Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Biography 1960-1969

Biography 1960-1969

1960s

Like many 1950s rockers, Hawkins has a difficult time in the following decade. He works clubs in Hawaii and tours US military bases in the Far East. His biggest successes come in Europe, where he continues to enjoy wide popularity. In England, he finds imitators in Screamin' Lord Sutch, Arthur Brown, and the rock band Black Sabbath.

1960

[unknown location]: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for King Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins

[unknown] unissued
[unknown] unissued

January 1962

New York: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Enrica Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Teddy McRae Orchestra

I Hear Voices Enrica 1010
Just Don't Care Enrica 1010
Wake Up And Live unissued
Armpit No. 6 unissued

Screamin' Jay Hawkins & The Chicken Hawks release the single I Hear Voices [Enrica 1010]. Hawkins then joins forces with female singer Shoutin' Pat Newbo rn who suffers burns when one of Hawkins' fuseboxes explodes at a club in Miami while she is watching his act. They become close friends and form a partnership:

Screamin' Jay and Shoutin' Pat.

1962

Philadelphia: Screamin' Jay Hawkins & Shoutin' Pat Newborn recording session for

Chancellor Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Shoutin' Pat Newborn, Russ Faith Orchestra

Ashes Chancellor 1117
Nitty Gritty Chancellor 1117

Screamin' Jay Hawkins & Shoutin' Pat Newborn release their introspective single "Ashes" [Chancellor 1117], and then move to Hawaii where Hawkins plays piano and

emcees at Jack Cione's Forbidden City nightclub in Honolulu.

1963

Honolulu: Screamin' Jay Hawkins & Shoutin' Pat Newborn recording session for Sou nd Of Hawaii.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Shoutin' Pat Newborn, unknown orchestra

Whammy Sound Of Hawaii LP-50158
Seems Like You Just Don't Care Sound Of Hawaii LP-50158

In Honolulu Jay Hawkins meets and marries Virginnia Sabellona, a very pretty wom an six years his junior. The nuptials do not please Pat, who plunges a nine-inch

butcher's knife into Jay's chest, puncturing his lung and diaphragm. So her ser

vices are eventually dispensed.

August 1964

Hawkins is "rediscovered" by John and Gloria Cann, jazz buffs who are holidaying

in Hawaii. Cann takes the fully-recovered Hawkins back to New York and secures

a contract with Roulette Records.

1964

New York: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Roulette Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Sammy Lowe Orchestra

The Whammy Roulette 4579	18174
[unknown] unissued	18175
Strange Roulette 4579	18176
Feast Of The Mau Mau unissued
A Hard Day's Night unissued
Party Girl unissued

Early January 1965

Screamin' Jay Hawkins shares a billing with Charlie & Ray at the Apollo's "The A ll Gold Oldies Show"

12 January 1965

Nina Simone records "I Put A Spell On You" in New York. The song is released on the LP I PUT A SPELL ON YOU [USA mono: Philips PHM 200-172] [USA stereo: Philips PHS 600-172] [GB: Philips BL 7671] [D: Philips 652-068 BL].

1965

John Cann negotiates Screamin' Jay Hawkins first tour of Britain with Don Arden' s Galaxy Entertainments. Word of Hawkins' adventures had preceded him: "I Put A Spell On You" had been released in Britain on a Fontana 78 and it was a regular favourite among the mods at Guy Steven' Scene Club.

Jay emerges from customs at six in the morning, setting fire to his beard as he makes his entrance... Remembers Bill Millar: "Cliff White and I were among those

who rode from the airport to the hotel in the back of Don Arden's Jaguar. Jay p

layed to the gallery: He broke into bloodcurdling screams for no apparent reason

and shook Henry - a gleaming skull on a stick - at bewildered passers-by. We be

haved like star-struck fans and asked the sort of questions which star-struck fa ns ask. He told us that his favourite male singers were Roy Hamilton, Frank Sina tra and Nappy Brown ("man, that cat's got so much soul"); his favourite female s ingers were Big Maybelle and Brenda Lee. Groups? He liked the Chantels, the Four

Lads and the Kingston trio. He signed pictures with the phrase I Love You Ma

dly, a hit for Charlie & Ray with whom he'd shared an Apollo billing three w eeks before. Wonderful stories emerged: of Esquerita's questionable gender; of L ittle Willie John who was standing trial of murder; of Huey "Piano" Smith, who a llegedly stole Don't You Just Know It after seeing Jay perform this nonse nsical rocker at a concert in Baltimore; of Larry Williams who interred Jay in h is coffin together with a diarrhoeic monkey." Jay and Ginny stay at an apartment

at The White House overlooking Regent's Park.

