ESSENTIAL JERRY LEE LEWIS SONGS:
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:
'I DON'T HURT ANYMORE' & 'IF I EVER NEEDED YOU I NEED YOU NOW'(1954)
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Even on his very first recordings,Jerry Lee was an unbeatable artist.
With a vocal style with the control,ability & class of Frank Sinatra &
piano style of never ending inspiration,Lewis sings these 2 hits of the
day in a bluesy,soulful style that is thoroughly satisfying.
'CRAZY ARMS'(1956)
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Jerry Lee's first ever Sun performance & it fully shows his ability as
a blues-influenced country singer.This song dates back to 1949 & was a
big hit for Ray Price also in 1956.
'END OF THE ROAD'(1956)
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Jerry Lee's first ever composition - a fine ragtime-blues-boogie that
remains a big favorite with many Jerry Lee fans.One of Jerry Lee's
first cuts at Sun & sure proof that Jerry Lee's a great songwriter when
he wants.
'YOU'RE THE ONLY STAR IN MY BLUE HEAVEN'(1956)
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Like 'Crazy arms',Jerry Lee takes a country ballad (this time a Gene
Autry hit) & adds a blues & boogie touch to create a stunning performance.
'BORN TO LOSE'(1956)
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This time,Jerry Lee does a pure country performance - this sort of style
would help him make a comeback in 1968.
'SILVER THREADS AMONG THE GOLD'(1956)
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Another country song from Jerry's youth,sung with a solid blues feel.
'I'M THROWING RICE'(1956)
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Eddy Arnold was one of the first to cross over from the country market
to the pop market with a country song.Jerry Lee turns in a pure country
version of this early Arnold song in 1956.
'I LOVE YOU SO MUCH IT HURTS'(1956)
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An old Floyd Tillman hit,that showed Tillman's Bing Crosby influences.
Jerry Lee feels right at home on this type of Western swing standard.
'DEEP ELEM BLUES'(1956)
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Written in the 1930s,Jerry Lee turns in 2 excellent versions of this old
blues & hillbilly standard.Jerry Lee's interpretations of this are among
the best recordings that he ever made.Truly amazing - the energy of boogie
& the intenseness of the blues combined with the earthiness of country.
'GOODNIGHT IRENE'(1956)
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Originally a blues hit for Leadbelly,this has since become a country
standard.Jerry Lee probably grew up listening to many versions of this:
Moon Mullican,Ernest Tubb & many others had versions out in the '40s & '50s.
'HONEY HUSH'(1956)
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Big Joe Turner was one of the few older generation bluesmen to have hits
in the rock 'n' roll era.Jerry Lee turns in a powerful version of this
Turner blues at Sun in 1956 & would do so again many times in the future.
'CRAWDAD SONG'(1956)
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Straight out of the Mississippi Delta or the Louisiana Swamps came this
blues.Jerry Lee could have learned this from Big Joe Turner again.It was
also done by Big Bill Broonzy & many others.
'DIXIE' & 'MARINE'S HYMN'(1956)
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Jerry Lee could also turn in excellent instrumentals of old standard in
a blues boogie fashion.These 2 are among the earliest he did on Sun.
'THAT LUCKY OLD SUN'(1956)
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You can see from even his first few years recording that Jerry Lee can
tackle any type of song.Already,he has done country,blues,Swing,boogie
& R&B & now he turns in an excellent version of this old spiritual.
'HAND ME DOWN MY WALKING CANE'(1956)
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A traditional gospel & blues standard (that has also been derived as
'Look at the yonder wall'),Jerry Lee tears through it at a ferocious
pace & adding to verses to suit 1956 better.
'LEWIS BOOGIE'(1956)
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This is one of many songs that define Jerry Lee (written by,for & about
Jerry Lee) & is in the great tradition of boogie blues.
'I LOVE YOU BECAUSE'(1957)
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Most will be familiar with this as a Jim Reeves hit in the early '60s.
Jerry Lee's version predates it & Jerry Lee either acquired it from its
writer Leon Payne or Ernest Tubb,who both had it out in the late '40s.
'I CAN'T HELP IT' & 'COLD COLD HEART'(1957)
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Jerry Lee has always loved the music of Hank Williams & these are 2
early examples of his excellent Hank interpretations.Both are pure
country in style.
'SHAME ON YOU'(1957)
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A Western Swing standard written by Spade Cooley & also done by Bob Wills,
Jerry Lee turns in a fine bluesy version of it on Sun in 1957.
