Johnny "Guitar" Watson

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"Superman Lover" one of my favorite songs EVER since I heard it on a Kenny Dope mix. "Ain't That a Bitch" is funny though not quite as good... is anything as good as SupMan Lov? what's the deal with this dude? is there an album worth getting?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 18:04 (twenty-three years ago)

ben watson to thread!

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 18:04 (twenty-three years ago)

i saw him on his last tour and sang superman lover on stage! the motherfucker DIED on stage ferchrists' sake of course he is classic. search his EARLY records and all his work with Zappa.

― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 18:06 (twenty-three years ago)

eek. Early records: like which ones?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 18:13 (twenty-three years ago)

let me go phone my dad and ask! brb

― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 18:28 (twenty-three years ago)

chaki's dad to thread!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 18:30 (twenty-three years ago)

the thing about the early records is his guitar sound. he had such an attack on the strings and the early recordings captured it really well. his twang is off the hizzy. These were his hit singles in the 50's
'Those Lonely,Lonely Nights' -1955
'Gangster Of Love' -1957
and my father digs on
The Blues Soul Of Johnny Guitar Watson (Chess 1964)
Bad (Chess 1966)
Ain't That A Bitch (DJM 1976)

― chaki (chaki), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 18:34 (twenty-three years ago)

Those Lonely, Lonely Night and Gangster Of Love are absolutely magnificent, and everything I've heard (not all that much, admittedly) from the '50s and '60s is terrific.

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 19:22 (twenty-three years ago)

What's the deal with that one record of his? Its called Johnny Guitar Watson sings the Blues or something like that (my roommate at college had it). Has a photo of a naked woman seemingly grinding herself on a guitar on the cover, and absolutely no guitar on it at all! It sounds like a Mose Allison record. I always thought his name was a joke after that.

― Dave Beckhouse (Dave Beckhouse), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 23:26 (twenty-three years ago)

thank you folx

yeah not alot of guitar on there izzare? freak. maybe he played more of it in the 50s

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Tuesday, 15 October 2002 23:46 (twenty-three years ago)

chaki did you really call your dad?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 00:59 (twenty-three years ago)

yah i did, why do you ask?

― chaki (chaki), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 08:20 (twenty-three years ago)

Tracer, next time we're able, I'll play you "Space Guitar" by Young John Watson (same guy)--from 1956, AMAZING!

― M Matos (M Matos), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 08:24 (twenty-three years ago)

YES that "Space Gtr" song is killer killer!

― unknown or illegal user (doorag), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 09:06 (twenty-three years ago)

A few years back Ace Records in the UK put out a wonderful comp of Watson's 50s sides called 'Hot Like TNT' , including my personal fave, 'Three Hours Past Midnight' - it's a keeper. Not so sure abt his 'funk' recs, tho'.

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 11:32 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.detroitsrvfanclub.com/Images/Johnny%20Watson%20poster.jpg

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 17:29 (twenty-three years ago)

That is a major league classic sleeve!

― Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Wednesday, 16 October 2002 20:12 (twenty-three years ago)

six months pass...

whoa that's a great sleeve.

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 25 April 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

(this thread revival inspired by the pinefox)

― amateurist (amateurist), Friday, 25 April 2003 20:41 (twenty-two years ago)

Johnny Guitar's 50s recs have plenty of hot gtring on, as I hope Tracer found out, but I DO worry abt that Zappa connec (although - grr - I hate to admit that Zappa had pretty gd curatorial taste - Varese, Beefheart, Wild Man Fischer (Fisher?), the Shaggs, etc. )

― Andrew L (Andrew L), Friday, 25 April 2003 20:47 (twenty-two years ago)

the Zappa connection, maybe i) having a big band and really ARRANGING the stuff, even if it's just a blues ii) a goofy distance from the world his lyrics evoke; even on "Ain't That a Bitch" he's just laughing all the way, just letting it all roll off his back. With Zappa, however, this distance often came out sounding something like contempt.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 25 April 2003 21:26 (twenty-two years ago)

Don't know if Tracer ended up getting an album, but Ain't That A Bitch is the one to get. It has, in addition to "Superman Lover", the great "I Want to Ta-Ta You Baby". The whole album's pretty solid; very LA, very proto-Dre.

Slightly less essential is A Real Mother For Ya, but the title track is a total classic.

I've never acutally heard any of his 50's/60's stuff. Hmm. Best get on that...

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 25 April 2003 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

Cross-post w/ the man himself. Guess you picked it up, eh?

― Mr. Diamond (diamond), Friday, 25 April 2003 21:29 (twenty-two years ago)

i haven't bought a record in approx 9999999900000001 years, i just have the mp3!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 25 April 2003 22:19 (twenty-two years ago)

I unnecessarily chime in to agree about 'Space Guitar'. "If you don't have transp'tation" - in "Motorhead Baby" - the fast singing in that is cool too!

― bedroom, Saturday, 26 April 2003 07:12 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah. to add nothing but my agreement. as mr diamond says aint that a bitch is the one. lounge funk. big in NZ i believe.

― gaz (gaz), Saturday, 26 April 2003 09:01 (twenty-two years ago)

anyone wanna sell me the williams & watson - too late 7" on okeh ?

― Jens (brighter), Sunday, 27 April 2003 08:06 (twenty-two years ago)

"Cuttin' In" makes me weep.

― rumplestiltskiiin, Monday, 28 April 2003 05:31 (twenty-two years ago)

I actually really like the 70s disco stuff - "I don't wanna be a lone ranger" and "Bootie Ootie" are both great, though in very different ways...

