All Around the World - Little Willie John, Turner, Titus
Need Your Love So Bad - Little Willie John, Little Willie John
Home at Last - Little Willie John, Toombs, Rudy
Fever - Little Willie John, Cooley, Eddie
My Nerves - Little Willie John, Glover, Henry
Suffering With the Blues - Little Willie John, Conyers, Teddy "Che
Person to Person - Little Willie John, McRae, Teddy
Talk to Me, Talk to Me - Little Willie John, Seneca, Joe
Spasms - Little Willie John, Blackwell
Let's Rock While the Rockin's Good - Little Willie John, Kennedy
Leave My Kitten Alone - Little Willie John, Little Willie John
Let Them Talk - Little Willie John, Little Willie John
I'm Shakin' - Little Willie John,
Heartbreak (It's Hurtin' Me) - Little Willie John, Little Willie John
Sleep - Little Willie John, Little Willie John
You Hurt Me - Little Willie John, Darlynn
I Like to See My Baby - Little Willie John,
Take My Love (I Want to Give It All to You) - Little Willie John, Little Willie John
Big Blue Diamonds - Little Willie John, Carson
My Baby's in Love With Another Guy - Little Willie John, Brightman
Standing slightly more than five feet tall, Little Willie John scored his first hit at age 17. That 1955 R&B smash--"All Around the World" (also known as "Grits Ain't Groceries")--reflected his status as a seasoned vet... more »eran of several leading jazz/R&B big bands. John went on to record such noble rockers as "I'm Shakin'" (covered by the Blasters) and "Leave My Kitten Alone" (covered by the Beatles). However, his greatest success came when he set his torchy, gospel-drenched tenor to slow blues ("Need Your Love So Bad"), standards ("Sleep"), heartbreak ballads ("Talk to Me" and "Let Them All Talk"), and his flame-broiled original version of the oft-covered (Peggy Lee, Madonna, the Cramps, among others) incendiary title track. John was only 30 when he died--reportedly of either pneumonia or a heart attack--while imprisoned for manslaughter in 1968. That same year, James Brown recorded an album called Thinking of Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things. One listen to this 20-song Little Willie John compilation will tell you why. --Don Waller« less
Standing slightly more than five feet tall, Little Willie John scored his first hit at age 17. That 1955 R&B smash--"All Around the World" (also known as "Grits Ain't Groceries")--reflected his status as a seasoned veteran of several leading jazz/R&B big bands. John went on to record such noble rockers as "I'm Shakin'" (covered by the Blasters) and "Leave My Kitten Alone" (covered by the Beatles). However, his greatest success came when he set his torchy, gospel-drenched tenor to slow blues ("Need Your Love So Bad"), standards ("Sleep"), heartbreak ballads ("Talk to Me" and "Let Them All Talk"), and his flame-broiled original version of the oft-covered (Peggy Lee, Madonna, the Cramps, among others) incendiary title track. John was only 30 when he died--reportedly of either pneumonia or a heart attack--while imprisoned for manslaughter in 1968. That same year, James Brown recorded an album called Thinking of Little Willie John and a Few Nice Things. One listen to this 20-song Little Willie John compilation will tell you why. --Don Waller
"Little Willie John was a tremendous talent. Much more so than can be measured in a single release on 45, or even many albums. So it was a treat to get this Rhino CD, because they always have the BEST sound, and remaster from original sources.The one thing, soundwise, that cannot be removed, is distortion. Fortunately for us, but unfortunately for his studio recordings, Willie possessed such a HUGE voice, that it often overloaded his solo microphone, and while that is disguised wonderfully on this release, it cannot be eliminated.On "Fever", "All Around the World" and "Sleep" is it overcome almost entirely, and these are the best sounding versions you will find of these. However, "Spasms" and "Talk to Me" are not as wonderous in the audio category.If you have to purchase ONE disc of this legendary writer/singer......grab this one. However you will also need "Little Mister Willie John", "Sure Things" and "Home at Last" to get all of his great songs!! The CD "28 Big Ones" is a great buy considering all the music, but has the worst sound quality of any. It's rather strange how a singer who influenced every R&B singer of his day, and well beyond, not to mention Peggy Lee and Sinatra, does not have a boxed set of all his recordings...............together, and possibly with a few radio appearances and live tracks. At LEAST his CDs are still in print, and I'd grab them ALL while they are. King records is still handling the releases, which might be why it would be wiser to turn the master session tapes over to, say, Bear Family, to make a thorough, complete release of this immortal artist, lost too soon."
