Showing posts with label Otis Blackwell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Otis Blackwell. Show all posts
October 29, 2025
February 16, 2021
1,000,001 CDs 19: Otis Blackwell ~ These Are My Songs
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CD cover
Artwork, Design ~ Leo Bliok
Today is the birthday of Otis Blackwell. Although Blackwell and Elvis Presley never met, their talents intersected at a crucial time in the history of popular music. After an unsuccessful recording career in the early 1950s, Blackwell found his calling as a songwriter. At the same time, Presley’s unique set of singing and performing skills were catching fire with the country’s teenagers. However, Elvis depended on young rhythm and blues composers to provide the particular kind of music needed to continue fueling his exploding career. In 1956 it was Otis Blackwell who provided much of that fuel.
Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, insisted that Blackwell share writing credit with Presley to increase the artist’s profit—a common practice at the time among stars. “I said no at first,” Blackwell explained, “but they said Elvis is gonna turn the business around, so I said okay. The cat was hot. That’s why his name is on the songs.”
Elvis Presley - Tupelo, Miss. - 1956
photo by Roger Marshutz
Blackwell won a local talent contest at the Apollo Theater in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City, in 1952, at 21. He could not, however, transform his initial accomplishment into a successful career as a performer. His own recordings never cracked the Top 40 on the hit parade charts. Blackwell wrote as many as a thousand songs over his lifetime, and they’re said to have sold more than 200 million copies.
Blackwell did more than just provide the hit songs for Presley. John Davenport was an alias used by Blackwell for the writing credits of
his first hit song, Fever, performed by Little Willie John, which he
co-wrote with Eddie Cooley. Presley recorded it in 1980 but Peggy Lee had recorded it in 1958 when it became a huge hit and put Blackwell on the music map.
date & photographer unknown
His works have been recorded by many major artists, Jerry Lee Lewis, Ray Charles, Otis Redding, James Brown, the Who, Johnny Thunders, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Dolly Parton, Conway Twitty, the Judds, Carl Perkins, and Peggy Lee,
among numerous others. At other times in his career, Blackwell was also
successful as a record producer, having helped turn out hits for
artists as diverse as Connie Francis, Mahalia Jackson, and Sal Mineo.
date & photographer unknown
Otis Blackwell wrote as many as a thousand songs over his lifetime, and they’re said to have sold more than 200 million copies.
Blackwell was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1986 and in 1991 into the National Academy of Popular Music's Songwriters Hall of Fame. Blackwell's crowning moment came in the late 1980s when the Black Rock Coalition, a prominent organization of black rock musicians, led by Vernon Reid, the lead guitarist of the band, Living Colour, held a tribute for him at the Prospect Park Bandshell in his native Brooklyn.
Many prominent musicians and singers took part including Blackwell
himself.
Otis Blackwell died of a heart attack on Monday, May 6, 2002, in a hospital in Nashville where he lived. He was 70 years old.
Tracklist:
1 - All Shook Up, written by Presley*, Blackwell* - 3:22
2 - Fever, written by Cooley*, Davenport* - 3:50
3 - Back Trail, written by Blackwell* - 3:53
4 - Daddy Rollin' Stone, written by Blackwell* - 3:25
5 - Great Balls Of Fire, written by Hammer*, Blackwell*Great Balls Of Fire - 2:11
6 - Don't Be Cruel, written by Presley*, Blackwell* - 1:55
7 - Searchin', written by Leiber/Stoller* - 3:34
8 - Let's Talk About Us, written by Blackwell* - 2:58
9 - Hey Little Girl, written by Stevenson*, Blackwell* - 3:04
10 - Breathless, written by Blackwell* - 2:37
11 - Handy Man, written by Jones*, Blackwell* - 2:15
12 - Return To Sender, written by Blackwell*, Scott* - 2:49
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – A-1 Sound Studios
Credits:
Artwork, Design – Leo Bliok
Backing Vocals – Winfield Scott
Bass, Backing Vocals – Bob Tinerino
Drums, Backing Vocals – Jeffrey Zollher
Engineer – Herb Abramson
Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals – Gordon Inyard
Liner Notes – Herb Abramson
Photography By – Sheila Abramson
Piano, Backing Vocals – Chris Townes (2)
Producer – Herb Abramson, Otis Blackwell
Remix – Herb Abramson, James Nichols
Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals – Bob Goldring
Vocals – Otis Blackwell
1 - All Shook Up, written by Presley*, Blackwell* - 3:22
2 - Fever, written by Cooley*, Davenport* - 3:50
3 - Back Trail, written by Blackwell* - 3:53
4 - Daddy Rollin' Stone, written by Blackwell* - 3:25
5 - Great Balls Of Fire, written by Hammer*, Blackwell*Great Balls Of Fire - 2:11
6 - Don't Be Cruel, written by Presley*, Blackwell* - 1:55
7 - Searchin', written by Leiber/Stoller* - 3:34
8 - Let's Talk About Us, written by Blackwell* - 2:58
9 - Hey Little Girl, written by Stevenson*, Blackwell* - 3:04
10 - Breathless, written by Blackwell* - 2:37
11 - Handy Man, written by Jones*, Blackwell* - 2:15
12 - Return To Sender, written by Blackwell*, Scott* - 2:49
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – A-1 Sound Studios
Credits:
Artwork, Design – Leo Bliok
Backing Vocals – Winfield Scott
Bass, Backing Vocals – Bob Tinerino
Drums, Backing Vocals – Jeffrey Zollher
