Alan Govenar
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Instrumentation. Long-held misconceptions in popular writing about when Lightnin’ started playing electric guitar have, we feel, made it necessary to establish whether he was playing acoustic or electric guitar on his sessions. Most of his early sessions feature Lightnin’ playing a hollowbody electric guitar. After he became established as a folk-blues artist in 1959, he would often record with an acoustic guitar, or (especially live) an acoustic guitar outfitted with an electric pickup. In some cases, the aural differences between acoustic guitar sessions and acoustic-electric ones are not noticeable enough to make a definitive judgment.
Song Order. The exact song order for most sessions is not known. Therefore, we have arranged sessions to reflect the chronology of songs as they were issued, rather than by master numbers (which serve no purpose in this context). For singles, this means clusters of two songs per side of a 78 rpm or 45 rpm record. In the case of albums, the song order reflects the sequencing of side one and side two of the original albums. Titles in italics represent songs originally unissued from the particular session.
Song Titles. A great deal of what Lightnin’ recorded was later reissued with altered song titles—by accident or design. (To give only one example, generations have been listening to a song titled “I Can’t Stay Here in Your Town,” unaware that they are actually hearing the original “Rocky Mountain Blues.”) Other songs were mistitled upon release. A complete list of such titles super-cedes the purpose of this discography; we have only noted when his singles were reissued with altered titles during his early (1946–1954) singles period.
Releases. Only original issues (or reissues from the same era, in the case of the earliest singles) are listed. We have not tried to address the hundreds of configurations in which these songs have been reissued (and often retitled) since their initial release. Rereleases of the same single have been divided by a slash. Single 45 rpm releases pulled from albums are divided from their LP release number by a semi-colon and a “(45)” prefix.
Album Sessions. Beginning with his Folkways album in 1959, most of Lightnin’s sessions were specifically recorded as albums, or with an album concept in mind. Our discography reflects this change by listing album titles above the session, arranged with the earliest session date for that album (if there were more than one). While this method doesn’t eliminate all possible confusion, we feel it makes the most sense in organizing and assimilating this material. Albums that feature sessions that were recorded more than one year apart have been further subdivided by session date. For Various Artists LPs, only Lightnin’s songs have been listed.
Mono/Stereo. All of Lightnin’s records prior to the early 1960s were released in monaural. Some of his 1960s albums were available in mono and stereo; these usually have been reissued on compact disc with only the stereo versions. A minority were only available in stereo. As a side point, a large number of Lightnin’s early recordings were reissued after 1959 with added reverb to disguise their age. The listener should be aware that many reissues in the compact disc era are still using these inferior, altered sources rather than the original masters or singles.
Release Dates (Albums). Lightnin’s singles were usually released a short time after they were recorded. Albums, on the other hand, were often released months, years, and decades after they were recorded. With this in mind, we have tried to establish release dates for all of Lightnin’s original albums. In a few cases, this creates a conflict with the chronology by session dates (The Rooster Crowed in England LP is listed before the Folkways album; the latter was released first, but the Rooster LP features two songs recorded in 1954), but overall we feel this is the least confusing method of listing these sessions. Estimated release dates on LPs have been based on advertisements and reviews found in Billboard, Sing Out!, Blues Unlimited, Blues and Rhythm, Jazz Journal, Cashbox, The American Folk Music Occasional, Mother, Juke Blues, and Soul Bag.
Lightnin’s work as a session musician for other artists (Thunder Smith, L. C. Williams, J. D. Edwards, et al.) has not been included.