2 February 1965

Screamin' Jay Hawkins plays the opening night of his British tour at Wallington Town Hall. Remembers Bill Millar: "Hawkins was never in better form: he ran on a nd off stage, did the splits, played piano, waved his cloak like a rabid bullfig hter and screamed a slew of rock'n'roll classics for well over an hour. Sadly, t he louder his fans cheered, the more the locals booed. They came to the Town Hal l every Tuesday to get pickled and practice their caht-lip lines to the strains of Freddie & The Dreamers or Dave Berry & The Cruisers. They certainly didn't wa nt anyone to complicate things by putting on a show. Eventually, fighting broke out and we escaped via the dressing room and car park, skulking along in the dar k behind the former Golden Gloves middle-weight. I don't think Jay was quite so wild again, but elsewhere audiences were ecstatic."

3 February 1965

Screamin' Jay Hawkins plays a concert at the Flamingo club in London. Writes the

Record Mirror: "Stars and showbiz personalities rubbed shoulders with mo

ds and even some rockers in Soho's Flamingo last week to witness a fantastic dis play by Screamin' Jay Hawkins. On his first British tour, Jay yelled his way thr ough forty-five minutes of action-packed songs. The Whammy, Alligator Wine, Strange, Party Doll and Little Bitty Pretty One w ere delivered by a human tornado who whipped up the kind of storm not seen in th ese parts for some time. Jay clutched his friendly skull Henry throughout throug hout his act and even made the thing smoke a cigarette."

7 February 1965

Screamin' Jay Hawkins plays a concert at the Bromley Court Hotel. Writes the Record Mirror: "At Bromley Court Hotel on Sunday, Jay got so carried away th at he ran around the ballroom and knocked over an amplifier. Then he returned to

the stage and made flames shoot from his fingertips before playing his sax. 

Feast Of The Mau Mau and What'd I Say got great cheers and it comes a s no surprise to hear that Jay's stay here will probably be extended.

Screamin' Jay Hawkins also plays as opening act for T-Bone Walker at London's Tw isted Wheel and later joins Walker for a stunning version of "Mumblin' Blues".

Jay is interviewed by Jimmy Saville on the British TV and also appears on ITV's pop series "Thank Your Lucky Stars" where he mimes "The Whammy".

6 April 1965

Larry Williams cuts his live album for Sue Records - among the attendants is Scr eamin' Jay Hawkins (hence the inclusion of impromptu verses like "Saw Screamin' Jay Hawkins with Long Tall Sally in the coffin / She don't love him but she do i t very often").

"I Hear Voices" reaches no. 14 on Record Mirror's newly-inaugurated R&B c hart. Jay goes to the zoo, and to the movies (The Curse Of The Coffin, ac tually) and he also enhances some lucky young people's wedding, when, appearing into the afternoon summer sunlight they are greeted by the sight of Screamin' Ja y Hawkins leaning from a hotel window opposite the church, waving Henry and firi ng blanks from a .32 shouting "Shame on you!"

3 May 1965

London: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Planet Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, unknown orchestra

Night And Day [Planet LP-1001]
Why Dream [Planet LP-1001]
I Wanna Know [Planet LP-1001]
Your Kind Of Love [Planet LP-1001]
Change Your Ways [Planet LP-1001]
Servin' Time [Planet LP-1001]
Alright, OK, You Win [Planet LP-1001]
Please Forgive Me [Planet LP-1001]
Move Me [Planet LP-1001]
I'm So Glad [Planet LP-1001]
My Marion [Planet LP-1001]
All Night [Planet LP-1001]
Better Than Nothing unissued
I'll Be There unissued
The Pass unissued
If You Were But A Dream unissued
I Feel Alright unissued

4 June 1965

After a dramatic bust-up with Don Arden and Jay decides to fly home immediately.

