Lightnin hopkins the blues according to lightnin hopkins lightnin bottled in acclaimed 60s documentary the combination of les blanks innate feel for portraying american folk musicians in their cultural context and lightnin hopkins, one of the most prolific and influential blues singerguitarists of all time, could only be a winner. At 47 lightnin was authentic and was soon hanging with the folk glitterati and earning well off his live performances. Earlier films about blues artists tended to be a lot more formal, usually based around a performance staged specially for the cameras. The international festival of ethnographic films nuoro, sardinia, italy, 1998 i grew up in tampa, florida in a white, uppermiddle class home and distinctly remember the first live music i ever experienced. In his own words and own own music, lightnin hopkins reveals the inspiration for his blues. The making of the blues according to lightnin hopkins by les blank written for the program ix. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 1970 the blues. Tthis powerful portrait is among blanks special masterworks.
With remarkable intimacy, blank captures his music and musings the blues is just a funny feelin, yet people call it a mighty bad disease in this celebration of a legend that doubles as a portrait of the people and culture of houston, txcaptured vividly at a bbq and an allblack rodeo. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins july 31, 2014 hallgeir 2 comments he was like an ancient oracle in his uncanny ability to improvise rhyming blues songs about a person or situation that revealed a truth that was perfect in its simplicity, yet infinitely complex in its layers of meaning. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins check out the video clip below for an excellent 30miniute documentary, capturing the life of legendary blues singerguitarist sam lightnin hopkins. Still got the blues music the blues accordin to lightnin. Four classic albums sings the blues lightnin hopkins blues in my bottle walkin this road by by lightnin hopkins audio cd. His complex guitar work had the flavour of early texas blues styles, and although his voice was dry and scratchy, his songs and the spontaneous stories he told at his. Armed with only his plaintive vocals and an acoustic guitar, hopkins gets to the very heart of the blues, his unadorned style placing nuance and emotion above volume and precision. Blues accordin to lightnin hopkins les blank spent the early part of his thirties, and much of his twenties, putting together industrial movies, basically educational films for the corporate world, movies to promote the venture to investors and employees. Hopkins was active musically until his death in 1982 of esophageal cancer. The album derives influence from charlie rich, jerry lee lewis, bo diddley, lightnin hopkins, and tony joe white. On the making of the blues accordin to lightnin hopkins.
Lightnin hopkins was one of the blues most distinctive and prolific artists, a man who wandered into recording studios and onto stages with no defined song list, sat down, and played whatever came into his mind. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins dangerous minds. Rolling stone magazine ranked him number 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. The first song on this album, im going to build me a heaven of my own, adescribes an encounter with a bearded man claiming to be jesus christ. The blues acordin to lightin hopkins, a portrait of the great texas bluesman, lightnin hopkins. With the aid of a little gin and a borrowed acoustic guitar. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins the official bob. Mar 17, 2007 in his own words and own own music, lightnin hopkins reveals the inspiration for his blues. New vinyl reissue remastered from the original 1959 master tapes, packaged in classic folkwaysstyle tipon jackets with original liner notes.
Its a fine batch of tunes from a true legend in prime form, and its also an opportunity to get up close and personal with a still potent. Smokes like lightnin the great electric show and dance. On the making of the blues according to lightnin hopkins. The blues according to lightnin hopkins 1970 internet archive. The blues accordin to lightin hopkins nr, 31 min documentary. And lightnin hopkins is certainly more blessed than whats average.
The musicologist robert mack mccormick opined that hopkins is. Includes performances at an outdoor barbeque and a black rodeo. This is a reissue of lightnin hopkins lightnin strikes, originally released in 1966. As one of the last great country bluesmen, hopkins was a fascinating figure who bridged the gap between rural and urban styles. Filmmaker les blank captured the texas troubadours informal lifestyle most vividly in his acclaimed 1967 documentary, the blues accordin to lightnin hopkins. He was back on the houston scene by 1959, largely forgotten. Subtitles of different languages may be downloaded for free as a. Lightnin hopkins, mance lipscomb, ruth ames and billy bizor. Blank reveals lightnins inspiration, and features a generous helping of classic blues. Likable short documentary features the great texas blues singer lightnin hopkins. Personnel on camera jazz on the screen is a reference work of filmographic information and does not point to digitized versions of the items described. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins the official. Director blank reveals lightnin s inspiration, and features a generous helping of classic blues. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins was only his second effort and it stands as one of his best, still.
The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 2014, texas blues, documentary, bdrip 720p. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the blues according to lightnin hopkins near you. Lightnin hopkins lightnin and the blues 1960, vinyl. Samuel john lightnin hopkins march 15, 1912 january 30, 1982 was an american country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional pianist, from centerville, texas. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 1967 youtube. Lightnin hopkins country blues by lightnin hopkins. It is righteousness that guides the hand of the blues guitarist towards those pure notes.
