"Smokestack Lightning" (also "Smoke Stack Lightning" or "Smokestack Lightnin'") is a blues song recorded by Howlin' Wolf in 1956. It became one of his most popular and influential songs. It is based on earlier blues songs, and numerous artists later interpreted it.
Wolf had performed "Smokestack Lightning" in one form or another at least by the early 1930s,[1] when he was performing with Charley Patton in small Delta communities.[1] The song, described as "a hypnotic one-chord drone piece",[2] draws on earlier blues, such as Tommy Johnson's "Big Road Blues",[3] the Mississippi Sheiks' "Stop and Listen Blues",[4] and Charley Patton's "Moon Going Down".[5][6] 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."[7] In 1951, he 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' lyric "A-ah, smokestack lightnin', that bell shine just like gold, now don't you hear me talkin'".
Original songedit
At Chess' studio in Chicago in January 1956, Howlin' Wolf recorded "Smokestack Lightning".[1] The song takes the form of "a propulsive, one-chord vamp, nominally in E major but with the flatted blue notes that make it sound like E minor", and lyrically it is "a pastiche of ancient blues lines and train references, timeless and evocative".[1] Longtime Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin is credited with the distinctive guitar line.[8] Howlin' Wolf sang and played harmonica, backed by pianist Hosea Lee Kennard, guitarists Willie Johnson[9] and Hubert Sumlin, bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Earl Phillips.[8]
In 1956, "Smokestack Lightning" reached number 11 on the Billboard R&B chart.[10] As the UK experienced an R&B boom in the early 1960s, British R&B groups regularly covered "Smokestack Lightning" in their live acts.[11] Due to the song's renewed popularity, Pye International Records issued it in the UK on a moderately successful EP in late1963 and then on a single the following year,[11] where it peaked at number 42 in the singles chart.[12] It was later included on the albums Moanin' in the Moonlight and The Howlin' Wolf Album.
Recognitionedit
In a song review for AllMusic, Bill Janovitz described "Smokestack Lightning" as "almost like a distillation of the essence of the blues... a pleasingly primitive and raw representation of the blues, pure and chant-like. Wolf truly sounds like a man in otherwise inexpressible agony, flailing for words."[8] In 1999, the song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award, honoring its lasting historical significance.[13]Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 291 in its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time"[7] and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included it in its list of the "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll".[14] In 1985, the song was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the "Classics of Blues Recordings" category[15] and, in 2009, it was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry of the U.S. Library of Congress.[16]
Janovitz also identifies "Smokestack Lightning" as a blues standard "open to varied interpretation, covered by artists ranging from the Yardbirds to Soundgarden, all stamping their personal imprint on the song".[8] Clapton identifies the Yardbirds' performances of the song as the group's most popular live number.[17] They played it almost every show, and sometimes it could last up to 30 minutes.[18] One version lasting 5:35 is included on the Yardbirds UK debut album, Five Live Yardbirds (1964) and the US split studio/live album Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds (1965). Howlin' Wolf reportedly referred to the group's interpretation as "the definitive version of his song".[18]
Referencesedit
^ abcd Segrest, James; Hoffman, Mark (2004). Moanin' at Midnight: The Life and Times of Howlin' Wolf. New York City: Pantheon Books. pp. 20, 126. ISBN0-375-42246-3.
^ Blues Foundation (November 10, 2016). "1985 Hall of Fame Inductees: Smoke Stack Lightning (Smokestack Lightnin') – Howlin' Wolf (Chess, 1956)". The Blues Foundation. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
^ "Complete National Recording Registry Listing". U.S. Library of Congress. Retrieved August 3, 2014.
