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ARTIST
TITLE
Rocks: Johnny "Guitar" Watson
FORMAT
CD

LABEL
CATALOG #
BCD 17764CD BCD 17764CD
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
12/6/2024

"With Johnny 'Guitar' Watson, Bear Family presents an exceptionally inventive and style-defining musician in the Rocks series. As 'Young' John Watson, he enjoyed his first triumphs as a teenager and pianist, before coaxing never-before-heard sounds from his Fender guitar and amplifier with Space Guitar in 1954 and henceforth being celebrated as Johnny 'Guitar' Watson! This release follows his career from 1953 to '64 with a focus on the up-tempo numbers driven by his razor-sharp guitar tone. Including 'Hot Little Mamma,' 'Too Tired,' the great 'Gangster Of Love,' 'Johnny Guitar,' 'Untouchable,' and 'Cuttin' In,' his biggest hit to date (1961). Extensive liner notes by Chicago music historian Bill Dahl, plus discographical details and illustrations in the comprehensive booklet. To earn the right to nickname yourself after your chosen instrument, you certainly have to be exceptional on it -- and Johnny 'Guitar' Watson most definitely was. The Houston native could have just as accurately been called Johnny 'Piano' Watson, since he was every bit as talented on the ivories. Bear Family's Watson entry in its Rocks CD-series showcases Johnny working out on both of his main instruments, gathering his early blazing triumphs on the Combo, Federal and RPM labels as well as lesser known but equally sizzling follow-ups for a variety of Los Angeles concerns. Johnny took blues guitar into aggressive new directions on his jumping 'Half Pint-A-Whiskey,' 'Hot Little Mamma,' and 'Too Tired,' and his eye-popping 1954 instrumental 'Space Guitar' was so far ahead of its time that listeners still haven't fully caught up with it. What's more, his hip, super-cool vocal delivery was highly influential to Etta James. All of those aforementioned classics are here, along with 'Looking Back,' the introductory 'Johnny Guitar,' and his first swaggering released version of 'Gangster Of Love.' Find out for yourself why Johnny earned the right to refer to himself as 'Guitar!'"