I highly recommend it
F. Barton | 11/27/1999
(5 out of 5 stars)
"i've always felt that little willie john was the most underrated singer of his era. called "little" because of his age and stature, he had one of the most powerful and emotional voices of his and any day.two excellent examples are "talk to me" and "i need your love so bad". one "discovery" i made on this cd was "blue diamonds". i love it but find it to be rather haunting, especially after reading the cd's liner notes and the details of his death. i love this cd, but find it hard to listen to a whole lot because i always feel melancholy after listening to it. i was glad to see his talent finally recognized when he was inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame in 1996"
Soul music before soul existed as a category
ksbooksandmusic | 04/03/2000
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is truly astonishing collection of songs from a singer who sang soul music before "soul" existed as a label for r&b music in the 60's. An amazingly influential singer who was cited as an inspiration by Marvin Gaye and James Brown who recorded a tribute album after his death in the late 60's. You may have heard "Fever" from the Peggy Lee cover, but that version, of course, can't hold a candle in comparison to Little Willie John's original. Another stand out track is "Need Your Love so Bad" with its gut-wrenchingly aching vocals. A notoriously difficult and mercurial personality who died in prison, Little Willie John deserves wider recognition for his genius. I suggest this CD unequivocally to any fan of r&b and soul music. An absolute must"
One of the most overlooked and underrated figures in the ear
Paul Tognetti | Cranston, RI USA | 12/02/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you are under the age of 50 you most likely have never heard of him. Although he managed to hit the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart a total of 14 times between 1956 and 1961, none of his records ever peaked any higher than #13! So just what was so special about Little Willie John and why did the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame see fit to make this man one of their earliest inductees? The answer to this question will become abundantly clear to you when you sample Rhino's phenomenal 1993 release "Fever: The Best of Little Willie John". Incredibly, the legendary James Brown used to be the opening act for him in the mid 1950's. Like his contemporaries Clyde McPhatter and Sam Cooke, Little Willie John was a former gospel singer who played a vital role in the emergence of the genre that would one day be dubbed "soul" music. I have owned "Fever: The Best of Little Willie John for more than a decade now and it is a disc I have come to treasure.
There are 20 tracks on "Fever: The Best of Little Willie John" and I can attest that there is not a weak cut among them. You will quickly discover that Little Willie John was no one trick pony. No sir. He could rock and roll with the best of them, belt out a blues number and soothe you with a soft ballad. Chances are, if you have ever heard a Little Willie John tune it would be his 1956 recording of "Fever". That song would have been a monster hit but Peggy Lee covered it and her version became the bigger hit. Life can be very unfair! You will also enjoy Willie's pleasing take on the 1920's hit "Sleep" as well as "Talk To Me, Talk To Me" from 1958. Rock and roll with great sounds like "Let's Rock While The Rockin's Good" and "I'm Shakin'" to name but a couple. Perhaps my very favorite Little Willie John tune is "Let Them Talk." Here is one of the most powerful vocal performances you are ever likely to hear. After all these years it still sends chills up my spine each time I hear it!
"Fever: The Best of Little Willie John" comes with a neat little 8 page booklet that tells the life story of this talented but troubled individual. Unfortunately, Little Willie John was convicted of manslaughter in 1966 and died in prison under very mysterious circumstances. This collection is a lasting tribute to one of the pioneers of rock and roll. Very highly recommended!"
A fine collection, by this great jump blues singer
Huge-Rod | San Fran. | 06/22/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Although my alltime favorite Little Willie John tune "I'm Sticking With You Baby"(an incredible jump blues) is missing, this is still a fine collection, that should be bought in tandem with the Collectibles cd(which has more songs, but many different ones). This cd has plenty of rollicking tunes, and although I'm really not a fan of John's balladry, he sounds best when singing uptempo jump blues or r&b tunes like Fever where he can use his rich vocals and attitute to thier fullest. Some of the ballads that border on doo-wop are throwaways, but most of his hits were the jump blues tunes, and his voice sounds a little different with each performance, making him a unique performer who's voice on a good day could sound so smooth, slick and hip, and on other days weak and wimpy. This collection finds him in generally prime form, so pick this cd up along with the Collectables disc."