Quiet extraordinary cover of a McCartney song . . . . . if you were going to choose one song which would it be? If you're Screaming Jay Hawkins the answer is obviously 'Monkberry Moon Delight' Obvious really! . . . . ?
From the brilliant . . .
Screamin’ Jay Hawkins :: Monkberry Moon Delight
I recently wrapped up reading Mark Binelli’s 2016 tome Screamin’ Jay Hawkins All-Time Greatest Hits. Part novel, part historical account, the book offered Binelli a chance to explore the enigmatic singer, and the excellent author dug far deeper than his trademark 1956 hit “I Put a Spell on You.” Over his many decades, Hawkins excelled at crafting a myth from his own life, employing theatrical absurdity and over the top humor to achieve transgressive power. He was exceptionally good at spotting macabre brilliance — on 1979’s Screamin’ the Blues, he applied his one of a kind touch to Paul and Linda McCartney’s 1971 jam “Monkberry Moon Delight,” from Ram, one our favorite records of all-time at Aquarium Drunkard HQ. His take — like his persona and outlandish career — was truly original. words / j woodbury