In compiling this discography, we have been indebted to all those who came before us: Anthony Rotante, Chris Strachwitz, Mack McCormick, John Holt, Mike Leadbitter, Neil Slaven, Simon Napier, Frank Scott, Chris Smith, and Les Fancourt. For this revision we have been assisted, directly or indirectly, by Dave Sax, Chris Strachwitz, Mack McCormick, Paul Drummond, Mary Katherine Aldin, Richard Flohil, Chris Smith, Don Logan, Stefan Wirz, Bill Bellmont, Ed Pearl, Bernie Pearl, Roger Armstrong, and Alan Govenar. The Huey Meaux Papers at the Center For American History (University of Texas) contain relevant paperwork from the Gold Star era that was crucial in establishing the early chronology. The unpublished research of Laurence Schilthuis, who interviewed both Hopkins and Hop Wilson in 1974, was also helpful. We have also relied upon the following books:
Fancourt, Les and Bob McGrath. The Blues Discography, 1943–1970. West Vancouver, Canada: Eyeball Productions, 2006.
Holt, John. Lightnin’ Hopkins. London: Texas Blues Society, 1965.
Leadbitter, Mike and Neil Slaven. Blues Records 1943–1966. New York: Oak Publications, 1968.
Ruppli, Michel. The Aladdin/Imperial Labels: A Discography. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1991.
Smith, Chris. That’s the Stuff: The Recordings of Brownie McGhee, Sonny Terry, Stick McGhee, and J.C. Burris. Shetland, Scotland: The Housay Press, 1999.
Whitburn, Joel. Billboard Top R&B Singles, 1942–1999. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin: Record Research, Inc., 2000.
November 9, 1946. Radio Recorders Studio, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA. Producer: Eddie Mesner
Sam “Lightnin’” Hopkins, vocal/acoustic guitar with Wilson “Thunder” Smith, piano; unknown drums.
“Katie Mae Blues” Aladdin 167
“That Mean Old Twister” Aladdin 167
“Rocky Mountain Blues” Aladdin 168
“I Feel So Bad” Aladdin 168
“I Feel So Bad” (alternate take) Score LP 4022
Note: This was a split session with “Thunder” Smith.
c. May 1947. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX.
Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar with Joel Hopkins, acoustic rhythm gu”itar.
“Short Haired Woman” Gold Star 3131/Modern 20-529
“Big Mama Jump” Gold Star 3131/Modern 20-529
“Short Haired Woman” (alternate take) Dart LP 8000
Note: While some Gold Star sessions may have consisted of four songs or more, sonic differences suggest that usually only two songs were released from a particular session at a time. Unissued titles were later sold to Modern, Dart, and Arhoolie (see below).
c. June 1947. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Shining Moon” Gold Star 613/Modern 20-543
“Ida May” Gold Star 613/Modern 20-543
c. July 1947. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Mercy” Gold Star 616/Modern 20-552
“What Can It Be” Gold Star 616/Modern 20-552
August 15, 1947. Probably Radio Recorders Studio, 7000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood, CA. Producer: Eddie Mesner
Vocal/electric guitar with Wilson “Thunder” Smith, piano; unknown drums.
“Short Haired Woman” Aladdin 3005
“Big Mama Jump” Aladdin 3005
“Fast Mail Rambler” Aladdin 204
‘Thinkin’ and Worryin’” Aladdin 204
“Down Now Baby” Aladdin 209
“Play With Your Poodle” Aladdin 209
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Lonesome Home” Gold Star 624/Modern 20-568
“Appetite Blues” Gold Star 624/Modern 20-568
c. November 1947. Houston, TX.
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Picture on the Wall” Aladdin 3015
“Woman, Woma
n” Aladdin 3028
“You’re Not Going to Worry My Life Anymore” Aladdin 3117
“Can’t Get That Woman Off My Mind” Imperial LP 94000
c. February 25, 1948. Commercial Recording Studio, 1120 Chenevert, Houston, TX.
