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.
monkey face blues
Otis Spann Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The woman that I'm lovin', she takes my appetite
She's the prettiest woman I ever seen in my sight
She's got a face just like a monkey, hair just like a Teddy Bear
She's got a face like a monkey, hair just like a Teddy Bear
You can tell by that, I know my woman anywhere
She's got pretty smooth skin, just like an elephant hide
And when you see her people, you know that I ain't lyin'
She's cute when she walks, she wobbles all over the street
She's cute when she walks, she wobbles all over the street
She's got little bird legs, a pair of them oversized feet
You can go right ahead, make all of your wise cracks
You can go right ahead, make all of your wise cracks
After all she's my woman, poor girl's got what I lack
In Otis Spann's "Monkey Face Blues," the singer is describing his lover, whom he adores despite her unconventional looks. With lines like "She's got a face just like a monkey, hair just like a Teddy Bear," and "She's got little bird legs, a pair of them oversized feet," it's clear that the woman isn't conventionally beautiful. However, the singer focuses on the things he loves about her, such as her smooth skin and cute walk.
Despite the somewhat humorous lyrics, the song is really a testament to the singer's deep love for this woman. He describes her in detail, showing how he notices all the unique features that make her who she is. The line "She takes my appetite" could be interpreted in a few different ways, such as his desire for her, or perhaps even that he's so consumed with thoughts of her that he forgets to eat.
Overall, "Monkey Face Blues" is a fun and quirky song with a deeper message about loving someone for who they are, regardless of what society deems as conventionally attractive.
Line by Line Meaning
The woman that I'm lovin', she takes my appetite
My love for this woman is so strong that she distracts me from even the basic need for food.
She's the prettiest woman I ever seen in my sight
Despite her flaws, my love for her still makes me see her as the most beautiful woman that exists.
She's got a face just like a monkey, hair just like a Teddy Bear
Her facial structure isn't what society considers attractive, and her hair resembles that of a stuffed animal.
You can tell by that, I know my woman anywhere
Her unique features make it easy for me to spot her anywhere.
She's got pretty smooth skin, just like an elephant hide
Her skin might not be perceived as desirable by others, but I find it attractive, like that of an elephant's hide.
And when you see her people, you know that I ain't lyin'
People might not believe me when I talk about her appearance, but when they see her, they'll understand why I find her beautiful.
She's cute when she walks, she wobbles all over the street
Her gait might not be considered conventional or 'sexy,' but I find it endearing and cute.
She's got little bird legs, a pair of them oversized feet
Her legs might be thin, like a bird's, but her feet are larger, giving her a unique physicality.
You can go right ahead, make all of your wise cracks
I'm aware that others might make fun of her appearance, and I'm willing to put up with that because of my love for her.
After all she's my woman, poor girl's got what I lack
Despite her unconventional appearance, she has qualities that I value and don't possess myself, making her an ideal partner for me.
Contributed by Carter E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Stefan Schleps
You are a legend! Thanks for sharing.
LSD saves. The Blues are God.