Submitted by Okaybrothatsdope t3_yik8jr in Music
I can't imagine what people in the late fifties thought when that album dropped. Lol. Listening in the 2020s and it's still weird, scary, and hilarious. One of, if not the, best holiday recordings of all time.
Yep, this is from wikipedia
>Hawkins had originally intended to record "I Put a Spell on You" as "a refined love song, a blues ballad". However, the producer Arnold Maxin "brought in ribs and chicken and got everybody drunk, and we came out with this weird version ... I don't even remember making the record. Before, I was just a normal blues singer. I was just Jay Hawkins. It all sort of just fell in place. I found out I could do more destroying a song and screaming it to death."
And after that song became a hit, he really played into the image, he dressed in a cape, wore tusks in his nose, and rose out of a coffin during live performances
You gotta give the people what they want!
Good entrepreneurship right there!
This dude's whole life was a fucking roller coaster of craziness. He was adopted by Blackfoot, joined the Army as a teenager, and was a boxing champion in Alaska.
It’s amazing for sure. There’s def some similar stuff from that time tho. That song came out in 1956 and there’s quite a bit of that raw and loud stuff from the surrounding years. Not saying that to undermine him AT ALL but more just to emphasize all the cool stuff there was back then that got kinda overshadowed by Elvis in the sense of “Elvis was the first heavy musician” falsehood…no shade to Elvis either, I’m a fan, just you know…racism. Yes, Elvis was the first heavy musician lots of people heard…because he got the distribution and notice not given to some others. And even then, he was pretty tame considering the others.
But Howlin’ Wolf, Big Maybelle, Skip James, etc. all had some wild stuff. And then different ofc, but just as wild, creepy, awesome, cool af there’s Cab Calloway…his stuff is so mind blowing.
Ike and Tina’s 1960 Fool in Love and their other early stuff is of note too. I know people really love Tina’s 80’s stuff, but that early stuff is cutting edge! People used to complain that a woman was just screaming like she did, but I think it’s super neat and there’s a reason why they were so successful. Basically…I think some modern music listeners would be pretty amazed at how heavy and raw some of these early 30-60’s musicians were because their only concept of those decades is like doo-wop and easy jazz, etc.
Anyways, if you like that song…have you heard Sam the Sham & the Pharoah’s Little Red Riding Hood? It came out 10 years after but I think you would like it as well. Super fantastic song with Halloween vibes.
Great comment. I would add Hasil Adkins to the list of early unhinged rock n rollers as well
> Hasil Adkins
Dude was punk long before punk was even an idea.
SJH should be far, far more known. He was the Alyce Cooper of his day and his voice was stunning. So powerful.
Apparently he had wanted to be an opera singer, but it wasn’t a career path that was open to black people in the ‘50s.
I’ve recently started listening to him- his vocals are STUNNING.
Frenzy, Alligator Wine, and Heart Attack and Vine are such amazing songs!
Don't forget The Constipation Blues!
Feast of the Mau Mau!
Came here to say this! John Fogerty’s voice is perfect for this song.
Fogerty's voice is perfect for every song. I love (and hate) how every other band member in CCR wanted to start songwriting and singing in the band, and fogerty reluctantly aquiesed to keep peace, and let it happen. The only good songs on the album were fogerty's and it spelled the end of the band. He WAS Credence Clearwater Revival.
This and Heard it Through the Grapevine are such jams
People praise the Beatles, rightfully so, for how many great songs they recorded in such a short time span, but John wrote all the CCR hits in just 3 years. Pretty incredible.
And yeah, I know he didn't actually write the two songs mentioned so far, but still.
If you haven’t already, check out the Netflix doc about their performance at the Royal Albert Hall.
The Slits hit it better
Nina Simone allllll day. That troll could sing like it was channeling from powers unknown.
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I could not disagree more. I feel like CCR completely missed the emotional power of the original. Their rhythm section was not up to the groove of it at all and Fogerty sounds like he’s doing a bad Howlin’ Wolf impression.
