Black Music for White People

Screamin' Jay Hawkins | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 21, 1993)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Manifesto Records
• ASIN: B000007ZES
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #70,713 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Black Music For White People by Screamin' Jay Hawkins

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A PIONEER WHO NEVER GOT HIS DUE, December 9, 2001

By 

Scott T Mc Nally (ORLANDO, Fl USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Black Music for White People (Audio CD)

Hawkins was a true early Rock & Roll Pioneer. He wrote and recorded "I Put A Spell On You" way back in 1957, the same year I was born. He was the first theatrical shock rocker, so far ahead of his time that many radio stations didn't play him and many early rock venues didn't give him a shot, figuring he'd scare the white folks to death with his voodoo stage act. An act is all it really was. He played it for laughs and Lord, was he funny! I got my first taste of him in 1970 on an Detroit FM station with a totally open format. They played "Feast Of The Mau Mau" and "Constipation Blues" the latter of which has to be heard to be believed. I never owned anything by him until this came along, right about the time I saw him on David Sanborn's Night Music program. He performed "I Put A Spell On You" and an outrageous version of "Old Man River", both of which are performed on this disc.
"Black Music For White People" is not his best work, but is still pretty good. If everything else on it was junk, I would still have it just for "Old Man River". There's also the sidesplittingly funny "Ignant And Sh_t". What more can I say about that title? Just buy it and enjoy. Also included here are covers of of two Tom Waits classics. "Heart Attack And Vine" and "Ice Cream Man". That's right. Van Halen didn't write it!
If you really want a good overview of his career, try one of of the compilations available here. Just be sure that it's one with the legendary "Constipation Blues". No Screamin Jay compilation is complete without it.

Hawkins shuffled off this motal coil in 2000. I hope he's keeping my late friends and relatives entertained, leaping out of coffins, wearing a bone in his nose and grunting like a demonic wild boar. In the stupid era of political correctness we live in, Hawkins is an American treasure who is sorely missed.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars He Still Has It, December 25, 2003

By 

Stanley Runk "Runkdapunk" (Camp North Pines) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Black Music for White People (Audio CD)

I'll keep this short and sweet coz no one's gonna read this review. Why? Coz no one has the time of day for Screamin' Jay Hawkins or his later work. He's always been looked at as a novelty act and was never taken seriously. Well, this 1991 album is pretty entertaining. Sure, his age has restricted him from being as caffeinated as his younger days, but don't be fooled by his age. He's still crazy and has a voice powerful enough to blow you through the wall. Highly recommended.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This cd is a trip!, August 7, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Black Music for White People (Audio CD)

I'm a musician from Mn. and one hot summer night my band was playing in Rochester. As I'm inclined to do on our last break, I was out in my car taking a little smoke break, {if you know what I mean} I had the radio on some nationally broadcast blues show on a skip wave and they were playing this version of "I Put A Spell On You" I was blown away by the strength of Hawkins' voice,so when I got home, [...] and ordered this cd. In the meantime, I became acquainted to Screamin' Jay by buying,"Spells and Potions" which I feel is a better representation of Hawkins' work."Black Music For White People"is at the end of his career and sounds as though he was being manipulated by some producer that threw him in with some musicians that were very good, but they just don't have the soul of the early recordings that are on "Spells and Potions"