Includes liner notes by Don Ovens.
Jerry Lee's distinctive version of Ray Price's 'Crazy Arms' was his Sun debut, but it was his second single, a revival of Roy Hall's `Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' in 1957 that propelled him to international fame. The record, which was initially banned as obscene, narrowly missed the top of the US chart. He stole the show from many other stars in the film Jamboree in which he sang the classic 'Great Balls Of Fire'. He kept up the barrage of rowdy and unadulterated rock with 'Breathless', which, like its predecessor, had been written by Otis Blackwell. He arrived in Britain for a tour in 1958, accompanied by his third wife, Myra, who was also his 13-year-old second cousin. The tour had to be cancelled after only three concerts. The furor followed Lewis home and support for him in his homeland also waned. His last big hit of the 50s was the title song from his film High School Confidential. After a decade playing rock 'n' roll, Lewis decided to concentrate on country material in 1968. He also kept the rock 'n' roll flag flying by playing revival shows around the world. Lewis was one of the first people inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 1986. Tragedy, scandal and, above all, rock 'n' roll have seldom played such an intrinsic role in one musician's life.
