In memory of The Killer, who has died at 87.
The song is credited to Dave ‘Curlee’ Williams and James Faye ‘Roy’ Hall. This is the first recording by Big Maybelle with an orchestra directed by Quincy Jones in 1955.
Lewis recorded a radically different version in 1957. It was his first big hit, reaching No 3 in the US and No 8 in Britain. Lewis’s version of the song is ranked as the 61st greatest song of all time by Rolling Stone.
Here is a live version from 1957.
And one from 1964.
And one from 1995 with Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.
Jerry Lee was crazy, wild and very strange. I never got to see him, the closest I came was in the early 1990s when I had a ticket to see him at the Manchester Apollo. Jerry Lee cancelled the tour, due I think to some sort of marital problem. The refund took ages and eventually came through the post in the form of Postal Orders.
I haven’t seen a Postal Order for years.