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Sugar Mama” Aladdin 3015
“Nightmare Blues” Aladdin 3028
“Daddy Will Be Home One Day” Aladdin 3117
“Lightnin’s Boogie” Score 4002
“Whiskey Head Woman” Score 4002
“Morning Blues” Aladdin 3035
“Have to Let You Go” Aladdin 3035
“Baby Child” Aladdin 3052
“Changing Weather Blues” Aladdin 3052
“Shotgun Blues” Aladdin 3063
“Rollin’ Blues” Aladdin 3063
“Moonrise Blues” Aladdin 3077
“Honey Honey Blues” Aladdin 3077
“Abilene” Aladdin 3096
“Miss Me Blues” Aladdin 3096
“My California” Aladdin 3262
“So Long” Aladdin 3262
“Mistreater Blues” RPM 388
“I Just Don’t Care” Score LP 4022
“See See Rider” Imperial LP 9180
“Baby You’re Not Going to Make a Fool Out of Me” Imperial LP 9186
“Come Back Baby” Imperial LP 9186
“Someday Baby” Imperial LP 9211
‘Tell It Like It Is” Imperial LP 9211
“Miss Loretta” Imperial LP 9211
“Howling Wolf Blues” Imperial LP 94000
Note: The February 1948 Aladdin sessions probably occurred over several days; only one exact date (February 25) is documented. “Mistreater Blues,” recorded during these sessions, ended up with Bill Quinn and was among the masters he sold to Modern/RPM Records in 1951.
Most LP/CD reissues of the above titles have added reverb not present on the original records.
c. March 1948. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/acoustic guitar.
“Walking Blues” Gold Star 634/Modern 20-594
“Lightning Blues” Gold Star 634/Modern 20-594
c. August 1948. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“No Mail Blues” Gold Star 637/Modern 20-621
“Ain’t It a Shame” Gold Star 637/Modern 20-621
c. September 1948. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Tim Moore’s Farm” Gold Star 640/Modern 20-673
“You Don’t Know” Gold Star 640/Modern 20-673
c. September 1948. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Treat Me Kind” Gold Star 641
“Somebody Got to Go” Gold Star 641
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Baby Please Don’t Go” Gold Star 646
“Death Bells” Gold Star 646
c. February 1949. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Mad with You” Gold Star 652
“Airplane Blues” Gold Star 652
c. March 1949. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar with unknown saxophone, piano, bass.
“Unsuccessful Blues” Gold Star 656/Lightning 104/Dart 123
“Rollin’ Woman Blues” Gold Star 656
Note: Lightning 104 dates from 1955. The Dart release is a 1960 reissue of Lightning 104.
c. July 1949. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar with Harding “Hop” Wilson, steel guitar.
“Jail House Blues” Gold Star 662/Sittin’ In With 644
“T” Model blues” Gold Star 662/Sittin’ In With 644
“Traveler’s Blues” Dart LP 8000
c. October 1949. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar with L. C. Williams, tap dancing*.
“Lightning Boogie”* Gold Star 664/Harlem 2324
“Unkind Blues” Gold Star 664
Note: “Lightning Boogie” retitled “Mad Man’s Boogie” on Harlem 2324.
Vocal/electric guitar
“Fast Life Woman” Gold Star 665/Harlem 2331
“European Blues” Gold Star 665
Note: “Fast Life Woman” retitled “Fast Life” on Harlem 2331.
Late 1949. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar/electric organ*.
“Automobile” Gold Star 666/Jax 318
“Zolo Go”* Gold Star 666/Jax 318
‘Organ Boogie”* Arhoolie LP 2007
“Automobile Blues”* Arhoolie LP 2010
Note: “Zolo Go” retitled “Organ Blues” on Jax 318. Both issues omit the spoken introduction, which has been restored on the Arhoolie reissues. ”Automobile” retitled “Automobile Blues” on Jax 318.
Early 1950. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Old Woman Blues” Gold Star 669/Harlem 2336
“Untrue Blues” Gold Star 669/Harlem 2336/
Lightning 104/Dart 123
Note: “Old Woman Blues” retitled “Good Old Woman” on Harlem 2336. “Untrue Blues” retitled ‘Untrue” on Harlem 2336 and mistitled “Grievance Blues” on Lightning 104 and Dart 123. Lightning 104 dates from 1955. The Dart release is a 1960 reissue of Lightning 104.
