Would You Take Another Chance on Me?

Last updated
Would You Take Another Chance on Me?
Would You Take Another Chance on Me.png
Studio album by
Released1971
Recorded Nashville, Tennessee
Genre Country
Length31:26
Label Mercury
Producer Jerry Kennedy
Jerry Lee Lewis chronology
Touching Home
(1971)
Would You Take Another Chance on Me?
(1971)
The Killer Rocks On
(1972)

Would You Take Another Chance on Me? is an album by Jerry Lee Lewis that was released on Mercury Records in 1971.

Contents

Recording

Lewis's fourth Mercury album of 1971 includes his radical arrangement of the Kris Kristofferson classic "Me and Bobby McGee". Although producer Jerry Kennedy avoided releasing singles in the country market that featured Jerry Lee's trademark "boogie woogie" piano style, by late 1971 Lewis had amassed so many country hits that Kennedy began to alter his approach. As Colin Escott writes in the liner notes to the 2006 retrospective A Half Century of Hits, "Since the country breakthrough in 1968, Lewis's records had been spare, unornamented and unremittingly slow-paced. After three years Kennedy decided to break out of the artistic straitjacket. When Lewis arrived at Mercury's studio in August 1971 he was greeted by a 10-piece string section rehearsing a Kris Kristofferson song. Kennedy wanted to give the big-budget treatment to 'Me and Bobby McGee'. The song had been a country hit for Roger Miller and a pop hit for Janis Joplin, and so if Lewis was to do it, he would have to rethink it. And that's what he did. In losing Kristofferson's whimsicality, he created a new song."[ citation needed ] In addition to Kristofferson, Merle Haggard had been another writer Lewis kept returning to during his impressive run, this time recording the honky-tonk "drinkin' song" "Swinging Doors".

Would You Take Another Chance on Me? does betray a "countrypolitan" influence, containing more elaborate productions that were becoming more common on country radio largely due to the influence of Billy Sherrill, who was enjoying tremendous success at Epic Records producing Lewis's old Sun label-mate Charlie Rich and Tammy Wynette by employing strings and layered background vocalists to create a Phil Spector-like "wall of sound".[ citation needed ] As Lewis's behaviour became more erratic as the decade wore on, Kennedy would do his best to keep his artist relevant in the country charts by turning more towards this sweetened sound.[ citation needed ]

Reception

The album's title track became Lewis's second number one country hit of 1971, and "Me and Bobby McGee" would crack the top 40 on the pop charts, the first time he had done so since 1961.[ citation needed ] The album itself peaked at number three on the Billboard country albums chart.[ citation needed ] AllMusic states that the collection "is slowed by layers of backing vocals, gauzy accouterments that turn this into an album approximating romance..."[ citation needed ]

Track listing

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Would You Take Another Chance On Me?"
  • Jerry Foster
  • Bill Rice
2:53
2."Another Hand Shakin' Goodbye"
2:37
3."Swinging Doors" Merle Haggard 2:51
4."Thirteen at the Table" Buddy Emmons 3:38
5."Big Blon' Baby"
  • Kenny Jacobson
  • Rhoda Roberts
2:05
6."Lonesome Fiddle Man"
  • Frazier
  • Shafer
2:33
7."Me and Bobby McGee"3:12
8."For the Good Times"Kristofferson3:45
9."Things That Matter Most to Me"
  • Thomas LaVerne
  • Bill Taylor
  • Don Pittman
3:13
10."The Hurtin' Part"
  • LaVerne
  • Taylor
2:27
11."The Goodbye of the Year"
2:12
Total length:31:26

Personnel

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Lee Lewis</span> American rock n roll musician (1935–2022)

Jerry Lee Lewis was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as "rock 'n' roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock 'n' roll and rockabilly music, Lewis made his first recordings in 1952 at Cosimo Matassa's J&M Studio in New Orleans, Louisiana, and early recordings in 1956 at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee. "Crazy Arms" sold 300,000 copies in the Southern United States, but it was his 1957 hit "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" that shot Lewis to worldwide fame. He followed this with the major hits "Great Balls of Fire", "Breathless", and "High School Confidential".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Me and Bobby McGee</span> Song by Kris Kristofferson and Fred Foster

"Me and Bobby McGee" is a song written by American singer-songwriter Kris Kristofferson and originally performed by Roger Miller. Kristofferson and Miller are distant cousins in the Chenoweth surname family tree. Fred Foster shares the writing credit, as Kristofferson wrote the song based on a suggestion from Foster. A posthumously released version by Janis Joplin topped the U.S. singles chart in 1971, making the song the second posthumously released No. 1 single in U.S. chart history after "(Sittin' On) The Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding. Gordon Lightfoot released a version that reached number 1 on the Canadian country charts in 1970. Jerry Lee Lewis released a version that was number 1 on the country charts in December 1971/January 1972 as the "B" side of "Would You Take Another Chance On Me." Billboard ranked Joplin's version as the No. 11 song for 1971.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Rich</span> American musician (1932–1995)

Charles Allan Rich was an American country singer. His eclectic style of music also blended influences from rockabilly, jazz, blues, soul, and gospel.