'I'LL KEEP ON LOVING YOU'(1957)
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Another version of an old country-swing standard,this shows Jerry Lee's
great knowledge of the songs of his times.
'YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE'(1957)
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Written by Jimmie Davis & recorded by both him & Gene Autry,this was a
song destined for various markets.Jerry Lee's Sun versions retain its
country roots,but his 1970 & Palomino Club versions are blues drenched
as were both Ray Charles' & Gene Vincent's versions.
'TOMORROW NIGHT'(1957)
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An old Lonnie Johnson blues ballad from 1948,this shows Jerry Lee's blues
singing at its greatest.The song was also revived by LaVern Baker in the
'50s.
'60 MINUTE MAN'(1957)
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Another excellent version of an R&B hit - this time Billy Ward & the
Dominoes '60 minute man'.Jerry Lee's version is bluesier & more macho
than the original & is of course far superior.
'I DON'T LOVE NOBODY'(1957)
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A nice version of a traditional song with jazz,blues & Western Swing
stylistics.
'WHOLE LOTTA SHAKIN' GOIN' ON'(1957)
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Jerry Lee's first big international hit & one of 2 songs forever to be
associated.The record is the perfect rock 'n' roll song (an old rewrite
of a blues standard sung & played with the ferocity of boogie & the soul
of the blues.It was acceptable as a Western Swing,R&B,Boogie,Blues & Rock
& Roll record alike & hit big everywhere).
'IT'LL BE ME'(1957)
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The B-side to 'Shakin' is this blues (written for Jerry by Jack Clement).
Another piece of really exciting music.
'OLE PAL OF YESTERDAY'(1957)
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Lewis' great ability to sing old style country was really in view while
he was on Sun,especially in 1956 & 1957.This is another superb example.
'YOU WIN AGAIN'(1957)
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The U.S B-side of 'Great balls of fire' was 'You win again',a standout
Hank Williams song that may well be Jerry's greatest ever country
performance.He recorded it slow & fast at Sun & would turn to it time &
time again in the future.
'LOVE LETTERS IN THE SAND'(1957)
--------------------------------
Pat Boone scored a huge hit with this around the same time as Jerry Lee
cut this.However,both versions are entirely different & are sure proof
of how the same song can be interpreted differently.Jerry's country
version is quite simply excellent & definitive,compared to Boone's pop
soaked hit version.
'LITTLE GREEN VALLEY'(1957)
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This is another example to oldtime country music at its best.Jerry Lee
has always kept an oldtime feel in his country music even on new songs
written for him in the '60s.
'PUMPIN' PIANO ROCK'(1957)
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Like 'Lewis boogie',this is a blues based piano rocker that has Jerry Lee
Lewis written all over it.Excellent songs,written by the Killer himself.
'ALL NIGHT LONG'(1957)
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This R&B type song represents the formation of the Lewis rock 'n' roll
style & was a stepping stone to hits like 'Great balls of fire','Breathless'
& 'Highschool confidential' later.
'OLD TIME RELIGION'(1957)
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Like many bluesmen before him,Jerry Lee could sing raunch & then do a
religious performance directly afterwards.The beat of 'All night long'
& 'Old time Religion' have a lot in common & this kind of gospel material
is very like rock apart from the lyrics.
'WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHIN' IN'(1957)
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Ditto with the last song.Another old gospel standard done by many older
bluesmen including Sleepy John Estes.It has also become a jazz standard
after Louis Armstrong recorded it.It was also a hit for Bill Haley.
'CAROLINA SUNSHINE GIRL'(1957)
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An old Jimmie Rodgers standard & what a performance.Is this country or
blues?Actually in Jerry's it's both as he lets his vocals & piano switch
effortlessly from blues to country & back again.
'LONG GONE LONESOME BLUES'(1957)
--------------------------------
Hank Williams was also one damn good bluesman & this song is sure proof.
He wrote this as a follow-up to 'Lovesick blues' & it became a massive
hit.Jerry Lee's version is another excellent version,that opts for a
straight blues leaving out the yodels that were on Hank's original.
'DRINKIN' WINE SPODEE ODEE'(1957)
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It was a shame that this excellent performance wasn't released at the time.
An old Stick Mc Ghee blues hit from 1949,it was covered by many people
from Western Swing,Rockabilly & Blues fields of music.This could easily
have been another 'Whole lotta shakin' had it been released in 1957 or
1958.The wildnes Lewis injects into this blues was enough to satisfy any
rock 'n' roll,R&B, or Western Swing market.Jerry's 1973 version was a top
20 country hit.