Visitors of subtitlesbank have given a rating of 7. The film includes performances at an outdoor barbeque and a black rodeo, and a. Rather than show a bunch of still images or talking heads, complete with captions to let us know who were listening to, why not actually just document a culture, a person. June 6, 2018 clip from the blues accordin to lightnin hopkins a documentary film by les blank. Allmusics thom jurek describes the albums style as voodoo blues, writing this is redneck music, pure and simple, fresh out of hell and trying to communicate the giddiness of reprieve as well as its horrors to the listener. The film includes performances at an outdoor barbeque and a black rodeo, and a visit to his boyhood town of centerville, texas.
Armed with only his plaintive vocals and an acoustic guitar, hopkins gets to the very heart of the blues, his unadorned style placing nuance and. Subtitles the blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 1970 free download. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins facebook watch. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 2014, texas blues. The blues accordin to lightin hopkins 1970 free download. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 2014, texas. The new york times described him as one of the great country blues singers and perhaps the greatest single influence on rock guitar players. The jazz label prestige picked him up for their bluesville imprint and cut 10 lps with him, with the odd side trip to other outlets, including bobby robinsons fire. The great texas bluesman lightnin hopkins is captured brilliantly in this deeply moving film.
Country blues by lightnin hopkins the turntable jukebox. June 6, 2018 clip from the blues accordin to lightnin hopkins a documentary film by les. Here he takes us in one of his many short films, certainly one of his more known, to texas into the world of blues musician lightnin hopkins. Publication date 1960 topics country, blues, texas.
See more ideas about country blue, blues music and music. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 1970 subtitles. Two of the best come from the man renowned near and far as lightnin hopkins, the most recent being the 1968 lp texas blues man. Rolling stone magazine ranked him number 71 on its list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time the musicologist robert mack mccormick opined that hopkins is the embodiment of the jazzandpoetry spirit. Download lightnin hopkins texas blues the blues collection vol. Fortunately, folklorist mack mccormick rediscovered the guitarist, who was dusted off and presented as a folkblues artist. At the time, my second marriage had recently collapsed and i felt myself a failure as a father, a human and an artist. Listen to your favorite songs from country blues by lightnin hopkins now.
The blues accordin to lightin hopkins 1967 rotten tomatoes. Watch the blues accordin to lightnin hopkins prime video. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins nov 27, 2004. The film includes interviews and a performance by hopkins. The short avoids explicit biography, choosing instead to record intimate musical moments and the ambient humanity of hopkins worldit even credits. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins full documentary. This is what they mean when they say chicken noodle soup for the soul. Les blank reveals the inspiration of great texas bluesman lightnin hopkins, and features a generous helping of classic blues, including the songs, mr. The stunning impact of his charismatic performances comes fully to life in this video tracing lightnins career subsequent to his rediscovery in 1959. Sam lightnin hopkins 19121982 was the embodiment of texas country blues and inspired novelists, filmmakers, and of course, countless blues singerguitarists. The film begins depicting hopkins as a young boy at the point that he decides to become a musician and goes on to show lightnin as an adult in. The result is nine tracks of pure country blues and hopkins reminiscences of his time performing with blind lemon jefferson. Blanks wheelhouse however was always regional american music and the blues accordin to lightnin hopkinsa gorgeous little filmradiates with his reverence for the texas legend. Texas bluesman samuel lightnin hopkins musical career was reignited by this 1959 release.
Director blank reveals lightnins inspiration, and features a. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 1969 directed. Stream adfree with amazon music unlimited on mobile, desktop, and tablet. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins trailer youtube. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins is dated 1968, and captures a group of aging blues musicians and a community for whom blues music was still part of the texture of everyday life. A portrait of the great texas bluesman, lightnin hopkins. Much of it was protest songs by singersongwriters of the 60s, but also featured very special people on tour, like blues singers brownie mcgee and sonny terry and my favorite, lightnin hopkins. Four classic albums sings the blues lightnin hopkins.
A true poet of the blues, lightnin hopkins was a master of tall, tongueincheek tales, often made up on the spot in the recording studio. Country blues by lightnin hopkins sam john lightnin hopkins march 15, 1911 january 30, 1982 was a texas country bluesman of the highest caliber from from centerville, texas. The blues accordin to lightnin hopkins 1969 directed by. Country blues by lightnin hopkins on amazon music unlimited. Blues accordin to lightnin hopkins library of congress. Dec 12, 2012 the blues accordin to lightnin hopkins is dated 1968, and captures a group of aging blues musicians and a community for whom blues music was still part of the texture of everyday life. Early on in his documentary career, les blank had a radical idea. The stunning impact of his charismatic performances comes fully to life in this video tracing lightnins career. Dec 9, 2015 sam john hopkins, better known as lightnin hopkins, was an american country blues singer, songwriter, guitarist, and occasional pianist, from houston, texas. Recorded in 1961 for prestige, a label best known for jazz, blues in my bottle presents sam lightnin hopkins in a strictly solo setting.