The Very Best of Big Joe Turner

• Artist: Big Joe Turner
• Rating:
• Release Date: February 03, 1998
• Type: Compilation (best of)
• Genre: Rhythm & Blues

Review

After Rhino Records began their series of reissues of classic blues and R&B material from the Atlantic Records vaults, they did a snappy edit, shuffle, and augmentation of Atlantic's fine Big Joe Turner's Greatest Hits, and the result was the equally superb The Very Best of Big Joe Turner. The Very Best of Big Joe Turner features 12 of the tunes which appeared on the earlier album, while adding another four (mostly leaning toward the more rollicking side of Turner's musical personality, including the gloriously lascivious "TV Mama"). While Big Joe Turner's Greatest Hits covered a bit more ground, The Very Best of Big Joe Turner is even more consistent and offers one of the great pioneering shouters of hard-rockin' R&B at his wild and raving best. Sounding at once loose and thoroughly committed, this collection is a glorious summation of what Turner did best, and these 16 recordings are the soundtrack for a memorable after-hours party just waiting to happen. If you don't already have "Shake, Rattle and Roll," "Flip, Flop and Fly," or "Honey Hush" in your collection, than The Very Best of Big Joe Turner is one disc you need to add to your library posthaste, and the typically excellent remastering and packaging from Rhino only add to the value of this disc. ~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	Composers	Performers	Time
Chains of Love	Harry Van Walls, Ahmet Ertegun	Van "Piano Man" Walls, Big Joe Turner	(3:23)
Sweet Sixteen	Ahmet Ertegun	Van "Piano Man" Walls, Big Joe Turner	(2:58)
Honey Hush (Lyrics)	Big Joe Turner	Big Joe Turner	(2:44)
TV Mama	Big Joe Turner, Joe Turner	Big Joe Turner	(2:49)
Oke-She-Moke-She-Pop	Joe Turner, Big Joe Turner	Big Joe Turner	(3:05)
Shake, Rattle and Roll	Charles E. Calhoun	Big Joe Turner	(3:02)
Well All Right	Ahmet Ertegun, Chuck Calhoun, Charles E. Calhoun, Jerry Wexler, Rose Marie McCoy	Big Joe Turner	(2:30)
Flip Flop and Fly (Lyrics)	Joe Turner, Charles E. Calhoun, Chuck Calhoun	Big Joe Turner	(2:48)
Hide and Seek	Paul Winley, Ethel Byrd	Big Joe Turner	(2:44)
Midnight Cannonball	Big Joe Turner, Joe Turner	Big Joe Turner	(2:32)
The Chicken and the Hawk (Up, Up and Away)	Mike Stoller, Jerry Leiber	Big Joe Turner	(2:41)
Boogie Woogie Country Girl (Lyrics)	Reginald Ashby, Doc Pomus, Jerome Doc Pomus	Van "Piano Man" Walls, Harry Van Walls, Big Joe Turner	(2:59)
Corrine Corrina (Lyrics)	J. Mayo Williams, Bo Chatmon, Mitchell Parish	Big Joe Turner	(2:56)
You're Driving Me Crazy (What Did I Do?)	Walter Donaldson	Big Joe Turner	(4:15)
Midnight Special Train	Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler	Big Joe Turner	(2:41)
Tomorrow Night	Will Grosz, Sam Coslow	Big Joe Turner	(2:09)

Credits

Daniel Goldmark (Editorial Research), Bill Inglot (Producer), Dan Hersch (Remastering), Jerry Wexler (Producer), Steven Chean (Editorial Supervision), Nesuhi Ertegun (Producer), Billy Vera (Compilation Producer), Mike Stoller (Producer), Harry Van Walls (Performer), Billy Vera (Compilation), Alan Swyer (Author), Ahmet Ertegun (Producer), Billy Vera (Liner Notes), Thane Tierney (Project Assistant), Elizabeth Pavone (A&R), Ted Myers (A&R), Greg Allen (Design), Jennifer Mandel (Project Assistant), James Austin (Project Supervisor), Big Joe Turner (Producer), Jerry Leiber (Producer), Herb Abramson (Producer), Hugh Brown (Art Direction), Lori Carfora (Project Assistant)