Linda Gail Lewis: “Early Sides 1963 - 1973” (2022) CD Review

When Linda Gail Lewis started her musical career, her older brother Jerry Lee Lewis was already famous (and already infamous). She performed and recorded with her brother, but quickly proved she was a force on her own as well, not only delivering excellent renditions of other people’s material, but writing her own songs too. The compilation Early Sides 1963 - 1973 collects a lot of her early recordings, including two tracks with Jerry Lee Lewis. The songs are presented in chronological order by recording date, and the tracks features some talented musicians backing her. This release was produced and remastered by Danny B. Harvey.

This disc opens with one of the most energetic renditions of “C.C. Rider” I’ve heard. Linda Gail Lewis seriously rocks this song. It doesn’t hurt that the band backing her is totally on top of it, particularly Morris Tarrant on drums, W.R. Fields on keys, and Luke Wright on saxophone. The fun continues with her delightful rendition of “Nothin’ Shakin’ (But The Leaves On The Trees).” Linda Gail Lewis gives us a playful vocal performance, and Luke Wright again delivers on saxophone, particularly on that lead. Both of those first two tracks were recorded in 1963. She then turns to country with a wonderful cover of Charlie Rich’s “Sittin’ And Thinkin’,” which was also recorded in 1963. This track features some excellent work on keys, and a strong vocal performance.

The disc then moves to 1965 with “Break Up The Party,” a tune with a rhythm that is almost guaranteed to get you up off your chair. That’s Buddy Harman on drums. I also really like the guitar work in the middle of this track; it has that delicious mid-1960s wild garage sound. “The music was playing so loud/We were having fun with the crowd/And then the band began to play our tune/I looked, but he was nowhere in the room.” Linda Gail Lewis then slows things down a bit with “Small Red Diary,” featuring an excellent, heartfelt vocal performance. Things then get hopping with “Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes),” one of the tracks that feature Jerry Lee Lewis on vocals. In fact, he starts this one, singing, “Well, it takes more than a robin to make the winter go/And it takes two lips of fire to melt away the snow.” This track is a lot of fun, and includes some exciting work on piano. Is it a bit odd to have a brother and sister singing “And, baby, you’ve got what it takes”? Maybe, but who cares? We’re having too much of a good time to worry about such things.

The energy remains high for “Jim Dandy” (sometimes listed as “Jim Dandy To The Rescue”), this one featuring some fantastic work on guitar. This track is from 1966, coming a decade after the original recording by LaVern Baker And The Gliders. Linda Gail Lewis is cutting loose here, and the results are wonderful. Also from 1966 comes “Who Will Be The Next One,” a slower song. It seems to be on these slower numbers that she gives her most arresting and earnest vocal performances. We believe her as she sings, “Why must I always be a loser/Why can’t someone be true/So many times I have found love/But so many times I’ve been blue.” This is one of my personal favorites. Then from 1969 comes a strong rendition of Kris Kristofferson’s “My Heart Was The Last One To Know,” another slower song on which Linda Gail Lewis totally shines. “And when you worked your way to the back of my mind/It was too late to stop loving you/For my eyes grew accustomed to looking at you.” This track also features some nice work by Kenneth Lovelace on fiddle.

The first of this compilation’s songs written by Linda Gail Lewis is “Louisiana,” also recorded in 1969. This is another slower gem, with a sweet vibe. “Going to the land of dreams and New Orleans/Listen to the music and watch Cajun queens.” Kenneth Lovelace’s work on fiddle holds even more appeal on this one. That’s followed by “Gather ‘Round Children,” another original composition. This song was used as the flip side to the “My Heart Was The Last One To Know” single. It’s a sad song about the death of one’s mother. “Come gather ‘round, children/Bow your heads and pray/Come gather ‘round, children/While they lay mama away/She gave us all her good years/She gave us all her best/Come gather ‘round, children/While they lay our precious mother to rest.” That in turn is followed by another composition by Linda Gail Lewis, “What Is Love,” this one recorded in 1970. This song celebrates marriage, and features some good work on both fiddle and steel guitar. “Love is an arm around your shoulder/When you think you’re getting older/And he tells you you look prettier each year/And he makes you feel wanted and he makes you feel needed.”

Jerry Lee Lewis joins Linda Gail Lewis on “Before The Snow Flies,” a song about family. In addition to singing, Jerry Lee Lewis plays acoustic guitar on this one. But it is Linda who delivers most of the lyrics, with Jerry Lee Lewis joining her only at certain moments. That’s followed by “Working Girl,” a song written by Chip Taylor and originally recorded by Jeanne Fox. Linda’s rendition was released a few years after that one, in 1971. Then from 1972, we get “Smile, Somebody Loves You,” a song written by Tony Austin. Johnny Paycheck also released his version of this song in 1972. This version by Linda Gail Lewis features some good work by Pete Drake on pedal steel. That’s followed by “Ivory Tower,” also from 1972.  A tremendous vocal performance makes this one of the disc’s highlights.

The compilation’s final two tracks were written by Linda Gail Lewis and Hal Worthington, and recorded in 1973. And both feature Linda Gail Lewis on piano as well as vocals. The first is “I Wanna Be A Sensuous Woman.” On this one she sings, “And I know there’s a lot going on in this world around me that I don’t know about/Because I built my world around your gentle touch/I want to be a sensuous woman.” Certainly no feminist anthem, this. And the line “And I don’t want to join women’s lib, I don’t even know what it means” strikes us as dated and rather sad, though I suppose there are a large number of Republicans today who would cheer that attitude. This track features some nice work by Ed Kollis on harmonica. The second is “I Should Not Have Fallen In Love With You,” which features yet another strong and passionate vocal performance. “What happened should not have happened with you and me/For today all I have left is just your memory/I live alone and hope that someday you’ll be free.”

CD Track List

1. C.C. Rider
2. Nothin’ Shakin’ (But The Leaves On The Trees)
3. Sittin’ And Thinkin’
4. Break Up The Party
5. Small Red Diary
6. Baby (You’ve Got What It Takes)
7. Jim Dandy
8. Who Will Be The Next One
9. My Heart Was The Last One To Know
10. Louisiana
11. Gather ‘Round Children
12. What Is Love
13. Before The Snow Flies
14. Working Girl
15. Smile, Somebody Loves You
16. Ivory Tower
17. I Wanna Be A Sensuous Woman
18. I Should Not Have Fallen In Love With You

Early Sides 1963 - 1973 was released on July 15, 2022 on Goldenlane Records.