Have you ever heard the song I Put a Spell On You?
Classic rock fans are probably familiar with the song from its appearance on Creedence Clearwater Revival’s eponymous debut album as well as from their setlist at the famous Woodstock Festival.
Numerous artists from the likes of soul legend Nina Simone to rock pariah Marilyn Manson have covered the song, but young people may be most familiar with the tune as sung by Bette Midler in a film which has gone down in Halloween legend: Hocus Pocus.
If you don’t know the tune, it’s a pretty simple song to understand. The singer is talking about a lover who doesn’t respect the love which the singer is giving them. The singer, therefore, says that they’re going to “put a spell on you” in order to bring them back.
The song itself feels like it’s always existed. Like it’s one of those folk songs which was written in the 1800’s that nobody can attribute to one artist. It’s so basic, but it accomplishes so much with what it has. The versatility of the song cannot be overstated, as it can evoke so many different emotions.
John Fogerty from Creedence Clearwater Revival might sing the song with longing, whIle a mysterious jam lays underneath to signify a shady underbelly to his words.
Nina Simone might sing the song with so much soul that the overbearing words of “I put a spell on you… because you’re mine!” feel emotional and beautiful.
Whomever sings it though, the fact is the song has been a staple of Halloween playlists for a long time because it just has the right energy for any Halloween celebration.
There’s one artist, though many people may be unfamiliar with him, that is more acquainted with the song than all the rest.
One man’s legacy looms large over this one. Unlike many blues and rock ‘n’ roll jams from the old days, we actually do know who wrote this song.
His name?
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins.
If you weren’t aware, this song was written and recorded for the first time in 1955 by Hawkins as a serious ballad. Hawkins, having been recently discharged from the Air Force, wanted in on show business. After working for and being fired by jazz guitarist Tiny Grimes, Hawkins pursued a singles career.
The serious ballad version wasn’t released by Hawkins’ first record label so when Hawkins switched labels the following year, he decided to rerecord the song. During the session, Hawkins became severely intoxicated and proceeded to throw down a brutal, guttural, and screamed performance of his 50’s love ballad.
Hawkins claims to have been so drunk that he had to relearn the song once he sobered up to match the recorded version. If you’ve never heard the original version, you should go listen to it right now.
This song would change Hawkins’ life forever. It would soon be banned from several radio stations as Hawkins’ grunts and screams were deemed “too sexual” by the record buying public. Despite this, the popularity of the song only grew.
The accompanying record was filled mostly with covers. This isn’t surprising as many albums in the 1950s were mostly, if not all, cover versions of other songs. What separated Jay from the likes of Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, and Nat King Cole was this aggressive and wild persona he crafted from I Put a Spell On You.
Songs like Yellow Coat and Hong Kong are ended with wild blabbering while classics like I Love Paris and Ol’ Man River, while performed well from an objective point of view, has a grit and edge which no other singer really had. Even artists like Little Richard couldn’t scream and let loose the way Hawkins could.
Essentially, Hawkins was fun.
One who writes a song like this might be concerned that the screaming and blabbering might be viewed as a gimmick and a novelty. Someone might think their reputation as a serious artist might be compromised by an album like this.
Hawkins didn’t see it that way.
Hawkins credits a radio DJ named Alan Freed with helping cultivate Hawkins stage persona following the success of this song. Drawing comparisons to Vincent Price, Hawkins devised a character inspired by horror themes such as vampires and voodoo. Carrying a smoking skull on a stick (affectionately named Henry) and coming out of a coffin onstage (at the behest of Freed), Hawkins became the first music artist to truly embrace this type of persona.
Later dubbed an early pioneer of shock rock, artists like Alice Cooper, GWAR, and Marilyn Manson (among others) took heavy inspiration from Hawkins’ onstage character when crafting their own horror based stage shows.
Hawkins onstage persona and his greatest song have both become staples in the legacy of horror and Halloween, but he still feel unappreciated by modern music listeners.
Hawkins genuinely was a talent on the level of any other singer during the era. The man could sing his head off when he wanted to, but his unique style made him stick out so much that he may not receive the respect that he truly deserves.
As a performer, as a singer, and as a Halloween icon, I think we owe a lot to Jay Hawkins. Do yourself a favor, listen to some Screamin’ Jay Hawkins today and get in the Halloween mood.
Listen to the Creedence Clearwater Revival version too, that’s probably the best cover you’re gonna find.