Tuesday, July 18, 2006
I Put A Spell On You - Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Screamin' Jay Hawkins was born on this day, July 18th, 1929 in Cleveland, Ohio. He died on February 12th, 2000 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, France.
We used to love to play I Put A Spell On You (1956), at WRTI FM Jazz 90 in Philly. Not only around Halloween time but year round. It was always a highly requested single of his.
I even remember hearing that song as a child sometimes. My first reaction I think was, "What in the world is that?!" LOL. It used to scare me! But as we listened to it, we could hear this man whoever he was, was telling a story. It has been used in a lot of movies, commercials and TV too. As I grew up, listening to it just made me laugh! But there is so much of his personality and sense of humour on this cut, if you never heard it, you gotta give it a listen!
An incredible site dedicated to the life and times of Screamin Jay Hawkins is found here: datacomm.ch
His albums include:
1958 At Home with Screamin' Jay Hawkins (Okeh/Epic) - other editions entitled Screamin' Jay Hawkins and I Put a Spell on You
1965 The Night and Day of Screamin' Jay Hawkins (Planet) - also entitled In the Night and Day of Screamin' Jay Hawkins
1969 What That Is! (Philips)
1970 Because Is in Your Mind (Armpitrubber) (Philips)
1972 Portrait of a Man and His Woman (Hotline) - also entitled I Put a Spell on You and Blues Shouter
1977 I Put a Spell on You (Versatile--recordings from 1966-76)
1979 Lawdy Miss Clawdy (Koala)
1979 Screamin' the Blues (Red Lightnin') - also entitled She Put the Wammee on Me
1983 Real Life (Zeta)
1984 Screamin' Jay Hawkins and The Fuzztones Live (Midnight Records) - live
1988 At Home with Jay in The Wee Wee Hours (Midnight Records) - live
1988 Live & Crazy (Blue Phoenix) - live
1990 The Art of Screamin' Jay Hawkins (Spivey)
1991 Black Music For White People (Bizarre/Straight Records/Planet Records)
1991 I Shake My Stick at You (Aim)
1993 Stone Crazy (Bizarre/Straight/Planet)
1994 Somethin' Funny Goin' On (Bizarre/Straight/Planet)
1993 Rated X (Sting S) - live
1998 At Last (Last Call)
1998 Live (Loudsprecher/Indigo) - live
1999 Live at the Olympia, Paris (Last Call) - live with one studio new song
2004 Live (Fremeaux & Associés) - live with two studio new songs
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1 comment :
LOL! I never thought of Lil' John as a modern day artist in comparison to Screamin' Jay. I would say Screamin Jay Hawkins would have 10 times more substance though even in his wild ways.
Lil' John is more of a here today, gone tomorrow dude! LOL! Interesting thought though! I think if both of them battled, Screamin Jay would beat Lil John in stories alone he could sing about or tell.
I think Screamin Jay could capture an audience's attention probably effortlessly longer then a Lil John could.
That would be wild to see though! They would need to have it at The Apollo!
Screamin Jay: "I'll Put A Spell On You!"
Lil John: "What?!"
Screamin Jay: "I say, I'll Put A Spell On You, Young Boy!"
Lil John: "What?!"
Screamin Jay: "I said, I'll Put A Spell On You!"
Lil John: "Okaaaaaaayyy!"
Screamin Jay (thinking to himself): "Somethin wrong with that boy. I just told him I'd put a spell on him and he smiled and said OK."
Lil John: "Uh, Skeet, skeet, skeet, skeet, skeet!"
At least we would be able to understand what Screamin Jay was saying though!
LOL!
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