Does anyone hear listen to Shuggie Otis?

I just learned about him a few months ago when I watched the documentary "Electric Purgatory." So, I got his album "Inspiration Information." I am not sure if the album is a compilation or if it was an original release, but there are some great songs on it. Besides the obvious, which was mentioned in the documentary, I am shocked that I am just learning about this brotha.

Here's some stuff I found on youtube. I LOVE "Not Available" btw!

Yeah, I am. I'm one of the very few cats on here that I have seen that has written a few threads on here that were specifically about him. And I've mentioned him several times in posts. I first got hip to him when I was little because one of my all time favorite songs is "Strawberry Letter #23" by Brothers Johnson. One of my older cousins knew how much I loved that song so he told me about Shuggie Otis and that he was the one who originally recorded it. Before that, I had wondered who Shuggie was because I saw his name as songwriter of the song. So that's how I got hipped to Shuggie as an artist. I love his stuff.
[Edited 7/17/09 13:26pm]

blackguitaristz said:

Ok. Cool. I did a search of the forum and didn't see any threads or results, so I figured I'd post something. I have been listening to him a lot lately. I don't know much about him besides his father was a blues musician, he was a teenager when his first album came out and he basically disappeared. I'll have to Google him and find out more, if I can.

I really dig a lot of his instrumentals, but unfortunately the general listening public does not have an appetite for instrumentals. That might be one of the reasons his isn't as well known or highly regarded in the mainstream. It's a shame regardless.

I love Strawberry Letter 23 as well, so when I saw it on his album, I was like wow, I didn't know that song was that old. Then, I read that he composed it and I was really like wow!
[Edited 7/17/09 13:30pm]

bellanoche said:

Well, I don't know why it didn't show. Because anybody who has been a regular in this forum for the past 3 or 4 years could easily tell you that they have definately seen my Z Cult threads and posts about Shuggie. One dealt with him being underrated as an artist and also as a multi-instrumentalist. I mentioned how he was never "celebrated" as Stevie, Todd Rundgren, Prince when it came to being a multi-instrumentalist. And how obviously Shuggie had influenced Prince as an artist. Especially in the early 80's. Another thread was me asking which version of Strawberry Letter 23 did everyone favor. Shuggie's or Bros Johnson. That's two that I know I did that I can remember just off of the top of my skull.
[Edited 7/17/09 13:38pm]

You kidding?

Thats one of my top 5 albums EVER!!!

Shuggie is the EPITOME of a one-man-band. He played everything in Inspiration Information except the strings/horn sections,,,,and even they were arranged and orchestrated by him.

Unfortunately alot of critics at the time of the album release slammed him as a "Sly Stone" understudy when he was ALOT different than him(even if he was influenced by him).

The album doesn't sound like it came back '74 to me, it sounds like it came out LAST WEEK,,,,in fact, the stuff that came out last week sounds more dated than it.
[Edited 7/17/09 13:38pm]

Love the Shuggie.

These replies are informative. Thanks! I know I'm really digging him. I get excited when I'm introduced to "new" old music, especially when it's good and from talented artists.

blackguitaristz said:

I did another search and I see some threads about Shuggie. I will read through those. I don't know why they didn't come up before. I was logged in when I searched. I probably missed your original posts because I am not a regular on the Org much anymore. I have my hot spots, then I'm dormant for stretches.
[Edited 7/17/09 14:23pm]

Inspiration Information is the only album of his that I've heard, and it is good, I haven't listened to it in a while, so I may have to throw it on soon. But the original SL23, has almost a 'mystic' quality about it that I love, and the title track is sweet. So in a nutshell, yes, I'm a Shuggie Otis fan.

Yes. I picked up "Inspiration" back in 2001 when it was re-released on CD and haven't stopped listening to it since. Shuggie could have been big but he wasn't promoted correctly and his label (which I think was Epic..the same as Sly) lost faith in him.

They basically said it took too long for him to make the follow up record to "Inspiration" and by that time he was fed up with the music business. I kind of comapare that record to Sly's "Riot" record. Sly's record was more dark and bluesy where Shuggie's record is more melodic, bright and kinda sensual. He even admitted "Riot" kind of influenced him to do his own thing. It's a great headphone CD.

I have a old Guitar World interview with him that I'll have to dig up and post. It's from 1983 and he talks about making that record and the business and the guitars he used. I'm almost sure P listened to him back in the day.


There was a rumour that he was going to put out a new CD back in 2006 but there's been no word since. There's a cool clip of him on You Tube somewhere jamming on the guitar from the 90's.

Man Shuggie is no joke. Hid dad Johnny Oits had a hit single with the "Oogum Boogum Song" that song drove me nuts Shuggie's original version of Strawberry letter 23 is beautiful.

Yes! He's definately an early version of prince!!!!!

....

Inspiration Information is a great album. - And he played bass on Zappa's "Peaches En Regalia"!

A friend burned me a copy of Inspiration Information a month or so ago and I love it. It's hard to believe he was just a kid when he recorded that record AND that he did it before the whole one man band thing was really popular.

lotusflw3r said:

Freedom Flight is my favorite. Prince sounds like Shuggie during the guitar solo on this track.

SenseOfDoubt said:

Wow! I didn't know that. I love Frank Zappa. That's the great thing about music, talent knows talent, and when it unites . . . magic!