this version is awesome! but get over the fact there are other versions, most ARE sexier. Half of the classic jazz and soul out there were discarded half-known jams until someone gave it something special. So, enjoy the first cut but don't bitch someone else did a snazzier version because most of the time it's what brings you back to the original.
funny ive never heard the original as vinyl - and here it is online - ind an epic quality
theres no substitue for this original - just the way he does is - can not be overdone.. and ive heard almost every single version there is of this great song.. and now im hearing it again and again.. :)
James Brown always credited Little Willie John as the very epitome of soul music -- and James didn't dispense praise lightly. Little Willie is one of the great, too-often unheralded masters of soul.
I came here because my dad, a huge Peggy Lee fan, hadn't heard Little Willie John's fantastic original. Shocking! He's of the Bennett, Sinatra, Cole generation, so I wanted him to hear how good LWJ is. What do I find? The same old 'everyone was better than Elvis' drivel. Give me a break. Someone even claiming Elvis had a 'whiny' voice! I'd put Elvis' best 200 tracks, all kinds of music, against anyone else's, anyday. True, classical is my music of choice. But I do know a what a good voice is.
@rykyboy1 No. He died of a heart attack at age 30 while serving a sentence in Washington State Prison for manslaughter. He's in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ...
@musicisanalog LWJ did die in prison, but at 30 of a heart attack, so far too young for it to be the result of alcohol abuse. Your liver doesn't go down that quick.
I hope the 2 gents who wrote this make bank on royalties because this song's been covered countless times and still gets covered now. This is great, clearly.
LWJ is the only one who sings this song like it's ABOUT someone other than himself. Everyone else tarts it up and sings it like THEY'RE the sexy one. Note to singers: this song is not about you. It's about the other person. LWJ sounds like he's practically begging for this girl and that's how it should be, IMO. Most people sing this one like they're looking in the frickin' mirror. LWJ's version is the best and always will be until someone learns to sing without their ego front and center.
@GeneBurnett Wow you nailed it right on the head. I know exactly what you are talking about. I've seen many people singing this song just as you said - tarting it up like the song was all about them. I never heard the original vesrion by Little Willie John until today. What an amazing voice. Peace.
@GeneBurnett while I do agree with you, I sing myself & LOVE to sing this song but I don't tart it up, just add a little sultry to it (I don't do sexy it's unconvincing - Im cute at best )
@GeneBurnett - totally agree. Have you seen the new Little Willie John bio, "Fever." by Susan Whitall (Detroit News, ex-Creem magazine). Just published by Titan Books. Check it out: product.half.ebay.com/Fever-The-Authorized-Biography-by-Kevin-John-and-Susan-Whitall-2011-Hardcover-Kevin-John-Susan-Whitall-Hardcover-2011/99525023&item=342179425125&tg=videtails
@virtualrabbi Thanks for the tip. Several people have mentioned this book to me. I'm sure I'll read it before too long. I read a quote recently, maybe even from this book, where someone famous, I forgot who said, "Peggy Lee was an advertisement for sex. Little Willie John was the thing itself."
Wow, my first Youtube comment! Normally I would remain lurking in the shadows, but because you're very true in what you say, I know you'll gracefully accept a minor correction in that there are beauties who do this number like you say it needs to be done. *cough cough* so without further ado I give to you, for your pleasure ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. * Buddy Guy! * /applause :) -----> '' LP-THIS IS BUDDY GUY 1.YOU GIVE ME-FEVER.mpg '' Simply copy that if it pleases you.
I have to add too! This is my favourite version and no other compares in the slightest way. I just know Buddy's Fever, and I promise you'll love Buddy's live performance of this song! Don't be feckin foolish my fellow earthlings, make sure you take yourself a listen should you pass this way. Stay cool and let it roll brothers and sisters.
For fuck sake!!! For the '' record '' ( I know, shoot me, it'll make you feel good! Bang Bang! ugh... I'm shot! ) When I said '' This is my favourite version...'' I was talking about Little Willie John, and not Buddy Guy. I'm really just talking to myself here, so take no notice lol :)
@PyschedelicSunKing I agree, Buddy does do it justice and he's clearly singing it to someone other than himself which is how it's sposed to be sung, IMO. I've seen him live and he is quite the showman. Off the hook really. ;~) This track reminds me a bit of Screamin' Jay Hawkins...Thanks for sharing. ;~)
Aww how nice to hear from you so soon! Screamin' Jay Hawkins! What're you trying to do to me, I feel Constipation Blues coming on! Ohhhh owwwww ohhhh LET IT GOOO LET IT GOOOOO! :)
i find that annoying, that i can listen to this song on youtube, but i cannot download it, youtube would rather have me download some mainstream peice of shit music that isnt even worth listening to, FUUUUUU COPYRIGHTS P:
thumbs up if you listened to beyonce cover of fever then looked at the comments that said who the people sai actually sang it then went to michael buble, then elvis, then here
KING, CHESS AND THE VEE-JAY LABELS, HAD THE BEST, RAW SOUNDING r&b singers. Little willie john, used to get drunk and pour lighter fluid on street people, and set them on fire. That's right out of a famours blues book. He died in prison ....liver was gone...
