Blues Hall Of Famer Fenton Robinson’s Somebody Loan Me A Dime Considered A Classic Blues Recording
Lonnie Mack’s Strike Like Lightning Produced By And Featuring Guest Performances From Stevie Ray Vaughan
Both Albums Available On Vinyl For The First Time In 30 Years
On Friday, June 2, Alligator Records will reissue two classic titles from its unparalleled blues and roots rock catalog: 2023 Blues Hall Of Famer Fenton Robinson’s Somebody Loan Me A Dime and Lonnie Mack’s Strike Like Lightning. Both albums have been remastered and pressed on 140g black vinyl and will be available for the first time on LP in 30 years.
Originally released in 1974, Somebody Loan Me A Dime, by blues icon Fenton Robinson, is a bona fide blues classic, and only the fifth album to be released by Alligator at the time. An inventive, melodic guitarist with a soaring voice, Robinson had a long recording career, cutting singles (and one LP) for various labels before releasing Somebody Loan Me A Dime on Alligator. That album fully captures the depth of Robinson’s subtle, nuanced, jazz-inflected blues and spectacular guitar and vocal talent, and features his definitive versions of the title track (covered by Boz Scaggs) and Texas Flood (covered by Stevie Ray Vaughan). Robinson was posthumously inducted into the Blues Hall Of Fame in 2023. Since its release, Somebody Loan Me A Dime has sold over 50,000 units in the U.S..
Originally released in 1985, Strike Like Lightning, by rock and soul originator Lonnie Mack, was the celebrated comeback of the legendary rock guitar pioneer. A blazing guitarist and raw, soulful singer, Mack rose to fame in 1963 with his instrumental singles Memphis and Wham! and a handful of albums. With the encouragement of his greatest disciple, Stevie Ray Vaughan (who offered to produce and guest on the album), Mack went into the studio for Alligator in 1984 and relaunched his career. Strike Like Lightning features timeless slash-and-burn performances, including the songs Hound Dog Man, If You Have To Know, Double Whammy and Oreo Cookie Blues. Strike Like Lightning has sold over 100,000 units in the U.S.