'SINGING THE BLUES'(1957)
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Marty Robbins' 1956 hit - a standout country-blues track.Jerry Lee turns in an
excellent version a year later.As on 'Long gone lonesome blues',Jerry
leaves out the yodels that were on the original.The 1973 Jerry Lee version of
'Singin' the blues' includes the yodelling on 'Cry over you'.
'ROCKIN' WITH RED'(1957)
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Blues pianist Willie Perryman (better known as Piano Red & later Dr.
Feelgood) had a big R&B hit with this boogie in 1950.This is truly Jerry
Lee's type of song & is the sort of material that he loved when he was
growing up.
'MATCHBOX BLUES'(1957)
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One of the oldest blues around.Blind Lemon Jefferson originally cut it
in the 1920s.Carl Perkins cut it at Sun in 1956 with Lewis on piano.
Jerry Lee was thus aware of Perkins' version but also knew it from Haney's
Big House.The Killer does 2 great versions on Sun:One based on Perkins'
rockabilly version,the other on black blues.Also cut live by Jerry at the
'Star Club' in Hamburg in 1964.
'UBANGI STOMP'(1957)
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Another excellent rocker from the Killer & an ode to the origins of rock
'n' roll & boogie woogie in Africa.
'ROCK 'N' ROLL RUBY(1957)
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Written by Johnny Cash,a great country artist who always had a feel for
the blues.This bluesy rockabilly-type song suits Jerry Lee very much &
demonstrates some tough blues vocals & piano.
'SO LONG I'M GONE'(1957)
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Written by Roy Orbison long before his 'Pretty woman' & 'Only the lonely'
days.This is an excellent song that allows Jerry Lee to use his bluesy
vocal style to full advantage.
'OOBY DOOBY'(1957)
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Roy Orbison actually started out as a pure rockabilly artist & had a
local hit with this blues.Apparently,Orbison always had a preference for
ballads but Sam Phillips told him to 'rock'.Again,this is a song that is
right up Jerry Lee's street & Jerry Lee indeed cut 2 powerful versions
on Sun.
'I FORGOT TO REMEMBER TO FORGET'(1957)
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This is one of the very few occasions that Jerry Lee has covered an Elvis
Presley original.Written by Stan Kessler & Charlie Feathers,Elvis probably
had it originally,as the b-side to his 'Mystery train'.This sort of pure
country song suited Jerry Lee far more than it did Presley & thus Jerry
Lee turns in the definitive version,with nice boogie piano backing it.
'I'M FEELING SORRY'(1957)
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An uptempo country number in the style of Slim Whitman's 'China Doll',
written by Jack Clement.Jerry Lee recorded many excellent versions of
it in 1957.
'MEAN WOMAN BLUES'(1957)
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An old blues idea dating back to the 1940s,which Jerry Lee turns into
a great 'Whole lotta shakin'-like blues boogie.It was the b-side for
'Great balls of fire' in the U.K & was a big concert favorite with the
Killer in the '60s & '70s.It received cover versions by Roy Orbison &
Carl Perkins.
'TURN AROUND'(1957)
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Carl Perkins' first ever record was this self-written country ballad.It
was released on Sun over 2 years before Lewis cut it & is sure proof of
the influence of Hank Williams on both artists,as both are comfortable
doing this sort of country.
'WHY SHOULD I CRY OVER YOU'(1957)
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Frank Sinatra recorded this Swing song in his early years & Jerry Lee
turns in an excellent version of it at Sun in 1957.
'GREAT BALLS OF FIRE'(1957)
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Mention the name JERRY LEE LEWIS & it will evoke images of this song -
one that topped all charts & sold millions back in 1957 & 1958.Jerry Lee
sings & plays it in a wild boogie style & creates a style never heard
elsewhere in rock 'n' roll.
'DOWN THE LINE'(1958)
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A Roy Orbison composition that is further evidence of the kind of bluesy
material that Orbison started out with.Jerry Lee cut many excellent versions
on Sun & also later in his career.The Sun master was the b-side of his
big hit 'Breathless'.
'I'M SORRY I'M NOT SORRY'(1958)
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Another great country performance.This song was also done by Carl Perkins
at Sun in the '50s.
'COOL COOL WAYS'(1958)
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This is one of 3 derivatives of the Hank Ballard R&B hit 'Sexy ways'
that Jerry Lee cut.This version called it 'Cool Cool ways' & the style
was a Delta blues boogie & was designed as a follow-up to 'Whole lotta
shakin'.
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