i'm so in love with this song!! especially when Peggy Lee sings it ! OMG!! i always thought it was her song til my great grandma said this guy sings it...this sounds good too! =)
i think i actually prefer this version to all the other ones, i think songs from the 50s have more class than the other songs out there now and im 18. i wish i could get this on cd, it would be awsome.
@xoxhaylezxox damn, I tottally agree with you. 19 by the way. But it isn't easy to find people of your own generation liking music from the 50's. No sir, it isn't.
. . .@mickey - Go watch Chuck Berry's 'Hail Hail Rock & Roll' and you'll see/hear Little Richard telling everybody how much he hated Pat Boone's versions of his song - 'til the royalty checks came flooding in ! Then Chuck Berry went on and gave no credit to his own piano player, J. Johnson, for helping him write those hits.
This song is truly a gigantic hit of the past. Listened to this song in the fifties and still love it. I get fevers when I listen to Little Willie John. The best.
This is just one of many songs that were written and/or performed by black artists in the 50s and stolen by white performers. Peggy Lee recorded this song with lyrics that were "acceptable" to whites. These records weren't even played on white stations on the radio. Pat Boone also stole many of these songs and paid no royalties.
@mickeynoune Would you like me to list the endless amount of black artists who recorded WHITE songs and had big hits with them over the last 80 years, racist jackoff? I guess they STOLE them all, eh? Moron.
Not to mention this version of "Fever" couldn't hold Elvis' jockstrap. Elvis and his 100 times superior voice to this guy gave this song everything it really needed, and what this guy was obviously incapable of giving.
@TubeGunner How on earth is Elvis' voice superior? Clearly you're neither a musician nor a singer. Little Willie John is HOT. Oh, and I can sure tell you're an Anglo Saxon male with a BIG envy of Black dick.
@TubeGunner OMG I was right. I just looked at your page and how much you hate Obama. Just can't stand Blacks. White men KNOW how inferior they are. Small dicks, with 5 minutes endurance. White women prefer Black men. They can sing, and man, can they do it right. All night long.
@TubeGunner You can't compare the two. If a black person remakes a ''white'' song they always give the person props i.e Puffy and the police. But when a white person does a ''black'' song you guys act like you made it i.e Fever, Hound Dogg, etc. By the way Elvis is overrated! Good looking white man who ripped off ''nigger'' music.
@liacashmere58 "Hound Dog" was written by two white men, then first recorded by Big Mama Thornton. Countless white -written tunes have been covered by blacks over the years, primarily in the jazz genre.
@DeportAnchorBabies excuse me are you saying Elvis has a whiny voice?! Whether you're black or white you must recognise the magnificent voice of Elvis.
Ooops, I meant "Bless MY soul." Mmmmm, "All of Me" was written in 1931, so he referred to it, but didn't write it. Unless you meant he's the original writer of "Fever." Oh yeah. I didn't know that, now I do, and I am happier for it. I am learning it HIS way on piano today! Boom, boom, boom ba boom ba boom...
Yeah I meant he was the Original artist, in that, he recorded "Fever" first. 1956, Everyone else came after (Peggy Lee, Elvis, etc.) Two other gentlemen wrote it I believe.
Yeah that's their names!! and I knew about the other three songs!! If we just do our research, we'd find out that a whole lotta what we "thought" really isn't at all!!
I liked hearing this one, but the Elvis Presley version is still my favorite. Elvis almost growled his way through the song, in a very sexy style. I can see why millions of women were nuts about him.
Despite the fact that Otis Blackwell, a black man born in Brooklyn, died in Nashville, Tennessee, Elvis never met the man.
They released Elvis version of Fever in 1960 after William Edward John A.K.A. Little Willie John (1956), Ray Peterson (1957), Peggy Lee (1958), and Frankie Avalon (1959).
Almost eighty other versions have followed. New ones show up yearly. Although artists try to own the song, they still imitate Johns style cause its the best.
wow I love how the way he sings the words, how he stresses on first syllable ... no doubt this version still captivates many generations. Just incredible
I've never understood why some folks feel the need to denigrate one artist when trying to boost appreciation for another.
