Lightnin' Hopkins - The Singles Collection Vol. 1 1946-53 - This substantial collection covering the early years of his recording career helps to explain and underline that view / Sam "Lightnin'" Hopkins was one of the true blues greats, a singer, guitarist, songwriter and occasional pianist from Texas, who through a life as a long-time solo performer developed a highly distinctive style, playing rhythm, lead, bass and percussion, with a legendarily unstructured approach to the 12-bar format. Musicologist Mark McCormick said that Hopkins is "the embodiment of the jazz-and-poetry spirit, representing it's ancient form in the single creator whose words and music are one act". Born in 1912, he did not get an opportunity to record until the post-war years, and then recorded prolifically for a variety of labels. Acrobat has addressed his output on 78s and 45s from 1946 to 1962 with two 3-CD sets of which this is the first. This 78-track collection comprises the A & B sides of just about all his releases during these years on the Aladdin, Modern, Gold Star and RPM labels. His RPM releases overlapped with his releases on the Sittin' In With label which begin in 1951 and start Vol. 2. It includes his hits in the US R&B charts with "Shotgun Blues", "T Model Blues" and "Tim Moore's Farm". It also includes records for Aladdin with pianist Wilson "Thunder" Smith. His New York Times obituary in 1982 said he was "one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players", and this substantial collection covering the early years of his recording career helps to explain and underline that view.

Tracklist:

That Mean Old Twister
Katie Mae
Rocky Mountain Blues (I Can't Stay Here)
I Feel So Bad
Big Mama Jump
Short Haired Woman
Fast Mail Rambler
Thinkin' and Worryin'
Play with Your Poodle
Down Home Baby
Big Mama Jump
Short Haired Woman
Sugar Mama
Picture on the Wall
Woman, Woman
Nightmare Blues
Have to Let You Go
Morning Blues
Baby Child
Changing Weather Blues
Rollin' Blues
Shotgun Blues
Honey, Honey Blues
Moonrise Blues
Miss Me Blues
Abilene
Worried Life Blues - You're Not Going to Worry
Daddy Will Be Home Some Day
So Long
My California
Shining Moon
Ida May
Mercy
What Can It Be
Lonesome Home
Appetite Blues
Walkin'blues
Lightnin' Blues
No Mail Blues
Ain't It a Shame
Tim Moore's Farm
You Don't Know
Treat Me Kind
Somebody Got to Go
Baby Please Don't Go
Death Bells
Mad with You
Airplane Blues
Unsuccessful Blues
Rollin' Woman Blues
Jail House Blues
T Model Blues
Lightnin' Boogie
Unkind Blues
Fast Life Woman
European Blues
Automobile
Zolo Go
Old Woman Blues
Untrue Blues
Henny Penny Blues
Jazz Blues
Jackstropper Blues
Grievance Blues
Bad Luck and Trouble
Beggin' You to Stay
Jake Head
Lonesome Dog Blues
Last Affair
Don't Keep My Baby Long
One Kind Favor
Needed Time
Candy Kitchen
Another Fool in Town
Mistreater Blues
Black Cat
Santa Fe Blues
Someday Baby

UPC: 824046915223
Label: Acrobat
Release Date: 8.16.24
Format: CD

Lightnin' Hopkins - Singles Collection Vol. 1 1946-53 (CD)