Lightnin’ Strikes (2025 Remaster) Lightnin' Hopkins

• 1 Mojo Hand 03:23
• 2 Little Wail 04:45
• 3 Cotton 05:57
• 4 Take Me Back 02:55
• 5 Nothin' But The Blues 05:15
• 6 Hurricane Betsy 06:00
• 7 Guitar Lightnin' 04:24
• 8 Woke Up This Morning 04:35
• 9 Shake Yourself 04:23
• Total Runtime 41:37

Info for Lightnin’ Strikes (2025 Remaster)

Newly remastered! Lightnin’ Hopkins’ acclaimed Lightnin’ Strikes is set to strike a second time with a HiRes-ReMaster edition.

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”.

Lightnin' Hopkins, guitar, electric guitar, vocals
Don Crawford, harmonica
Jimmy Bond, bass
Earl Palmer, drums

Digitally remastered by Matthew Lutthans at The Mastering Lab

Sam Lightnin' Hopkins
Born in Centerville, Texas, Hopkins learned the blues when young in Buffalo, Texas from Blind Lemon Jefferson and his older cousin, country-blues singer Alger 'Texas' Alexander. When Hopkins and Alexander were playing in Houston in 1946, he was discovered by Lola Anne Cullum of Los Angeles', Aladdin Records (although Alexander would not make it out to L.A.) Hopkins' fast finger style is very distinct.

He settled in Houston in 1952 and gained much attention. Solid recordings followed including his masterpiece song Mojo Hand in 1960.

His style was born from spending many hours playing informally without a backing band. His distinctive style often included playing, in effect, bass, rhythm, lead, percussion, and vocals, all at the same time. His musical phrasing would often include a long low note at the beginning, the rhythm played in the middle range, then the lead in the high range. By playing this quickly - with occasional slaps of the guitar - the effect of bass, rhythm, percussion and lead would be created.

In 1968 Hopkins recorded the album Free Form Patterns backed by psychedelic rock band the 13th Floor Elevators.

Hopkins was a great influence on many local musicians around Houston and Austin, Texas in the 1950s and 1960s. He was an influence on Jimmie Vaughan's work and, more significantly, on the vocals and blues style of Ron "Pigpen" McKernan, the keyboardist of the Grateful Dead until 1972. He was also an important influence on Townes Van Zandt, the Texan folk/blues songwriter and performer, who often performed Hopkins numbers in his live performances. Doyle Bramhall II is another Texas artist who was influenced by Hopkins, as evidenced by a tattoo of Lightning on his upper left arm. Jimi Hendrix reportedly became interested in blues music listening to Lightnin' Hopkins records with his father.

A song named after him was recorded by R.E.M. on their album Document.

The Houston Chronicle included Hopkins in their list of "100 Tall Texans", 100 important Texans that influenced the world. The George Bush Presidential Library and Museum included Hopkins in a 100 Tall Texans exhibit that opened in September 2006. The display includes Lightnin's Guild Starfire electric guitar and performance video.

Hopkins' Gibson J-160e guitar is on display at the Rock n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio. Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins (March 15, 1912 – January 30, 1982).

This album contains no booklet.