Bill Millar and his friends have gone up to his flat with a view to catching Do

nnie Elbert at the Flamingo, but end up deflecting threatening phone calls from the promoter and nervously watching Jay while he oils a revolver. He cannot take

much luggage back in a hurry, and when they finally say their goodbyes they are
loaded down with Henry, two capes, several gonks, a pair of zebra-striped shoes

, a small but highly-prized record collection (including his first LP, AT HOM E WITH SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS), a foot-high jar crammed with threepenny bits,

and a suitcase full of flash-powder and fuse-boxes.

Subsequently Hawkins has a profound influence on Arthur Brown, who copies his st yle. The famous stage act is also replicated by the rock group Black Sabbath (Oz zy Osbourne) for its fans, who are a nearly a generation removed from those who have seen Hawkins in his prime.

On leaving Britain, Hawkins re-locates to New York, hanging out with Little Joe Cook and Titus Turner (on a wave because RCA had released Elvis' version of Turn er's song, "Tell Me Why").

September 1965

New York: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for EMI Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Walter Young Orchestra

Poor Folks Providence 411	SKAM-3326
Your Kind Of Love Providence 411	SKAM-3327

===Note:=== Jay brings social conscience to R&B with "Poor Folks" and sends boxf uls of the Providence 45 to fans in Europe. Hawkins has originally written these

songs for Nina Simone, whose sombre version of "I Put A Spell On You" has reach

ed the R&B Top 30 earlier in 1965. But Simone refuses to record them, and Jay is

left to do so himself in typically macabre fashion.

1965

New York: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Laurie Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, unknown orchestra

I Put A Spell On You Laurie
Alligator Wine Laurie
Angel Of Hell Laurie

1966

Screamin' Jay Hawkins returns to Hawaii.

1 April 1966

Jay Hawkins arrives in London for his 2nd UK tour on which he is accompanied by Herbie Goins and the Nighttimers. He is playing the Ram Jam in Brixton that same

night. Remembers Bill Millar: "Luminous-socked rockers had displaced West India

ns for the evening and Hawkins came on as if it were still rock'n'roll's finest hour. He eclipsed everything around at the time, agitating his way through Th e Whammy and concluding with Shout, a feast of improvisation. The res t of the tour, for Roy Tempest's Global Promotions, proceeded without difficulty . Only ten people (including New Orleans soulstar, Lee Dorsey) turned up at The Scene but Hawkins was no less vigorous or affecting. Before a crowd of black ser vicemen at Douglas House (a US Airforce bas) he completely transformed his act w ith an earthly recital of jokes and far fewer songs, though a version of Bobby L ewis' Mumbles Blues electrified this hippest of audiences."

22 April 1966

Another frenzied night at London's Flamingo club completes the British dates.

3 May 1966

New York: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Holton Records.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, unknown orchestra

Slumtown Holton

1966

Back in the USA, Hawkins signs with Decca.

8 July 1966

New York, Association Recording Studio: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Decca Records.

Production: Dick Jacobs

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins (vocals) ; Leroy Kirkland Orchestra: Edward Bar efield (alto sax), Wilbur Bascomb (third trumpet), William Butler (guitar), Arth ur Clarke (second tenor sax), Elmer Crumbley (first trombone), David "Panama" Fr ancis (drums), Richard Harris (second trombone), Ernest Hayes (piano), Hayward H enry (baritone sax), Reunald Jones (second trumpet), Leroy Kirkland (leader), Al bert Lucas (bass), Joseph Newman (first trumpet), Zane Paul Zacharoff (first ten or sax), unknown chorus

Note: Session takes places from 5 to 8 PM

I'm Not Made Of Clay (Bob Stone) Decca 32019 Bear Family CD15530	117676
All Night (Jalacy Hawkins) Decca 32019 Bear Family CD15530	117677
Mountain Jive (Jalacy Hawkins) Decca unissued Bear Family CD 11530	117678
I'll Be There Decca unissued Bear Family CD 11530	117679

===Note:=== "Mountain Jive" is a re-write of "Little Demon" (1956), including th e extraordinary couplet: "The lips on that chick were all out of place / She cou ld kiss a man, and wash and dry his face".