Personally, I prefer listening to Little Willie John, but I have no problem with those who like Peggy Lee (and I'm 99% sure she appreciated his version of Fever too).
Yes, Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell wrote the song and LWJ didn't want to record it at first - he thought the finger snappin to be corny, LOL. It was a number one hit in the R&B charts for him however and this, his original version, is so much more heartfelt than any other version I have heard, IMHO.
Hank Ballard & Midnighters are great, without question. Like LWJ they were from Detroit, and they recorded for the same company (King/Federal). However, as a pure SINGER, Little Willie John is in another league (his only contemporaries I'd rate on par were Jackie Wilson and Clyde McPhatter -- the kind of singers who could raise goosebumps on a toad!)
I also think which version one prefers depends on one's musical taste....Peggy Lee did an excellent job making this a smoldering pop song, but I am so glad LWJ is getting some long overdue(sadly postumous)recognition for this song.
@cdbpdx Well, yeah, but, an even stronger test has to with viability--is it still alive? All music passes the gauntlet of time and worth; as appears, "FEVER" has passed the test, . . . and, will be with us for any view of the future, . . .
Yeah, I know that - but it is being played back at slightly too many rpm thus it's obviously a little faster. This is raising the tonal pitch of the performance. On this vid the pitch is about an eighth of a tone lower than the key of B. The natural key for Little Willie John for this song would be A#. Every other playback of this original record that I've heard has it in A#.
You mean enharmonic as in a note of the same pitch but designated differently, right? (as in A# being the same note as a Bb). Is there a way of writing the flat symbol on the computer, I wonder, BTW?
Yeah, I know. I was just frustrated with folks who come on YouTube talking like they're musicians, and it's just nonsense. Same person who was talking "eighth tones." My, that's some big ears you have, grandma! :-D
κάποτε η μουσική είχε ποιότητα ρε... αυτά ειναι! παλιά, γνύσια και αξέχαστα!
stellaP96 2 weeks ago
this version is awesome! but get over the fact there are other versions, most ARE sexier. Half of the classic jazz and soul out there were discarded half-known jams until someone gave it something special. So, enjoy the first cut but don't bitch someone else did a snazzier version because most of the time it's what brings you back to the original.
sandoval7 3 weeks ago
@sandoval7 shut up dummy! don't knock the original
Limekiln71 3 weeks ago
this originla version - cant be done better.. nuff said.
crazycutz 3 weeks ago
funny ive never heard the original as vinyl - and here it is online - ind an epic quality
theres no substitue for this original - just the way he does is - can not be overdone.. and ive heard almost every single version there is of this great song.. and now im hearing it again and again.. :)
crazycutz 3 weeks ago
James Brown always credited Little Willie John as the very epitome of soul music -- and James didn't dispense praise lightly. Little Willie is one of the great, too-often unheralded masters of soul.
jazzmanchgo 1 month ago
A new book is out about him. He and Jackie Wilson were rivals. I can understand why. He had great range. Great comment GeneBurnett.
TheIbivi 1 month ago
The old King 78 is as incredible as Little Willie John both Fever and Sleep are each better than the other.Two of the all time Great R&b Classics!
miketheshanmanmangan 1 month ago
classic
hongkongtennis 1 month ago
My grandmother dated him back in the day. Oh the stories I hear
chasezgal 2 months ago 5
Happy Birthday, Mr. John! (11/15/11) Thank you for posting this; I've never heard of LW, and stumbled upon this page. Very awesome, indeed.
karmadhyana 2 months ago
thank you!
HarleyDutch 2 months ago
Definitely the best version of this song...!! Originals always rock. :)
AparraPinkDays 2 months ago 3
OMG! This is the best version of this song ever! Thank You for posting.
scientist1882 2 months ago 2
none of the numerous covers do justice to the original (first time i heard this original version!)
ufewl 4 months ago
I came here because my dad, a huge Peggy Lee fan, hadn't heard Little Willie John's fantastic original. Shocking! He's of the Bennett, Sinatra, Cole generation, so I wanted him to hear how good LWJ is. What do I find? The same old 'everyone was better than Elvis' drivel. Give me a break. Someone even claiming Elvis had a 'whiny' voice! I'd put Elvis' best 200 tracks, all kinds of music, against anyone else's, anyday. True, classical is my music of choice. But I do know a what a good voice is.
hardyfh1 4 months ago
He does this great!
Nickie0016 4 months ago
Died too young playing Russian Roullette!
rykyboy1 4 months ago
@rykyboy1 No. He died of a heart attack at age 30 while serving a sentence in Washington State Prison for manslaughter. He's in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame ...
