Billy Lee Riley – Red Hot

I first heard this song by the ‘Beatles in Hamburg on the Star Club album. They took the song and injected it with steroids…George ripped through it. The quality is terrible but the energy is not.

“Red Hot” featured Jerry Lee Lewis on piano. The song was written by Billy “The Kid” Emerson. Emerson had already had a minor hit when Elvis Presley recorded “When It Rains It Really Pours“. “Red Hot” was showing a lot of promise as a big hit record, but Sam Phillips pulled Sun Records promotion for the single and switched it to “Great Balls Of Fire” by Jerry Lee Lewis.

Riley earned notoriety throughout the South with his wild live performances, and in the late’50s his shows were banned by various town councils and college administrators who worried that Riley’s raucous “devil’s music” would corrupt the souls of innocent teenagers. Riley’s backing band, The 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.

These are the kind of singles that the Beatles liked to cover…not massive hits but good songs that not many bands were covering.

Red Hot

My gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Well, she ain’t got no money
But man, she’s a-really got a lot

Well, I got a gal, six feet four
Sleeps in the kitchen with her feet out the door, but

My gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Well, she ain’t got no money
But man, she’s a-really got a lot

Well, she walks all night, talks all day
She’s the kinda woman who’ll have her way, but

My gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Well, she ain’t got no money
But man, she’s a-really got a lot

Well, she’s the kinda woman who louds around
Spreadin’ my business all over town, but

My gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Well, she ain’t got no money
But man, she’s a-really got a lot

Well, she’s a one man’s woman, that’s what I like
But I wish she wasn’t gonna change her mind everynight, but

My gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Yeah, my gal is red hot
Your gal ain’t doodly squat
Well, she ain’t got no money
But man, she’s a-really got a lot

…

Author: Badfinger (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball, Beatles, old movies, and tv show fan. Also anything to do with pop culture in the 60s and 70s... I'm also a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

23 thoughts on “Billy Lee Riley – Red Hot”

    1. That was it…the energy they had was great. It was recorded during their last engagements there and they were bored of it by then but the excitement of their performance still comes through.

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  3. Man, that tune rocks, Max! You won’t be surprised I also dig The Beatles’ raw rendition. I got the “Live! at the Star-Club” album on vinyl many moons ago. I still own that copy but haven’t listened to the double LP in a long time. Your post is a great reminder I should revisit that album!

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    1. It’s a fun listen and George really rocked this one up.
      The quality is bad but the energy is all there. I’m thankful we have these recordings to hear what they were like.

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      2. Yea I bought the Hollywood Bowl albums when they were released. Apple now owns the Hamburg recordings…I wonder if they will clean them up more? Now they could get a better sound.
        The Hollywood Bowl albums sounded great…but they could make them sound even better at this point. It was a pro recording.

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  4. Loved the Billy Lee Riley version. One learns something on your blog every day Max! I’ve always said “Diddly squat”. Don’t tell me I’ve got it wrong all these years and should’ve been saying “Doodly squat”!

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    1. I’ll remember Doogly Squat for now on! If I’m going to say it…I’m going to say it right! See you are a teacher as well.

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    1. Oh yes…they were raw… Hamburg or Liverpool would have been the places to see them. That would be my idea shows to watch.
      They lost that when they couldn’t hear themselves anymore.

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  9. If you haven’t seen it, scoot by Netlfix sometime soon & watch ‘Good Ol’ Freda.’ We watched it last night… a documentary about the Beatles long-time secretary, Freda Kelley. Very interesting and some great photos from the Cavern Club and the like.

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    1. Yes I watched that around a year or so ago. Run-sew-read told me about it and I watched it. What a world she was in at that time…She seems so genuine…they did surround themselves with good people.

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    1. Thanks CB…this sounds more like the Beatles version than the original…this is who they probably copied it from…That voice and guitar can’t be beat dude…

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