Album Notes

He's a key figure in the Sun Records saga -- a cohort of Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash -- who has shaped dozens of rockabilly, rock'n' roll, and blues hits....

50 years on Billy is rockin' just as hard! Back with an incredible album of red-hot tunes backed by one of Europe's best rockin' bands The Bellhops.

BORN: October 5, 1933, Pocohontas, AR Billy Lee Riley is a rockabilly singer and multi-instrumentalist. An alumni of Sun Records, he was one of the most crazed, unabashed rockers that label had to offer -- in the company of Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Sonny Burgess, that's saying a lot. Proficient at harmonica, guitar, bass, and drums, Riley contributed as a sideman to many a classic Sun session, and his combo the Little Green Men (most notably guitarist Roland Janes and drummer J.M. Van Eaton) in time became the Sun house band. Riley recorded for a number of labels in a variety of styles, especially effective with blues. Though never commercially successful, Riley's Sun recordings of "Flying Saucer Rock 'n' Roll" and "Red Hot" (both covered in wooden renditions by Robert Gordon) remain landmarks of the genre.

Armed with guestmusicians Clous van Mechelen ( piano / saxophone) and their old bandmate Jeroen van Gasteren ( guitar) the Bellhops and Mr. Billy Lee Riley deliver here a true pearl of actual recordings by an original artist. If some of the original artist surprise us that say still can sing a bit , Billy Lee Riley and the Bellhops present an album which deliver the real goods and which is absolute in the same quality and powerful sound that most of albums by nowadays bands. This 14 track album is packed with covers ( see tracklist above) and a few selfpenned tunes, but all well choosen and if you even think about Rileys age and health condition it is an absolute surprisingly album where Riley himsels not just sing all lead vocals, also playin’ his well known blues harp on three tracks (“Rooster Blues”, “I Hear You Knockin’” and Song Wine & Women “). If we take now advantage to all this uptempo tunes ( “Worried ‘Bout You Baby” and “ Have Mercy Miss Percy” just to name two ) so it is one of the best todays albums by an original artist so far. The Bellhops ( well practiced with the work Charlie Gracie and Ray Campi, a few years ago) deliver the right “backround” for Mr. Riley. They speed up, give power, but not too much, so they leave enough space for the main act. Well, I could say that this album is really good and very well done. A good list of material, top backing musicians and a Mr. Riley in full swing. My fave tunes are “Ballin’ The Jack” ( yip, whatelse can do), “ Rooster Blues” and “Not Meant To Be”