Mae West: Otis Redding

MAE  WEST sang Otis Redding's "Hard To Handle" in a 1970 motion picture.
• • Otis Redding  [9 September 1941 — 10 December 1967] • •
• • Born in Dawson, Georgia on Tuesday, 9 September 1941, Otis Redding was a soul singer-songwriter, record producer, arranger, and talent scout. He is considered one of the major figures in soul music and rhythm and blues as well as pop music.  After appearing at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, he wrote and recorded "Sittin' on the Dock of the Bay," which became the first posthumous number-one record on both the Billboard Hot 100 and R&B charts after his death in a plane crash.
• • By 1967 the band had taken to traveling to concerts on Otis Redding's Beechcraft H18.  En route to the group's next stop in Madison, Wisconsin, surrounded by fog and heavy rain, the aircraft crashed into a lake.  Redding was 26.
• • "Hard to Handle" • •
• • "Hard to Handle" is a song originally recorded by soul singer Otis Redding and written by Otis Redding, Al Bell, and Allen Jones. This track was released posthumously after Redding's sudden death on the LP "The Immortal Otis Redding," a tribute album.
• • Many artists have covered it including The Black Crowes, Stefan Roland, Tom Jones, DJ Andy Smith, Rustix, Band from TV, and The Grateful Dead — — and it was performed onscreen by Mae West in the film "Myra Breckinridge" [released: 24 June 1970].
• • DeForest Covan [9 September 1917 —  8 September 2007] • •
• • Versatile vaudevillian DeForest Covan, who appeared as a dancer in "Every Day's a Holiday" [1937] with Mae West, was born in Chicago in the month of September — — on Sunday, 9 September 1917.
• • The nephew of vaudeville dancer Willie Covan, DeForest honed his dancing and singing skills on the black variety circuit before breaking into Hollywood motion pictures in 1936 as a bit part player and a heckuva hoofer. Fans may recall that DeForest Covan had a continuing role on the TV series "That's My Mama"; he portrayed Josh for 22 episodes, 1974 — 1975. Additionally, he was in the cast of 50 films and seen onscreen until 1994.
• • DeForest Covan died in Los Angeles, California also during the month of September — — on 8 September 2007. He was 90.
• • On Sunday, 9 September 1934 • •
• • "Me and My Past" was reprinted in Delaware Star on Sunday, 9 September 1934.  Among other matters, Mae West discusses ("How Her Famous Gait Was Born with Ed Wynn and Frank Tinney") the development of her slow, studied, slouchy strut while appearing on Broadway in "Sometime" with Ed Wynn, a comedian who moved very quickly across the stage.
• • On Friday, 9 September 1927 in Variety • •
• • Variety was not impressed with Mae West's harmonica playing in "The Wicked Age."  They were not amused by "Satisfied" nor the other songs she thought up like "My Baby's Kisses."  But the most startling element was her racy, tummy-tossing physicality.  Variety reprimanded her in their review: "Miss West is getting away at $3.85 with something the [burlesque] wheels don't dare at $1.65." [Variety's issue dated for 9 September 1927.]
• • In Her Own Words • • 
• • Mae West said: "It just does me good to begin the day that way [with Mass].  My manager's a Catholic."
• • Mae West said: ”I'm here to make talkies. I hope the film can take the temperature."
• • Quote, Unquote • •
• • An article about Joe Breen's letters mentioned Mae West.
• • Joseph Breen wrote: "Just so long as we have Mae West on our hands with the particular kind of story which she goes in for, we are going to have trouble. Difficulty is inherent in a Mae West picture." ...
• • Source: Office memo from Joseph Breen, head of the Hays Code Administration Office, 1930s

• • By the Numbers • •
• • The Mae West Blog was started eight years ago in July 2004. You are reading the 2421st blog post. Unlike many blogs, which draw upon reprinted content from a newspaper or a magazine and/ or summaries, links, or photos, the mainstay of this blog is its fresh material focused on the life and career of Mae West, herself an American original.

 

• • Come up and see Mae every day online: http://MaeWest.blogspot.com/
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• • Photo: • • Mae West • • 1937 • •
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