Engineer – Herb Abramson
Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals – Gordon Inyard
Liner Notes – Herb Abramson
Photography By – Sheila Abramson
Piano, Backing Vocals – Chris Townes (2)
Producer – Herb Abramson, Otis Blackwell
Remix – Herb Abramson, James Nichols
Rhythm Guitar, Backing Vocals – Bob Goldring
Vocals – Otis Blackwell
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Runout / Side A / Etched): IC-1032-A ST M-A-D 10-77 18- A2
Matrix / Runout (Runout / Side B / Etched): IC-1032-B ST M-A-D 10-77 17- A2
Otis Blackwell – These Are My Songs
Label: Inner City Records – IC 1032
Format: CD, Album
Country: US
Sortie: 2008
Genre: Blues
Viewfinder links:
Elvis Presley ~
Net links:
Country Music Hall of Fame ~ Otis Blackwell: Songwriter to “The King”
Elvis History ~ Otis Blackwell Fueled the Elvis Machine
Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ~ Otis Blackwell
Songwriters Hall of Fame ~ He Gave Elvis and the world All Shook Up
YouTube links:
Music:
Otis Blackwell ~
w/Eddie Cooley & The Dimples ~ All Shook Up
Peggy Lee ~ Fever
Misc:
David Letterman Show ~ Otis Blackwell
James Taylor articles/mentions
mentions:
Peter and Gordon ~ Lady Godiva
February 15, 2021
Otis Blackwell articles/mentions
August 23, 2020
Sal Mineo articles/mentions
~
mentions:
Sammy Davis Jr. – Six Bridges To Cross
Elvis Presley ~ All Shook Up & Otis Blackwell
Sal Mineo
date & photographer unknown
January 12, 2020
45 RPMs 39: Elvis Presley ~ All Shook Up & Otis Blackwell
~
Viewfinder links:
The Beatles
Connie Francis
The Ink Spots
Billy Joel
Peggy Lee
Jerry Lee Lewis
Mina
Elvis Presley
Suzy Quatro
Net links:
Elvis History blog ~ Otis Blackwell Fueled the Elvis Machine in the Fifties
Live Mint ~ Songs for a king
7" 45 RPM record sleeve
cover photographer unknown
photo of record sleeve by Styrous®
On January 12, 1957 Elvis Presley recorded All Shook Up and shook almost everybody up, including ME! The bouncy, happy-to-be-in-love song was composed by Otis Blackwell.
Otis Blackwell, born on February 16, 1931, was an African-American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work influenced rock and roll. His compositions include Fever; Great Balls of Fire and Breathless, recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis (link below); Don't Be Cruel, All Shook Up and Return to Sender (with Winfield Scott), recorded by Elvis Presley; and Handy Man, recorded by Jimmy Jones.
Otis Blackwell, born on February 16, 1931, was an African-American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work influenced rock and roll. His compositions include Fever; Great Balls of Fire and Breathless, recorded by Jerry Lee Lewis (link below); Don't Be Cruel, All Shook Up and Return to Sender (with Winfield Scott), recorded by Elvis Presley; and Handy Man, recorded by Jimmy Jones.
7" 45 RPM record sleeve back
photo by Styrous®
Blackwell was born in Brooklyn, New York, on February 16, 1931. His first success was winning a local talent contest ("Amateur Night") at the Apollo Theater, in Harlem, in 1952. This led to a recording contract with RCA and then with Jay-Dee. His first release was his own composition Daddy Rolling Stone, which became a favorite in Jamaica, where it was recorded by Derek Martin.
His first successes as a songwriter came in 1956, with the Little Willie John sultry R&B hit, Fever, which was an even bigger pop success for Peggy Lee (link below). Then Don't Be Cruel began a highly profitable association with Elvis Presley (link below).
date & photographer unknown
According to legend, “Goldie" Goldhawk, one of the owners of a
songwriting firm called Shalimar Music, vigorously shook a bottle of
Pepsi and dared Blackwell to write a song about it.
Blackwell polished off the now famous track in nothing flat.
All Shook Up has been covered by The Beatles (link below), Jim Dale in 1957, Suzi Quatro in 1973 (link below), Billy Joel (link below) and in 1991 as a derivative piece, entitled, All Choked Up, in the original 1971 musical Grease at the Kingston Mines nightclub in Chicago.
Blackwell was also a record producer, having helped turn out hits for artists as diverse as Connie Francis, Mahalia Jackson and Sal Mineo.
Blackwell was also a record producer, having helped turn out hits for artists as diverse as Connie Francis, Mahalia Jackson and Sal Mineo.
Sal Mineo & Otis Blackwell - 1957
photographer unknown
7" 45 RPM record, side 1
photo by Styrous®
The "B" side of the record has the slow ballad, That's When Your Heartaches Begin, a 1937 song written by Fred Fisher, William Raskin and Billy Hill. The song first became popular following a 1941 recording by The Ink Spots (link below).
This song has been covered by British tenor David Whitfield, Italy's Mina (link below), and even Andy Kaufman.
This song has been covered by British tenor David Whitfield, Italy's Mina (link below), and even Andy Kaufman.
7" 45 RPM record, side 2
photo by Styrous®
Personnel:
- The Blue Moon Boys
- Elvis Presley – lead vocals, percussion
- Scotty Moore – lead guitar
- Bill Black – double bass
- D. J. Fontana – drums
- Gordon Stoker – harmony and backing vocals
- Hoyt Hawkins – backing vocals, piano
- Neal Matthews, Hugh Jarrett – backing vocals[9]
Viewfinder links:
The Beatles
Connie Francis
The Ink Spots
Billy Joel
Peggy Lee
Jerry Lee Lewis
Mina
Elvis Presley
Suzy Quatro
Net links:
Elvis History blog ~ Otis Blackwell Fueled the Elvis Machine in the Fifties
Live Mint ~ Songs for a king
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