'this is the definitive overview of his long career and is certain to prove essential to die-hard Hopkins collectors and novice blues buyers alike.'
Sam "Lightnin’" Hopkins was born on March 15 in 1912 he passed away on January 30 in 1982.
Sometime back in the 80s when I was in the Navy, a good friend said, have you ever heard of Lightnin' Hopkins? I said no, he pulled a cassette tape out of his top shirt pocket and tossed it to me, "Give this a listen, your going to like it."
That has turned out to be one of the biggest understatements in this love affair that I have with the blues.
As I have mentioned in other post here at SML, I love Lightnin' Hopkins. My favorite album of his is Complete Aladdin Recordings*Complete Aladdin Recordings*
I have always thought that the blues standard Going Down Slow is one of the saddest songs of all time.
Some of my favorite lines from this song are;
"Please write my mother and tell her the shape that I'm in"
"Don't send no doctor, cause the doctor can't do me no good"
Please consider these versions;
mp3s of Going Down Slow @Amazon.com
Going Down Slow by Little Walter.
Going Down Slow by B.B. King.
Going Down Slow by Johnny Winter.
Going Down Slow by Muddy Waters.
Going Down Slow by Howlin' Wolf.
Sam "Lightnin’" Hopkins was born on March 15 in 1912 and yesterday was his birthdate, he passed away on January 30 in 1982.
A good friend said, have you ever heard of Lightnin' Hopkins? I said no, he pulled a cassette tape out of his top shirt pocket and tossed it to me, "Give this a listen, your going to like it."
That has turned out to be one of the biggest understatements in this love affair that I have with the blues.
As I have mentioned in other post here at SML, I love Lightnin' Hopkins. My favorite album of his is Complete Aladdin Recordings*Complete Aladdin Recordings*
Those people over at Cox Cable, where I get my internet connection from are trying to give me the blues. As I post to my blogs this evening, I keep losing my connection. Thank God for auto save, or I would have lost a lot more of my work.
Yeah, I got the "keep losing my internet connection" blues. And another thing that is making me blue is wanting to post this video clip of Lightin' Hopkins talking about what the blues is, man I show (that is the way we used to say it) do wish I could show it to you.
But that is OK, see my intentions in this post are to explain how I think that Lightin' Hopkins was one of the best blues vocalist of all times. I really like his ability to make up a song on the fly. And that is really hard to do. But the man's mind was just that nimble. Of course he was a master guitar player too, but his voice to me is the voice of the bluesmen of my dreams.
I think the Wikipedia entry on Lightnin' Hopkins says it better;
Much of Hopkins' music follows the standard 12-bar blues template but his phrasing was very free and loose. Many of his songs were in the talking blues style, but he was a powerful and confident singer. Lyrically his songs chronicled the problems of life in the segregated south, bad luck in love and all the usual subjects of the blues idiom. He did however deal with these subjects with humor and good nature. Many of his songs are filled with double entendres and he was known for his humorous introductions.It's that whole "problems of life idiom" thing that I like to hear expressed by a blues vocalist, and is why I like Lightnin' Hopkins so much.
Back in 2006, I wrote the following about Lightnin' Hopkins;
If you want to learn how to play blues guitar, a good place to start would be to buy ever piece of Lightnin Hopkins' music that you can find and to study it nonstop. Lightnin's nimble dexterity, his ability to create some of the coolest boggie riffs, his often funny improvised lyrics that fit into whatever situation the bluesman found himself in, all combine to make him one of my favorite blues performers.
Or if like me you just like listening to someone who knows how to play a guitar, then you might want to check this out;
It was true then and it is true now.
Check the man out in his own words.
Lightnin' Hopkins talks about the blues
Lightnin' Hopkins sings Green Onions
Lightnin' Hopkins Mojo Hand 1962
Here is another Lightnin' Hopkins Video. He is preforming his song "MoJo Hand".
If you want to learn how to play blues guitar, a good place to start would be to buy ever piece of Lightnin Hopkins' music that you can find and to study it nonstop. Lightnin's nimble dexterity, his ability to create some of the coolest boggie riffs, his often funny improvised lyrics that fit into whatever situation the bluesman found himself in, all combine to make him one of my favorite blues performers.
Or if like me you just like listening to someone who knows how to play a guitar, then you might want to check this out;
