Screamin' Jay Hawkins - Biography 1970-1979
1970
... 1970
Screamin' Jay Hawkins releases the LP BECAUSE IS IN YOUR MIND (ARMPITRUBBER) [US: Philips 600-336].
... 1970
New York, Café Who: Screamin' Jay Hawkins live recording, released 1993 on the album RATED X [Sting 8237].
Funky Broadway
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Rated "X"
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Rock the boat
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Little bitty pretty one
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Rated "X"
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Bite it (Last night)
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For your love
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Shout
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Constipation blues
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I put a spell on you
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1972
... 1972
Nashville: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for the album PORTRAIT OF A MAN AND HIS WOMAN [Hot Line 10024-25].
Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins (vocals, piano), Tommy Allsup's band
Portrait of a man
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Itty bitty pretty one
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Don't deceive me
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What's gonna happen on the eighth day
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Ashes
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We love
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It's only make believe
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Please don't leave me
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I put a spell on you
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I don't know
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Guess who
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What good is it (part 1)
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What good is it (part 2)
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Same damn thing
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... 1972
Hawkins releases the LP PORTRAIT OF A MAN AND HIS WOMAN [Hot Line 10024-25].
1970s
During the 1970s Hawkins splits his time between Hawaii, New York City, where he plays in local clubs, and Europe, where he remains a popular attraction. He quits drinking in 1974 and finds he can do "I put a spell on you" just as well sober as he could drunk. He also collects royalties from the many cover versions of his songs. Artists from jazz singer Nina Simone to rockers Creedance Clearwater Revival have already recorded "I put a spell on you" and other Hawkins-penned tunes.
1973
... 1973
...: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Queen Bee Records.
Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, unknown band
Monkberry moon delight (Linda McCartney / Paul McCartney)
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Sweet Ginny
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1974
ca. October 1974
New York, The Hit Factory: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for RCA Records.
Production: Joey Levine, Marc Bellack and Paul di Franco for MCP
Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins (vocals) ; more details unknown
Voodoo (Marc Bellack / Joey Levine)
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DPAS 1074-5 |
You put the spell on me (Jalacy Hawkins)
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DPAS 1075-1 |
Note: "You put the spell on me" is, of course, a re-working of "I put a spell on you", it also exhumes those classic lines about the anaphrodisiac with a mouth like a linen cupboard. "Voodoo" (not written by Hawkins) is a Munsterish sort of a record, too parodistic to invite any real shudders.
... 1974
Joey Levine, the ex-lead singer of Ohio Express (the 1960s bubblegum group that did "Yummy yummy yummy"), now heads the group Reunion, which scores a US #8 hit for RCA with "Life is a rock (but the radio rolled me)", a song made up of song titles and names of better known acts. It goes like: "Arthur Janov's primal screamin', Hawkins, Jay and Dale and Ronnie, Kukla, Fran and Norma Okla, Denver, John and Osmond, Donny, JJ Cale and ZZ Top and LL Bean and De De Dinah" bla bla blah.
Mid-1970s
Writes Dick Lillard:
- In the mid 1970's I was the MC of a show on which Screamin' Jay Hawkins was the main attraction. Back stage prior to his appearance he was quickly giving members of a band he'd never seen before their various chord changes. A coffin stood on the left side of the stage. He'd arranged with me that, as I introduced him, I would pretend to be slightly upset over the fact that I couldn't see him offstage. Of course the audience was way ahead of us; yet when Screamin' Jay leapt from the ugly pine box and ran frenzied as if to jump into the audience's lap, he got quite a response! But not nearly so much a reaction as when, toward the end of his act, he brought what were obviously some sort of explosive devices forward. I was in the wings waiting to run onto the stage and yell the usual malarkey that MC's yell. My wife at the time stood beside me anticipating a wild ending and we got it ! A couple of loud pops, smoke everywhere, and the damned concussions knocked both my contact lenses out.
- Meanwhile, Screamin' Jay was lying face down on the stage in what I presumed was the close of his act. I ran out yelling, "Screamin Jay! Lets give him a hand, how about it? A big hand for him!" My wife knew right away-the explosions had knocked our star into la-la land. As I frantically urged the curtain to fall, we had no choice but to drag the still inert body of Screamin' Jay off stage, in clear view of a quietly puzzled audience while trying to keep him from becoming entangled in the descending curtain.
- The ambulance came and rumors flew backstage, but none of us knew what we were talking about (typical!). Suddenly, in walked Screamin' Jay! Bright, cheerful, and ready for the second show, during which he played an ancient silent-film organ sitting hunched over in his cape, looking for all the world like the Phantom of the Opera.
1976
Hawkins suffers second degree burns and temporary blindness when he is burned on stage by one of his trademark flaming stage props. This results in a two years break from touring.
"In the 50's and early 60's, he [Screamin' Jay Hawkins] would play at my family's nightclub, Mattero's T-Bar, in suburban Philadelphia. I saw him again, in the mid 70's, while I was in college in Washington DC. He was appearing at a converted movie theater in Virginia. A few friends and I went to see him, and, in fact, got invited backstage with him. We were watching the show when one of his flashpots went off in his face. He was taken to the hospital. I spoke with him a day or so later, and then never saw nor heard from him again. In reading on your site, you mention an accident in 1976, which partially blinded him. Do you know where this happened? My family spent many hours talking about his antics over the years, so when I heard about his death, I felt I had to go read about his life." (Jeff Mattero from Media, PA, in an e-mail dated 15 February 2000)
... 1976
...: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Versatile Records.
Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins
I put a spell on you [remix of 1966 version]
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I've got you under my skin
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Time after time
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Ebb tide
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Move me [remix of 1969 version]
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Africa gone funky
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Ashes
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I need you [remix of 1969 version]
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Sweet Ginny [instrumental]
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1977
Hawkins releases the LP I PUT A SPELL ON YOU [Versatile NED 1125] - his "disco album". It contains the Blaxploitation production of "Africa gone funky".
1978
Screamin' Jay Hawkins appears in the movie American hot wax, the film biography of disc jockey Freed, loudly complaing about his coffin.
1979
On both their US tours (early 1979 / summer 1979) The Clash have R&B acts like Bo Diddley, Sam and Dave, Lee Dorsey and Screamin' Jay Hawkins support them, as well as neo-traditionalist country-rocker Joe Ely and the punk rockabilly band, the Cramps.
... 1979
...: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Koala Records.
Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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[unknown title]
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31 October 1979
At Halloween, in New York's Irving Plaza (sometimes called Club 57 or the Monster Movie Club) they show horror movie trailers before and in-between bands. There are lamb's heads hanging from the chandeliers and cobwebs everywhere. On the bill that night is Screamin' Jay Hawkins and a transvestite band named Marilyn and the Misfits who have three coffins standing behind the blood red velvet curtain.
18 December 1979
New York, Blue Rock Studio: Screamin' Jay Hawkins recording session for Polydor Records.
Musicians: Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Keith Richards (guitar), unknwon personnel
Note: It's Keith's birthday!
I put a spell on you [disco version] (Slotkin / Jalacy Hawkins)
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Armpit No. 6 (Jalacy Hawkins)
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