1 Topic by Curby (edited by Curby 2010-12-21 09:20:38)

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Topic: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

In the past week I've been investigating Shuggie Otis' meteoric rise to fame and his sudden "retirement" at age 22.  At the height of his popularity the Rolling Stones, through Billy Preston, were considering him to replace the departing Mick Taylor.  I'd call him a bluesman first, but the prodigy was not a single-shot axeslinger.
Listening to his playing sounds just as fresh today as it did over forty years ago.  I'd put his playing ability on the same level or higher than his peers of the day (Hendrix, Clapton, Allman) and he had to have been a big influence to those who came after like Stevie Ray.  Last night I was listening to his song "Oxford Gray" and was dumbstruck by it's brilliance.  The many changes in the song are so cool and the acoustic segment is nothing but the bomb.  Soon after the Super Sessions release with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills, Al Kooper recorded an album with Shuggie that's a must for Blues collectors.  The album Inspiration Information is the one to look for if anyone's interested.  Shuggie plays all the instruments and the album shows his funky jazz side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xRD-9hseI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry3mC9lbm8s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMhjndjIDCI

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Honestly thank you Curby. I looked at the clip or listened to it. I thought it was amazing. Gotta say.  NEVER HEARD of Shuggie Otis. But Wow! Really interesting timing and phrasing. Like a Freddie King Johnny Winter hybrid. I bought all his stuff on iTunes. Thanks for that!
Joe B

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Where did he come from?
Where did he go?

This is burning!

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

See Curby? And you wondered if we read your posts.  lol
Rick

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5 Reply by Curby (edited by Curby 2010-12-24 06:54:29)

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Joe Bonamassa wrote:

Honestly thank you Curby. I looked at the clip or listened to it. I thought it was amazing. Gotta say.  NEVER HEARD of Shuggie Otis. But Wow! Really interesting timing and phrasing. Like a Freddie King Johnny Winter hybrid. I bought all his stuff on iTunes. Thanks for that!
Joe B

Joe,
I'm honered to get a reply from you and you're welcome.  I had heard of Shuggie from a long time ago, but it wasn't till I came across a compilation of various artists on the album Novemberin' that I started seriously looking into his music.  He only plays on two songs on the album.  One is the title track with Mark Lotito and the other is with someone you know, Jimmy Vivino, on "Violet In Blue".  I'm still trying to find more info about him and for some odd reason keep comparing his story to Peter Green.  Maybe Greenose could help on that subject, I'm pretty sure he'll dig Otis as well.
SRV recorded Shuggie's "Cold Shot" so I'm assuming he was aware of him and probably influenced by his playing.  Another disciple was Prince and Shuggie's song "Purple" played heavily in his early development as an aspiring guitarist.  The thing that I've found amazing is most of his genius was done in his teens.  He turned down the Stones he said so he could play in his Dad's band and he didn't want to leave the west coast.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3WyDhCEeQ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aQkFnalsnG0

  • From: Frederick County, MD
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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Curby wrote:

In the past week I've been investigating Shuggie Otis' meteoric rise to fame and his sudden "retirement" at age 22.  At the height of his popularity the Rolling Stones, through Billy Preston, were considering him to replace the departing Mick Taylor.  I'd call him a bluesman first, but the prodigy was not a single-shot axeslinger.
Listening to his playing sounds just as fresh today as it did over forty years ago.  I'd put his playing ability on the same level or higher than his peers of the day (Hendrix, Clapton, Allman) and he had to have been a big influence to those who came after like Stevie Ray.  Last night I was listening to his song "Oxford Gray" and was dumbstruck by it's brilliance.  The many changes in the song are so cool and the acoustic segment is nothing but the bomb.  Soon after the Super Sessions release with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills, Al Kooper recorded an album with Shuggie that's a must for Blues collectors.  The album Inspiration Information is the one to look for if anyone's interested.  Shuggie plays all the instruments and the album shows his funky jazz side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xRD-9hseI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry3mC9lbm8s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMhjndjIDCI

I hadn't heard of Shuggie until a year or so ago when I was searching the web for some fruit-named song from the 60's or 70's and found that he had written and recorded the song "Strawberry Letter No. 23", covered with more fame by The Brothers Johnson (great funk groove, BTW).  Check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IR1JQOBRrUY

Compared to:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vbxUtFDK … re=related

Love 'em both....

Now search him out on the Interwebs and enjoy...... :-)   Thanks for the heads-up Curby...Happy Holidays to you!

