Handy Man: Otis Blackwell Story / Various Handy Man: Otis Blackwell Story / Various CD

UK collection. Otis Blackwell's stellar songwriting career spans 20 years in American music, and embraces more all-time classics than most writers could have ever dreamed about penning. If Blackwell had only written 'All Shook Up', 'Fever' and 'Don't Be Cruel', he would have earned his place in the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame on the strength of these songs alone. He was one of Elvis' favourite songwriters and he provided the King with an impressive number of hits between 1956 and 1963. The awe in which Blackwell was held by his peers can be measured by the number of star names (including Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Cliff Richard and Gene Pitney) who are singing his songs on Handy Man. His transition as a writer can be mapped by these 24 titles - many of which are new to CD - which chart his path from R&B tunesmith to Soul songsmith via many of his Rock 'n' Roll classics. It was hard to distil the incredible number of great Blackwell copyrights into the two dozen featured here - there's plenty of scope for a volume two if sales demand it.

1. Make Me Know It - Elvis Presley 2. I Told Myself a Lie - Clyde McPhatter 3. Don't Be Cruel - Jerry Lee Lewis 4. My Pigeon's Gone - the Five Keys 5. Cool Baby - Charlie Gracie 6. Fever - Little Willie John 7. Slow Motion - Wade Flemons 8. The Shape I'm in - Johnny Restivo 9. Priscilla - Eddie Cooley and the Dimples 10. Brace Yourself - Ben E King 11. All Shook Up - David Hill 12. Nine Times Out of Ten - Cliff Richard and the Shadows 13. I'll Find You - Gene Pitney 14. For My Good Fortune - Mahalia Jackson 15. Hey Little Girl - Thurston Harris 16. Honky Tonky - the Queen (Dinah Washington) 17. Please, Mister Mayor - Roy Clark 18. Just Keep It Up (And See What Happens) - Dee Clark 19. Too Long Will Be Too Late - Jimmy Jones 20. One Broken Heart for Sale (Demo) - Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott 21. Daddy Rollin' Stone - Derek Martin 22. I Feel Good All Over - Sam Butera and the Witnesses 23. Home in Your Heart - Solomon Burke 24. Handy Man - Del Shannon