29 December 1966

New York, Associated Recording Studio: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session f or Decca Records.

Production: Dick jacobs

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins (vocals) ; Norbert De Coteaux Orchestra: Willia m Butler (guitar), Norbert De Coteaux (leader), Eric Gale (guitar), Joseph Grima ldi (tenor sax), Ernest Hayes (piano), Buddy Lucas (baritone sax), Jouis Mauro ( bass), Benjamin Gordon Powell (trombone), Bernard Purdie (drums), Ernest Royal ( first trumpet), Warren Smith (percussion, conga), Joseph Wilder (second trumpet) , unknown chorus

Note: Session takes place from 7 to 10 PM

I Put A Spell On You (Jalacy Hawkins) [stereo mix witho ut chorus] Decca 32100 Bear Family CD15530	118364-?
I Put A Spell On You (Jalacy Hawkins) Bear Family CD 15530	118364-?
Two Can Play This Game Bear Family CD 15530	119365-2
Two Can Play This Game [stereo mix without chorus] Bear Family CD 15530	119365-2
Shattered (Jalacy Hawkins) Bear Family CD 15530	119366-2
Shattered (Jalacy Hawkins) [stereo mix without chorus] Bear Family CD 15530	119366-2
You're An Exception To The Rule (Bob Stone) Decca 32100 Bear Family CD15530	119367
You're An Exception To The Rule (Bob Stone) [stereo mix without chorus] Bear Family CD 15530	119367

Mr. & Mrs. Hawkins spend the rest of the Sixties in Hawaii. Though Jay speaks of

being bored by the business and tired of the road, the best is yet to come...

1967

US pop group Creedence Clearwater Revival covers "I Put A Spell On You" on their

first album. The song is later included in lead singer and guitarist John Foger

ty's solo repertoire.

1968

The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown covers "I Put A Spell On You" on their first alb um.

24 January 1969

While recording in Twickenham (near London) The Beatles play a 2 minutes 14 seco nds medley of their own song "Get Back", Screamin' Jay Hawkins' "Little Demon" ( Paul McCartney sings one verse but can't remember the text) and the Chuck Berry songs "Maybelline", "You Can't Catch Me" and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man".

April 1969

Screamin' Jay Hawkins signs with Philips Records.

1969

Los Angeles: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Philips.

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins (vocals) ; unknown orchestra: unknown (steel)

Makaha Waves (Joseph Ryan) Philips 40636 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 273
There's Too Many Teardrops (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 40636 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 274

Screamin' Jay Hawkins releases the strange, ill-fated single There's Too Many

Teardrops [Philips 40636], a straight country tune with a pedal steel playe

r from the California Symphony Orchestra, inspired by the C&W saloon next to the

Forbidden City in Honolulu. The reverse, "Makaha Waves", is a tribute to the su

rfer's paradise on the west coast of Oahu, is written by Joseph Ryan, Hawkins' a ttorney in Hawaii. The record is only issued on Hawaii.

23 - 24 June 1969

North Hollywood, Club Amigo: Screamin' Jay Hawkins live recording for the album <a href=../records/LPwhatthatis.html>WHAT THAT IS!</a> [Philips 600-319].

Producer: Milan Melvin

Musicians: Mike Anthony (guitar, banjo), Grahame Bond (piano), Herb Ellis (guita r), Carl "Beef" Gottlieb (backing vocals), Screamin' Jay Hawkins (vocals, piano) , Eddie Hoh (drums), Plas Johnson (saxes), Ron Johnson (bass), Deirdre LaPorte ( backing vocals), Théa Marcus (backing vocals), Ernest McLean (banjo), Earl Palme r (drums), Tom reid (backing vocals), Lyle Ritz (bass), Shorty Rogers (string ar rangements), Christopher "Egg" Ross (backing vocals), Sal Valentino (backing voc als), Billy Watkins Singers (backing vocals)

Note: For the album he waxes another truly inspired classic: his gross and taste ful "Constipation Blues", replete with predictable sound effects, wouldn't garne r much airplay, but remains an integral part of his legacy to this day.

