Billy Lee Riley - Sun Records Originals: Flyin' Saucers Rock & Roll '2023

Tracks list

Born in Pocahontas, Arkansas, the son of a sharecropper, Riley learned to play
guitar from black farm workers. After 4 years in the Army, Riley first recorded
in Memphis, Tennessee in 1955 before being lured to Sun Studios by Sam Phillips.
He recorded “Trouble Bound” for Jack Clement and Slim Wallace. Sam
Phillips obtained the rights and he released “Trouble Bound” b/w
“Rock With Me Baby” September 1,1956 (Sun 245). His first hit was
“Flyin’ Saucers Rock and Roll” b/w “I Want You
Baby” released February 23,1957 (Sun 260) after which he recorded
“Red Hot” b/w “Pearly Lee” released September 30,1957
(Sun 277) both with backing piano by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Born in Pocahontas, Arkansas, the son of a sharecropper, Riley learned to play
guitar from black farm workers. After 4 years in the Army, Riley first recorded
in Memphis, Tennessee in 1955 before being lured to Sun Studios by Sam Phillips.
He recorded “Trouble Bound” for Jack Clement and Slim Wallace. Sam
Phillips obtained the rights and he released “Trouble Bound” b/w
“Rock With Me Baby” September 1,1956 (Sun 245). His first hit was
“Flyin’ Saucers Rock and Roll” b/w “I Want You
Baby” released February 23,1957 (Sun 260) after which he recorded
“Red Hot” b/w “Pearly Lee” released September 30,1957
(Sun 277) both with backing piano by Jerry Lee Lewis.

“Red Hot” was showing a lot of promise as a big hit record, but Sam
Phillips pulled the promotion and switched it to “Great Balls Of
Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis. The record was pulled without a lot of sales. He
had other Sun recordings and they, likewise, did not have a lot of sales as his
promotion had stopped.

Considered good looking and with wild stage moves, Riley had a brief solo career
with his backing band “The Little Green Men”. Riley and his Little
Green Men were the main Sun studio band. They were Riley, Roland Janes, J.M. Van
Eaton, Marvin Pepper, and Jimmy Wilson, later joined by Martin Willis.

In 1960, he left Sun, and started Rita Record label with Roland Janes. They
produced the national hit record “Mountain Of Love” by Harold
Dorman. He later started two other labels Nita and Mojo.

In 1962, he moved to Los Angeles and worked as a session musician with Dean
Martin, the Beach Boys, Herb Alpert, Sammy Davis Jr. and others, as well as
recording under various aliases.

In the early seventies, Riley quit music to return to Arkansas to begin his own
construction business. In 1978 “Red Hot” and “Flyin’
Saucers Rock ‘n’ Roll” were covered by Robert Gordon and Link
Wray respectively, which led to a one-off performance in Memphis in 1979, the
success of which led to further recording at Sun Studio and a full-time return
to performing.

Rediscovered by Bob Dylan in 1992, who had been a fan since 1956, Riley plays
Rock and Roll, Blues and Country-Blues.

His album Hot Damn! (Capricorn, 1997) was nominated for the Grammy.

In 2006, he released a country CD, Hillbilly Rockin’ Man.

About the first of 2008 a new Rock and Roll CD produced in Holland is expected
to be released.

Tracklist:
1.01 - Billy Lee Riley - Flyin' Saucers Rock 'n' Roll (Remastered 2022) (2:02)
1.02 - Billy Lee Riley - Red Hot (Remastered 2022) (2:30)
1.03 - Billy Lee Riley - Let's Talk About Us (2:32)
1.04 - Billy Lee Riley - Pearly Lee (2:37)
1.05 - Billy Lee Riley - Trouble Bound (2:46)
1.06 - Billy Lee Riley - She's My Baby (1:18)
1.07 - Billy Lee Riley - Baby Please Don't Go (2:05)
1.08 - Billy Lee Riley - When A Man Gets The Blues (3:37)
1.09 - Billy Lee Riley - I Want You Baby (1:52)
1.10 - Billy Lee Riley - Searchin' (2:35)
1.11 - Billy Lee Riley - Rock with Me Baby (2:11)
1.12 - Billy Lee Riley - Betty and Dupree (2:13)
1.13 - Billy Lee Riley - That's Right (2:03)
1.14 - Billy Lee Riley - Swanee River Rock (2:20)
1.15 - Billy Lee Riley - Sweet William (1:57)
1.16 - Billy Lee Riley - One More Time (2:15)

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