"Screamin' Jay Rocks [aka "Rocks]" by SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS (September 2008 Germany Bear Family CD Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"…I Put A Spell On You…"

I suppose if you were to nitpick - Screamin' Jay Hawkins never really 'rocks' (in the true sense of the word) on any of these 31 odes to lunacy, coffins and fragrant armpits - but he doesn't half put a grin on your face every time he opens his flamboyant and very unPC mouth. Lewd, crude and genuinely crackers in the frontal lobe area (he'd regularly expose his penis to old ladies in the audience on stage on a Saturday night and end up in jail on Sunday morning) - Screamin' Jay Hawkins was the real deal - the funniest shock-entertainer in Rock 'n' Roll's long pantheon of wild men and women. And this fabulous near eighty-minutes of musical mayhem is testament to his unhinged genius. Here are the degenerate and depraved details...

Released September 2008 in Germany - "Screamin’ Jay Rocks" by SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS is on Bear Family BCD 16687 AR (Barcode 4000127166876) and breaks down as follows (77:57 minutes):

1. Little Demon (1956, Okeh 4-7072, B-side of "I Put A Spell On You")

2. Baptize Me In Wine (1954, Timely 1004, A)

3. Not Anymore (1954, Timely 1004, B-side of "Baptize Me In Wine")

4. In My Front Room (unissued 1955 Mercury recording, first appeared on the 1990 2CD compilation "Spellbound! 1955-1974" on Bear Family BCD 15530)

5. This Is All (1955, Mercury 70549, A)

6. What That Is (unissued 1955 Mercury recording, first appeared on the 1990 2CD compilation "Spellbound! 1955-1974" on Bear Family BCD 15530)

7. (She Put The) Wamee (On Me) (1955, Mercury 70549, B-side of "This Is All")

8. Well I Tried (1955, Wing 90005, A)

9. Talk About Me (1955, Wing 90055, B-side of "Even Though")

10. Take Me Back (1956, Grand 135, A)

11. I Is (1956, Grand 135, B-side of "Take Me Back")

12. $10,000 Lincoln Continental (Take 2) (unissued 1955 Reco-Art Recording, first appeared on the 1991 CD compilation "From Grand To Gotham" on Interstate Music Ltd SJH CD 71829)

13. You Ain't Foolin' Me (unissued 1956 recording, first appeared on the 1991 CD compilation "At Home With Screamin' Jay Hawkins" on Acadia ACAM 8116)

14. Yellow Coat (first issued on the 1958 USA Mono LP "At Home With Screamin' Jay Hawkins" on Epic LN 3448)

15. I Put A Spell On You (1956, Okeh 4-7072, A - B-side is Track 1 "Little Demon")

16. Frenzy (1957, Okeh 4-7087, B-side to "Person To Person")

17. Alligator Wine (1958, Okeh 4-7101, A)

18. There's Something Wrong With You (1958, Okeh 4-7101, B-side to "Alligator Wine")

19. Person To Person (1957, Okeh 4-7087, A)

20. You Made Me Love You (1957, Okeh 4-7084, A)

21. Little Demon (Alternate Take) (unissued 1956 recording, first appeared on Disc 2 of the 4CD Box Set "Loud, Fast & Out Of Control: The Wild Sound Of 50's Rock" by Various Artists on Rhino R2 75704)

22. Armpit No. 6 (1958, Red Top 126, A)

23. Just Don't Care (1962, Enrica 1010, B-side of "I Hear Voices")

24. Strange (1964, Roulette 4579, B-side of "The Whammy")

25. The Whammy (1964, Roulette 4579, A)

26. Party Doll (unissued 1964 recording, first appeared on the 1997 CD compilation "Lotta Boppin' (And Plenty Scream' Too): Roulette Rock & Roll, Vol. 4" on Sequel NEM 921)

27. All Night (unissued 1966 Decca recording, first appeared on the 1990 2CD compilation "Spellbound! 1955-1974" on Bear Family BCD 15530)

