Lightnin’ Hopkins’ acclaimed Lightnin’ Strikes is set to strike a second time with a new vinyl edition, set for release through Verve Records’ Acoustic Sounds series on January 24, 2025.
Recorded in 1966 for the Verve Folkways label, Lightnin’ Strikes may not have the notoriety as some of the Texan blues icon’s other albums, but this set backed by Jimmy Bond (Bass), Earl Palmer (Drums) and Don Crawford (Harmonica) is classic Lightnin’. From the opener, “Mojo Hand” to the ballad, “Woke Up This Morning,” Lightnin’ Strikes showcases classic blues from one of the best there was.
Hailing from Centerville, Texas, Sam ‘Lightnin” Hopkins remains one of the blues’ most pioneering figures. A self-taught musician, Hopkins played around with the standard 12-bar blues template, but his phrasing was free and loose. Many of his songs were in the talking blues style, but he was a powerful and confident singer. Lyrically, his songs expressed the problems of life in the segregated South, bad luck in love and other subjects common in the blues idiom. He dealt with these subjects with humor and good nature and often referred to himself as “Po’ Lightnin’” in his songs when talking about himself or referring to himself as the protagonist of the song.
Hopkins’ music went on to influence folk and Americana stars such as Townes Van Zandt, Hank Williams, Jr., and a generation of blues musicians like Stevie Ray Vaughan, whose Grammy winning song “Rude Mood” was directly inspired by the Texan’s song “Hopkins’ Sky Hop”.
Also released through Verve’s Acoustic Sounds’ series in January are two classic albums by iconic jazz organist Jimmy Smith. Both these titles, The Cat from 1964 and Smith’s much-acclaimed live album Root Down (the latter featuring the famous titular song sampled by The Beastie Boys) are out now. All releases in Verve’s Acoustic Sounds series are the definitive audiophile versions of classic jazz recordings mastered by Ryan K. Smith at Sterling Sound from the original analog tapes and released in remastered 180-gram vinyl editions in deluxe gatefold packaging.
Pre-order the Acoustic Sounds vinyl edition of Lightnin’ Strikes.