Record #0717: Crazy Arms / End of the Road – JERRY LEE LEWIS

Sun 259 (original) USA, 1. December 1956
Words & Music by:  Side A – Charles Seals, Ralph Mooney; Side B – Jerry Lee Lewis
Musicians: Jerry Lee Lewis (piano and vocals), Roland Janes (guitar), James Van Eaton (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by Jack Clement at the Sun Studio, Memphis, TN on 14. November 1956
Highest chart positions:  Didn’t hit the national charts

This was Jerry Lee Lewis’ first single release. He had recorded two demo sessions before this; the first session was at J&M Studio in New Orleans, LA in mid-1952 and the next in Shreveport, LA in 1954.

This session was an audition for Sun Records. The label owner Sam Phillips was not in town, so the studio engineer Jack Clement took care of the recording. Apparently, Lewis passed the audition. 😊

Lewis joined Carl Perkins’ group when they recorded “Your True Love” and “Matchbox” on 4. December 1956. Johnny Cash was also there watching them play. Elvis Presley dropped by for a social visit and that led to an impromptu jam session, which was recorded, forgotten and discovered later. The first release of “The Million Dollar Quartet" was in 1981 (Charly/Sun LP #1006).

List price:  Very Good+ is $25, Near Mint is $50 as “Jerry Lee Lewis With His Pumping Piano”; VG+ is $50, NM $100 as “Jerry Lee Lewis”

 

Record #0716: Touching Home / Woman, Woman (Get Out of Our Way) – JERRY LEE LEWIS

Mercury 73192 (original) USA, 13. March 1971
Words & Music by:  Side A – Dallas Frazier, Arthur L. Owens; Side B – Cecil Harrelson, Linda Gail Lewis
Musicians: Jerry Lee Lewis (piano and vocals); Side A -  Ray Edenton (guitar), Jerry Kennedy (guitar), Dale Sellers (guitar), Pete Wade (guitar), Pete Drake (pedal steel guitar), Bob Moore (bass), Buddy Harman (drums), Kenneth Lovelace (fiddle); Side B - Harold Bradley (guitar), Ray Edenton (guitar), Jerry Kennedy (guitar), Chip Young (guitar), Ned Davis (steel guitar), Edward deBruhl / Bob Moore (bass), Buddy Harman / Kenneth Buttrey (drums), Kenneth Lovelace (fiddle)
Recording sessions: Produced by Jerry Kennedy; Side A at Mercury Custom Recording Studio, Nashville, TN on 3. February 1971; Side B at Monument Recording Studio, Nashville, TN on 10. March 1970
Highest chart positions:  US Country #3, US #110, Canada Country #4

Lewis had 13 hits in US Country Top 10 (including three #1’s) in the 70’s – not bad!

The flip side was co-written by Jerry Lee’s sister. There are some real Nashville pros like Bradley, Moore and Harman playing on it.

List price:  Very Good+ is $4, Near Mint is $8

Record #0715: You Can’t Hardly Get Them No More / Tweedle Dee – PEE WEE KING AND HIS BAND

RCA Victor 47-6005 (original, promo) USA, January 1955
Words & Music by:  Side A – Floyd F. Wilson; Side B – Winfield Scott
Musicians: Pee Wee King (accordion), Redd Stewart (vocals and fiddle), Homer Haynes (guitar), Charles Tichy (guitar), Robert Koefer (steel guitar), Jethro Burns (mandolin), Chuck Wiggins (bass), Sticks McDonald (drums), John Frigo, Fred Herron (fiddle), Forry Engle (piano)
Recording sessions: Produced by Steve Sholes at RCA Victor Studio, Chicago, IL on 10. January 1955
Highest chart positions:  Didn’t hit the charts

Pee Wee King is best known for co-writing “Tennessee Waltz”, which he recorded on 2. December 1947. It was covered by Roy Acuff (1948, US Country #12), Patti Page (1950, US #1, US Country #2), Guy Lombardo (1950, US #6) and Les Paul & Mary Ford (1950, US #6) and many others.

“Tweedle Dee” was a big hit for LaVern Baker (US #14, US R&B #4) and it was climbing the charts when these guys recorded their cover version.

Exactly one year later Steve Sholes found himself producing the first RCA session of Elvis Presley (and many sessions to follow).

List price:  Not listed in the catalog. A promotional copy like this has been sold for $20 in eBay in 2016.