If you like this cover, you should hear the Rolling Stones do “My Girl” that’ll knock your socks off.
Good thing that's just an opinion.
Yes, because there’s no such thing as knowledge, research or facts. Which is also good because that way there’s no such thing as idiots.
I can remember my grandmother playing music (she was born in the 20s and had three kids by 1958.). This kind of music was right up her alley. From New Orleans so that may make a difference as to what she was exposed to.
Apparently, Screamin' Jay put a spell on quite a few ladies back in the day
His song, Constipation Blues is quite exceptional as well, LMAO
Not related to the song exactly but, check out his role in "Mystery Train" from 1989. One of my favorite films.
Kanopy link, otherwise on Prime seems to be the only option if you don't feel like sailing the high seas.
Edit: If you want some incentive to check it out, I'll give a brief synopsis. A Japanese couple who is obsessed with Elvis and Carl Perkins travels to Memphis, Tennessee. Screamin' Jay Hawkins plays the role of the hotel clerk alongside Cinqué Lee. It's a bit of a "multiple stories coming together at the end" type of story. And SJH and the hotel is, uh, the axis of the stories come together. Tried my best to describe it.
Absolutely worth a watch. He only appeared in anything resembling film roles a few times.
Amazing tune, love how it was sample by DJ Premier in Biggie’s “Kick in the Door”
Bryan Ferry does a pretty great cover.
Came here for this.
Gotta recommend the Annie Lennox cover of this tune: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=tnJrMTDgTBs
Ah yes, my favorite waltz of all time
I remember it being used in the movie Stranger Than Paradise
Great movie
I remember reading that he was shitfaced when they recorded it too. Part of what gives it so much spontaneity and character.
I saw him back in the mid-80s play at Biddy Mulligans in Chicago. One of the best nights of my life.
It’s wild and so much fun. He really leans into that voodoo vibe. It borders on one of those novelty songs that were pretty common then and got cross over sales
It was released in 1958, but it really sounds like 1959. Way ahead of its time.
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i remember the 1st time hearing it and just feeling chills all over. chasing that in music always.
There was a YouTube video back along where some mad-haired bloke was lip-synching with the track and he was awesome- his facial expressions were priceless. I wonder if that's still around somewhere- I'd love to see that again.
Jimmy Slonina. He has a whole channel but that particular vid is gone - I assume rights issues. He’s amazing.
Yes- thats him!! Thanks for that- I'm glad I didn't just imagine him! 😊
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I’ll throw in an 8 year old Angelina Jordon’s cover as one worth watching.
Is there a more fitting name for a musician (besides Buckethead)
Maybe Joey Shithead from the punk band DOA
I like names like Corpsegrinder. It's fitting for their band Cannibal Corpse, but he's such a nice human that it's a hilarious contradiction to the name.
Jim Jarmusch used it as a centerpiece in Stranger Than Paradise.
Have you heard Eliza Rickman's amazing cover version?
https://elizarickman.bandcamp.com/track/i-put-a-spell-on-you
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I remember thinking Moondance was a newer song when I first heard it in probably like 2006.
I’m a big fan of his rendition of “Old Man River” as well.
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I thought I read He was just drunk and very embarrassed after hearing the next day.
I put on a Halloween playlist and had to check my phone when this came on yesterday at a work. Great song.
How is it ahead of it’s time?
I was literally just talking to my wife about how great and ahead of his time he was.
Little demon is another great of his. Just avoid Hong Kong
I only know this song from the movie "Hocus Pocus"
Also classic enough to be used by Notorious BIG on Kick In The Door.
Hey funny timing, trashgrass band Tejon Street Corner Thieves just released a cover of this song for Halloween, definitely worth checking out.
Original is still the best though. Always reminds me of Stranger than Paradise
Credence did it better
‘…it’s still weird, scary, and hilarious.’ Don’t forget a smidge racist. Disagree? Listen to track 2, Hong Kong.
Pithecanthropus88 t1_iujau32 wrote
I heard that he was blasted ass drunk when he recorded it.