by Robert Wilkinson
Today is the birthday of one of the originators of rock and roll, part of the “Million Dollar Quartet” at Sun records, and an amazing piano man! It’s also the birthday of one of the greatest television theme song composers of all time. Time to dance!
We'll begin this dance with the music of Mister Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935), one of rock and roll’s first true wild men. One of Sam Phillips’ “Million Dollar Quartet” (along with Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins), he’s one of the originals of frenetic pounding piano rock and roll, and was said to inspire near riots everywhere he played in the early days. When you check out the clips of the live performances from 1957, you'll get it. He really was a wild man!
So today we honor the incredible energy of one of the seminal figures of early rock and roll! While his popularity has waxed and waned over the decades, he’s still one of the originals, and one of the greatest at what he did! Without him, there’s no telling where rock and roll might have gone, but there’s no question that his hyperkinetic “honky tonk” style of piano playing inspired ten thousand imitators.
On with the birthday tribute, and dance if you want to! From 1957, live on The Steve Allen Show, Jerry Lee Lewis performing two tunes which set the world to “jumpin’ and joltin’” as Steve put it. For your amazement, here’s the Killer in his original glory!
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” Also from The Steve Allen Show, his other huge one from the era! “Great Balls of Fire”
Let’s move forward to 1958, where we find him very live and most definitely NOT lip synching! Here’s the Killer knocking out two more of his biggest hits on Dick Clark’s shows! “Great Balls of Fire” and “Breathless”
From 1957, a great film clip of JLL cranking out his hit, “Great Balls of Fire”
Here’s the original studio audio-only recording by the Killer of “Wild One”
And in a great find, “Wild One” is said the be the “birth of Australian rock and roll!” Written by the legendary Johnny O’Keefe about a riot that broke out between dancers at a gig he played at and an Italian wedding reception going on downstairs sometime in 1957, this was released on July 5, 1958. Here’s the original studio version of “Wild One”
You can hear his piano on this early rockabilly hit on Sun Records for Billy Lee Riley “Flying Saucers Rock and Roll”
From UK television in 1964, live on Don’t Knock the Rock, Jerry Lee cranking out a blistering version of “I’m On Fire” and an over the top version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On."
Here’s great live footage from the 1960s of Jerry Lee getting everyone hot and bothered as he rips out “High School Confidential”
From the Shindig “Pick of the Week,” Jerry Lee sending up a very danceable offering of “Rockin Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu”
And from another session on Shindig in 1965, Jerry Lee cranking out his version of the Little Richard classic “Long Tall Sally”
Last year I had a remarkable 38 minute clip featuring every JLL performance on Shindig, but this year it’s gone. Better luck next year!
His legendary 1964 Star Club performance is said to be some of the wildest music ever made! He was backed by the Nashville Teens who were playing there and would have their one gigantic hit later that year with “Tobacco Road.” Here are seven great ones from that show!
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”
This is a bonus track not listed on the original album. “Down the Line”
Or you can just go to this link and hit play, since the whole show will autoload and you can kick back and listen to the entire 1964 show! “Jerry Lee Lewis at the Star Club in Hamburg 1964”
We now go back to 1961 to an audio-only 26 minute set in Memphis at the Rebel Room! This is a rare early set list of tunes! “Thankyew verraverra much…..” Jerry Lee Lewis Live in Memphis - 1961 (Set list: “Let's Talk About Us,” “Break Up,” “Old Black Joe,” “Your Cheatin' Heart,” “It All Depends (Who'll Buy The Wine),” “High School Confidential,” and “What'd I Say.”)
From 1969, Jerry Lee live performing a very up tempo version of the Ray Charles’ classic “Hit the Road Jack”
Here’s an exceptional show! From the Legends in Concert television series, I found a full 40 minute show featuring live performances from Jerry Lee Lewis, Boxcar Willie and Little Richard, three of the greatest talents of rock 'n' roll of all time! Jerry Lee Lewis and Friends – Inside and Out
I found it again! Here’s a full one hour television show from 1982, where JLL is joined by Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Charlie Rich, Kris Kristofferson, and more in the special 25 Years of Jerry Lee Lewis
I found a few classic performances! First, Jerry Lee, Johnny, Carl, and Roy Orbison live in the studio performing Reunion of the Class of 1955 - 1985
From the Johnny Cash Show in 1977, the Class of 1955 sending up a big one for Elvis! ”This Train”
And from 1981 in Stuttgart, a 22 min. classic show! Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins in Stuttgart 1981
Last year I had a full 1 hour 35 minute clip from 1979 at a private party in Dalton, GA, but this year it’s disappeared. There are a few clips on you tube of songs from this show if you feel moved to check it out. Also missing this year is the 41 minute 1980 UK concert at the Fulcrum Center in London.
I found this gem! It’s 26 tunes from the 1980 album The Caribou Ranch Sessions. These are not his usual standards, so if you want a little rock and roll, a little gospel, and a little more whatever you want to call what JLL does, enjoy these! The Caribou Ranch Sessions.
