It Won't Happen With Me: The Singles 1960-1962 Plus

At the time of writing these sales notes, Jerry Lee Lewis is the 'last man standing' of the original 1950s Rock 'n' Roll giants. He may no longer be working, but over a recording career that has spanned seven decades he has amassed a vast catalogue of repertoire and a formidable number of hits across most of his career. An iconic and unique artist whose music will sustain and be enjoyed for decades to come, many will tell you he was never better than when his career was under the supervision of Sam Phillips, founder of the legendary Sun label of Memphis, between 1956 and 1963. Most JLL compilations go heavy on The Killer's 50s repertoire and recycle his big hits of the rock 'n' roll years ad infinitum. "It Won't Happen With Me" begins where they end and features the A and B side of almost every 45 that he released between the beginning of 1960 and the end of 1962, including the piano instrumentals that came out under the pseudonym of 'The Hawk'. It also included five bonus tracks that were issued for the first time on his only album of the period, "Jerry Lee's Greatest". While many of the tracks still rock, they show that Jerry Lee was also not averse to trying his hand at R&B, early Motown, straight pop or the country music that would regenerate his career later in the 1960s, in an attempt to sustain a career in the era of 'teenage idols' like Frankie Avalon and Fabian. Jerry Lee was always up for a musical challenge and he met most of them head on, without any real regard for the commercial potential of the outcome but making some of the best music of his career in the process of meeting them. 'It Won't Happen With Me' more than bears this out. There may not be a 'Whole Lotta Shakin' or 'Great Balls Of Fire'-sized hit here, but there are plenty of tracks that could and should have been just as big, and that are just as classic in their own way. Remastered as always from the best possible sources, with detailed annotation on the period this collection covers, it's a fascinating look at and a rewarding listen to an era of Jerry Lee known mostly to only his most ardent fans, until now.