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This article is about the Howlin Wolf song For other uses see Smokestack Lightning disambiguation Smokestack Lightning also Smoke Stack Lightning or Smokestack Lightnin is a blues song recorded by Howlin Wolf in 1956 It became one of his most popular and influential songs It is based on earlier blues songs and numerous artists later interpreted it Smoke Stack Lightning Single by Howlin WolfB side You Can t Be Beat ReleasedMarch 1956 1956 03 RecordedJanuary 1956StudioChess ChicagoGenreBluesLength2 32LabelChessSongwriter s Chester Burnett a k a Howlin WolfProducer s Leonard Chess Phil Chess Willie DixonHowlin Wolf singles chronology Come to Me Baby 1955 Smoke Stack Lightning 1956 I Asked for Water 1956 Contents 1 Background 2 Original song 3 Recognition 4 ReferencesBackground editWolf had performed Smokestack Lightning in one form or another at least by the early 1930s 1 when he was performing with Charley Patton in small Delta communities 1 The song described as a hypnotic one chord drone piece 2 draws on earlier blues such as Tommy Johnson s Big Road Blues 3 the Mississippi Sheiks Stop and Listen Blues 4 and Charley Patton s Moon Going Down 5 6 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 7 In 1951 he 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 lyric A ah smokestack lightnin that bell shine just like gold now don t you hear me talkin Original song editAt Chess studio in Chicago in January 1956 Howlin Wolf recorded Smokestack Lightning 1 The song takes the form of a propulsive one chord vamp nominally in E major but with the flatted blue notes that make it sound like E minor and lyrically it is a pastiche of ancient blues lines and train references timeless and evocative 1 Longtime Wolf guitarist Hubert Sumlin is credited with the distinctive guitar line 8 Howlin Wolf sang and played harmonica backed by pianist Hosea Lee Kennard guitarists Willie Johnson 9 and Hubert Sumlin bassist Willie Dixon and drummer Earl Phillips 8 In 1956 Smokestack Lightning reached number 11 on the Billboard R amp B chart 10 As the UK experienced an R amp B boom in the early 1960s British R amp B groups regularly covered Smokestack Lightning in their live acts 11 Due to the song s renewed popularity Pye International Records issued it in the UK on a moderately successful EP in late 1963 and then on a single the following year 11 where it peaked at number 42 in the singles chart 12 It was later included on the albums Moanin in the Moonlight and The Howlin Wolf Album Recognition editIn a song review for AllMusic Bill Janovitz described Smokestack Lightning as almost like a distillation of the essence of the blues a pleasingly primitive and raw representation of the blues pure and chant like Wolf truly sounds like a man in otherwise inexpressible agony flailing for words 8 In 1999 the song received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award honoring its lasting historical significance 13 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 291 in its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time 7 and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame included it in its list of the 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll 14 In 1985 the song was inducted into the Blues Foundation Hall of Fame in the Classics of Blues Recordings category 15 and in 2009 it was selected for permanent preservation in the National Recording Registry of the U S Library of Congress 16 Janovitz also identifies Smokestack Lightning as a blues standard open to varied interpretation covered by artists ranging from the Yardbirds to Soundgarden all stamping their personal imprint on the song 8 Clapton identifies the Yardbirds performances of the song as the group s most popular live number 17 They played it almost every show and sometimes it could last up to 30 minutes 18 One version lasting 5 35 is included on the Yardbirds UK debut album Five Live Yardbirds 1964 and the US split studio live album Having a Rave Up with The Yardbirds 1965 Howlin Wolf reportedly referred to the group s interpretation as the definitive version of his song 18 References edit a b c d Segrest James Hoffman Mark 2004 Moanin at Midnight The Life and Times of Howlin Wolf New York City Pantheon Books pp 20 126 ISBN 0 375 42246 3 Palmer Robert 1982 Deep Blues New York City Penguin Books p 231 ISBN 0 14006 223 8 1928 Victor No 21279 1930 OKeh 8807 1930 Paramount 13014 Evans David 1987 Big Road Blues Tradition and Creativity in the Folk Blues Boston Massachesetts Da Capo Press p 274 ISBN 978 0 306 80300 0 a b Rolling Stone December 9 2004 The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time Rolling Stone No 963 Retrieved September 3 2013 a b c d Janovitz Bill Howlin Wolf Smokestack Lightning Review AllMusic Retrieved March 20 2011 Willie Johnson or Pat Hare played on the earlier Crying at Daybreak Herzhaft Gerard 1992 Smokestack Lightning Encyclopedia of the Blues Fayetteville Arkansas University of Arkansas Press p 198 ISBN 1 55728 252 8 a b Miller Andy 2003 The Kinks Are the Village Green Preservation Society 33 series New York City Bloomsbury Academic pp 63 64 ISBN 978 0 8264 1498 4 Howlin Wolf Singles Official Charts Retrieved September 3 2013 Grammy Hall of Fame Awards Past Recipients Grammy org 1999 Retrieved March 20 2011 500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll Rock and Roll Hall of Fame 1995 Archived from the original on 2007 05 02 Retrieved March 20 2011 Blues Foundation November 10 2016 1985 Hall of Fame Inductees Smoke Stack Lightning Smokestack Lightnin Howlin Wolf Chess 1956 The Blues Foundation Retrieved February 9 2017 Complete National Recording Registry Listing U S Library of Congress Retrieved August 3 2014 Clapton Eric 2007 Clapton The Autobiography New York City Broadway Books p 47 ISBN 978 0 7679 2536 5 a b Koda Cub Russo Gregg 2001 Ultimate Boxed set booklet The Yardbirds Los Angeles Rhino Records p 26 OCLC 781357622 R2 79825 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Smokestack Lightning amp oldid 1187630638, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
