, HELLO CENTRAL is a must for Hopkins fans.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: CD\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 02\/01\/2008\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44562561728745,"sku":"2IVNSA-6ZTZ-00","price":14.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Lightnin-Hopkins-HELLO-CENTRAL-THE-BEST-OF_BEUzV.jpg?v=1759399398"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-blues-in-my-bottle","title":"BLUES IN MY BOTTLE","description":"\u003cp\u003eBLUES IN MY BOTTLE is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Lightnin' Hopkins\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 3\/26\/1990\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44584397013225,"sku":"O76XBT-YCAY-00","price":27.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-blues-in-my-bottle_kP9oN.jpg?v=1749737589"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-lightnin-in-new-york-180-gram-vinyl-remastered","title":"Lightnin' in New York (180 Gram Vinyl, Remastered)","description":"TracksCredits\r\n1 Take It Easy\r\n2 Mighty Crazy\r\n3 Your Own Fault, Baby, to Treat Me the Way You Do\r\n4 The Trouble Blues\r\n5 Lightnin's Piano Boogie\r\n6 Wonder Why\r\n7 Mister Charlie\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eHandling Note: **Please allow an additional 72 hours for this item's shipment.**\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat Detail: LP\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInternal ID: JITRE\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 09\/23\/2022\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44584536277225,"sku":"HMK6K1-3W62-00","price":33.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-lightnin-in-new-york-180-gram-vinyl-remastered_ZXUVm.jpg?v=1747126802"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-lightnin-hopkins","title":"Lightnin? Hopkins","description":"Solo Performer: Lightnin' Hopkins (vocals, guitar).\nReissue producer: Matt Walters.\nRecorded in Houston, Texas on January 16, 1959. Originally released in 1959 on Folkways (FS3822). Includes liner notes by Sam Charters.\nWhen folklorist Sam Charters tracked down Lightnin' Hopkins in Houston in 1959, the blues musician was discouraged enough about his music career to have pawned his guitar. Over the previous dozen years, Hopkins had recorded for numerous small labels, creating great music and occasionally hitting the charts. But his raw blues had recently fallen out of fashion. Charters bailed the guitar out of hock and bought the bluesman a bottle of gin. The pair then proceeded to Hopkins' dingy hotel room to record the album that revitalized Hopkins' career, establishing the Texas bluesman as a darling of the 60's folk circuit.\nIn retrospect, it's easy to see how Hopkins caught on with '60s folk audiences. He had the pedigree--as a child, he led Blind Lemon Jefferson around the streets of Houston. Hopkins had a complex personality. As a singer, the bluesman manages to project charm and orneriness simultaneously. His fluid guitar style is both exquisitely musical and technically impressive, while his facility for improvising lyrics undoubtedly delighted many audiences. For both its historical significance and the quality of the music it contains, LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS is a necessity for any serious blues fan.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 02\/24\/2017\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin? Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44584826339561,"sku":"G7EGM6-20X0-00","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-lightnin-hopkins_qm19m.jpg?v=1742360683"},{"product_id":"lightning-hopkins-texas-blues-man","title":"TEXAS BLUES MAN","description":"\u003cp\u003eTEXAS BLUES MAN is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Lightning Hopkins\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 07\/15\/2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightning Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44585039266025,"sku":"T2MVQX-F1J4-00","price":28.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightning-hopkins-texas-blues-man_GtEjJ.jpg?v=1758943331"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-blues-in-my-bottle-import","title":"Blues In My Bottle [Import]","description":"\u003cp\u003eBlues In My Bottle [Import] is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Lightnin' Hopkins\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 03\/23\/2018\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44585056338153,"sku":"BZ5EIB-RAP2-00","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Lightnin-Hopkins-Blues-In-My-Bottle-Import_7KNnB.jpg?v=1740186619"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-lightnin-hopkins-1","title":"Lightnin' Hopkins","description":"Solo Performer: Lightnin' Hopkins (vocals, guitar).\nReissue producer: Matt Walters.\nRecorded in Houston, Texas on January 16, 1959. Originally released in 1959 on Folkways (FS3822). Includes liner notes by Sam Charters.\nWhen folklorist Sam Charters tracked down Lightnin' Hopkins in Houston in 1959, the blues musician was discouraged enough about his music career to have pawned his guitar. Over the previous dozen years, Hopkins had recorded for numerous small labels, creating great music and occasionally hitting the charts. But his raw blues had recently fallen out of fashion. Charters bailed the guitar out of hock and bought the bluesman a bottle of gin. The pair then proceeded to Hopkins' dingy hotel room to record the album that revitalized Hopkins' career, establishing the Texas bluesman as a darling of the 60's folk circuit.