Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell on You: The Best of Screamin' Jay Hawkins

Title: I Put a Spell on You: The Best of Screamin' Jay Hawkins Artist: Screamin' Jay Hawkins Release Date: 5/31/2005 Re-Released On: 5/9/2006 Label: Master Classics Album Type(s): Greatest Hits UPCs: 881162804329, 803680193150 Genre: Rhythm & Blues Styles: Early R&B, Rock & Roll Moods: Boisterous, Brash, Eccentric, Freewheeling, Fun, Gleeful, Irreverent, Manic, Bravado, Greasy, Humorous, Outrageous, Quirky, Raucous, Silly, Theatrical, Gritty, Rousing, Aggressive, Carefree, Playful, Whimsical, Exuberant Total Copies: 0 Members Wishing: 0 Number of Discs/SwapaCD Credits: 1

1. Portrait of a Man
2. Little Bitty Pretty One
3. Don't Deceive Me
4. What's Gonna Happen on the 8th Day
5. Ashes
6. We Love
7. It's Only Make Believe
8. Please Don't Leave Me
9. I Put a Spell on You
10. I Don't Know
11. Guess Who?
12. What Good Is It, Pt. 1
13. What Good Is It, Pt. 2
14. Same Damn Thing

Year Type Label Catalog # 2006 CD Master Classics 2005 CD Master Classics 8043

No other editions were found for this album.

Ex-boxer Screamin' Jay Hawkins' live show, full of on-stage coffins, skulls, and toilets, prefigured the extravagant concert productions of later artists like Alice Cooper and George Clinton, and Hawkins' full awareness of the visual aspect of rock music extended even to his lyrics, which were purposefully graphic and surreal. In essence, Hawkins was a one- or two-trick pony, but boy, those ponies could run. His masterpiece was "I Put a Spell on You," which he originally recorded for OKeh Records (supposedly while extremely drunk) in 1956, and while Hawkins' version was never even close to being a commercial hit, the song has been covered so many times (most notably by Nina Simone) that it has deservedly been certified as a rock and r&b classic. "Spell" is here, of course, on this so-so collection of 1950s and 1960s tracks, and it's clearly the high point, although Hawkins' gives "Little Bitty Pretty One," Fats Domino's "Please Don't Leave Me," and Little Willie Mabon's "I Don't Know" nice workouts. This same set, with different cover art, has also been issued as Essential Recordings by Golden in 2000 and under the same title, I Put a Spell on You, by Charly in 1999. ~ Steve Leggett, All Music Guide

Name Credits Athan Maroulis Liner Notes, Research, Annotation Liz Ohanesian Copy Editing Screamin' Jay Hawkins Vocals