Heatshield 3 months ago
Eu estava nascendo...Maravilha!
CHSPCONSULTOR 4 months ago
The Killer Inside Me (2010 film)
KOBEBRYANT8AND24 5 months ago
@musicisanalog LWJ did die in prison, but at 30 of a heart attack, so far too young for it to be the result of alcohol abuse. Your liver doesn't go down that quick.
PathosDistanz 5 months ago
I hope the 2 gents who wrote this make bank on royalties because this song's been covered countless times and still gets covered now. This is great, clearly.
nesnejls 5 months ago
Nothing is better than the original. I love the way he put soul into it wooo
I
Caligeriangrl 5 months ago
BIG BIG TUNE!!
originalkikisound 5 months ago
Little Willie John was an original! Check out the NEW LWJ book "FEVER" go to Amazon.com and read the excellent reviews!
kjohn0258 5 months ago
No one has ever covered this song quite like peggy lee but Tommy James came very close.
smkwaterjack 6 months ago
FEEEVEEERRrr!!!!! HEYHyyy...........MY JAM (doing the twist)
frankneeno 6 months ago
Nice to hear the original
TheCoverHeaven 6 months ago
could somebody upload a hiqh quality version of this? i want to hear the bass :(
Nieles1989 6 months ago
I was only eight years old when this came out...my Mom played it all the time...I loved it even then....
sister1165 6 months ago
Little Willie John toured with the Paul Williams Band for a year.
PaulHucklebuckWms 6 months ago
the first and the best version of the song
egambrellis 7 months ago
@egambrellis Totally AGREE!!!!!!
DetroitLives313 7 months ago
I LOVE LOVE LOVE this ORIGINAL version!
kellazon 7 months ago
Great song, I should definitely try to cover this. Thanks for the advice!
dianaandadam 7 months ago
/watch/?v=vbDDWFwYmwk&feature=channel_video_title
dlalla 7 months ago
This is it!!!
samlamamma 7 months ago
LWJ is the only one who sings this song like it's ABOUT someone other than himself. Everyone else tarts it up and sings it like THEY'RE the sexy one. Note to singers: this song is not about you. It's about the other person. LWJ sounds like he's practically begging for this girl and that's how it should be, IMO. Most people sing this one like they're looking in the frickin' mirror. LWJ's version is the best and always will be until someone learns to sing without their ego front and center.
GeneBurnett 8 months ago 75
@GeneBurnett Wow you nailed it right on the head. I know exactly what you are talking about. I've seen many people singing this song just as you said - tarting it up like the song was all about them. I never heard the original vesrion by Little Willie John until today. What an amazing voice. Peace.
makingsense53 7 months ago
@GeneBurnett Good Point!
ericdclark1 6 months ago
@GeneBurnett, Well said Gene. I had never thought about it that way, I"ve just watched five people singing Fever and I see what you mean.
AzucaNegra16 5 months ago
@GeneBurnett while I do agree with you, I sing myself & LOVE to sing this song but I don't tart it up, just add a little sultry to it (I don't do sexy it's unconvincing - Im cute at best )
RachelleBella 4 months ago
@GeneBurnett - totally agree. Have you seen the new Little Willie John bio, "Fever." by Susan Whitall (Detroit News, ex-Creem magazine). Just published by Titan Books. Check it out: product.half.ebay.com/Fever-The-Authorized-Biography-by-Kevin-John-and-Susan-Whitall-2011-Hardcover-Kevin-John-Susan-Whitall-Hardcover-2011/99525023&item=342179425125&tg=videtails
virtualrabbi 3 months ago
@virtualrabbi Thanks for the tip. Several people have mentioned this book to me. I'm sure I'll read it before too long. I read a quote recently, maybe even from this book, where someone famous, I forgot who said, "Peggy Lee was an advertisement for sex. Little Willie John was the thing itself."
GeneBurnett 3 months ago
@GeneBurnett
Wow, my first Youtube comment! Normally I would remain lurking in the shadows, but because you're very true in what you say, I know you'll gracefully accept a minor correction in that there are beauties who do this number like you say it needs to be done. *cough cough* so without further ado I give to you, for your pleasure ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls. * Buddy Guy! * /applause :) -----> '' LP-THIS IS BUDDY GUY 1.YOU GIVE ME-FEVER.mpg '' Simply copy that if it pleases you.
PyschedelicSunKing 3 months ago
I have to add too! This is my favourite version and no other compares in the slightest way. I just know Buddy's Fever, and I promise you'll love Buddy's live performance of this song! Don't be feckin foolish my fellow earthlings, make sure you take yourself a listen should you pass this way. Stay cool and let it roll brothers and sisters.
