ESSENTIAL JERRY LEE LEWIS SONGS PART 2
ON THIS PAGE I'LL INCLUDE A LIST & DESCRIPTION OF SOME OF THE MOST
ESSENTIAL JERRY LEE PERFORMANCES TO ANY COLLECTION.SOME WILL BE
EASILY RECOGNISABLE HITS,OTHERS WILL BE JERRY LEE'S VERSIONS OF
WELL-ESTABLISHED STANDARDS (AND OF COURSE,THE DEFINIFIVE VERSIONS)
& OTHERS WILL BE THE RAREST OF PERFORMANCES:
'HIT THE ROAD JACK'(1963)
--------------------------
The very first thing that Jerry Lee did at Mercury was re-recordings of
his Sun hits.He also did this Ray Charles R&B hit at these sessions.Jerry
hoped that this would be as successful as the last Ray Charles hit he had
covered - 'What'd I say'.It wasn't,but it certainly deserved to be more
successful than it was.
'JUST BECAUSE'(1963)
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Jerry Lee turns in an excellent version of this old Hillbilly blues.His
source was probably the Shelton Brothers,who also did 'Deep Elem blues',
which the Killer cut a Sun.
'WEDDING BELLS'(1963)
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A very old country song originally done by Bill Carlisle.Jerry Lee
probably learned it from Hank Williams,who also covered it.This song
wasn't released until 1967 & on the blues-orientated 'Soul my way'
album of all places!!
'HE TOOK IT LIKE A MAN'(1963)
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This track also went unreleased until 1967s 'Soul my way'.It is a far more
typical track on that album - an excellent self-written uptempo blues with
a gospel theme.
'HALLELUJA I LOVE HER SO'(1964)
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Ray Charles wrote & recorded this jazzy piece of R&B in the '50s & had
a big R&B hit with it.Jerry Lee turns in an equally brilliant version
that could well have been a hit,too.
'YOU WENT BACK ON YOUR WORD'(1964)
-----------------------------------
Brook Benton R&B/Pop hit.Jerry Lee turns in an exceptional version of
it for the 'Return of rock' album.
'PEN & PAPER'(1964)
---------------------
There are many who believe that Jerry Lee should have concentrated on
the country side of his music way earlier than he did.This performance
of a pure country original became a minor C&W hit,while other singles
with a blues,soul,rock or R&B theme (like 'I'm on fire','The hole he
said he'd dig for me','It's a hang-up baby') flopped.
'THE HOLE HE SAID HE'D DIG FOR ME'(1964)
-----------------------------------------
This bluesy number is one of the finest things that Jerry Lee ever recorded.
Why it was not a big hit is a mystery - this is an A1 performance with
both blues & country appeal.
'I'M ON FIRE'(1964)
--------------------
This was one of the finest pieces of rock 'n' roll ever made & if it had
been recorded in the 1950s,it would have been a bigger hit than it was
for Jerry Lee in 1964.
'SHE WAS MY BABY (HE WAS MY FRIEND)(1964)
--------------------------------------------
The song was designed as a pop-rocker for Jerry Lee - but Jerry Lee turns
it into an excellent soul-drenched blues.
'BREAD & BUTTER MAN'(1964)
---------------------------
The B-side of 'I'm on fire' was this excellent blues.At the height of
the so-called British invasion,many great records like this couldn't
even dent the charts.However,Jerry Lee's singles that he released in
this era were far superior to anything then on the charts.
'I BET YOU'RE GONNA LIKE IT'(1964)
-------------------------------------
A great,wild gutbucket blues.This is the sort of material that should
have been dominating the charts (but wasn't) in the '60s.
'JENNY JENNY','MEMPHIS','LONG TALL SALLY'(1964)
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Jerry Lee recorded the excellent 'Greatest Live Show on Earth' album in
Birmingham,Alabama in 1964.'Jenny Jenny' & 'Long tall Sally' are 2 manic
versions of Little Richard hits,while 'Memphis' is a boogified rendition
of Chuck Berry's classic.
'WHO WILL THE NEXT FOOL BE'(1964)
-----------------------------------
As well as rocking at this concert,the Killer cut fine slower numbers.
This version of Charlie Rich's composition is Jerry Lee's bluesy soul
style at its best.
'HI HEEL SNEAKERS'(1964)
--------------------------
At the same time as 'Greatest live show on Earth',Tommy Tucker had an
R&B hit with this.Jerry Lee does a powerful live rendition,showing us
his blues potential at its greatest.This remained a big favorite with
Jerry,who cut many excellent versions in the future as well.
'NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO'(1964)
-----------------------------------
Jerry Lee then turns in a powerful,blues-soaked live version of this
then-recent Chuck Berry classic,with fine barrelhouse piano.
