Georgia Satellites announce first-ever official live album

Lightnin’ In A Bottle: The Official Live Album is due via Cleveland International Records

Georgia Satellites have set Lightnin’ In A Bottle: The Official Live Album for release on March 11, 2022 via Cleveland International Records. The 18-track album documents the band’s epochal performance at Peabody’s in Cleveland in 1988 after shooting to fame with “Keep Your Hands To Yourself” and their version of Chan Romero’s “Hippy Hippy Shake” that was featured in the Tom Cruise film, Cocktail. It’s the first release in the label’s CLE Rocks Series: Live From the Rock & Roll Capital Of the World.

Offered both on CD and digitally, it will be joined by a 180-gram 2 LP set in both black vinyl and as a limited edition red smoke vinyl set on July 8th. The album includes all of the band’s best-known material including “Battleship Chains” as well as five tracks that have never been available on any previous Satellites release. Lightnin’… is the first and only live Georgia Satellites album to date.

While recording hit songs and albums put the group on the map, it was live performing that cinched the Satellites reputation as one of the most dynamic live bands of the period. Cleveland-born and raised music critic/author Holly Gleason was an early Georgia Satellites fan and supporter and wrote of that long-ago performance at Peabody’s, “..their salty, wide-open Chuck Berry riff ’n’ roll was full swagger..” Adding, “..guitarist/lead singer Dan Baird and combustive lead guitarist Rick Richards set the pummeling groove of drummer Mauro Magellan and bassist Rick Price ablaze.” She went on to call the recording “an 18-song masterclass in roots, rock and raunch” and characterized the band “As the southern equivalent of the Replacements.”

Dan Baird recalled that night most vividly and graphically, “It was my birthday [December 12] and I had some nasty ass cold. Shiverin’ and moaning, but as they say, the show must go on.’” He continued, “Now the club had a really unique monitor system and it had real tube amps powering the tweeters — this is really a big deal, so warm and lovely — and Robert, our monitor man, informed me I’d really be able to hear myself sing, even through the cold. We sound checked, and it sounded just great. Me? Not so much, but still, a lot of weight off right there. I’d told C Rick (A Rick was guitar, B Rick on bass, therefore C Rick) our light man to hit me pretty hard with the old school 500-watt pars and MAYBE I could melt the total congestion quick. Show starts and I do my best, but it’s a struggle to sing when drowning from the inside. I think that lasted a song and a half or so, because of the heat from the lights. I mouth-birthed a fist-sized wad, turned my head to the side and let it loose. Yes disgusting, but I knew I was gonna make it through the show. Thanked C Rick for the nasal and sinus car wash and, boy howdy, was EVERYONE in the crew relieved.”

Lightnin’ In A Bottle: The Official Live Album captures the sweaty excitement and spontaneity – both on and off stage – of that special night 33 years ago. As the redoubtable Holly Gleason has written, “Leave it to Cleveland International to unearth this blistering recording, wipe off the sweat and somehow figure out how to get it all in one double disc package captured in the Rock & Roll Capital of the World.” Lightnin’ In A Bottle.. offers fans a chance to travel through time and experience a singular night of all-out rock and roll as only the Georgia Satellites could provide. The title of the album is absolutely accurate.

CD | 2 LP

  1. Whole Lotta Shakin’
  2. Down and Down
  3. Run Run Rudolph
  4. Open All Night
  5. Don’t Pass Me by
  6. Nights of Mystery
  7. Battleship Chains
  8. Mon Cheri
  9. White Lightnin’
  10. I Go To Pieces
  11. Shake Your Hips
  12. Games People Play
  13. Can’t Stand The Pain
  14. Keep Your Hands To Yourself (It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll)
  15. Sheila
  16. Hippy Hippy Shake
  17. Railroad Steel
  18. I Wanna Be Sedated/Shake, Rattle & Roll

Buddy Iahn
Buddy Iahn

Buddy Iahn founded The Music Universe when he decided to juxtapose his love of web design and music. As a lifelong drummer, he decided to take a hiatus from playing music to report it. The website began as a fun project in 2013 to one of the top independent news sites. Email: info@themusicuniverse.com