Jerry Lee's Greatest!

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).

Jerry Lee's Greatest!
Studio album by
Jerry Lee Lewis
ReleasedDecember 1961
GenreRock and roll, rockabilly, country
Length14:48 (Side A)
13:39 (Side B)
28:27 (Total)[1]
LabelSun
ProducerSam Phillips
Jerry Lee Lewis chronology
Jerry Lee Lewis
(1958)		 Jerry Lee's Greatest!
(1961)		 Live at the Star Club, Hamburg
(1964)
Singles from Jerry Lee's Greatest!
  1. "Great Balls of Fire"
    Released: November, 1957
  2. "Break-Up""
    Released: August, 1958
  3. "Let's Talk About Us"
    Released: June 1959
  4. "What'd I Say"
    Released: February 1961
  5. "Cold, Cold Heart"
    Released: May 1961
  6. "Money (That's What I Want)"
    Released: November 1961

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 1961. Part of the reason for the lack of material was no doubt producer Sam Phillips' waning enthusiasm in the wake of Lewis' 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' biggest hit, "Great Balls of Fire," which had been left off of his debut LP.

Track listing

Side A

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Money"
2:30
2."As Long As I Live"Dorsey Burnette2:25
3."Hillbilly Fever"George Vaughn2:05†
4."Frankie and Johnny"(Traditional)2:30
5."Home"Roger Miller1:58
6."Hello, Hello Baby"(Traditional)3:20
Total length:14:48

Side B

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."Let's Talk About Us"Otis Blackwell2:05
8."What'd I Say"Ray Charles2:25
9."Break Up"Charlie Rich2:36
10."Great Balls of Fire"
1:50
11."Cold, Cold Heart"Hank Williams3:02
12."Hello Josephine"
1:41
Total length:13:39

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

References
  1. Jerry Lee's Greatest! at Allmusic
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