Cousin Geoff’s notes: This is the second installment of our Ann Arbor Sun Project. This review/promotion of the 45 by Scott Morgan’s band Lightnin’ serves as a good missing link between The Rationals and Sonic’s Rendezvous. I’m going to leave the rest of the background intro to Max Conroy (COMING SOON), who is our resident Scott Morgan expert, having even interviewed him several times in the past year. We also happen to have a copy of this 45 up for auction right now, thanks to our friend Bob who found it recently, which also allowed me to post a picture and audio clip of the record. Personally, I really like it; it’s exactly the sort of Michigan garage that I enjoy. One other thing to note is the references to organizations that were aligned with The Ann Arbor Sun, as well as some other important Michigan rock and roll history content. This article originally appeared in Issue #44, December 1-15, 1972, of The Ann Arbor Sun. The author was not listed. The Cousins Vinyl Ann Arbor Sun Project is brought to you courtesy of John Sinclair.
LIGHTNIN’ STRIKES WITH FIRST 45
There’s a whole lot of shakin’ going on in Michigan, and the bands that are making the music which comes out of and inspires it all are getting ready to reach out to millions of starved energy addicts with powerful Michigan jams. Another step in the revival is taking place this week as one of those bands, Lightnin’, until last month was known as Guardian Angel, releases it’s first single.
Lightnin’s first 45 is coming out on Rainbow records, a division of Rainbow Multi-Media (which also manages the band) and should be available in your local record stores soon. If it isn’t there within the next few weeks it’s because your record dealer hasn’t ordered it yet. The tune is “Hijackin’ Love”, a Memphis tune by Johnny Taylor, and it was recorded live at the very last of this summer’s free Tribal Stomps at Otis Spann Field. The b-side is a studio version of “The First Time I Saw You Baby”.
The record will be distributed locally, and efforts will be made to get it on the radio, both am and fm. People who listen to Takin’ Over, The People’s Communications’ Committee show on WNTZ-FM, have heard the record already along with the rest of the Otis Spann tape. The music is powerful rhythm and blues, but there ain’t much we can SAY to describe the music; the best thing to do is to cop the single for yourself and come to dig it like we do.
“Hijackin’ Love” is the second release on the Rainbow Label, the first having been the historic recording of FREE JOHN NOW! by the UP with b/side “Prayer for John Sinclair” by Allen Ginsberg, which was handed out free to the 15,000 people who freed John last December 10 at Chrisler Arena. The cover was designed by Gary Grimshaw at Rainbow Graphics.
LIGHTNIN’ has been playing their music for us at gigs around Michigan of all kinds (including benefits for the FREE JOHN NOW! movement, McGovern for President, the Michigan Committee for Prisoner’s Rights, the Tribal Council Community Parks Program, the Human Rights Party and others) since its formation as Guardian Angel in 1971. Before that its members, all of whom went to Ann Arbor High Schools, were playing in some of the bands from the previous era on Michigan rock and roll.
Scott Morgan, lead singer, played with bassist Terry Trabandt before in the Rationals, which put out several hit singles back in the sixties; Jeff Jones (guitar) and Al Jacquez (vocals and rhythm guitar) played together in the old Hideways and later worked with each other in Savage Grace, and Scott’s brother, drummer Dave Morgan played in the notorious Our Mother’s Children. Terry also used to play with DETROIT, and Scott has had offers to sing for several national recording acts, but both of them are staying here with LIGHTIN’ to do what they know they have to do. (Some of you might remember Guardian Angel’s former lead guitar player, Wayne “Tex” Shorter, and might be interested to know that he is now the lead singer for Elephants Memory.)
So be listenin for LIGHTNIN’ coming out over yr. radio soon, and be lookin for it at your local record store. Money made by the record goes to the band to keep them alive and kicking and to non-profit Rainbow Multi-Media, which’ll use its share for more vital community culural activities in the spirit of the ones it’s accomplished so far.
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