13 barn owls in a trenchcoatOct 21

My theme of #BlackMagick got pulled out of the hat for this #TuneTuesday, and while I could - and possibly will - share a number of tracks composed with specific magickal intention, I'm going to start by highlighting the grandfather of occult blues and rock, Screamin' Jay Hawkins.

Perhaps best known as the original composer of blues standard, I Put A Spell On You, Cleveland-born Hawkins was classically trained, with intentions of becoming an opera singer. Set on defying convention, and after a few false starts, he became a blues singer and pianist with a flamboyant stage persona with occult trappings comparable to the sinister camp of his contemporary, actor Vincent Price.

Hawkins' occult theatrics directly inspired artists including Arthur Brown, Led Zeppelin, Alice Cooper, and Glenn Danzig, among others, and we can directly trace significant parts of the tone and imagery of multiple evolutions of black metal back to him, as well as punk, goth, hard rock and broader heavy metal as genres.

I Put A Spell On You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_dljGbYcCw

Hawkins and his band were reportedly trashed when recording this, inspiring the unearthly laughter, whooping and demonic grunting that can be heard on the track.

It was deemed obscene upon release, for reasons that smack of both racism and conservative sexual mores.

Hawkins at times resented the persona, exploitative trappings and even the hit that made him famous.

Living in New York and then Paris, he continued to compose, perform and act during the 1980s and '90s, despite being well set due to holding the copyright on his own music, spanning a range of genres, including with garage rock band The Fuzztones.

Voodoo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zT23BuIHYZY&list=RDzT23BuIHYZY

1956-57 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins - I Put A Spell On You

YouTube
Show threadThat Other PlaceOct 21

@HauntedOwlbear Interestingly, upon release, "I Put A Spell On You" got rave reviews in both of the music business trade magazines. Here's what Billboard (November 3, 1956) wrote about it.

#screaminjayhawkins #iputaspellonyou #okeh7072 #billboard

Show threadThat Other PlaceOct 21

@HauntedOwlbear The review in Cash Box (November 3, 1956) was even more enthusiastic.

#screaminjayhawkins #iputaspellonyou #okeh7072 #cashbox

Show threadThat Other Place

@HauntedOwlbear Okeh Records, the R&B subsidiary of Columbia, made an effort to play on the supposed notoriety of the record in its advertising - for example, the November 24 issue of Billboard had the following ad, with an almost full-page size, which was not very common for R&B records at the time.

I wonder how much of the subsequent fame of the record was based on this campaign?

#screaminjayhawkins #iputaspellonyou #billboard #okeh7072

Oct 21 at 1:04pmWeb
Show thread13 barn owls in a trenchcoatOct 21
@that_other_place IIRC, Alan Freed personally put his weight behind Hawkins' career, which definitely would have had an impact.
Show threadThat Other PlaceOct 21

@HauntedOwlbear Although the record never hit the national charts, it was reported to be selling well in many US markets both from the outset and also over the following months. This clip is from the Billboard magazine, November 17, 1956.

#screaminjayhawkins #iputaspellonyou #okeh7072 #billboard