28. Mountain Jive (unissued 1966 Decca recording, first appeared on the 1990 2CD compilation "Spellbound! 1955-1974" on Bear Family BCD 15530)

29. Do You Really Love Me (1969, Phillips 40645, B-side of "Constipation Blues")

30. Please Don't Leave Me (first issued on the USA LP "Because Is In Your Mind" on Phillips PHS 600-336 in 1970)

31. Knock-Kneed Nana (Take 7) (previously unissued 1958 Columbia recording - first issue here)

"Rocks" comes in a (three-flaps) foldout card digipak with a detachable oversized booklet offering fans a chunky 64-pages of stunningly detailed liner notes by long-time fan BILL MILLAR. The text is peppered with up-close and personal black and white stills from a gig at The Washington Hotel in Mayfair, London in January 1965 and then The Ram Jam Club in April 1966. You get reproductions of a great Ebony Magazine advert from 1957 with the "Spell-maker" (Dr. Scholl's sandals ahoy!) - publicity poses with his trademark skull 'n' crossbones stage get up and even 'labour' papers to enter the UK in February 1966. The Richard Weize and George White discography from 1952-1970 starts on Page 41 and doesn't finish until Page 62. The CD reflects the Okeh label for "I Put A Spell On You" and the single in its label bag is pictured beneath the see-through CD tray - as usual - a very tasty job done by BF.

It opens with the lesser-heard "Little Demon" - the anarchic B-side to his 1956 lifelong signature tune "I Put A Spell On You" (over 35 cover versions of it and counting). "Little Demon" has lyrics like "...done put pretty hair on grandma's bald head..." - nice. After two dullish early 1954 cuts - things pick up big time with the Fats Domino piano-rolling R'n'B of "In My Front Room" showcasing his great rasping voice. "This Is All" is the same - a breakneck vocal hovering over a slow-rolling brass-filled Rhythm 'n' Blues section which features Mickey Baker (prominently) on Guitar with Big Al Sears and Sam 'The Man' Taylor on Saxes.

He goes all Muddy Waters got my-Mojo-working on the blues "$10,000 Lincoln Continental" and he names all the garish colours of his wardrobe in "Yellow Coat" - witty Rock 'n' Roll and up there with anything Chuck Berry could write. The wonderful "I Put A Spell On You" still makes me giggle but even better is "There's Something Wrong With You" with its manic giggles and lines like "...roast baboon salad smothering in bubblegum...you ain't all there..." But the absolute bomb is "Armpit No. 6" about his woman's odours where he says "...she's stone from the sticks...with her own kind of perfume...armpit No. 6..." and then starts sniffing! "Just Don't Care" is brill Fifties boogie while "Strange" and "The Whammy" are full of his trademark manic voodoo rhythms and racy lyrics - what a blast!

If Screamin' Jay Hawkins didn't exist - you'd imagine God would have to invent him. He died in 2000 aged 70 with six wives behind him and approximately 33 children (I say approximately). And isn't that just 'so' Rock 'n' Roll...

PS: The "Rocks" Series CD-Only Compilations (released 2002 to 2026) by Bear Family Records of Germany features the following artists (alphabetical order):

1. Hank Ballard (Bear Family BCD 17580)

2. Chuck Berry (BCD 17139 AR) [see REVIEW]

3. Eddie Bond (BCD 17726)

4. Pat Boone (BCD 16933 AR)

5. Clarence 'Gatemouth' Brown (BCD 17537)

6. James Brown (BCD 17775)

7. Roy Brown (BCD 17749)

8. Sonny Burgess (BCD 17629)

9. Johnny Burnette (BCD 16992 AR) [see REVIEW]

10. The Cadillacs (BCD 16281 AR)

11. Jimmy Cavallo (BCD 17648)

12. Sanford Clark (BCD 17664)

13. The Coasters (BCD 17526)

14. Eddie Cochran (BCD 17136 AR)

15. Jackie Lee Cochran (BCD 17785)

16. James Cotton (BCD 17651)

17. Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup (BCD 17555 AR)

