Jimmy Rip has looked back on his time working with Jerry Lee Lewis, and recalled his experiences of recording a legion of electric guitar greats over a four-year period for the late pianist/singer's 39th album, Last Man Standing.
Released in 2006, the record sees Lewis dueting with other members of the rock ’n’ roll elite – including Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Buddy Guy and more – on a score of covers. For producer/guitarist Rip, the four-year recording process brought some wild moments, but his memories of putting such an ambitious project together were nothing but joyous.
“I had nothing but a blast making that record,” he tells Guitar World as part of a soon-to-be-published interview. “Needless to say, Jerry’s dangerous reputation preceded him, but in the four years it took to finish that record, we did nothing but laugh and rock ‘n’ roll.”
Across its 21 tracks, Rip formed a fruitful tandem with his “dear friend” Kenny Lovelace, who was Lewis’s guitar player and band leader over a staggering 55-year spell. But they weren’t the only players bringing some electric guitar spice to proceedings.
“Of course, there was what I’m sure is the greatest guest list on any disc in rock history,” Rip continues. “If you’re only speaking about the guitar-playing invitees, there was Jimmy Page, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Ronnie Wood, Keith Richards, Willie Nelson, Eric Clapton, and Neil Young.”
Capturing such a stellar cast, naturally, had its challenges. Rip was tasked with recording the contributions of each guest player – a mission that took him around the globe.
“I traveled around the world for four years, recording the 22 guests in total in some crazy places, like hotel rooms, rehearsal rooms, and kitchens,” he says. “I had a mic, a preamp, a laptop, and a relentless drive to show the world how great Jerry Lee still was.”
Most tracks saw Lewis reshaping a song in his own sharply dressed style, with ties between his guests and the original songwriters common. That saw Page aiding Lewis’ take on Led Zeppelin’s Rock and Roll, Ronnie Wood helping him cover Mick Jagger’s solo track, Evening Gown, and John Fogerty starring as he recoloured CCR’s Travelin’ Band.
The full conversation with Jimmy Rip is due to be published online in the coming weeks.