Early 1950. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Henny Penny Blues” Gold Star 671
“Jazz Blues” Gold Star 671
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Jackstropper Blues” Gold Star 673/Harlem 2331
“Grievance Blues” Gold Star 673/Harlem 2324
Note: “Jackstropper Blues” retitled “The Jackstropper” on Harlem 2331. “Grievance Blues” retitled “Nobody Cares For Me” on Harlem 2324.
1947–1951. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar
From previous Gold Star sessions and/or unissued Gold Star sessions.
“Goodbye Blues (Somebody’s Got to Go)” Arhoolie LP 2007
“Glory Be Blues (Blue bird Blues)” Arhoolie LP 2007
“Seems Funny Baby” Arhoolie LP 2007
“Cooling Board (Thunder and Lightnin’ Blues)” Arhoolie LP 2007
“Going Home Blues” Arhoolie LP 2007
“All I Got is Gone” Arhoolie LP 2010
“Grosebeck Blues” (take 2) Arhoolie LP 2010
“Grosebeck Blues” (take 3) Arhoolie LP 2010
“Grosebeck Blues (Penitentiary Blues)” (take 4) Dart LP 8000
“Racetrack Blues” Dart LP 8000
1947–1951. Quinn Recording Company, 3104 Telephone Rd., Houston, TX. Producer: Bill Quinn
Vocal/electric guitar/piano.
From previous Gold Star sessions and/or unissued Gold Star sessions.
“Beggin’ You to Stay” RPM 337
“Bad Luck and Trouble” RPM 337
“Bad Luck and Trouble” (incomplete take) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Jake Head Boogie” RPM 346
“Lonesome Dog Blues” RPM 346
“Jake Head Boogie” (alternate take) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Lonesome Dog Blues” (alternate take) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Don’t Keep My Baby Long” RPM 351
“Last Affair” RPM 351
“Don’t Keep My Baby Long” (unedited take) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Last Af
fair” (incomplete take) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Needed Time” (sic – Needy Time) RPM 359
“One Kind Favor” RPM 359
“Needed Time” (alternate take) Kent LP 9008
“Another Fool in Town” RPM 378
“Candy Kitchen” RPM 378
“Candy Kitchen” (overdubbed guitar) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Black Cat” RPM 388
“Santa Fe” RPM 398
“Some Day Baby” RPM 398
“Drifting Blues” P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Ticket Agent” Kent LP 9008
“Ticket Agent” (alternate take) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“House Upon the Hill” Kent LP 9008
“Tell Me (Pretty Mama)” Crown LP 5224
“Give Me Back That Wig” Crown LP 5224
“Give Me Back That Wig” (alternate take) P-Vine (Japan) CD 3056
“Everyday I Have the Blues” (incomplete take) Ace(UK) CD 697
“Everyday I Have the Blues” Kent LP 9008
“War News Blues” Kent LP 9008
Note: Billboard announced in September 1951 that Bill Quinn had shut down Gold Star Records and sold thirty-two masters of Hopkins and Lil’ Son Jackson to Modern Records. These titles were presumably recorded over the course of Hopkins’s tenure with Gold Star Records, with perhaps the majority of them dating from 1949–50. There are twenty titles by Hopkins (not including alternate or incomplete takes), plus one (“Mistreater Blues”) from the February 1948 Aladdin sessions that was acquired by Quinn and issued on the flipside of RPM 388.
Reverb was added to most titles; the P-Vine reissue (which compiles all of the RPM/Modern Hopkins masters) restores them to their original state.
c.1950. Houston, TX.
Vocal/electric guitar.
“Black Cat Bone” Specialty LP 2149
“Disagreeable” Specialty (UK) LP 5013
“Dark and Cloudy” Specialty LP 2149
“Sold Out to the Devil” unissued
“Ain’t No Monkey Man” unissued