The Biggest Thing Since Colossus
Otis Spann album with Fleetwood Mac members as backing band.
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Otis Spann’s 1969 album *The Biggest Thing Since Colossus* features the American blues pianist and vocalist backed by members of Fleetwood Mac. The collaboration grew out of a connection made during the *Blues Jam at Chess* sessions, when Spann and the British band developed a working rapport. For this album, Spann’s longtime associate S.P. Leary handled drums, so Fleetwood Mac’s Mick Fleetwood did not play. Guitarists Peter Green and Danny Kirwan, along with bassist John McVie, contributed to the recordings.
The track “Walkin’” was issued as a single in some countries, backed by a different version of “Temperature Is Rising (98.8°F)” than the one on the album. Another session track, “Blues for Hippies,” was left off the original release. In 2006, an expanded double-CD edition titled *Otis Spann, The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions* included all session tracks, plus the single “Bloody Murder” and both the single and album versions of “Temperature Is Rising.”
All songs were written by Spann except “No More Doggin’” (Rosco Gordon) and “Ain’t Nobody’s Business” (Jimmy Witherspoon). Personnel: Otis Spann (piano, vocals), Peter Green (guitar), Danny Kirwan (guitar), John McVie (bass), S.P. Leary (drums). Production credits: Mike Vernon (producer), Warren Slaten (engineer), Richard Vernon (coordination), Terence Ibbott (sleeve design and photography).
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Otis Spann
- Released
- 1969
- Recorded
- January 9, 1969
- Studio
- Tempo Sound Studio, New York City
- Genre
- Blues
- Length
- 40:04
- Label
- Blue Horizon
- Producer
- Mike Vernon
- Prev Title
- Cryin' Time
- Next Title
- Super Black Blues
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
Otis Spann, an American blues pianist and vocalist, recorded The Biggest Thing Since Colossus in 1969. The album features Spann's piano and vocals, with guitarists Peter Green and Danny Kirwan, bassist John McVie, and drummer S.P. Leary. Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood did not participate, as Spann's associate S.P. Leary played drums by prior agreement. The sessions also produced the non-album track "Blues for Hippies" and a single version of "Temperature Is Rising (98.8°F)" that differs from the album version.
Reader's Guide
The Biggest Thing Since Colossus stands as a cross-cultural collaboration between American blues and the British blues-rock scene. The album captures Spann's piano-driven style supported by Fleetwood Mac's guitarists and bassist, blending Chicago blues with the emerging British blues sound. Its expanded 2006 double-CD release, The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions, includes all session tracks plus the single "Bloody Murder" and both versions of "Temperature Is Rising." The album's significance lies in its documentation of a rare partnership between a veteran bluesman and a young British band, reflecting the transatlantic exchange that revitalized blues in the late 1960s.
Did You Know?
- Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood did not play on the album; S.P. Leary played drums instead.
- The single "Walkin'" had a B-side version of "Temperature Is Rising (98.8°F)" different from the album track.
- A track called "Blues for Hippies" was recorded during the sessions but not included on the original album.
- An expanded double-CD version was released in 2006 under the title Otis Spann, The Complete Blue Horizon Sessions.
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