Some folks will know of Johnny Otis and his importance to our music for nearly seventy years: writer singer, drummer, producer, band-leader, author, sculptor with his own orange juice company. He discovered the Robins and Little Richard as well as Etta James, he arranged and played on Big Mama Thornton's "Hound Dog" and wrote "Every Beat of My Heart" that was a hit for Gladys Knight; his "Willie and the Hand Jive" inspired Eric Clapton (and gave him a hit with a cover in 1974). One of Johnny's books depicted the race riots in Los Angeles, another was a cookbook. He was a white Greek that grew up in a black neighbourhood: hence his musical roots and influences.I can't adequately describe his reach, I hope our music last night went some way towards righting that wrong.
Our review of Etta James music included a telling of the tale of her first encounter with Johnny Otis where she sang her audition from the bathroom because of the better acoustics provided by the tiled surfaces. As a 14 year old the subject matter in "Roll With Me Henry" was a cause for concern in securing airplay: the change of song title to "The Wallflower" eased those worries but there was still an outstanding claim to settle with Hank Ballard who owned the melody... None of this stopped Etta and her two school friends astride the R&B charts for 19 weeks. As it dipped from the listings, her followup "Good Rockin Daddy" easily followed it to the highest heights. She grew up on the road from there on in and struggled with handling her money and her addictive nature meant she struggled with drugs too. In 1959 she signed to Chess and had some early success with them by putting a measure of gospel into her voice and arrangements - her most notable triumph was the live album "Etta Rocks this House". Encouraged by the successes, Chess let her go off to Muscle Shoals for a set of sessions which yielded (arguably) the finest music made for Chess outside Chicago. Bearing how young she was and how popular Otis Redding was, how many other soul singers would creep into Redding's backyard and put one over on him with "Security"? Exactly!!
Her demons stayed a mite longer though her 1973 album "Etta James" got a Grammy nomination, that had previously eluded her. At this time in her career she was encouraged to work the songbooks of Randy Newman and his ilk.We loved her go at "You Can Leave Your Hat On" - she really gave it the Full Monty. She did sing in a number of different genres but there wasn't a time you could say she gave it less than that - what ever she sang, she owned it.
The rest of STAR BLUES had another track from "Hellfire" by Joe Louis Walker and two more off that marvellous gospel anthology on VEETONE called "Screamin Gospel Holy Roller". If you like harp players you'd have noticed Arthur Williams helping Big Bad Smittty and savoured Little Walter, Paul Butterfield's Blues Band and the consummate skills of Big Walter Horton with an Otis Rush b-side. Bookend the whole package with guitar wizardry by Bernie Marsden, John Jackson and Snooks Eaglin and we're done for another STAR BLUES.
Presenting and producing the show is a privilege I value highly, I hope the invite round to your place last night did some small justice to Etta and Johnny - as for next week we'll try to bring back the white tee-shirt and the tomfoolery with blues by the armful. Until then take care of yourselves and take care of those that take care of you
Track.Title | Track.ArtistSort | Index | Album.Title | Album.ArtistSort | Label | Released |
Steppin In | Bernie Marsden | 13 | Green And Blues | Bernie Marsden | ESSENTIAL | |
There's Something On Your Mind | B. B. KingEtta James | 6 | Blues Summit | B. B. King | MCA | 1993 |
Sit Down Baby | Otis Rush | 2 | Good'uns : The Classic Cobra Sides | Otis Rush | BLUESIDE | |
Still A Fool | Big Bad Smitty | 5 | Mean Disposttion | Big Bad Smitty | BLACK MAGIC | 1991 |
Mystery Train | Butterfield Blues Band, The | 9 | Butterfield Blues Band / East West | Butterfield Blues Band, The | ELEKTRA | 1966 |
You Can Leave Your Hat On | Etta James | 18 | Something's Got A Hold On Me | Etta James | CHARLY | |
Wallflower (Roll With Me Henry) | Etta JamesPeaches, The | 13 | Uk Sue Label Story, Vol. 2: Sue's Rock 'N' Blues | Various Artists | ACE | |
Good Rockin' Daddy | Etta James | 5 | Miss Etta James - The Complete Modern And Kent Recordings | Etta James | ACE | |
Baby What You Want Me To Do | Etta James | 10 | Something's Got A Hold On Me | Etta James | CHARLY | |
Tell Mama | Etta James | 10 | The Fame Studio Story 1961-1973 Home Of The Muscle Shoals Sound | Various Artists | Kent | |
Security | Etta James | 16 | Something's Got A Hold On Me | Etta James | CHARLY | |
Black Girls | Joe Louis Walker | 1 | Hellfire | Joe Louis Walker | Alligator | 20120131 |
Further On Up The Road | Bobby 'Blue' Bland | 13 | The Sound Of The City - Memphis | Various Artists | Emi Records Ltd | |
Stella Mae | John Lee Hooker | 4 | Complete Folk Blues | John Lee Hooker | MCA | |
He Won't Deny Me | Swan Silvertones, The | 14 | Screamin' Gospel Holy Rollers Vol. 2 | Various Artists | Vee-Tone Records | |
The Storm is Passing Over | Marie Knight | 11 | Screamin' Gospel Holy Rollers Vol. 2 | Various Artists | Vee-Tone Records | |
Willie And The Hand Jive | Johnny Otis Show | 3 | Here 'Tis | Various Artists | CONNOISSEUR | |
Harlem Nocturne | Johnny Otis, His Drums & His Orchestra | 3 | The Johnny Otis Story Volume 1 Volume 1: 1945-57 Midnight At The Barrelhouse V A | Johnny Otis & His Orchestra | ACE | |
Double Crossing Blues | Johnny Otis Quintet & The Robins (vocal Little Esther) | 11 | Let Me Tell You About The Blues: West Coast | Various Artists | Fantastic Voyage | |
I Gotta Guy | Johnny Otis & His Orchestra, Vocal By Esther Jones | 11 | Blues Belles With Attitude | Various Artists | ACE | |
Every Beat Of My Heart | Royals, The | 14 | The Johnny Otis Story Volume 1 Volume 1: 1945-57 Midnight At The Barrelhouse V A | Johnny Otis & His Orchestra | ACE | |
Ma (He's Making Eyes At Me) | Johnny Otis and his orchestra, Marie Adams & the Three Tons Of Joy | 24 | The Johnny Otis Story Volume 1 Volume 1: 1945-57 Midnight At The Barrelhouse V A | Johnny Otis & His Orchestra | ACE | |
Just Your Fool | Little Walter (Aka Marion Walter Jacobs) | 20 | His Best | Little Walter (Aka Marion Walter Jacobs) | MCA/CHESS | |
Steel Mill Blues | John Jackson | 5 | Front Porch Blues | John Jackson | Alligator | |
Country Boy In New Orleans | Snooks Eaglin | 7 | American Masters Vol. 1 : Country Blues | Various Artists | Arhoolie Records |
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