Little Willie John was the first of the great soul singers, although he emerged and was active nearly a decade before the genre was even given a name. A diminutive, emotional dynamo, John could wrest the very heart and soul from the most mundane set of lyrics, making every word seem as if the fate of the world rested on it. When united with fine material like his signature song, "Fever," which he co-wrote (and is included here), John invariably delivered definitive versions. This collection covers recordings made between 1956 and 1966, and the first nine tracks are from his prime years with King Records, while the rest of the tracks sound like live recordings.