Smokestack Lightnin' by Howlin' Wolf
This jam was posted by 31 people
but kylos37 was first
Real music for real people
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Recorded in 1956 this song was called 'hypnotic one-chord drone piece' draws on earlier blues, such as Tommy Johnson's "Big Road Blues" (1928 ), the Mississippi Sheiks' "Stop and Listen Blues" (1930 ), and Charley Patton's "Moon Going Down" (1930 ). Wolf said the song was inspired by watching trains in the night: "We used to sit out in the country and see the trains go by, watch the sparks come out of the smokestack. That was smokestack lightning." In 1951, Howlin' Wolf recorded the song as "Crying at Daybreak" . It contains the line "O-oh smokestack lightnin', shinin', just like gold, oh don't you hear me cryin'" similar to the Mississippi Sheiks "A-ah, smokestack lightnin', that bell shine just like gold, now don't you hear me talkin'". Still brilliant!! #HopeYouLikeIt
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Proper
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Before we finish here, I just had to squeeze this Jam in, it was very close to being my "Eternal Jam"!! I'm going to leave you in the capable hands of Lighnin' until next weekend. Then I'll be back with you, to see if there's anyone left and to #GoDownJamming . Coming soon:- http://www.letsloop.com/MikeLowe . Have a great week lovely Jammers - take care.
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Filmed in 1964 during the American Folk Blues Festival tour in the UK. This is the only known filmed version of "Smokestack Lightning", surely one of Wolf's biggest hits and best known songs.
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