Heard lots of big things about this guy, but also heard he's somewhat of a forgotten commodity. Kid phenom, played bass with Zappa as a kid, does all the instruments, etc.

Just how good is he? Who did he sound like? Is it worth picking up 'Inspiration Information?

Lemme know your thoughts

PunchDrunk said:

Interesting, we just had a thread on Shuggie and the album Inspiration Information a couple of days ago:

http://www.prince.org/msg/8/203432


But here's the basic story:

Shuggie Otis was a child phenom on the guitar, he started hitting the professional circuit at age 13, playing with his father, Blues/R&B bandleader Johnny Otis (they had to paint a fake moustache on him so that he'd look older), and by age 14, he had recorded with Frank Zappa on the Hot Rats album (on the tune, "Peaches en Regalia")

In 1969, at age 14, Shuggie began recording his first record with CBS, "Al Kooper Introduces Shuggie Otis". It was followed the next year with "Here Comes Shuggie Otis!" (Epic-BN 26511)... later that year, he was onstage backing such blues and r&b legends as Joe Turner, Roy Brown, Ivory Joe Hunter, Pee Wee Crayton, and Margie Evans. His third album, 1971's "Freedom Flight" contained the now-classic tune, "Strawberry Letter 23"...

around this time, the legendary keyboardist Billy Preston phoned Shuggie to say that The Rolling Stones wanted to ask him to join the band to fill the lead guitar spot vacated by the departing Mick Taylor. Shuggie declined.

"I had my own group. my own label deal," he says. "I just wanted to do what I want to do. I had my own identity."

Shuggie's fourth solo album, 1974's "Inspiration Information"(at age 19) was definitely the high water mark. It's a DIY Sly Stone-influenced project, with Shuggie having played every instrument except for the strings and horns. And he wrote all the arrangements for those. His father Johnny Otis , says, "I was listed on the album as executive producer, but I really didn't have anything to do. I remember at one point calling for strings and horns at Shuggie's request, but that was about it. He already had the arrangements down."
Unfortunately, Otis spent a great deal of time recording the album, which Epic was unhappy about, and when it failed to become a hit, the record label dropped his contract.

At the time, he says he assumed that it wouldn't be hard to sign with another label. But No one picked him up. Plagued by lingering health problems, Shuggie faded from the spotlight, emerging only for the occasional session gigs and live date's with his father's band.

Btw, the CD version of Inspiration Information also includes a number of tunes from his "Freedom Flight" album, including the original "Strawberry Letter 23"


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[Edited 9/28/06 14:08pm]

it is a nice album