CarljMD

Takers get the honey, givers sing the blues
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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

I remember Shuggie playing around San Francisco back in the late '70s, but never saw him live. A good buddy who turned me on to Robert Cray had some Shuggie in his library that we listened to occasionally. Good question as to why he suddenly disappeared. According to Wiki he still lives in Sebastapol just outside of Santa Rosa.

                                                                                                                                          Think Green,

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What is success? Is it do yo' own thang, or is it to join the rest?   -Allen Toussaint

8 Reply by Curby (edited by Curby 2010-12-25 09:18:23)

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

ohiodawg13 wrote:

I remember Shuggie playing around San Francisco back in the late '70s, but never saw him live. A good buddy who turned me on to Robert Cray had some Shuggie in his library that we listened to occasionally. Good question as to why he suddenly disappeared. According to Wiki he still lives in Sebastapol just outside of Santa Rosa.

                                                                                                                                          Think Green,

                                                                                                                                          J Dawg

Here's a link that might help.
http://therisingstorm.net/shuggie-otis-freedom-flight/

Rick - Strawberry Letter 23: I agree The Brothers Johnson version is pretty good.  One of the brothers had  Shuggies Strawberry played at his wedding prior to recording it.  The guy playing guitar on their recording is Lee Ritenour.

A nice review of Inspiration Information...
http://www.music-critic.com/urban/otiss … ration.htm

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Many thanks for posting this! Never heard of him, but loves what I've heard today on Youtube. Normally I find the "clean blues" kinda boring, but this guy really has something special. His phrasings and timing ... wow!

Next stop: iTunes - All aboard!


André

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

I was not familiar with Shuggie Otis before this (name sounded a little familiar, that's it), but I just now listened to all those YouTube songs, and wow... very nice, me likey!  Thanks, Curby!  smile

Now that you've turned Joe onto Shuggie and he's obviously impressed, I wonder if he'll play him on his Planet Rock show?  wink   (Or is that the wrong genre for his show?  I'm not too familiar.)

--Vik cool

11 Reply by Curby (edited by Curby 2010-12-26 23:03:27)

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

TieDyeVikki wrote:

I was not familiar with Shuggie Otis before this (name sounded a little familiar, that's it), but I just now listened to all those YouTube songs, and wow... very nice, me likey!  Thanks, Curby!  smile

Now that you've turned Joe onto Shuggie and he's obviously impressed, I wonder if he'll play him on his Planet Rock show?  wink   (Or is that the wrong genre for his show?  I'm not too familiar.)

--Vik cool

I read a review of a recent concert of his at the Fillmore in San Francisco that didn't go well.  He was the headliner for the show and besides being forty minutes late, he hadn't rehearsed for the gig.  Needless to say the show was a disaster for the concert promoters.  Shuggie's music is very popular to r&b/hip hop artists, but I'm not sure he feels comfortable with the attention.  I can only speculate, but he seems to be a very private person who is way more comfortable in a small club or studio rather than a hallowed place such as the Fillmore.
There's nothing wrong with his playing, his two contributions on Novemberin' are exceptional.  Even in his prime his singing was average at best and at 57 years old he'd be wise letting someone else take the microphone. 
I'd love to see Joe play his music on his show, that would be very cool and I'm sure Shuggie would be thrilled.  Great idea Vikki!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v7VQ2zBOODM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--9OsfTfb6E   Here's a little taste of Shuggie's alter ego.  Wish I could move like those kids.

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

I've found the first four songs off Inspiration Information.  Like I said before this stuff isn't the blues, but futuristic rhythm and blues.  I feel cheated that Epic Records didn't promote this album and make Shuggie a star.  In order to really appreciate this stuff I'd imbibe in the liquor of your choice, put on the headphones and then kick.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBacdFSCydo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WHrCKIj6do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nd6q973YBo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLgYEeXNLJw

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Although I have not even thought about Shuggie Otis for many years I remember him well. My older brother had the Super Sessions album, I think it was called Kooper Session, and we listened to it often back in the day. I am also pretty certain that he had the album that Shuggie played all of the instruments on also.
The thing that really stood out for me back then was how young he was on those albums, I am pretty sure that he was only 15 on one of them.

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Listen to Shuggies Strawberry letter 23 and then listen to The Brothers Johnson  do it.  They  didn't stray to far from the original.
Shuggie Otis has great feel and imagination I've learned a lot listening to him

Curby wrote:

I've found the first four songs off Inspiration Information.  Like I said before this stuff isn't the blues, but futuristic rhythm and blues.  I feel cheated that Epic Records didn't promote this album and make Shuggie a star.  In order to really appreciate this stuff I'd imbibe in the liquor of your choice, put on the headphones and then kick.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBacdFSCydo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WHrCKIj6do
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nd6q973YBo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLgYEeXNLJw

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

The real legend in the Otis family is Shuggies father....Johnny (Hand Jive) Otis.  Check out his various YouTube offerings.  The original cool cat.  When Shuggie talks about wanting to play in his dad's band, there's a reason for that.