\nIn retrospect, it's easy to see how Hopkins caught on with '60s folk audiences. He had the pedigree--as a child, he led Blind Lemon Jefferson around the streets of Houston. Hopkins had a complex personality. As a singer, the bluesman manages to project charm and orneriness simultaneously. His fluid guitar style is both exquisitely musical and technically impressive, while his facility for improvising lyrics undoubtedly delighted many audiences. For both its historical significance and the quality of the music it contains, LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS is a necessity for any serious blues fan.\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 7\/27\/2018\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44586935976169,"sku":"TDH6JA-91CU-00","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-lightnin-hopkins_X9F6B.jpg?v=1759349317"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-california-mudslide-and-earthquake","title":"| California Mudslide (And Earthquake) (LP)","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eCalifornia Mudslide (And Earthquake) was Lightnin' Hopkins' last LP in his original run of long play releases...a strong slab of electric delta blues replete with sparse, signature acoustic guitar backing, augmented with organ and other surprises! The legend at his lonesomest-on mudslide colored vinyl pressed at Third Man Pressing in Detroit. \"Take me outta this bottom, take me outta this bottom, little girl, fore this water rise. You know I must-a been born by the devil, po' Lightnin` don't wanna be baptized.\" - Lightning Hopkins (from the title track).    \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003e* SEISMIC SPECIMENS OF 1969 COUNTRY BLUES\u003cbr\u003e\r\n* HOPKINS IN PRIME `69 CALL ON MY BABY FORM ON MUDSLIDE VINYL!\u003cbr\u003e\r\n* BLAZING ELECTRIC DELTA BLUES AUGMENTED WITH ORGAN.\u003cbr\u003e\r\n* CUT BY KEVIN GRAY, AND PRESSED AT THIRD MAN IN DETROIT ON A CUSTOM MUDSLIDE VINYL!\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\r\n\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eTracklist\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eA1        California Mudslide\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA2        Rosie Mae\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA3        Los Angeles Blues    \u003cbr\u003e\r\nA4        Easy On Your Heels\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA5        New Santa Fe\u003cbr\u003e\r\nA6        Jesus, Would You Come By Here\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB1        No Education    \u003cbr\u003e\r\nB2        Antoinette's Blues    \u003cbr\u003e\r\nB3        Change My Way Of Living\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB4        Los Angeles Boogie\u003cbr\u003e\r\nB5        Call On My Baby\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003e*Audio and\/or tracklist may vary slightly from the vinyl version.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size:12px;\"\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;\"\u003eLabel: MODERN HARMONIC\u003cbr\u003e\r\nRel. Date: 01\/25\/2019\u003cbr\u003e\r\nUPC: 090771800510\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\r\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ciframe allow=\"autoplay *; encrypted-media *; fullscreen *; clipboard-write\" frameborder=\"0\" height=\"450\" sandbox=\"allow-forms allow-popups allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-storage-access-by-user-activation allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation\" src=\"https:\/\/embed.music.apple.com\/us\/album\/california-mudslide-and-earthquake-remastered\/399470767\" style=\"width:100%;max-width:660px;overflow:hidden;border-radius:10px;\"\u003e\u003c\/iframe\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\r\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat Detail: LP\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Blues\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eInternal ID: JITRE\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 01\/25\/2019\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44587187863785,"sku":"PWFFMN-0GQ5-00","price":35.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Lightnin-Hopkins-California-Mudslide-and-Earthquake_wRGlk.jpg?v=1758896764"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-smokes-like-lightning","title":"SMOKES LIKE LIGHTNING","description":"Personnel: Lightnin' Hopkins (vocals, guitar); Billy Bizor (harmonica); Buster Pickens (piano); Donald Cooks (bass); Spider Kilpatrick (drums).\nRecorded at ACA Studios, Houston, Texas between January \u0026amp; February 1962. Includes original release liner notes by Mack McCormick.\nAll tracks have been digitally remastered.\nOne of the most weirdly compelling elements of Smokes Like Lightnin' is Mack McCormick's liner notes, reproduced from the original 1963 LP. Almost breathtaking in their ferocity, McCormick's notes characterize Hopkins as a spoiled crybaby whose only redeeming quality is his ability to make music. The album, recorded in three 1962 sessions, consists simply of Hopkins and his guitar, except for three songs that are performed with a full band. The sound is spare and very loose, with a re-recording of \"T Model Blues\" and the dance song \"Let's Do the Susie-Q,\" a musical exhortation that seems unlikely to inspire dancing. A brief and uneven album, Smokes Like Lightnin' is less compelling than Hopkins' '50s recordings, but strikes an appealingly lazy acoustic groove. ~ Greg Adams\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 09\/16\/2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44588003524841,"sku":"HP7OUT-K1UJ-00","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Lightnin-Hopkins-SMOKES-LIKE-LIGHTNING_Z3lhh.jpg?v=1759215942"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-bring-me-my-shotgun","title":"BRING ME MY SHOTGUN","description":"Liner Note Author: Barbara Dane.