'TOGETHER AGAIN'(1964)
-----------------------
Another then-recent hit,Jerry Lee turns in an excellent version of this
Buck Owens country classic live in concert.Other songs from the 'Greatest
live show' were Jerry's Sun hits & other rock classics he had previously
recorded.
'WHITE CHRISTMAS'(1964)
------------------------
Around this time,Jerry Lee cut a great version of this Christmas hit
for radio,doing it as both a fast & slow version,basing it on The
Drifters' version.
'GOT YOU ON MY MIND','MATHILDA'(1965)
---------------------------------------
'Got you on my mind' was a blues ballad that was an R&B hit for Big
John Greer.Jerry Lee turned in a powerful soulful version for his
'Return of rock' album.
'Mathilda' is an equally effective Lewis interpretation of a soulful
blues ballad.
'CORRINE,CORRINA'(1965)
------------------------
An old blues standard dating back to versions by people like Frankie
Jaxon,Blind Boy Fuller,Sleepy John Estes & the like in the '20s & '30s.
The song was a country hit for white blues-boogie-country singer/pianist
Merrill E. Moore in the early '50s.In 1956,Big Joe Turner had a big hit
with it for the R&B market.Jerry was probably most aware of the song
through Moore's & Turner's versions.
'SEXY WAYS'(1965)
------------------
This was the 3rd time Lewis visited this Hank Ballard hit.At Sun,he
called it 'Cool cool ways' & 'Carry on',but for the 'Return of rock'
version,he used the original (suggestive name).Also,this version was
more in line with Soul & R&B than the Delta Blues-orientated Sun
versions.Gene Vincent would cut this for his 2nd last album.
'FLIP,FLOP & FLY'(1965)
------------------------
A big R&B hit for Big Joe Turner.Jerry Lee always had a love for Big
Joe's music & could give Turner's music a new lease of life.This is one
of Lewis' finest Big Joe interpretations.
'DON'T LET GO'(1965)
---------------------
Written by Jesse Stone (who also wrote 'Flip,flop & fly' (under the
name Charles Calhoun)).R&B/Pop singer Roy Hamilton turned in a big R&B
hit version of this song in the '50s.Jerry Lee's 1965 version is
melodic R&B but a 1979 version for Elektra adopts a fullblown gutbucket
blues style.
'MAYBELLINE','ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN'(1965)
------------------------------------------
Definitive versions of 2 of Chuck Berry's finest compositions.
'JUST IN TIME'(1965)
---------------------
Not a version of the Swing standard but a fine original country song &
a signal for the style that would ignite Jerry's career in 1968.Smash/
Mercury left this unreleased at the time.
'I BELIEVE IN YOU','BABY HOLD ME CLOSE'(1965)
-----------------------------------------------
Jerry Lee was the finest Soul Singer around between 1964 & 1967.He was
more fiery than James Brown,more emotional than Ray Charles & more
dynamic than Jackie Wilson.These 2 performances are 2 of the finest
examples.
'I believe in you' echoed Ray Charles,while 'Baby hold me close' is
is a blues with similarities to 'Whole lotta shakin' in structure.
'HERMAN THE HERMIT'(1965)
---------------------------
A fine Chuck Berry-type R&B rocker.
'SKID ROW'(1965)
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Another excellent performance & like 'Just in time',one that remained
unreleased for years.In style,this is gospel orientated blues & it
echoes Bessie Smith's style.Written by Mae Axton.
'THIS MUST BE THE PLACE'(1965)
--------------------------------
Another great boogified rocker from the Killer.This was a part of a
single with "Rockin' pneumonia".
'ROCKIN' PNEUMONIA & THE BOOGIE WOOGIE FLU'(1965)
--------------------------------------------------
Jerry Lee turns in a definitive version of this New Orleans blues
standard.Others to have cut this include Professor Longhair,Huey
Smith (who had the hit & originated it) & James Booker.
'BIG BOSS MAN'(1965)
---------------------
Jerry Lee turned in 2 excellent versions of this blues,1 for 'Memphis
beat' in 1965 & the other for 'The Session' 8 years later.This stomping
boogie-influenced blues was a big R&B hit for harmonica player & singer
Jimmy Reed in the early '60s & it became something of an R&B standard
(also recorded (at Sun) by Frank Frost).The song became a country standard
too after Jerry Lee introduced it to that audience:Charlie Rich had a
hit with it & Marty Robbins recorded it live.
'TOO YOUNG'(1965)
------------------
Jerry Lee was right up there with Frank Sinatra or Bing Crosby as a
swing singer.This Jerry Lee version of an oldtime pop standard is one
of the many that prove so.
'DANNY BOY'(1965)
------------------
Then,for something entirely different - an excellent country version
of an Irish/Scottish standard.Lewis was one of many American singers
to sing this.Others to have done a version include Conway Twitty,
Jackie Wilson & Bing Crosby.
