Hawkins,Screamin Jay Screamin' The Blues CD

If you know anything about Screamin' Jay Hawkins at all, you'll know to play this record like you play Russian Roulette; one hand on the trigger and the other over your heart. In a production line world of yawn-a-minute clones, these handcrafted Screamin' specialties seek to break the mold. Showcasing his inspiration from the freshest sounds of the era, a self-taught, knockabout competence on the piano and saxophone and, with more than the touch of the bizarre, Jay is the master of shaping hits as unique as they are strange. Becoming a household name after the success of 'I Put a Spell on You', this remarkable collection of tracks seek to prove that with or without the fame, Jay conducted business as unusual. With the first half of the album written before his rise to popularity and the second shortly after, this pre and post 'Spell' selection proves him far from a one-off wonder and a truly a one of a kind talent, unchanged by the fame and doing it just as well long before it appeared.

1. Not Anymore 2. Please Try to Understand 3. Baptize Me in Wine 4. This Is All 5. She Put the Whammee on Me 6. Well I Tried 7. You're All of My Life to Me 8. I Hear Voices 9. Talk About Me 10. Just Don't Care 11. The Whammy 12. Poor Folks 13. Your Kind of Love 14. All Night 15. Monkberry Moon Delight 16. Sweet Ginny