If we’re completely honest with ourselves, the world was not ready for Lonnie Mack in 1963.
There had, for sure, been instances of white singers being mistaken for being black, and vice-versa. And there had been guitarists who strove to push the initial limits of what the instrument could do. But Mack was unique: he had a smooth soul voice that could switch to a passionate howl in an instant, and he laid down guitar licks that had speed to them, but also fit the structure of the song perfectly.
That’s why The Wham Of That Memphis Man, Mack’s debut effort, stands out among so many other releases from the Sixties. Quite simply, he didn’t neatly fit into any category that the genre of rock—admittedly still in its toddler years—could offer. Now, over 60 years since its release, it’s an interesting snapshot of the development of the genre to that point. (Side note: this album has been re-released several times over the years on multiple labels; I’m working off the 1987 Alligator release, which was based on the expanded 1969 Elektra re-issue. Where the original album had 11 tracks, this as 13.)
The album is best known for two instrumentals, “Wham!” and “Memphis,” both of which hit the upper echelon of the Billboard Hot 100 in 1963. (A third single—the double A-side “Baby, What’s Wrong” and “Where There’s A Will”—barely made it onto the charts.) These tracks showcase the talents Mack had on guitar, his distorted playing perfectly blending into the rhythm track. There’s good reason these two songs are still revered to this day, and hearing them in their natural environment only makes them that much more powerful.
The album also showcases Mack’s vocal ability. If you only knew him from his road-scarred efforts such as Strike Like Lightning, you’d be missing out on just what a talent he truly had. How “Where There’s A Will There’s A Way” didn’t become a bigger hit, I honestly will never understand; this is a perfect example of just how powerful a singer Mack was.
The one flaw on The Wham Of That Memphis Man is that, more often than not, Mack has to choose between showcasing his singing or his playing. When he’s able to blend both, as he does on “Baby What’s Wrong,” he hits the peak of his true power. I’d like to have heard more moments like that—and that’s not to say vocal tracks like “I’ll Keep You Happy” and “Farther On Down The Road,” or instrumentals like “Suzie Q” or “Bounce” are by any means weaker efforts.
On the hype sticker for the 1987 reissue, the late Stevie Ray Vaughan—himself responsible for the resurgence of Mack’s career—stated: “If you play guitar, buy this record! And even if you don’t play guitar, buy this record!” In retrospect, one has to wonder whether we would have had the skills of someone like Vaughan had it not been for Mack and The Wham Of That Memphis Man. Buy it for the two known hits; keep it to discover the gems lurking just beneath the surface.
