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Thursday, February 23, 2023

White Lightning - Strikes Twice (1968-69 us, raw garage heavy psych rock)



Hard fuzz trio featuring the blazing leads of Zippy Caplan (ex-Litter). The band was less garagy and more pounding hardrock than the Litter. "Under the Screaming Double Eagle" collects studio tracks from 1969. White Lightning was a slang term for LSD at the time (and bootleg whiskey prior to that). The group added two new members and shortened their name to Lightning. They continued in the hardrock mode but now with dual leads. "Lightning" is another excellent effort, just missing the certain magic they possessed as a power trio.

"White Lightning" was formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1968 by ex-"Litter" guitarist "Zippy" Caplan and bassist Woody Woodrich. The two musicians had been jamming together for close to a year before they decided to become a group. 

The name "White Lightning" was picked by "Zip" Caplan and Woody Woodrich during their drive back from the "Litter's" filming of "Medium Cool" because it was another name for acid. "White Lightning's" original drummer, Garr Johnson, quit the group after only a months rehearsals because he didn't believe a three-piece act could make it in Minneapolis. Mick Stanhope was immediately brought in from Chicago by Ronn Roberts to fill the empty drummer's chair. 
Minneapolis Music
Tracks
1. Prelude To Opus IV (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 2:02
2. (Under The Screaming Double) Eagle (Denny Waite, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 3:22
3. Born Too Rich (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 3:59
4. Coming Down (Larry Loofbourrow) - 3:32
5. Borrowed And Blue (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan) - 3:01
6. Bogged Down (Mark Gallagher, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 2:31
7. Let Me Feel It Too (Larry Loofbourrow) - 3:17
8. Only Love (Larry Loofbourrow) - 1:45
9. Age (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan) - 3:36
10.Fantasy Days (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 3:25
11.No Time For Love (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 11:18
12.William Tell (Gioacchino Rossini) - 5:15
13.Prelude To Opus IV (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 4:18
14.Freedom (Mick Stanhope, Ronn Roberts, Tom Caplan) - 5:15
15.Groundhog (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 3:38
16.1930 (Mick Stanhope, Ronn Roberts, Tom Caplan) - 4:11
17.Just Let The World Roll On By (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan) - 1:46
18.Before My Time (Bernie Pershey, Mick Stanhope, Ronn Roberts, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 3:12
19.Age  (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan) - 3:50
20.Fantasy Days  (Mick Stanhope, Tom Caplan, Woody Woodrich) - 2:31

White Lightning
*Mick Stanhope - Vocals, Drums, Percussion
*Tom "Zippy" Caplan - Guitar
*Woody Woodrich - Bass, Vocals
*Bernie Pershey - Drums (Tracks 13-20)
*Ronn Roberts - Guitar (Tracks 13-20)
With
*Barbara Hess - Vocasl (Tracks 15,17)

Related Acts
1966-68  The Litter - Distortions / Live At The Electric Theatre 
1968  The Litter - One Hundred Dollar Fine