Billy Lee Riley - "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" (1972)
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Artist:
Billy Lee Riley has been an artist that we've been playing for decades on the radio and was always one of the uncredited men behind the driving force of rock and roll in the fifties. The Arkansas singer-songwriter entered the Sun Records studios of Sam Phillips in 1956. He hit the charts across the country in 1957 with his classic singles "Flyin' Saucers Rock and Roll" and "Red Hot". "Red Hot" didn't have the immediate impact at first as the promotion behind the record came to a standstill but remains an influential song to rockabilly and rock artists to this day.
His early band, which for a time included a then unknown Jerry Lee Lewis on piano, has been said to have played a key role in shaping the Sun Records' sound, providing backup on recordings by Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis and other artists recording at Sun Records.
In 1984, Billy Lee Riley told the Associated Press, "My band was the Sun sound. We've never gotten credit for that, but it's a fact. I was doing what Elvis was doing before Elvis did it: mixing blues and hillbilly, putting a laid-back, funky beat to hillbilly music."
After being bitterly disillusioned with Sam Phillips' lack of support, Billy left Sun Records in 1960 with one of his band members, Roland James. Together they formed Rita Records and produced the million seller hit "Mountain Of Love" for Harold Dorman. He also formed the Mojo record label and produced the classic "You Don't Know Me" from Willie Cobb. Billy moved to Los Angeles in 1961 where he worked as a record producer, session musician and night club performer. His session work can be heard on records where he played alongside Glen Campbell, James Burton, Leon Russell, Hal Blaine, Barney Kessel, Herb Alpert and The Beach Boys. He was also a featured harmonica soloist on songs from Dean Martin, Rick Nelson, Sammy Davis Jr. and Johnny Rivers.
During this time frame, Billy alternated with Johnny Rivers at the various grand openings of Whiskey A Go Go across the nation and worked onstage with Pearl Baily, Dean Martin, Janet Leigh, Eddie Fisher and Natalie Wood.
He eventually moved back to Memphis where he recorded an R&B version of Wesley Ryles' song "Kay" which he ended up playing for his old boss that he severed ties with years earlier - Sam Phillips.
"Sam suggested I play it for Shelby Singleton who had just bought all the old Sun masters and had formed the Sun International label," Billy stated. "Shelby bought the record and gave me a job as producer and moved me to Fort Walton Beach, Florida to produce in his studio there." One year later, Billy found himself in Atlanta and in 1971 recorded a session for Chips Moman in Memphis for his Entrance label which was distributed by Columbia Records. Unfortunately, Billy once again found himself being in the wrong place with the wrong people at the wrong time in his career.
The song that has long been a favorite on The Time Machine playlists is his 1972 single "I've Got A Thing About You Baby".
Billy remembered, "My record 'I've Got A Thing About You Baby' was ready to break nationally when Columbia and Chip's had a misunderstanding and my record was pulled from their distributors, so I lost another hit."
It may have slipped thru the cracks on a national level but for The Time Machine Crew out in Hawaii, it was a song that remains a regional "turntable hit" to this very day.
Locating MOG account...
Comments (8)
I never knew about this song - it's wonderful and given that "I Can Help" and Charlie Rich and co. were in the charts in the UK, I'm surprised it wasn't heard here.
I have a couple of Billy Lee's songs on Sun compilations but have never heard this, and it is fab. A great writeup illuminating the career of an artist I was only marginally familiar with.
Reminds me a bit of Joh Hiatt..really dig the laid back vibe. Sounds much more modern than 1972, but in this case that's a plus. I don't believe I just said that, knowing my predeliction for all things old, but this tune seems perfect a Bonnie,John,Taj album of the 90's or 00's. Thanks for the intro.
Oh man, RIP Billy Lee. Just saw the news looking for more info on him.
hey
you got your old spot back?
Pimp - Yeah! They fixed it a couple of days ago. Whew! It was the second time that we vanished and we hope it doesn't happen a third time.
Cody - Totally hear you on the more modern sound which really made that groove back in the early seventies a musical treat.
John - It was really was a shame that Columbia stopped the push on that record. We still have the 45 which is where that audio came from.
Dermahrk - It did make an appearance on one Columbia Records comp in the late seventies or early eighties. It was a double album that may or may not have been rockabilly oriented. It may have been just legendary acts slapped together. Can't recall the name of that comp but this song has still not entered the digital age.
The song was written by Tony Joe White and he released it on his 1972 album "The Train I'm On" which was his second album for Warner Brothers.
:=)
wow man. i always knew about BLR but this was one of those stories that was a bit deeper than i thought. being a New Yorker in the 70's doing sound at the clubs, i also always associated Red Hot with Robert Gordon, who was a staple on my 'turf. this was good reading.
love the song and love the post. thanks.
I know the early work, but this one is new to my ears, and mighty fine!