PyschedelicSunKing 3 months ago
For fuck sake!!! For the '' record '' ( I know, shoot me, it'll make you feel good! Bang Bang! ugh... I'm shot! ) When I said '' This is my favourite version...'' I was talking about Little Willie John, and not Buddy Guy. I'm really just talking to myself here, so take no notice lol :)
PyschedelicSunKing 3 months ago 2
@PyschedelicSunKing I agree, Buddy does do it justice and he's clearly singing it to someone other than himself which is how it's sposed to be sung, IMO. I've seen him live and he is quite the showman. Off the hook really. ;~) This track reminds me a bit of Screamin' Jay Hawkins...Thanks for sharing. ;~)
GeneBurnett 3 months ago
Comment removed
PyschedelicSunKing 3 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@GeneBurnett
Aww how nice to hear from you so soon! Screamin' Jay Hawkins! What're you trying to do to me, I feel Constipation Blues coming on! Ohhhh owwwww ohhhh LET IT GOOO LET IT GOOOOO! :)
PyschedelicSunKing 3 months ago
@PyschedelicSunKing SJH is the shit! No pun intended....
GeneBurnett 3 months ago
@GeneBurnett Thank you, very true.
lapislazuli7 1 month ago
i find that annoying, that i can listen to this song on youtube, but i cannot download it, youtube would rather have me download some mainstream peice of shit music that isnt even worth listening to, FUUUUUU COPYRIGHTS P:
numbifyify 8 months ago
@numbifyify You can download any video on here you want. Look up keepvid DOT c o m
Download any video you want and watch it offline.
PathosDistanz 5 months ago
Big song Little Wille John.
Omega1st 8 months ago
Peggy Lee was a fine singer, but Little Willie John OWNS this song!
MrJberkin 8 months ago 5
I'm loving his voice.♥
bubblegumprincess22 8 months ago
he is the best
luiss1020 8 months ago
He sure kicked beyonce's ass no homo but dats alot of kickin
Dezzey715 9 months ago 2
Comment removed
MeursEurydice 9 months ago
Fever: Little Willie John's Fast Life, Strange Death and the Birth of Soul: The Authorized Biography. Visit Amazon.com
kjohn0258 10 months ago
Der Original! :-)
romad17 10 months ago
A real music player!
joriszsz 10 months ago
I think Peggy Lee's version is sexier....but this one has a really nice groove...
THEmotownboy 11 months ago 2
Little Willie John was one of Peter Green's favorite singers. This original version is by far the best. )-(
doktorfeelgood 11 months ago
thumbs up if you listened to beyonce cover of fever then looked at the comments that said who the people sai actually sang it then went to michael buble, then elvis, then here
asialiyahh 11 months ago
all i can say is good good good
myhqmusicetnad 1 year ago 2
this is one underrated muthafunka
OBGillis 1 year ago 20
What a wonderful voice.
LauraSomeOtherNumber 1 year ago 3
Love this! thanks greatly, i thought peggy's was great but i love this.
rodneygoo 1 year ago 2
THIS IS AMAZING, LEAVE IT TO A WHITE GIRL TO TAKE ALL THE CREDIT BACK IN THE DAY!!!
holyherb 1 year ago
this one and peggy lee's version are the best onse by far
villalollipop7393 1 year ago
LITTLE WILLIE JOHN WAS A GREAT .....R&B SINGER
KING, CHESS AND THE VEE-JAY LABELS, HAD THE BEST, RAW SOUNDING r&b singers. Little willie john, used to get drunk and pour lighter fluid on street people, and set them on fire. That's right out of a famours blues book. He died in prison ....liver was gone...
musicisanalog 1 year ago 2
This, the original, makes Peggy Lee's rip-off look like the tepid, soulless @$%@&&&** that is it . . .
ThePadmore2 1 year ago
@ThePadmore2
Oh you bold fellow! You've dared to speak the truth!!
tenorlord 11 months ago
I love this!
KotersMom 1 year ago 2
I love this!
KotersMom 1 year ago
I just had to search out this original by Little Willie John from way back in 1956. I can remember the day.
richventures 1 year ago
I just had to search out this original by Little Willie John from way back in 1956 . . .
richventures 1 year ago
This is REAL r&b !!
cutiepiecr 1 year ago
I was 15 yrs. old when this song came out in 1956. Little willie John is still the only one that can sing it for me.Thanks for posting.
minniewheeler 1 year ago 3
@minniewheeler you should check out buddy guys version
TurtleRocker12 1 year ago
@TurtleRocker12
You're right. I checked out Buddy Guy, I enjoyed it but LWJ is still my favorite.
minniewheeler 1 year ago
great, thanks man...
lul7799 1 year ago
man i bet you every time this song played someone back in the day must have gotten laid XD, super sexy song man
shadowhacker190 1 year ago
Its good to see young people diggin music from the 50's and 60's-Like Bob Seeger said "todays Music aint got the same soul!"