Country pop is a fusion genre of country music and pop music that was developed by members of the country genre out of a desire to reach a larger, mainstream audience. Country pop music blends genres like rock, pop, and country, continuing similar efforts that began in the late 1950s, known originally as the Nashville sound and later on as Countrypolitan. By the mid-1970s, many country artists were transitioning to the pop-country sound, which led to some records charting high on the mainstream top 40 and the Billboard country chart. In turn, many pop and easy listening artists crossed over to country charts during this time. After declining in popularity during the neotraditional movement of the 1980s, country pop had a comeback in the 1990s with a sound that drew more heavily on pop rock and adult contemporary. In the 2010s, country pop metamorphisized again with the addition of hip-hop beats and rap-style phrasing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chantilly Lace (song)</span> Song by Jerry Foster, Bill Rice, and The Big Bopper

"Chantilly Lace" is a 1958 rock and roll song by The Big Bopper. It was produced by Jerry Kennedy, and reached No. 6 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Bruce Channel covered the song on his 1962 album, Hey! Baby. The song was also covered by Jerry Lee Lewis in 1972.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Green, Green Grass of Home</span> 1965 country song by Curly Putman

"Green, Green Grass of Home", written by Claude "Curly" Putman Jr., and first recorded by singer Johnny Darrell in 1965, is a country song made popular by Porter Wagoner the same year, when it reached No. 4 on the Country chart. It was also recorded by Bobby Bare and by Jerry Lee Lewis, who included it in his album Country Songs for City Folks. Tom Jones learned the song from Lewis' version and, in 1966, he had a worldwide No. 1 hit with it.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Take a Chance on Me</span> Song by Swedish pop group ABBA

"Take a Chance on Me" is a song by Swedish pop group ABBA, released in January 1978 as the second single from their fifth studio album, ABBA: The Album (1977). Agnetha Fältskog and Anni-Frid Lyngstad share the lead vocals on the verses and choruses, with Fältskog singing two bridge sections solo. The song reached the top ten in both the UK and US, and was notably covered by the British band Erasure in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billy Craddock</span> American country and rockabilly singer (born 1939)

Billy Wayne "Crash" Craddock is an American country and rockabilly singer. He first gained popularity in Australia in the 1950s with a string of rockabilly hits, including the Australian number one hits "Boom Boom Baby" and "One Last Kiss" in 1960 and 1961 respectively. Switching to country music, he gained popularity in the United States in the 1970s with a string of top ten country hits, several of which were number one hits, including "Rub It In", "Broken Down in Tiny Pieces", and "Ruby Baby". Craddock is known to his fans as "The King Of Country Rock Music" and "Mr. Country Rock" for his uptempo rock-influenced style of country music.

"Release Me", is a popular song written by Eddie "Piano" Miller and Robert Yount in 1949. Four years later it was recorded by Jimmy Heap & the Melody Masters, and with even better success by Patti Page (1954), Ray Price (1954), and Kitty Wells (1954). Jivin' Gene [Bourgeois] & the Jokers recorded the tune in 1960, and that version served as an inspiration for Little Esther Phillips, who reached number one on the R&B chart and number eight on the pop chart with her big-selling cover. The Everly Brothers followed in 1963, along with Lucille Starr including a translation in French (1964), Jerry Wallace (1966), Dean Martin (1967), Engelbert Humperdinck (1967) who was number one on the UK Singles Chart and many others in the years after such as Jewels Renauld (2022).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Before the Next Teardrop Falls (song)</span> 1975 single by Freddy Fender

"Before the Next Teardrop Falls" is an American country and pop song written by Vivian Keith and Ben Peters, and most famously recorded by Freddy Fender. His version was a major crossover success in 1975, reaching number 1 on the Billboard pop and country charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">High School Confidential (Jerry Lee Lewis song)</span> 1958 single by Jerry Lee Lewis and His Pumping Piano

"High School Confidential" is a 1958 song written by Jerry Lee Lewis and Ron Hargrave as the title song of the MGM movie of the same name directed by Jack Arnold.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daddy Sang Bass</span> Song

"Daddy Sang Bass" is a song written by Carl Perkins, with lines from the chorus of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken?", and recorded by American country music singer Johnny Cash. It was released in November 1968 as the first single from the album The Holy Land. The song was Cash's sixty-first release on the country chart, going on to No. 1 on the Billboard country chart for 6 weeks and spending a total of 19 weeks there. The single reached No. 56 on the Cashbox pop singles chart in 1969. "Daddy Sang Bass" was also released on the Columbia Records Hall of Fame Series as a 45, #13-33153, b/w "Folsom Prison Blues". The record was nominated in the CMA awards category of Single of the Year by the Country Music Association (CMA) in 1969.

<i>Another Place, Another Time</i> (album) 1968 studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis

Another Place, Another Time is the eighth album by the musician Jerry Lee Lewis, released in 1968 by Smash Records. It was Lewis's "comeback album" and features a stripped down, "hardcore" country sound that yielded two top five country hits, his first major chart success in a decade.

<i>Would You Take Another Chance on Me?</i> 1971 studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis

Would You Take Another Chance on Me? is an album by Jerry Lee Lewis that was released on Mercury Records in 1971.

<i>The Killer Rocks On</i> 1972 studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis

The Killer Rocks On is an album by Jerry Lee Lewis that was released on Mercury Records in 1972.

<i>The Session...Recorded in London with Great Artists</i>

The Session...Recorded in London with Great Artists is a double album by Jerry Lee Lewis released on Mercury Records in 1973. It was recorded in London and features Lewis teaming up with British musicians, including Peter Frampton and Albert Lee.

<i>Southern Roots: Back Home to Memphis</i> 1973 studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis

Southern Roots: Back Home in Memphis is an album by Jerry Lee Lewis released on Mercury Records in 1973.

<i>Country Memories</i> 1977 studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis

Country Memories is the 33rd studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis, released on Mercury Records in 1977.

<i>Killer Country</i> 1980 studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis

Killer Country is a studio album by Jerry Lee Lewis, released on Elektra Records in 1980. The album peaked at No. 35 on Billboard's Top Country Albums chart.

"Another Place, Another Time" is a song written by Jerry Chesnut and originally recorded by Del Reeves.