Jerry Lee's Greatest

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Jerry Lee's Greatest
Jerry-Lee-Lewis SUN-SLP1265.jpg
Studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis
Released 1961
Genre Rock and roll, rockabilly, country
Length14:48 (Side A)
13:39 (Side B)
28:27 (Total) [1]
Label Sun
Producer Sam Phillips
Jerry Lee Lewis chronology
Jerry Lee Lewis
(1958) Jerry Lee Lewis1958		Jerry Lee's Greatest
(1961)		 Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
(1964) Live at the Star Club, Hamburg1964

Jerry Lee's Greatest is the second studio album by the American rock and roll and rockabilly pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis released in 1961 on Sun Records (SLP 1265).

Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s from musical styles such as gospel, jump blues, jazz, boogie woogie, and rhythm and blues, along with country music. While elements of what was to become rock and roll can be heard in blues records from the 1920s and in country records of the 1930s, the genre did not acquire its name until 1954.

Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music, dating back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blues, leading to what is considered "classic" rock and roll. Some have also described it as a blend of bluegrass with rock and roll. The term "rockabilly" itself is a portmanteau of "rock" and "hillbilly", the latter a reference to the country music that contributed strongly to the style. Other important influences on rockabilly include western swing, boogie-woogie, jump blues, and electric blues.

Jerry Lee Lewis American singer-songwriter and pianist

Jerry Lee Lewis is an American singer-songwriter, musician, and pianist, often known by his nickname, The Killer. He has been described as "rock & roll's first great wild man."

Contents

Background

Although Lewis recorded with Sun Records from 1956 to 1963 - far longer than Elvis Presley or Johnny Cash - only two LPs were ever issued on Sun under Jerry Lee's name, the second being Jerry Lee's Greatest in 1962. Part of the reason for the lack of material was no doubt producer Sam Phillips's waning enthusiasm in the wake of Lewis's scandalous marriage to his 13-year-old cousin Myra, which erupted on a tour of Britain in 1958, derailing the star's career. In his authorized 2014 biography Jerry Lee Lewis: His Own Story, Rick Bragg quotes Phillips as he explained his reasoning to Sun researcher Martin Hawkins: "I was always very cautious about putting out a lot of product on my artists just to ensure a certain amount of income...You only have to look at some of the crap they put out on Elvis Presley, just because he was in a picture show or something...When Jerry Lee took a beating from the press it would have been stupid to try and cram product down people's throats. Believe me, just before that happened, Jerry was the hottest thing in America." Jerry Lee's Greatest includes mostly later cuts from Lewis's run at Sun, with AllMusic's Cub Koda suggesting that, "While tracks like "Let's Talk About Us," "What'd I Say," and "As Long as I Live" have their own charm, this set simply isn't the place to start a Jerry Lee collection..." The album includes Lewis's biggest hit, "Great Balls of Fire," which had been left off of his debut LP.

Elvis Presley American singer and actor

Elvis Aaron Presley was an American singer and actor. Regarded as one of the most significant cultural icons of the 20th century, he is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King".

Johnny Cash American singer-songwriter and actor

Johnny Cash was an American singer-songwriter, guitarist, actor, and author. He is one of the best-selling music artists of all time, having sold more than 90 million records worldwide. Although primarily remembered as a country music icon, his genre-spanning songs and sound embraced rock and roll, rockabilly, blues, folk, and gospel. This crossover appeal won Cash the rare honor of being inducted into the Country Music, Rock and Roll, and Gospel Music Halls of Fame.

Sam Phillips American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ

Samuel Cornelius Phillips was an American record producer who played an important role in the development of rock and roll during the 1950s. He was the founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennessee, where he produced recordings by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Howlin' Wolf. He launched Presley's career in 1954. Phillips sold Sun in 1969 to Shelby Singleton.

Track listing

Side A

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Money"
2:30
2."As Long As I Live" Dorsey Burnette 2:25
3."Hillbilly Fever"George Vaughn2:05†
4."Frankie and Johnny"(Traditional)2:30
5."Home" Roger Miller 1:58
6."Hello, Hello Baby"(Traditional)3:20
Total length:14:48

Side B

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Let's Talk About Us" Otis Blackwell 2:05
8."What'd I Say" Ray Charles 2:25
9."Break Up" Charlie Rich 2:36
10."Great Balls of Fire"
1:50
11."Cold, Cold Heart" Hank Williams 3:02
12."Hello Josephine"
1:41
Total length:13:39

† Mislabeled as "Country Music is Here to Stay" (Ferlin Husky) on the original LP.

"Country Music is Here to Stay" is the first single by singer Ferlin Husky with Capitol Records under the pseudonym Simon Crum. The song peaked at No. 2 on Billboard Hot Country Songs chart for three weeks.

Ferlin Husky American country music singer

Ferlin Eugene Husky was an early American country music singer who was equally adept at the genres of traditional honky-tonk, ballads, spoken recitations, and rockabilly pop tunes. He had two dozen top-20 hits in the Billboard country charts between 1953 and 1975; his versatility and matinee-idol looks propelled a seven-decade entertainment career.

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References

  1. ↑ Jerry Lee's Greatest! at Allmusic
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