16 Reply by Rocket (edited by Rocket 2011-01-03 19:47:45)

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

jmcdon7230 wrote:

The real legend in the Otis family is Shuggies father....Johnny (Hand Jive) Otis.  Check out his various YouTube offerings.  The original cool cat.  When Shuggie talks about wanting to play in his dad's band, there's a reason for that.

Agreed!
I have mentioned Shuggie several times over the years on here. Perhaps only Larry G will remember the old forum circa 2001 or 2 when one of the early topics was the top 5 (or 10?) desert discs and I upgraded my reply to top 100 and Larry commented how I basically raided his CD collection-although I don't think he ever had Shuggie's Information Inspiration which I had listed (and it was just about to be or had been just re-released).

I know I entered Shuggie's Boogie in the What Song are You Listening To? thread a month or 2 back...I think I may have tossed it out as a cover "shuggestion" for Joe long ago too, but I am not at all sure of that.
Apparently now is a good time for people to discover him, and I am glad to see the response, Curby!

Rock On & Keep the Faith,
Rocket

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17 Reply by Curby (edited by Curby 2011-01-03 23:20:33)

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Rocket wrote:
jmcdon7230 wrote:

The real legend in the Otis family is Shuggies father....Johnny (Hand Jive) Otis.  Check out his various YouTube offerings.  The original cool cat.  When Shuggie talks about wanting to play in his dad's band, there's a reason for that.

Agreed!
I have mentioned Shuggie several times over the years on here. Perhaps only Larry G will remember the old forum circa 2001 or 2 when one of the early topics was the top 5 (or 10?) desert discs and I upgraded my reply to top 100 and Larry commented how I basically raided his CD collection-although I don't think he ever had Shuggie's Information Inspiration which I had listed (and it was just about to be or had been just re-released).

I know I entered Shuggie's Boogie in the What Song are You Listening To? thread a month or 2 back...I think I may have tossed it out as a cover "shuggestion" for Joe long ago too, but I am not at all sure of that.
Apparently now is a good time for people to discover him, and I am glad to see the response, Curby!

Rock On & Keep the Faith,
Rocket

Ditto to that Rocket!

A few years ago I went nuts over Be Bop Deluxe's Modern Music.  Like Shuggie's Inspirition Information I couldn't believe something that good escaped me.  In Otis' case I believe he was a West Coast phenomenon and Be Bop must of been the same for the UK.  For you Prog lovers BBD could've easily hung with EL&P or Yes in the early Seventies.  Bill Nelson has got to be one of the best guitarists few people know about.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZO0hwy-a1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdl8o99o3wY

When I first wrote about Shuggie I thought one of you Cali guys would reply like the one above and am glad to finally see one.

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Re: The Lost Legend: Shuggie Otis

Curby wrote:

In the past week I've been investigating Shuggie Otis' meteoric rise to fame and his sudden "retirement" at age 22.  At the height of his popularity the Rolling Stones, through Billy Preston, were considering him to replace the departing Mick Taylor.  I'd call him a bluesman first, but the prodigy was not a single-shot axeslinger.
Listening to his playing sounds just as fresh today as it did over forty years ago.  I'd put his playing ability on the same level or higher than his peers of the day (Hendrix, Clapton, Allman) and he had to have been a big influence to those who came after like Stevie Ray.  Last night I was listening to his song "Oxford Gray" and was dumbstruck by it's brilliance.  The many changes in the song are so cool and the acoustic segment is nothing but the bomb.  Soon after the Super Sessions release with Mike Bloomfield and Stephen Stills, Al Kooper recorded an album with Shuggie that's a must for Blues collectors.  The album Inspiration Information is the one to look for if anyone's interested.  Shuggie plays all the instruments and the album shows his funky jazz side.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l6xRD-9hseI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ry3mC9lbm8s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMhjndjIDCI

Joe Bonamassa wrote:

Honestly thank you Curby. I looked at the clip or listened to it. I thought it was amazing. Gotta say.  NEVER HEARD of Shuggie Otis. But Wow! Really interesting timing and phrasing. Like a Freddie King Johnny Winter hybrid. I bought all his stuff on iTunes. Thanks for that!
Joe B

Good News: Some Shuggie Otis tour dates!   smile

http://www.songkick.com/artists/286448- … dar?page=2

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