What That Is (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 291
Feast Of The Mau Mau (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 292
Do You Really Love Me (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 293
Stone Crazy (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 294
I Love You (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 295
Constipation Blues (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530 [Moanin' 2-46 794- edit]	2-45 296
I'm Lonely (Jalacy Hawkins) [strings were later overdub bed for the single version] Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 297
Thing Called Woman (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 298
Dig! (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 299
I'm Your Man (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 300
Ask Him (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 301
Reprise (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-319 Bear Family CD15530	2-45 302

1969

Screamin' Jay Hawkins releases the well-publicized LP <a href=../records/LPwh atthatis.html>WHAT THAT IS!</a> [Philips 600-319], a live album that makes n o impression on the pop charts but which the Los Angeles Times calls "fin e, fun-house horror stuff." The cover showed Hawkins lying in an expensive coffi n with his eyes wide open and one hand on the rim of the lid. This was going to be the finest comeback since Count Dracula's resurrection, and the music lived u p to the promise of the sleeve. Here's Billboard columnist Ed Ochs on "As k Him":

Can a gosepl disk be a top 40 hit? More commercial than "Oh Happy Day", Hawkins' pop-gospel ballad makes rock'n'roll out of a sax and guitar and a Baptist hymn. Blessed and sanctified by the glorious Billy Watkins Singers, "Ask Him" could p ut religion in the jukeboxes - where it belongs. Black deejays and gospel fans w ho objected to the sacrilegious beat in "Oh Happy Day" would have an unhappy day trying to sit still for this foot-tapper.

December 1969

Houston: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for the album <a href=../rec ords/LPbecauseisinyourmind.html>BECAUSE IS IN YOUR MIND (ARMPITRUBBER)</a> [ Philips 600-336].

Production: Huey P. Meaux

Sound engineer: Burt Frilot

Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins (vocals, piano) ; more details unknown

Moanin' (Jalacy Hawkins) [edit of 2-45 296 "Constipatio n blues"] Philips 40668 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 794
Please don't leave me (Antoine Domino) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 795
I wanta know (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 796
I need you (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 797
My Marion (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 798
Bite it (Last night) (The Mar-Keys) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 799
Move me (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 800
Goodnight my love (Marascalco / Motola) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 801
Our love is not for 3 (Jimmy Jones) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 802
Ain't nobody's business (Grisham) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 803
Take me back (Jalacy Hawkins) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 804
Tryin' to reach my goal (McRee / Thomas / Thomas) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 805
So long (Harris / Melsher / Morgan) Philips 600-336 Bear Family CD15530	2-46 806
Trouble in mind (Richard M. Jones) unissued / lost	2-46 807

===Note:=== "Please don't leave me" had been a R&B Top 10 hit for Fats Domino. " Goodnight my love" was a hit for Jesse Belvin in 1956. "Ain't nobody's business"

was recorded by Jimmy Witherspoon in 1949. The Mar-Keys' million-selling instru

mental "Last night" was re-titled "Bite it", while "I wanta know", although cred ited to Hawkins, is really the old Du-Droppers R&B hit dressed up with a Memphis

beat and the kind of scream that demands caution. This nostalgia continues with
"Take me back", a revival of the shuffling rocker which Hawkins cut for Grand i

n 1955, and culminates in a torchy "So long", written and recorded by orchestra leader Russ Morgan in 1940. Even "Move Me" and "My Marion" have appeared before:

on the now scarce and sought-after album which Hawkins recorded for Shel Talmy'

s Planet label in 1965. The gritty funk rhythms of the newer songs are a tad inc ongruous, but even here rockers will note that "Trying to reach my goal" was pen ned by Sun alumni Cliff and Ed Thomas.

===<a href=bio19701979.html>1970 - 1979</a>

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