Otis Blackwell - They Called It Rock & Roll (2012)

Although his own records never cracked the Top 40, Otis Blackwell wrote million selling hits for the likes of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Dee Clark, Little Willie John and and other; and subsequently became one of the most influential songwriters in rock n' roll history with songs such as "Fever," "Great Balls of Fire," "Breathless," "Don't Be Cruel,", "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender," to name a few. Many believe that Elvis Presley, who was a big fan of Blackwell's, based his singing style on Blackwell. A good case in point is this rare collection of songs that Blackwell recorded in the early 1970s including earlier demos he recorded specifically for Presley and Fats Domino. Presented here are 20 great tracks including Blackwell's own versions of the big hits "Great Balls of Fire," "Don't Be Cruel" "All Shook Up" and "Return to Sender." All selections newly remastered.