― Jacob (Jacob), Monday, 28 April 2003 08:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Is this CD of his 1950s stuff recommended?

http://ebay0.ipixmedia.com/abc/M28/_EBAY_fef2a18e6f9cff087d74d7c3157aa6f8/i-1.JPG

(Hot Just Like TNT)

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 20:54 (twenty-two years ago)

How could it not be, I mean look at that glow!!

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 7 May 2003 20:58 (twenty-two years ago)

ten months pass...

The WATZONIAN INSTITUTE was a good album. LOVER JONES was one of his best songs and one of my favorites

― Lawrence Edward Marshall, Wednesday, 17 March 2004 02:19 (twenty-one years ago)

If 'Three Hours Past Midnight' is still in print (Flair, dist. by Virgin), that's a good place to go for the '50s stuff -- probably about the same as the Ace one, but cheaper. There's also a great 'Very Best Of' in the Rhino Blues Masters series that has the Young John Watson cut and plenty overlap with the Flair issue.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Wednesday, 17 March 2004 05:40 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

I'm playing Blues Masters: The Very Best of Johnny "Guitar" Watson (Rhino, 1952-63/99) right now (yep, the one Rickey mentions above) and FUCK does it smoke. Opens w/"Space Guitar," the ne plus ultra of '50s guitaR&B instrumentals, but all of it's pretty damn great. he's slick but has this really raw, dynamic edge (especially vocally) that really sets him apart. plus all the '70s stuff I know is really terrific too. just wanted to give more props.

― Matos W.K. (M Matos), Sunday, 2 May 2004 21:03 (twenty-one years ago)

I was just listening to him yesterday.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 2 May 2004 23:04 (twenty-one years ago)

Don´t know about his solostuff but the duet TOO LATE he did with Larry WIlliams is just amazing driven soul

― heroes + villains, Sunday, 2 May 2004 23:10 (twenty-one years ago)

man whut the hell is thiz shit its nothin but a buncha fukin BUHLEEP BUHLEEP over a drums and a basses

fuk that muzik, hip hop of the new generation

― Smacknophobia, Monday, 3 May 2004 01:03 (twenty-one years ago)

two months pass...

revive!

on 'ain't that a bitch' you can def hear zappa on the controls -- its that keyboard sound, bitch! He does allow space for the solos, which are very pointed, his voice is expressive but also ends up sounding distant too.

― Julio Desouza (jdesouza), Sunday, 25 July 2004 15:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Hi everybody,

I'm desperatly looking for the 2nd verse's lyrics of "Gangster of love",anyone to help me ?

Fab

― Fabrice dercourt, Wednesday, 28 July 2004 12:38 (twenty-one years ago)

two weeks pass...

can anybody send me the cuttin in lyrics? thank you

― jose luis, Monday, 16 August 2004 18:08 (twenty-one years ago)

I love how this thread keeps getting revived.

― Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 16 August 2004 23:44 (twenty-one years ago)

two years pass...

Revive, y'all.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Sunday, 3 June 2007 07:07 (eighteen years ago)

"Too Late" is so freaking titanic

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 3 June 2007 08:06 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKtWMqW4ICM

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 3 June 2007 08:08 (eighteen years ago)

HE IS HEAVILY ARMED AND LEGGED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk31242CnkU

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 3 June 2007 08:11 (eighteen years ago)

http://f3c.yahoofs.com/shopping/3067838/simg_t_mf76954hxdrbjpg175?rm_____Ds6wrH5MF

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 3 June 2007 08:14 (eighteen years ago)

Elvis, I have an MP3 somewhere of a California AM broadcast circa '69(sorry for lack of detail, it's been a long time since I've heard it -- maybe the Wolfman Jack show?) with an ad for a JGW club appearance, with "Two for the Price of One" as the bed.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Sunday, 3 June 2007 09:04 (eighteen years ago)

Wow I can't believe I never posted on this thread before. Aint that a bitch?

― Herman G. Neuname, Sunday, 3 June 2007 20:05 (eighteen years ago)

Elvis, I have an MP3 somewhere of a California AM broadcast circa '69(sorry for lack of detail, it's been a long time since I've heard it -- maybe the Wolfman Jack show?) with an ad for a JGW club appearance, with "Two for the Price of One" as the bed.

Wow! I'd love to hear that...

― Elvis Telecom, Sunday, 3 June 2007 20:20 (eighteen years ago)

HE IS HEAVILY ARMED AND LEGGED

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jk31242CnkU

-- Elvis Telecom, Sunday, June 3, 2007 8:11 AM (13 hours ago) Bookmark Link

Oh sh*t that is unreal.

― Billy Pilgrim, Sunday, 3 June 2007 21:29 (eighteen years ago)

xpost

I'll try to dig that up.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Monday, 4 June 2007 04:07 (eighteen years ago)

Williams and Watson meet the sitar and saz hippies in Kaleidoscope

― Elvis Telecom, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 07:42 (eighteen years ago)

That's a great, great, great record. It made No. 40 on the soul chart.

― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Wednesday, 6 June 2007 08:51 (eighteen years ago)

four months pass...

Got m'self today Love Jones and And The Family Clone. That's 1980-81 stuff tho. Must dig into those earlier things as well, I gather.

― t**t, Wednesday, 17 October 2007 18:13 (eighteen years ago)

nine years pass...

"Hook me up" is nice

― Violet Jax (Violet Jynx), Tuesday, 6 June 2017 12:18 (eight years ago)

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