The Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins

Infobox Album |
Name = The Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins
Type = Album
Artist = Lightnin' Hopkins


Released = 1965
Recorded = Samuel B. Charters
Genre = Blues
Length = ?
Label = Verve Folkways
Producer = Folkways Records
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4.5|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:i2jx7i78g7xr link]
Last album = "My Life in the Blues"
(1965)
This album = "The Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins"
(1965)
Next album = "Lightnin' Hopkins"
(1966)

"The Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins" is a 1965 album by the Texan blues guitarist and singer Lightnin' Hopkins. The Album was recorded by Samuel B Charters on the 16th January 1959 at 2803 Hadley Street Houston Texas. At the time Lightnin' had almost stopped playing and was doing odd jobs. Sam found out about Lightnin's whereabouts from a cousin working as a cook in a restaurant in New Orleans and was told to look for him in Houston. Sam went to Houston and first of all all he could find was Lightnin's guitar, it was in a pawn shop on Dowling Street. Sam enquired of many people Lightnin's where abouts who were all carefully vague but word was passing and the next morning a car pulled up beside his at a red light when a thin man in dark glasses said "you looking for me" Lightnin' had found him. After convincing Lightnin' that he was serious about recording him Sam got him a guitar and a bottle of gin, they went back to Lightnin's room and recorded the album there with Sam holding the microphone in his hand moving it up to Lightnin's head when he was singing and down to the guitar when he was playing a solo. The album was first released at around the time the book The Country Blues came out and was an instant success and gave Lightnin's career a well deserved lease of new life. Lightnin' went on to record many more songs in the 60s and 70s. It was released in the UK by Verve Folkways as VLP 5003 (mono) and SVLP 5003 (stereo).

The album was re-released on CD under the title "LIGHTNIN' HOPKINS" by Smithsonian/Folkways CD SF 40019. Distributed by Rounder Records, One Camp Street, Cambridge Massachusetts 02140. It was printed in Canada Reissue was produced by Matt Walters, remastering by Doug Sax and Alan Yoshida at The Mastering Lab Hollywood Ca The cover design was by Ronald Clyne with a photograph taken by Samuel B Charters. The sleeve notes state that the album was first released in 1959 as Folways FS3822. Sam Charters wrote the sleeve notes for the CD at the Mansfield Centre, Conn. 1990

Track listing

ide one

#"Penitentiary Blues"
#"Bad Luck and Trouble"
#"Come Go Home With Me"
#"Trouble Stay 'Way From My Door"
#"See That My Grave Is Kept Clean"

ide two

#"Goin' Back To Florida"
#"Reminiscences of Blind Lemon"
#"Fan It"
#"Tell Me, Baby"
#"She's Mine"