Born in Jackson, Mississippi, United States, Spann became known for his distinct piano style.
Born to Frank Houston Spann and Josephine Erby. One of five children - three boys and two girls. His father played piano, non professionally, while his mother had played guitar with Memphis Minnie.[citation needed] Spann began playing piano by age of eight, influenced by his local ivories stalwart, Friday Ford. At the age of 14, he was playing in bands around Jackson, finding more inspiration in the 78s of Big Maceo Merriweather, who took the young pianist under his wing once Spann migrated to Chicago in 1946. Other sources say that he moved to Chicago when his mother died in 1947 playing the Chicago club circuit and working as a plasterer. Spann gigged on his own, and with guitarist Morris Pejoe, working a regular spot at the Tic Toc Lounge before hooking up with Muddy Waters in 1952.
Although he recorded periodically as a solo artist, Spann was a full-time member of the Muddy Waters band from 1952 to 1968. In that period he also did session work with other Chess artists like Howlin' Wolf and Bo Diddley.
Spann's own Chess Records output was limited to a 1954 single, "It Must Have Been the Devil" / "Five Spot", which featured B.B. King and Jody Williams on guitars. He recorded a session with the guitarist Robert Lockwood, Jr. and vocalist St. Louis Jimmy in New York on August 23, 1960, which was issued on Otis Spann Is The Blues and Walking The Blues. A largely solo outing for Storyville Records in 1963 was recorded in Copenhagen. A set for UK Decca Records the following year found him in the company of Muddy Waters and Eric Clapton, and a 1964 album for Prestige followed where Spann shared vocal duties with bandmate James Cotton.
The Blues is Where It's At, Spann's 1966 album for ABC-Bluesway, sounded like a live recording. It was a recording studio date, enlivened by enthusiastic onlookers that applauded every song (Muddy Waters, guitarist Sammy Lawhorn, and George "Harmonica" Smith were among the support crew). A Bluesway encore, The Bottom of the Blues followed in 1967 and featured Spann's wife, Lucille Jenkins Spann (June 23, 1938 – August 2, 1994[5]), helping out on vocals.
In the late 1960s, he appeared on albums with Buddy Guy, Big Mama Thornton, Peter Green and Fleetwood Mac.
Several films of his playing are available on DVD, including the Newport Folk Festival (1960), while his singing is also featured on the American Folk Blues Festival (1963) and The Blues Masters (1966).
Following his death from liver cancer in Chicago in 1970, at the age of 40, he was interred in the Burr Oak Cemetery, Alsip, Illinois. Spann's grave laid unmarked for almost thirty years, until Steve Salter (president of the Killer Blues Headstone Project) wrote a letter to Blues Revue magazine to say "This piano great is lying in an unmarked grave. Let's do something about this deplorable situation". This lit a spark in the blues community on a world wide level. Blues enthusiasts from Alaska to Venezuela, from Surrey to England, and Singapore sent donations to purchase Spann a headstone. On June 6, 1999 the marker was unveiled during a private ceremony. The stone reads "Otis played the deepest blues we ever heard - He'll play forever in our hearts".
He was posthumously elected to the Blues Hall of Fame in 1980.
Love Love Love
Otis Spann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I said, ooh whee baby, you know I declare, you sure look fine
Well there's a girl like you a make many a man change his mind
I said, baby, when you walk you know you shake like a willow tree
I said, baby, when you walk woman you know you, shake like a willow tree
Why does a girl like you could love to make a fool of me
Let me love you baby, let me love you baby
Let me love you baby 'til your good love drive me crazy
Well now baby, when you walk you know you, shake like a willow tree
Yeah, baby, when you walk woman you know, you shake just like a willow tree
Babe a woman like you, ah would love to make a fool of me
Let me love you baby, let me love you baby
Let me wow baby, let me love you baby
Let me love you baby 'til your good love drive me crazy
The Otis Spann song "Love Love Love" is a blues track which shows Spann's admiration for a woman. He sings about her physical appearance and the way she moves, comparing her to a willow tree, which is known for its flowing and graceful movements. Despite her beauty, Spann seems to be wary of the woman's intentions, suggesting that women like her could potentially make a fool out of him. He asks for her love, hoping that it would drive him crazy with passion.
The lyrics are simple and straightforward, yet they convey Spann's emotions effectively. His deep admiration for the woman is evident in the way he repeats the phrase "let me love you baby" multiple times, suggesting his willingness to do anything to win her over. The lyrics also reflect a common theme in the blues genre, which is the juxtaposition of love and pain. While Spann longs for the woman's love, he is also aware that the intensity of his feelings could lead to heartbreak.
Overall, "Love Love Love" is a classic example of a blues love song. Spann's soulful vocals, combined with the bluesy piano and guitar, create a rich and emotive sound that captures the essence of the genre.
Line by Line Meaning
Well now, oh wee baby, you know I declare, you sure look fine
The singer compliments the listener's appearance
Well there's a girl like you a make many a man change his mind
The singer suggests that the listener has the ability to captivate and influence men
I said, baby, when you walk you know you shake like a willow tree
The singer uses a simile to describe the listener's graceful movements
Why does a girl like you could love to make a fool of me
The singer expresses confusion about why someone as captivating as the listener would want to deceive him
Let me love you baby, let me love you baby
The singer expresses a desire to be close to the listener
Let me love you baby 'til your good love drive me crazy
The singer wants to be with the listener until they become completely infatuated with each other
Babe a woman like you, ah would love to make a fool of me
The singer admits that he is vulnerable to the listener's charms and might be willing to sacrifice his pride for her love
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Willie Dixon
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael Lynch
on Bloody Murder
SHEETS AND PILLOWS TORN TO PIECES,BLOOD STAINS ON THE WALL