Lightnin' Strikes by Charles Calello and was recorded on September 3, 1965. The song featured backing vocals from Bernadette Carroll, Peggy Santiglia and Denise Ferri of The Delicates. Session personnel included Joe Farrell and George Young on baritone sax; Ray DeSio on trombone; Stan Free on piano; Lou Mauro on bass; Charlie Macy, Ralph Casale, and Vinnie Bell on guitar; and Buddy Saltzman on drums. Ralph Casale's "stuttering" guitar solo was an overdub. Lightnin' Strikes "Lightnin' Strikes" is a song written by Lou Christie and Twyla Herbert, and recorded by Christie on the MGM label. It was a hit in 1966, making
The Roots of Lightnin' Hopkins when he was singing and down to the guitar when he was playing a solo. The album was first released at around the time the book "The Country Blues" came out and was an instant success and gave Lightnin's career a well-deserved new lease on life. Lightnin' went on to record many more songs in the '60s and '70s. The album was released in the UK by Verve Folkways as VLP 5003 (mono) and SVLP 5003 (stereo) and re-released in 1972 by Transatlantic Records (XTRA 1127). In 1990 it was re-released on CD under the title "Lightnin' Hopkins" by Smithsonian/Folkways