Red Hot (song)

"Red Hot" is a song written and recorded by Billy "The Kid" Emerson and released on Sun Records in 1955. It has been covered many times.

Emerson's version

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Emerson recorded the song at the Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee on May 31, 1955. Besides Emerson as vocalist, the Sam Phillips produced session included Calvin Newborn, guitar; Kenneth Banks, bass; Phineas Newborn, Sr., drums; Billy 'Red' Love, piano; Jewell Briscoe, tenor sax; and Moses Reed, tenor sax. The b-side for the release was another Emerson song, "No Greater Love".

Covers

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  • The best known cover of "Red Hot," also recorded at Sun Studio, produced by Sam Phillips, and released on Sun Records was by Billy Lee Riley & The Little Green Men, in January 1957 and issued as # 277. Along with Riley on vocals and guitar were guitarist Roland Janes, drummer J. M. Van Eaton, bassist Marvin Pepper, and Jimmy Wilson on piano. The record did not chart.[1]
  • Another version was recorded in 1957, at Mira Smith's Ram Studios, Shreveport, Louisiana by Bob Luman (Imperial XB8313, 1957) featuring James Burton on guitar.
  • Ronnie Hawkins released a version of the song on his first album, Ronnie Hawkins, on Roulette Records, # SR-25078 in 1959. The drummer on the session was future member of The Band, Levon Helm, then a member of Hawkins' backing band, The Hawks.[2]
  • The Beatles performed "Red Hot" in December 1962, live at the Star-Club in Hamburg, but the recording has never been officially released.[3]
  • Robert Gordon with Link Wray on guitar, released a version on his debut album for Private Stock Records, # PS-2030 in 1977.
  • The song was performed by Joss Ackland (as Evil Edmunds and The BeeLzeeBOPS) in the 2003 movie, I'll Be There.[4]
  • Brian Setzer released a version of the song on his 2005 album Rockabilly Riot, Vol. 1 - A Tribute to Sun Records.

References

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  1. ^ Sun Rockabilly: The Classic Recordings, Rounder Records Corp., Cambridge, MA, 1990, liner notes
  2. ^ Ronnie Hawkins and the Hawks: Forth Days, CD, Snapper Music, Germany, 2011
  3. ^ Unterberger, Richie (2006). The Unreleased Beatles: Music and Film. Backbeat Books. ISBN 0-87930-892-3. pp. 37-42
  4. ^ "I'll Be There (2003)". IMDb.com. Retrieved 2016-08-19.