Mojo Hand by Timothy J. O'Brien

Author:Timothy J. O'Brien [O'Brien Timothy J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: University of Texas Press
Published: 2013-09-15T00:00:00+00:00

SEVEN

VIETNAM WAR BLUES

Yes if Uncle Sam should call you,

Oh Lord I miss you so much I may die.

LIGHTNIN’ HOPKINS, 1968

NINETEEN SIXTY-FIVE ushered in the midpoint of the 1960s, a half-decade that had seen enormous sacrifice and gain by African Americans and their allies in the struggle for civil rights. In March, Hopkins recorded in Houston for Arhoolie Records. While not much information survives about the St. Patrick’s Day recording session, Arhoolie did release one track. Hopkins played a twelve-string guitar on “Going Back to Baden-Baden,” referring to the German city Hopkins played when he was on the American Folk Blues tour in 1964. The words, however, refer not so much to the German town but to the photographer Stephanie Wiesand, who mothered Hopkins along until he was able to perform. The lyrics show Hopkins’s usual witticisms, this time about a white woman:

I’m gonna see Miss Stephanie

5,000 miles overseas

When she done made her picture

She said

Please poor Lightnin’ come see about me

Legendary blues songwriter, producer, and bass player Willie Dixon arranged for Hopkins to perform a run of dates in and around Chicago during April 1965, including April 17, 1965, at the Great Western Hall on the west side of Chicago, which “you could rent like for a wedding. [The] Black west side was a Jewish neighborhood in the 1920s, Benny Goodman grew up there, two blocks from Sylvio’s [nightclub].”1 Hopkins’s performance was particularly well received by blues scholar Pete Welding. In his review for the British Blues Unlimited, he exclaims, “The sea of sound parted, however, when the magisterial, imperturbable Lightnin’ strode onstage—and took over completely. With only drummer [Bill] Stepney in support, Hopkins engendered such an undertow of rhythmic power that he had the floor crowded with dancers in no time at-all. By himself he handily out swung the entire [J. B.] Lenoir crew. (J. B. and his Abominable Ensemble . . . was the way one wag described them). Lightnin’ is a commanding, fantastically exciting performer and he had the audience in the palm of his hand almost from the first note. He ran through a program of his staples—like “Katie Mae” and “Mojo Hand”—and filled innumerable requests. His voice is an astonishingly sensitive instrument and that guitar of his! I was simply rapt, couldn’t believe how good he was.”2

Charlie Musselwhite saw Hopkins play the Gary, Indiana, stop on the tour a couple of nights later. As in the show in Chicago, Hopkins followed J. B. Lenoir and his band: “I remember when I got there, J. B. Lenoir and his band was playing and he had a horn section. The place was jumping and everyone was dancing. I remember thinking, J. B.’s got a pretty good thing going, I wonder how Lightning is gonna follow it? He has a big band, and Lightning is just a solo player. Finally, it gets to the end of J. B.’s set, and they took the equipment down. It’s time for Lightning. He comes walking on stage. He was wearing a black suit and .

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