Smokestack Lightning

1956

Smokestack Lightning is a blues song by Howlin 'Wolf, the this 1956 with Chess Records recorded the first time. It is not only with the original version of Wolf, but also through numerous cover versions to a blues standard, or become classics.

Background and origins

Wolf is said to have written the song in the early 1930s and played again and again, including with the legendary blues musician Charley Patton.

The song has been influenced and inspired by the classic Delta blues pieces. Wolf himself remarked on the emergence of the song following: ". . 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" However, the influences of blues songs such as Big Road Blues by Tommy Johnson, Stop and Listen Blues by Mississippi Sheiks of the group or even just Charley Patton Moon Going Down are unique. In 1951, even with Wolf Crying at Daybreak a song whose opening verses are very similar to those with which Smokestack Lightning starts.

Recording and publication

The song is a simple blues in E minor, which is supported by only a single chord. Besides Wolf (vocals and harmonica), made ​​music on the recording of 1956 Hubert Sumlin and Willie Johnson on guitar, Willie Dixon on bass, Hosea Lee Kennard on piano and Earl Phillips on drums.

When the song was first published in 1956 in Chess as a single, he reached the 11th place on the Billboard Hitparde in the division for Rhythm and Blues. The song appeared also on Howlin ' Wolf's albums Moanin' at Midnight and The Howlin 'Wolf album. He was also successful in the UK charts in the 1960s and is one of Wolf's most famous songs.

Spelling of the title

When the song was published in 1956 with Chess Records, he was Smokestack Lightning written. Later, he was listed as Smokestack Lightning. Innovative re-releases on compilation albums doing the play often than Smokestack Lightnin '.

Cover versions

Smokestack Lightning has been covered by many musicians and bands that have grossed the piece in the studio and / or live on playing concerts. Some of them had even minor chart success with the song. The blues-rock explosion in England in the mid- 1960s, many bands played the song in different versions. These versions were brought as part of the British Invasion back to the States, where even turn bands who covered the piece.

These bands included Manfred Mann, The Yardbirds, The Animals, The Who, The Groundhogs, The Grateful Dead, Quicksilver Messenger Service, The Electric Prunes and The Wailers. Musicians within the blues such as Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Jimmy Rogers recorded the piece, as well as Bob Dylan, Aerosmith, and Creedence Clearwater Revival.

Awards

The original version of Howlin 'Wolf has been behäuft with the times with many honors. The Rolling Stone listed Smokestack Lightning etaw 2003 in their list of the 500 best songs of all time ranked 291 in 1985, the song in division for classics into the Blues Hall of Fame was recorded. He is in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame among the 500 songs did Shaped Rock and roll. In 2009 he was also to preserve in the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress added.