'CITY LIGHTS'(1965)
--------------------
Part of the "Country songs for city folks" album,this was one of the
purer country songs from the album & a song that Mickey Gilley would
turn into a major hit a few years later.
'FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY'(1965)
-----------------------------------
A tough gutbucket blues in the Lewis tradition,you could be forgiven
for thinking that this was 'an old R&B standard'.It was in fact
written by Willie Nelson in 1961 (Willie is often considered country,
but like Lewis,he was also a convincing blues singer & writer) & has
been everywhere since:Jerry Lee did it as a blues,Billy Walker did it
as country,Jimmy Elledge did a pop version & Willie Nelson himself did
a swing version for his 1994 "Healing hands of time" album.
'RING OF FIRE'(1965)
--------------------
Excellent version of Johnny Cash's most famous hit.
'BABY YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES'(1965)
------------------------------------
Linda Gail duets with Jerry Lee on this tough blues.
'GREEN GREEN GRASS OF HOME'(1965)
---------------------------------
Now,here's the track that basically made Jerry Lee relevent again.Not
only was it a precursor to the style that made Jerry a country legend
in 1968 with the similar "Another place another time",but it was
turned into a massive pop hit by one of the Killer's most successful
fans - Welsh soul singer Tom Jones.It has since become a standard,
recorded by everyone from Merle Haggard to Dean Martin to Frank Patterson.
'LET A SOLDIER DRINK'
---------------------
Excellent jam on a rocker intended for Jerry Lee's stage rock version
of Shakespeare's 'Othello'.
'LUST OF THE BLOOD'(1966)
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This has the same attributes as the above & is a great gutbucket
Muddy Waters-type blues.These 2 performances are now available on the
'Killer's private Stash' collection.
'STICKS & STONES'(1966)
-----------------------
Another excellent version a Ray Charles R&B hit.
'WHAT A HECK OF A MESS'(1966)
------------------------------
Excellent country composition by Jerry Lee.When he wanted to,Lewis
could write country music as good as anyone.This song is right up
there with anything Hank Williams or Don Gibson wrote - with a
creative mix of sadness & cocky humour.
'LINCOLN LIMOUSINE'(1966)
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A tribute song to president John F. Kennedy.
'ROCKIN' JERRY LEE'(1966)
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A great selfwritten blues boogie similar in style to Sun's "Lewis
boogie".
'MEMPHIS BEAT'(1966)
---------------------
A tough blues that visualises the picture of Memphis' Beale street in
your mind as you listen to it.It was also an album title.
'THE URGE'(1966)
-----------------
A tough suggestive blues title written by future country star Donnie
Fritts,who would write another song for Jerry Lee in 1975 called "My
life would make a damn good country song".
'WHENEVER YOU'RE READY'(1966)
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Jerry Lee turns in a great version of a rgatime-type rocker that
his friend Cecil Harrelson wrote for him.
'SHE THINKS I STILL CARE'(1966)
-------------------------------
Another great precursor to Jerry Lee's 1968 country style on a great
definitive version of a song most will recognise as a George Jones
hit.Also recorded by Marty Robbins.
'24 HOURS A DAY'(1966)
-----------------------
Written by rockabilly singer Bobby Lee Trammell & excellently
interpreted by Jerry Lee.
'BLUE SUEDE SHOES'(1966)
------------------------
Carl Perkins wrote & recorded this R&B/Country boogie fusion in 1955 &
soon found enormous success,crossing over from country to R&B & pop charts
& earning Sun records a huge asset.However,Perkins would never see this
sort of success again & had to rely on others reviving his songs (most
notably the Beatles).
Jerry Lee turns in an excellent wild live version at Panther Hall,Fort
Worth Texas in 1966.It was far better than Carl's & Elvis Presley's versions.
Lewis also cut it live in 1970 & did a studio version (rather belatedly)
in 1977.
'JUST DROPPED IN'(1967)
--------------------------
Mickey Newberry was one of the finest new writers in country music at
this time.This song is hardly country,but was a big hit for rising star
Kenny Rogers.However,Jerry Lee had the original & superior version of
this great soulful blues.From the album 'Soul my way'.
'IT'S A HANG-UP,BABY'(1967)
----------------------------
During his early Mercury years,Jerry Lee was a master of bluesy soul type
songs & this second song from 'Soul my way' is certainly one of his best
soulful blues recordings.
'HOLDING ON'(1967)
--------------------
Another from 'Soul my way',this is a very classy blues ballad that the
Killer gives a mighty interpretation of.
'HEY BABY'(1967)
-----------------
The wailing blues harmonica & Jerry Lee's gutbucket singing really contribute
greatly to this ragtime-blues from 'Soul my way'.
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