The Greatest Johnny Otis Show
In the two short years that The Johnny Otis Show recorded for Capitol, they managed time and again to come up with some of the most eternal sides in rock 'n' roll. The legendary Mr Otis adopted the role of ringmaster, whilst the members of his revue took turns to show off their many talents. Marie Adams, the Three Tons of Joy, Mel Williams, Jeannie Sterling and Jackie Kelso all featured on the recordings, backed up by some of the very finest musicians Johnny could assemble.Their debut Capitol singleMa, He's Making Eyes At Metruly caught the imagination of the British public and went right to the top of the charts in November, 1957.Back home, the much lovedWillie and the Hand Jivehit the US Top Ten the following summer and the whole shooting match went on to spread the word in films and TV. Future gems likeCastin' My Spell,Crazy Country HopandMumblin' Mosieall helped to sow the seeds for the forthcoming R&B; revolution in the UK with many homegrown acts from Cliff Richard to the Animals turning to the Johnny Otis repertoire for a source of material. After the disappointment of previous compilations from other companies Ace Records have finally restored the balance by bringing together the cream of the Otis crop, including wonderful rock 'n' roll tracks such asBye Bye Baby,All I Want Is Your LoveandShake It Lucy Babythat have not appeared on CD before. This landmark release sets the facts straight on paper too, as the complexities surrounding Johnny's arrival at Capitol have never been fully documented until now.The Greatest Johnny Otis Showis no idle boast, because the team succeeded in capturing such a joyous mood, the excitement still delivers maximum entertainment value. Mr. Otis has nothing to regret.Stuart Colman, Ace Records UK