18. Bobby Darin (BCD 16310 AR)

19. Bo Diddley (BCD 17751)

20. Fats Domino (BCD 16825 AR)

21. The Drifters (BCD 17278 AR)

22. Champion Jack Dupree (BCD 17536)

23. Duane Eddy (BCD 17249 AR)

24. The Everly Brothers (BCD 17321 AR)

25. Charlie Feathers (BCD 17688)

26. Narvel Felts (BCD 17594)

27. The "5" Royales (BCD 17522)

28. Connie Francis (BCD 16318 AR)

29. Don Gibson (BCD 16991 AR)

30. Glen Glenn (BCD 16671 AR)

31. Big John Greer (BCD 17743)

32. Bill Haley (BCD 16807 AR)

33. Roy Hall (BCD 16747 AR)

34. Wynonie Harris (BCD 17746)

35. Dale Hawkins (BCD 16826 AR)

36. Ronnie Hawkins (BCD 16873 AR)

37. Screamin' Jay Hawkins (BCD 16687 AR)

38. Wanda Jackson (BCD 16631 AR) [see REVIEW]

39. Etta James (BCD 17750)

40. Sonny James (BCD 16679 AR)

41. Benny Joy (BCD 17645)

42. Buddy Knox & Jimmy Bowen with the Rhythm Orchids (BCD 16872 AR)

43. Sleepy LaBeef (BCD 15981 AR)

44. Brenda Lee (BCD 16886 AR)

45. Jerry Lee Lewis (BCD 16396 AR)

46. Smiley Lewis (BCD 16676 AR) [see REVIEW]

47. Little Richard (BCD 17138 AR)

48. Bob Luman (BCD 16985 AR)

49. Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers (BCD 16545 AR)

50. Mac Curtis (BCD 17719)

51. Carl Mann (BCD 16684 AR)

52. Jimmy McCracklin (BCD 17552)

53. Scotty McKay (BCD 17519)

54. Clyde McPhatter (BCD 17614)

55. Memphis Slim (BCD 17687)

56. Amos Milburn (BCD 16926 AR) [see REVIEW]

57. Roy Milton (BCD 17712)

58. Ella Mae Morse (BCD 16672 AR) [see REVIEW]

59. Ricky Nelson (BCD 16856 AR)

60. Roy Orbison (BCD 15916 AR)

61. Little Junior Parker (BCD 17535)

62. Carl Perkins (BCD 16752 AR)

63. The Platters (BCD 17558 AR)

64. Lloyd Price (BCD 16999 AR)

65. Piano Red (aka Dr. Feelgood) (BCD 16639 AR) [see REVIEW]

66. Jimmy Reed (BCD 17572)

67. Louis Prima (BCD 17318 AR)

68. Charlie Rich (BCD 16513 AR) [see REVIEW]

69. Billy Lee Riley (BCD 17597)

70. Marty Robbins (BCD 17245 AR)

71. Jack Scott (BCD 16841 AR)

72. Ronnie Self (BCD 17656)

73. Shirley & Lee (BCD 15785 AR)

74. Slim Harpo (BCD 17129 AR)

75. The Treniers (BCD 16164 AR)

76. Ike Turner (BCD 17679)

77. Big Joe Turner (BCD 17215 AR) [see REVIEW]

78. Conway Twitty (BCD 16670 AR)

79. Ritchie Valens (BCD 17525)

80. Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps (BCD 17134 AR)

81. Johnny Guitar Watson (BCD 17764)

82. Link Wray (BCD 17600)

83. Rusty York (BCD 16543 AR) [see REVIEW]

Series Sampler Compilations from 2024 and 2025

84. Bear Family Records Rocks, Vol. 1 (BCD 17734) 

85. Bear Family Records Rocks, Vol. 2 (BCD 17735) 

The Bear Family "Rockin' Rollin'" Series features:

1. Johnny Horton

2. Marvin Rainwater

3. Marty Robbins Vol.1

4. Marty Robbins Vol.2

5. Marty Robbins Vol.3