RandyBluesmanHock 1 year ago
love this
PhantomChildren 1 year ago
I used to have the very same King 78. This really brings out the goosebumps!!!
eoj2495 1 year ago
im 18 and 50s music is whts up
bgchickind 1 year ago
I've had this rendition stuck in my head since I saw The Killer Inside Me with Casey Affleck a couple weeks. Amazing song.
AngelofMusic04 1 year ago
No offense people, but this the only version of Fever, in my opinion
MrRayDarren 1 year ago
@MrRayDarren AGREED!
eatherdrive 1 year ago
@eatherdrive - Gotta call it like I see it!!! Soul brothas and sistas unite!!!
MrRayDarren 1 year ago
i'm so in love with this song!! especially when Peggy Lee sings it ! OMG!! i always thought it was her song til my great grandma said this guy sings it...this sounds good too! =)
Diamondgrl2007 1 year ago
i think i actually prefer this version to all the other ones, i think songs from the 50s have more class than the other songs out there now and im 18. i wish i could get this on cd, it would be awsome.
thanks for putting this up
xoxhaylezxox 1 year ago 2
@xoxhaylezxox damn, I tottally agree with you. 19 by the way. But it isn't easy to find people of your own generation liking music from the 50's. No sir, it isn't.
inEzEsquilo 1 year ago
Best version ever ... amen. (Still have the 45 rpm!)
donhavlicek 1 year ago
This is the best version of this song I've ever heard! Proves originals are always the best. ;)
ashleyspencermusic 1 year ago
Love it!
Saintgermaine 1 year ago
. . .@mickey - Go watch Chuck Berry's 'Hail Hail Rock & Roll' and you'll see/hear Little Richard telling everybody how much he hated Pat Boone's versions of his song - 'til the royalty checks came flooding in ! Then Chuck Berry went on and gave no credit to his own piano player, J. Johnson, for helping him write those hits.
Rip offs know no color !
aammirr 1 year ago
@aammirr The only color it knows it's green...
sopaman1234 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@aammirr The only color they know is GREEN!!!
sopaman1234 1 year ago
Today is Little Willie John's Birthday! Swing on - up there, LWJ!!
rocktenniscat 1 year ago
This song is truly a gigantic hit of the past. Listened to this song in the fifties and still love it. I get fevers when I listen to Little Willie John. The best.
ILoveLugoff 1 year ago
This is just one of many songs that were written and/or performed by black artists in the 50s and stolen by white performers. Peggy Lee recorded this song with lyrics that were "acceptable" to whites. These records weren't even played on white stations on the radio. Pat Boone also stole many of these songs and paid no royalties.
mickeynoune 1 year ago
@mickeynoune Would you like me to list the endless amount of black artists who recorded WHITE songs and had big hits with them over the last 80 years, racist jackoff? I guess they STOLE them all, eh? Moron.
Not to mention this version of "Fever" couldn't hold Elvis' jockstrap. Elvis and his 100 times superior voice to this guy gave this song everything it really needed, and what this guy was obviously incapable of giving.
TubeGunner 1 year ago 3
@TubeGunner How on earth is Elvis' voice superior? Clearly you're neither a musician nor a singer. Little Willie John is HOT. Oh, and I can sure tell you're an Anglo Saxon male with a BIG envy of Black dick.
TreasureOne 1 year ago
@TubeGunner OMG I was right. I just looked at your page and how much you hate Obama. Just can't stand Blacks. White men KNOW how inferior they are. Small dicks, with 5 minutes endurance. White women prefer Black men. They can sing, and man, can they do it right. All night long.
TreasureOne 1 year ago
@TreasureOne LOL What a retard.
TubeGunner 1 year ago
@TubeGunner You can't compare the two. If a black person remakes a ''white'' song they always give the person props i.e Puffy and the police. But when a white person does a ''black'' song you guys act like you made it i.e Fever, Hound Dogg, etc. By the way Elvis is overrated! Good looking white man who ripped off ''nigger'' music.
liacashmere58 1 year ago
@liacashmere58 (YAWN)
TubeGunner 1 year ago
@TubeGunner Yawn? Really?
liacashmere58 1 year ago
@liacashmere58 "Hound Dog" was written by two white men, then first recorded by Big Mama Thornton. Countless white -written tunes have been covered by blacks over the years, primarily in the jazz genre.
