Titus Turner

Titus Turner's complete masters for the Jamie label (plus a few previously unreleased cuts) are collected on this single import CD. Compared to his bluesy R&B recordings for the OKeh label in the '50s, Turner's Jamie recordings are quite different, in more of a teen-oriented Bill Haley-rock'n'roll vein, including several novelties and twist numbers, as well as rocked-up versions of such standards as "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Day In Day Out." The approach works well on many tracks, including "Me and My Lonely Telephone" and "I Bet You Shut Your Big Mouth Now," and the excellent should-have-been-hit recording of "Beautiful Stranger." The title track was a minor hit for Turner, and the rest were either album tracks or non-hit singles, all of which were recorded in 1961. Although Sound Off is ultimately a collection of obscure recordings by an artist better known for his songwriting than his singing, there are several gems that will reward the inquisitive. ~ Greg Adams, All Music Guide