Shuggie Otis The Unknown Living Legend - Bois amp; Bar Talk https://boisandbartalk.com/2020/05/shuggie-otis/?utm_source=rssamp;utm_medium=rssamp;utm_campaign=shuggie-otis Shuggie Otis The Unknown Living Legend There are artists that I play that werent popular at the time that I play now more than current artists Shuggie Otis I suggest you go look up Shuggie Otis. Jay-Z How Did I Get Here? First Ill start by saying of course I was spending a Monday night in quarantine watching Jay-Z interviews. As a result I stumbled upon an interview Jay had done at I believe Columbia University. Briefly during the interview Hov was expressing that as an artist you have to have this certain knowing. A certain belief in yourself and that what youre creating is the right thing for you. Although it may not work today or tomorrow someday it will be recognized for what it truly is. Who Is Shuggie Otis? Backstage at Manhattans Highline Ballroom on January 10 2013 Jacob Blickenstaff Born on November 30 1953 in Los Angeles California Shuggie became the son of The Godfather of Ramp;B Johnny Otis. Shuggie eventually would grow into his own style and take on his own legacy. Born into the music industry Shuggie started playing the guitar at the age of two. He began performing professionally by the age of 11 with his fathers band. Often Shuggie would have to wear dark shades and a false mustache just to be able to perform in after-hours nightclubs. Otis took inspiration from other artists popular with his generation such as Jimi Hendrix Sly Stone and Arthur Lee. Otis music would later be defined as Psychedelic Soul Funk Rock Jazz Blues and Ramp;B. What should I listen to? Why? Freedom Flight The first album I would recommend listening to is his second studio album Freedom Flight (1971). This album contains the original version of his song Strawberry Letter 23. The Brothers Johnson band covered Strawberry Letter 23 six years later in 1977 for their album Right On Time and went on to peak at 5 on Billboards Top 100 chart. Freedom Flight Album Cover (1971) I hope my boy Shuggie got a check for that! Strawberry Letter 23 is a really dope record. The concept of the song is that a couple is exchanging love letters between each other using music. For instance Shuggie references Strawberry Letter 22 in the chorus instead of the title because Strawberry Letter 23 is his reply. Strawberry Letter 23 is featured in two Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction (1994) and Jackie Brown (1997). John Travolta Pulp Fiction (1994) My favorite song off of this album has to be Sweet Thang. It has sort of a grittiness sound to it. The guitar riff in the chorus punches you directly in the gut. This song can take over you if you let it. Sweet Thang has an addictive bounce with instrumentation that has your ear discovering a fresh element every time you listen to the song. Few songs created in the 70s can really resonate with my generation but this one STICKS. Inspiration Information/Wings Of Love Next I would definitely take a listen to the double CD re-release of Inspiration Information/Wings of love. This is the project that solidifies his legendary status. Inspiration Information/Wings OF Love Album Cover (2013) Originally Inspiration Information was released in 1974 as Shuggies third studio album. Then re-released in 2001 and finally re-released again in 2013 along with Wings Of Love. Side B Wings of love is a collective of unreleased studio and live recordings created from 1975-2000. The original release of Inspiration Information in 1974 was the most significant project of Otis career. The reasoning behind that statement is because this was the first album Shuggie was able to create as an adult and was able to oversee the album himself. Due to this change Otis began the use of analog drum machines which were used by few other artists at the time. It gave the album a very new and fresh Electric sound. This brings me right back to Jay-Zs original point. VINTAGE 70S KORG RHYTHM KR-33 ANALOG DRUM MACHINE Inspiration Information was in no way a great commercial success in 1974 peaking at 56 on the US Ramp;B chart. Luaka Bop a worldwide music-orientated record label re-released the album in 2001. This release allowed the album to receive its 30 years overdue recognition. Songs such as Aht Uh Mi Head XL-30 and Pling were just glimpses into the future only took 30 years to finally realize it. Kind of reminds me of an 808s and Heartbreaks type of album growth. Even if the music isnt for you you can still appreciate the artistry and attention to detail that was put forth on the album. Why Do I Consider Him A Legend? Shuggie is an artist that is well known for his independence. Over his career he has had countless offers to work with different bands and artists. The Rolling Stones had asked him to come on tour as their lead guitarist Otis declined. He also declined the opportunity to work on an album with the great Quincy Jones whos career has expanded over 60 years with 80 grammy nominations. Quincy Jones receiving his 28th Grammy Award for Best Music Film 2019 My point is that Shuggie never sold his soul. He never changed what he wanted to do. Not for money not for recognition not for anything. He never compromised his art thats true love and passion. Otis was able to create new sounds while continuing to stem from his roots in an era where you didnt see or hear anything like that BY HIMSELF. You dont have to be a Jazz or Ramp;B expert to be able to appreciate his music and identify his impact on the genre and artists to come. Conclusion. Shuggie Otis career is not a typical path artists travel while attempting to become a legend but in my eyes its the one that took him there. Otis music will live on forever and continue to be an inspiration and influence on future genres and artists to come. Jay-Z said that being an artist you have to have a certain knowing or belief in what you do. Shuggie Otis is 100 the definition of that and in my opinion is enough to solidify his greatness. I hope you enjoyed reading my post about Shuggie Otis and I hope that Ive put you on to something new and exciting! If you did check out Otis discography let me know what you think in the comments! Check for more content from the Bois at boisandbartalk.com Love Kev Clark HD The post Shuggie Otis The Unknown Living Legend appeared first on Bois amp; Bar Talk.