GREAT BALLS OF FIRE

Created on 18/01/2006
Latest update on 17/12/2023

Artist: Jerry Lee Lewis
Author: Jack Hammer/Otis Blackwell
Label: Sun
Year: 1957

In film Jamboree. N°1 UK, n°2 US. Jerry Lee was afraid of the consequences using Pentacostal apocalyptical imagery right in the middle of the Bible Belt. Don't forget Jimmy Swaggart was his full nephew. Hear the studio discussion between Jerry and Sam Phillips right before Great Balls Of Fire got cut and saved up for Lewis' Sun box set, also literally transcribed in Colin Escott & Martin Hawkins' Sun Records book (Omnibus Press): "How can the devil save souls? Man I've got the devil in me. If I didn't, I'd be a Christian."

Covers:

1957:

Georgia Gibbs [for Mercury; in England released before Jerry Lee's version]

1960:

Conway Twitty

1960:

Crickets

1961:

Pirates [as Tu Mets Le Feu]

1963:

Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas

1964:

Little Richard

1969:

Tiny Tim

1969:

Sha Na Na

1969:

Hassles [with Billy Joel]

1974:

Electric Light Orchestra

1976:

Black Oak Arkansas

1979:

Dolly Parton [so what; even Mae West cut it]

1994:

Joe Ely & Sue Foley

1999:

Vicious Pink [mixed with 8.15 To Nowhere]

2011:

Chris Isaak

2012:

Brian Setzer

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)

info@originals.be

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