IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW, Johnny Otis/Moonbeams, (Capitol #3802) 1957

IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW, Johnny Otis/Moonbeams, (Capitol #3802) 1957 Flipside: STAR OF LOVE – Here is another really great cover song from my music collection. Johnny Otis (born Ioannis Alexandres Veliotes December 28, 1921) As a singer/performer, orchestra leader, music composer and producer, Johnny Otis was one of the early pioneers in R & B/Rock & Roll music. His astounding career started as early as 1945 when he founded his own band and had a string of jazz and blues hits of his own and went on to an amazing life. Many of his great accomplishments, not the least having been an artist and repertory man for King Records, was discovering Jackie Wilson, Hank Ballard, and Little Willie John.............and many more. 1947: He discovered Little Esther at a Los Angeles talent show and in 1949 he produced 2 records for her on Federal Records. Early 1950's: began a radio show on KFOX in L.A. 1952: Otis produced, co-wrote, and was asked to play drums on the original recording of "HOUND DOG" written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller with vocals by Big Mama Thornton, which later became a smash hit for Elvis Presley. 1952: He wrote “EVERY BEAT OF MY HEART” which was first recorded by his group The Royals (Federal #12064) who were later known as The Midnighters. It became the debut single and big hit for Gladys Knight & The Pips in 1961 on (VEEJAY #386) reaching #6 nationally on Billboard and charting 20 weeks. 1954: He discovered a precocious 16-year-old Jamesetta Hawkins (Etta James) who was singing in a female vocal group The Peaches. He started her career by taking them to Los Angeles' Modern Records to record “ROLL WITH ME HENRY”, an answer song to “WORK WITH ME ANNIE” by The Royals (Hank Ballard), a smash hit Otis produced for Federal Records. By the time “ROLL WITH ME HENRY” was released in 1955 the song was renamed “THE WALLFLOWER (DANCE WITH ME HENRY)” and was a big hit reaching #1 on the R & B charts. The song was a later monster hit as “DANCE WITH ME HENRY” for Georgia Gibbs and was featured in the 1985 movie "Back to the Future" in the diner scene. 1954: Otis produced and played the vibraphone on Johnny Ace's “PLEDGING MY LOVE” (Duke #136) which reached #17 on the Billboard charts charting for 9 weeks in 1955. 1955: He produced “SO FINE” with singers Harold Lewis, Mel Williams, Eugene Church, and the legendary Jesse Belvin (Otis named them "The Sheiks") for (Federal #12237) which became a monster hit for The Fiestas in 1959 on (Old Town #1062). 1955: He founded DIG Records (originally beginning as ULTRA Records) in L.A. He signed notable doo wop groups Arthur Lee Maye & the Crowns (Maye later had an MLB career as an outfielder for the Braves, Colt 45s, Indians, Senators, and White Sox); The Tears, a mixed male & female group; Tony Allen, The Gladiators, The Premiers and Little Julian Herrera. 1956: He produced The Jayos who were Richard Berry, Mel Williams, Arthur Lee Maye & Jesse Belvin. 1955 to 1962 He had a weekly television show, "The Johnny Otis Show," which ran 7 years om on which he promoted the artists he produced. April 1958: He recorded his best known recording “WILLIE & THE HAND JIVE” (Capitol #3966) which went on to be a hit in the summer of 1958, peaking at #9 on Billboard, and became Otis' only Top 10 single. 1960: He formed his second label ELDO Records. It's best seller, “IMAGE OF A GIRL” by The Safaris (ELDO #101) charted on Billboard for 18 weeks in August 1960 and reached #6. 1994: He was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a nonperformer for his work as a songwriter and producer. He died at 90 years old on January 17, 2012, just three days before Etta James died. “IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW” was written in 1948 by Deborah Chessler and recorded first the same year by Sonny Till & The Orioles (Natural #5000) and (Jubilee #5000). The song has been covered by many artists, Ella Fitzgerald, Pat Boone, The Flamingos, Etta James and Linda Ronstadt, just too many more to list! Enjoy this really great cover version of “IT’S TOO SOON TO KNOW” by The Johnny Otis Show (Orchestra) and The Moonbeans with Jeannie Sterlina singing lead!

Added 13 May 2026