From 1983 in London, here’s Jerry Lee Lewis live performing what was his first hit (1956) for Sun Records! “Crazy Arms”
Last year I had his full one hour 1983 show in Bristol, but it’s disappeared. So instead, also from 1983 in London, another full one hour show! Jerry Lee Live at the Hammersmith Odeon
From the 1983 Cotton Festival in Memphis Tennessee, a full 50 minute set by the Killer! Jerry Lee Lewis Live in Memphis - 1983
Last year I had the full 1989 one hour television special from London featuring “Jerry Lee Lewis and Friends,” but this year it’s nowhere on the web. But I did find this 31 minute segment from the same show, Jerry Lee Lewis and Friends
Last year I had his “stylized versions” of “Great Balls of Fire” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” from his appearance on the Arsenio Hall Show in 1989, but this year it’s disappeared. Also gone is the one hour documentary from 1990 titled Jerry Lee Lewis – The Real Deal,.
I found this again! From the Eddie Rabbit TV show in 1980, one of the most frenetic, pounding performances possible! “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”
Jerry Lee live in Paris in 1989, cranking out “Boogie Woogie Country Man,” “Swingin’ Doors,” and “Drinkin’ Wine Spo-Dee-Oh-Dee”
Here’s the entire 58 minute show! Jerry Lee Lewis - Live in The Halle Georges Carpentier 1989
From 1994 in Armheim, Holland, here’s a great one hour 20 minute show! Jerry Lee Lewis Live in Holland
For our closer, I found a great 1 hour 40 minute concert in NYC from 2006 with Jerry Lee and a bunch of other greats! Jerry Lee Lewis – Last Man Standing
For our encores, I found four great live videos of Jerry Lee at his best! First, from Nashville in 1971, a full 48 minutes of The Jerry Lee Lewis Show, where he pounds out all the hits and more!
For the second encore, here’s a full 1 hour set of a sold out show in Athens, Greece! Jerry Lee Lewis in Athens - 1990
And for our third encore, I found two great performances of his signature tune! Here the Killer took the stage with Bruce Springsteen in 1995 to crank out a groovin’ version of “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” (“Jerry Lee’s got the bull by the horns...”)
Here he’s live on the Midnight Special television program in 1976! Introduced by Gregg Allman, here’s the Killer offering up a great performance of “Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On”
"Shake it baby shake it..."
*********
Besides Jerry Lee Lewis, September 29 is also the birthday of Mike Post. While many don’t know his name, you sure do know his music!
From Wikipedia:
“Mike Post (born Leland Michael Postil, September 29, 1944) in Berkeley, CA, is a Grammy and Emmy award winning American composer, best known for his TV theme songs for such series as Law & Order, The A-Team, NYPD Blue, Renegade, The Rockford Files, L.A. Law, Magnum P.I., and Hill Street Blues.He won his first Grammy at age 23 for Best Instrumental Arrangement on Mason Williams’ “Classical Gas,” a #2 hit song in 1968…. Post also worked with Kenny Rogers and produced the first three albums he recorded with his country/rock group the First Edition (between 1967 and 1969). Post also produced Dolly Parton’s hit album “9 to 5.”
For your listening pleasure, a few of his classics!
He won a Grammy for his production and arrangement of this blockbuster hit. This is live television as we almost never see it in this era! Here’s the video of guitarist Mason Williams on the original Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour backed by a full orchestra! From 1968, as we saw it, the mind-blowing ”Classical Gas”
And because I love this tune, here he is again, performing it at the 1988 Smothers Brothers Reunion Show, ”Classical Gas”
Mike produced this little bit of pure psychedelia for Kenny Rogers and the First Edition! Glen Campbell did the guitar work. ”Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Conditions Was In)”
Just for fun, here’s a gem from 1972! Enjoy a much different sounding Kenny Rogers playing bass and singing lead for the First Edition in this live performance of ”Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Conditions Was In)”
H ere’s one last look at Kenny and the FE on The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour in December 1968 in a very psychedelic set with Kenny singing to the backing track of the studio version of ”Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Conditions Was In)”
As long as we’re taking time to celebrate his country work, he also produced this hit for Kenny and the FE, ”Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town.” Here’s Kenny and the FE in 1969 with Kenny singing to a backing track. ”Ruby Don’t Take Your Love To Town.”
We now move into one of his most famous tunes! From 1975, the extended 3 min 14 version of one of television’s most well-known theme songs! It won a Grammy and hit the Top 10! ”Theme From The Rockford Files”
Here’s one of the early much shorter versions before the screaming guitar lead was finally nailed down! ”Theme From the Rockford Files”
The haunting, twice Grammy award-winning theme for one of the best television shows in history! It also made the Top 10! ”Hill Street Blues”
Here’s the original hit version! ”Hill Street Blues”
Millions remember this tune! ”Theme From Magnum PI”
Here’s a 13 minute collection of some of his best television themes! It’s the extended studio version of each. Mike Post Classic TV Themes (Theme to Hill Street Blues, “Believe It Or Not” [theme of The Greatest American Hero], Theme to Magnum P.I., and Theme to The Rockford Files.)
For our closer, he produced this good time rolicking country rock tune, where Dolly Parton schools us on working people with "9 to 5"
© Copyright 2019 Robert Wilkinson
Comments