Thelookoutslookout 1 year ago
@TubeGunner Elvis's hillbilly,whiny voice superior tot his?
hilarious
DeportAnchorBabies 1 year ago
@DeportAnchorBabies excuse me are you saying Elvis has a whiny voice?! Whether you're black or white you must recognise the magnificent voice of Elvis.
rijste94 1 year ago
@TubeGunner I have to disagree with you. Elvis may be your preference because of taste, but IMO I think that this version is better.
nighttrane1 11 months ago 3
Thanks for posting my favorite version of this song!
tavo808 1 year ago
I betcha there's a white man somewhere at this minute spending Little Willie's royalties... so sad
LadyTai7 1 year ago
I love his voice!!!
InuyashaPrincess14 1 year ago
Thanks! I'd never heard the "Bless soul" verse before. I love his little allusion to "All of Me."
TreasureOne 1 year ago
He's the Original!!
Cuchino51 1 year ago
Ooops, I meant "Bless MY soul." Mmmmm, "All of Me" was written in 1931, so he referred to it, but didn't write it. Unless you meant he's the original writer of "Fever." Oh yeah. I didn't know that, now I do, and I am happier for it. I am learning it HIS way on piano today! Boom, boom, boom ba boom ba boom...
TreasureOne 1 year ago
Yeah I meant he was the Original artist, in that, he recorded "Fever" first. 1956, Everyone else came after (Peggy Lee, Elvis, etc.) Two other gentlemen wrote it I believe.
Cuchino51 1 year ago
Otis Blackwell and Eddie Cooley. I just found out Mr. Blackwell also wrote "Great Balls of Fire," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Return to Sender."
TreasureOne 1 year ago
Yeah that's their names!! and I knew about the other three songs!! If we just do our research, we'd find out that a whole lotta what we "thought" really isn't at all!!
Cuchino51 1 year ago
Thanks Little Willie John!
Xone7 2 years ago 3
Brilliant song! The original is definitely among my favourite versions, which also include the Cramps' and Peggy Lee's
MmeLEnfer 2 years ago
ωραίο.
kots75 2 years ago 3
I liked hearing this one, but the Elvis Presley version is still my favorite. Elvis almost growled his way through the song, in a very sexy style. I can see why millions of women were nuts about him.
LemmeLieHere 2 years ago
WHITE women were nuts about Elvis, only because they weren't allowed to love Black men. He was a poor imitation, but it was all they could have.
TreasureOne 1 year ago
39,000 views!
MarshallGreen808 2 years ago
thats that shit
refferman1 2 years ago
Thanks so much for sharing the original song wich is wonderfull!
MoreLov 2 years ago 39
@MoreLov Thanks for the post as his cousin the family thanksyou for your kind thoughts and yes he was very under rated.
geniuskidd46 11 months ago 3
This has been flagged as spam show
i love this songgg (L)
vazkyta 2 years ago
54 Years old!
mkl8000 2 years ago 2
otis blackwell also wrote underthe name john davenport,wrote for elvis,but never got true respect and credit
tonyhism 2 years ago
You are right!
Despite the fact that Otis Blackwell, a black man born in Brooklyn, died in Nashville, Tennessee, Elvis never met the man.
They released Elvis version of Fever in 1960 after William Edward John A.K.A. Little Willie John (1956), Ray Peterson (1957), Peggy Lee (1958), and Frankie Avalon (1959).
Almost eighty other versions have followed. New ones show up yearly. Although artists try to own the song, they still imitate Johns style cause its the best.
DarkLordOTheSith 2 years ago 27
@DarkLordOTheSith
thank you so much. you answered my question fully, your evilness! so there is good in you after all...
angiebelle454 1 year ago
@DarkLordOTheSith Ray Charles also did a great duet of this song with Natalie Cole on the Genius Loves
Company CD full of Ray duets. I believe this came out the year before he died.
billchew450 7 months ago
@DarkLordOTheSith The Doors version. nuff said.
locolalo1364 5 months ago
wow I love how the way he sings the words, how he stresses on first syllable ... no doubt this version still captivates many generations. Just incredible
redgbla 2 years ago
Love it!
80Jellybean 2 years ago
Now thats a song!!
rohithkaushik 2 years ago
I've never understood why some folks feel the need to denigrate one artist when trying to boost appreciation for another.
Personally, I prefer listening to Little Willie John, but I have no problem with those who like Peggy Lee (and I'm 99% sure she appreciated his version of Fever too).
petercrowley41 2 years ago 3
Treasure!