\nLightnin' Hopkins had a kit bag of slow blues riffs, a talent for improvising up-to-the-minute lyrics to go with them, and a general distrust of the recording industry that kept him bouncing from label to label for one-off albums in which he always made sure he got his money upfront before he played a note. This has led to a licensing bonanza that has seen the same Hopkins tracks appear over and over again on countless similar collections with dozens of different titles. Bring Me My Shotgun includes all nine original tracks from a 1960 session for Bobby Robinson's Fire Records that were eventually released as Mojo Hand, plus additional tracks that Robinson held back at the time. Among the highlights are \"Mojo Hand,\" a riveting Christmas blues called \"Santa,\" and the movingly poetic \"Shine on, Moon.\" There's nothing too startling, but the spare, ragged arrangements (usually just Hopkins on acoustic guitar, occasionally accompanied by a drummer) allow Hopkins plenty of room to do what he does. ~ Steve Leggett\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: CD\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 4\/25\/2006\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44588877086953,"sku":"KEFYY4-H0MY-00","price":13.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-bring-me-my-shotgun_kaFwr.jpg?v=1759450707"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-lightnin-strikes-deep-purple-colored-vinyl-import","title":"Lightnin Strikes [Deep Purple Colored Vinyl] [Import]","description":"\u003cp\u003e Lightnin Strikes [Deep Purple Colored Vinyl] [Import] is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Lightnin' Hopkins\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 05\/21\/2021\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44590343028969,"sku":"3Y3G7O-9M6K-00","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/Lightnin-Hopkins--Lightnin-Strikes-Deep-Purple-Colored-Vinyl-Import_PztHh.jpg?v=1759348633"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-strums-the-blues-180-gram-vinyl-reissue","title":"Strums The Blues (180 Gram Vinyl, Reissue)","description":"Personnel: Lightnin' Hopkins (vocals, guitar).\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 05\/03\/2019\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"LIGHTNIN HOPKINS","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44590349746409,"sku":"HDTX7A-GL34-00","price":30.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/LIGHTNIN-HOPKINS--Strums-The-Blues-180-Gram-Vinyl-Reissue_WRN7r.jpg?v=1759226232"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-lightnins-boogie-live-at-the-rising-sun-celebrit","title":"LIGHTNIN'S BOOGIE: LIVE AT THE RISING SUN CELEBRIT","description":"\u003cp\u003eLIGHTNIN'S BOOGIE: LIVE AT THE RISING SUN CELEBRIT is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Lightnin Hopkins\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 07\/29\/2016\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44594831753449,"sku":"1IJ4V0-MV4J-00","price":29.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-lightnins-boogie-live-at-the-rising-sun-celebrit_zNK0o.jpg?v=1759362010"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-bring-me-my-shotgun-the-essential-collection","title":"Bring Me My Shotgun - The Essential Collection","description":"Lightnin' Hopkins had a hard and fast approach to dealing with the abundance of record labels he recorded for during his career. The irascible bluesman would show up at the session in question but would refuse to play a note until he was paid his fee upfront. Once paid and satisfied, he'd unpack his stock set of boogie blues riffs and pretty much improvise songs on the spot until he'd fulfilled his agreed-upon quota. Then he would leave. This system led to a bloated discography full of similarly constructed and executed throwaway tracks, but Hopkins had a gift for personalizing the blues that came to the fore in the best of these improvised songs, and some gems often showed up in the process. This set proves the point that any Lightnin' is better than no Lightnin'. ~ Steve Leggett\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eGenre: Pop\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRSD Date: DDD\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 3\/22\/2019\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44599098507497,"sku":"BC3KM2-7EIC-00","price":31.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-bring-me-my-shotgun-the-essential-collection_BEmrZ.jpg?v=1741093069"},{"product_id":"lightnin-hopkins-walkin-this-road-by-myself","title":"Walkin' This Road By Myself","description":"\u003cp\u003eWalkin' This Road By Myself is a Records \u0026amp; LPs from Lightnin' Hopkins\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFormat: Vinyl\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReleased: 10\/27\/1998\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Lightnin' Hopkins","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":44956630515945,"sku":"C5TDLQ-01V4-00","price":33.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/files\/lightnin-hopkins-walkin-this-road-by-myself_cVqIj.jpg?v=1754878280"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0654\/3523\/8633\/collections\/image_3e9ba030-6ec5-412d-ad2a-3ce4d2dd21b3.jpg?v=1708587978","url":"https:\/\/www.vibinvinyl.com\/collections\/lightnin-hopkins.oembed","provider":"Vibin' Vinyl","version":"1.0","type":"link"}