I posted this on the Hoffman forum a couple days ago, and thought that it would be of intereste here as well.


Just saw this notice from Bear Family.
http://www.bear-family.com/en/news/...m ... 47546fb462

Here is the text:
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Southern Roots - The Original Sessions (2-LPs)
2-LP, 20 tracks. 180-gram vinyl, fold-out sleeve. Direct Metal Mastering. Manufactured by Pallas.

At long last here are the original session tapes that produced Jerry Lee Lewis' 1974 'Southern Roots' LP. Produced by Huey Meaux, a fellow Louisiana wildman, the final results reveal what happens when two fiery, free-spirited forces lock horns in the studio.

Meaux had just gotten out of prison and had a reputation you wouldn't want in your family tree. Separately, Meaux and Lewis each spelled trouble in a big way and could be impossible to work with. Together? God knows what would happen. The results could be an utter disaster or a stroke of genius. As Meaux later observed, "I knew Jerry and I would fight, but in the end we'd come out with the record. We fought, but we delivered."

For three days in September, 1973 Jerry Lee Lewis and Huey Meaux went at it, and each other. Listen as Jerry Lee is turned loose in the studio by a producer who did try to rein in Jerry's ego. In fact, Meaux did everything he could to feed it. That ego is nowhere more evident than on Jerry's version of the Percy Sledge 1966 hit, When A Man Loves A Woman, which Jerry turns into a sermon on war between the sexes.

Jerry and Huey cut mostly southern music – soul, country, R&B and a touch of swamp pop. They even included a surprisingly impassioned version of Johnny Ray's 1952 hit record, Cry.

Little did we know that there was supposed to be a second 'Southern Roots' album. Only ten tracks ever appeared on the LP – a scant 34 minutes of music - but we've got it all here, including the music that was scheduled to appear on the second 'lost album,' all neatly overdubbed and ready for release. We've also got the stuff you were never meant to hear, and there's plenty of it.

Some 40 years later this CD lets you be a fly on the wall as Jerry and Huey square off at one another, laughing, arguing and making music late into the night. It's Jerry Lee as you've never heard him before.



CD set ...

Amazon USA
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DDTKEP6/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DDTKEP6/?tag=imwan-21

LP set ...

Amazon USA
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00DDTKEJC/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00DDTKEJC/?tag=imwan-21

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This creates several questions for me. Bear Family reelased quite a bit of theses sessions as far back as the 80's/90's Smash-Mercury Records KILLER box sets. These 3 sets covered from '63-'77, and included around 30 lps. The studio chatter and run-throughs of the SOUTHERN ROOTS sessions were included on the lp set and the later released cd set.

Is this lp-only? The last paragraph indicates cd, but could be a typo.
Is this a rehash of previous material, or has new material been unearthed?

This is a very enjoyable session to listen to, so it will be interesting to find out in August.

One note, I seem to recall that these sessions reunited 3 of the 4 members of Booker T. and the MG's(no Booker). You will hear Jerry and Al Jackson talking about a Sun records session that Jerry mis-remembers the date of. (might have been SWEET LITTLE SIXTEEN).

Bump: Pre-order links added. There'll be both CD and vinyl editions of this release.

Anyone know the tunes covered? This time period is covered by the third Bear Family box - all that material might already be included there.

No tracklisting yet on the Bear Family site:

http://www.bear-family.com/en/rock-n-ro ... -2-cd.html

ah - why take any chances - order placed.

Looked over the Bear Family release and the box. It seems that there were many tunes recorded during these sessions. There are several that are noted as lost in the booklet. The tunes cover 1 1/2 of the 10 cd's in the box. There are 28 or 29 tunes - so IMO this set has an additional 10 - 11 tunes not in the box - could they be the "lost" tapes or other alternate takes on some of the previously released cuts?

Here is what Bear Family posted on their Facebook page when asked about the track listing.

Bear Family Records Michael Harris: No rehash... and absolutely essential stuff to any Jerry Lee fan or lover of truly great music in general CD 1: Meat Man • When A Man Loves A Woman • Hold On I'm Coming • Just A Little Bit • Born To Be A Loser • Haunted House
• Blueberry Hill • The Revolutionary Man • Big Blue Diamonds • That Old Bourbon Street Church • Silver Threads Among The
Gold • Hold On I'm Coming (fast version) • Take Your Time • All Over Hell And Half Of Georgia • I SureMiss Those Good Old Times
• Raining In My Heart • Honey Hush • Cry • Margie
CD 2: Cry (alternative 1) • Studio Chatter #1 • Cry (alternative 2) • Studio Chatter #2 • Margie (alternative 1) • Margie (alternative
2) • Studio Chatter #3 • Silver Threads Among The Gold (alternative 1) • Silver Threads Among The Gold (alternative 2) • Born
To Be A Loser • Studio Chatter #4 • When A Man Loves A Woman (alternative 1) • Studio Chatter #5 • When A Man Loves A
Woman (alternative 2) • Meat Man (vocal/piano mix) • Raining In My Heart (vocal/piano mix) • Studio Chatter #6 - Creedence &
Cajuns • I Sure Miss Those Good Old Times (alternative 1) • I Sure Miss Those Good Old Times (alternative 2) • Studio Chatter #8
- Polk Salad Annie

I tried matching these up but it isn't easy.

There are some alternate takes on this new release that are not on the box set. There is also much more studio chatter spiked out - that might be in the boxed set but tagged onto the tune from wence it came.

There are two tunes NOT in the box Creedence & Cajuns and Polk Salad Annie.

In the box there are 3 alt cuts not on the new edition - 1 take of Haunted House, an instrumental version of Big Blue Diamonds and another take of Hold On I'm Coming.

Bump: Added cover image to the first post.

I have the Bearl Family lp box and the Bear Family cd box, and I still can't tell if there is any difference. I'm leaning towards no. As for your comment about the 2 tunes CREEDENCE AND CAJUNS and POLK SALAD ANNIE, these are not music tracks, but are descriptions of the studio chatter at that point. If you will listen back to the cd from the box set, you will hear Jerry Lee and Huey speaking of a "Creedence feel". They later mention Polk Salad Annie.

I posted on the Bear Family facebook page regarding these being new tracks or rehashes of previously unreleased material. They said no rehash, yet they couldn't tell me what was new. I love Bear Family, but I don't think they've unearthed new material from these sessions. I hope I'm wrong.