BulgeHunts 2 years ago
Who wrote this song?,this is the first time I've heard this version,love it,gonna download it now.
RaymondinDublin 2 years ago
Little Willie John did, this is the original. Peggy Lee did a more famous cover in the late 50's.
echoplus2020 2 years ago
Yes, Eddie Cooley and Otis Blackwell wrote the song and LWJ didn't want to record it at first - he thought the finger snappin to be corny, LOL. It was a number one hit in the R&B charts for him however and this, his original version, is so much more heartfelt than any other version I have heard, IMHO.
saturnaspider 2 years ago
what does corny mean?
80Jellybean 2 years ago
Trite, uncool :)
saturnaspider 2 years ago
Trite, uncool :)
saturnaspider 2 years ago
cheesy...uh, a stupid idea, lame but no other words really describe it well
mmeri1993 2 years ago
John Davenport and Eddie Cooley wrote Fever
petercrowley41 2 years ago
John Davenport was a pseudonym for Otis Blackwell. It was written by him and Eddie Cooley.
Folks, go out and buy some Little Willie John recordings, one of THE greatest R&B singers of all-time!!!!!
CaptainGoodNote 2 years ago
Thanks for the correction, Captain.
While they're buying some Little Willie John recordings, they should also pick up some Hank Ballard and The Midnighters.
petercrowley41 2 years ago
Not a correction, just a clarification!
Hank Ballard & Midnighters are great, without question. Like LWJ they were from Detroit, and they recorded for the same company (King/Federal). However, as a pure SINGER, Little Willie John is in another league (his only contemporaries I'd rate on par were Jackie Wilson and Clyde McPhatter -- the kind of singers who could raise goosebumps on a toad!)
CaptainGoodNote 2 years ago
I agree with that!!
jzzlvrmee 2 years ago
you got that right, Little Willie was a giant, died very mysteriously in the Washington State Pen in 1968 he was only 30 years old.
bmwstan 2 years ago
From Wikipedia: James Brown recorded a tribute album Thinking About Little Willie John... And A Few Nice Things.
Buckeyecat2002 2 years ago
From Wikipedia:
Buckeyecat2002 2 years ago
The black mans version is better.
rotena25 2 years ago
Thanks for posting!
Do you have "Until You Do" by little willie john?
MiicanStudios 2 years ago
meravigliosoooo!
68shamoa 2 years ago
I also think which version one prefers depends on one's musical taste....Peggy Lee did an excellent job making this a smoldering pop song, but I am so glad LWJ is getting some long overdue(sadly postumous)recognition for this song.
jzzlvrmee 2 years ago 13
That's the test of a great song, when lots of folks can do it, each in their own style, and it's still really good. Cool!
cdbpdx 2 years ago 6
Cdbpdx, you absolutely NAILED it!! Thank you!!
jzzlvrmee 2 years ago
@cdbpdx Well, yeah, but, an even stronger test has to with viability--is it still alive? All music passes the gauntlet of time and worth; as appears, "FEVER" has passed the test, . . . and, will be with us for any view of the future, . . .
phillipgaley 1 year ago
I just listened to Elvis do this song....Not bad at all, but Peggy Lee did a better job on it....And LWJ had the best one of all, IMO....
jzzlvrmee 2 years ago
I think it's playing a tad fast here. The correct key for this performance is A#. This is closer to B.
saturnaspider 2 years ago
well this is the original, anything else is a modification of this. lol
marqujud 2 years ago
Yeah, I know that - but it is being played back at slightly too many rpm thus it's obviously a little faster. This is raising the tonal pitch of the performance. On this vid the pitch is about an eighth of a tone lower than the key of B. The natural key for Little Willie John for this song would be A#. Every other playback of this original record that I've heard has it in A#.
saturnaspider 2 years ago
Or enharmonically Bb....Easier for the saxophone....
jzzlvrmee 2 years ago
You mean enharmonic as in a note of the same pitch but designated differently, right? (as in A# being the same note as a Bb). Is there a way of writing the flat symbol on the computer, I wonder, BTW?
saturnaspider 2 years ago
Yes, that's right....I usually use "b" to indicate a flat(Lower case "B", obviously)....
jzzlvrmee 2 years ago
Dear, there is no key of A#. And one eighth of a tone would be no key at all in the Western tonal scale.
TreasureOne 1 year ago
A# exists. It's just usually called Bb.
hendrixisgod1019 1 year ago
Yeah, I know. I was just frustrated with folks who come on YouTube talking like they're musicians, and it's just nonsense. Same person who was talking "eighth tones." My, that's some big ears you have, grandma! :-D
TreasureOne 1 year ago