Handy Man: The Otis Blackwell Songbook

by N/A

Overview

He might not have been a household name, but singer and songwriter Otis Blackwell's contributions to the early architecture of rock & roll is a major one. Among his compositions are such enduring classics as "Don't Be Cruel," "Fever," "All Shook Up," "Handy Man," "Great Balls of Fire," "The Shape I'm In," "Return to Sender," and "Daddy Rollin' Stone," just to name a few. That's quite a catalog. This set collects some two-dozen Blackwell songs done by artists ranging from Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley to Mahalia Jackson, Solomon Burke, Little Willie John, Gene Pitney, and more, and the wonderful R&B crackle of these versions simply underscores Blackwell's songwriting genius. His voice appears only once here, on a duet with Winfield Scott on a demo version of "One Broken Heart for Sale," but his voice, through his timeless songs, continues to reverberate and roll on without abatement in the 21st century. ~ Steve Leggett

Product Details

Release Date:	09/04/2012
Label:	Ace
UPC:	0029667052122
Rank:	107432

Tracks

1. Make Me Know It
2. I Told Myself a Lie
3. Don't Be Cruel
4. My Pigeon's Gone
5. Cool Baby
6. Fever [With String Overdubs]
7. Slow Motion
8. The Shape I'm In
9. Priscilla
10. Brace Yourself
11. All Shook Up
12. Nine Times Out of Ten
13. I'll Find You
14. For My Good Fortune
15. Hey Little Girl
16. Honky Tonky
17. Please, Mister Mayor
18. Just Keep It Up (And See What Happens)
19. Too Long Will Be Too Late
20. One Broken Heart for Sale [1962 Demo]
21. Daddy Rollin' Stone
22. I Feel Good All Over
23. Home in Your Heart
24. Handy Man

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Roy Clark   Primary Artist
Sam Butera & the Witnesses   Primary Artist
Thurston Harris   Primary Artist
David Hill   Primary Artist
Otis Blackwell   Primary Artist
Solomon Burke   Primary Artist
Jimmy Jones   Primary Artist
Little Willie John   Primary Artist
Dinah Washington   Primary Artist
Jerry Lee Lewis   Primary Artist
Wade Flemons   Primary Artist
Derek Martin   Primary Artist
Gene Pitney   Primary Artist
Dee Clark   Primary Artist
Del Shannon   Primary Artist
Elvis Presley   Primary Artist
Johnny Restivo   Primary Artist
Charlie Gracie   Primary Artist
Mahalia Jackson   Primary Artist
Ben E. King   Primary Artist
Eddie Cooley & the Dimples   Primary Artist
Cliff Richard & the Shadows   Primary Artist
Clyde McPhatter   Primary Artist
Winfield Scott   Primary Artist
The Five Keys   Primary Artist
Marty Wekser   Compiled
Tony Rounce   Compiled

Technical Credits

Trevor Simpson   Illustrations
Bob Dunham   Illustrations
Neil Dell   Package Design
Otis Blackwell   Composer
Waldense Hall   Composer
John Davenport   Composer
Elvis Presley   Composer
Eddie Cooley   Composer
Tony Rounce   Illustrations,Liner Notes
Bobby Stevenson   Composer
Audrick Gladstone   Composer
Jimmy Jones   Composer
Jimmy Williams   Composer
Winfield Scott   Composer
Gilles Petard   Cover Photo
Duncan Cowell   Mastering
Cathy Lee   Composer
Brian Nevill   Illustrations
Rob Finnis   Illustrations