Great Balls of Fire

"Great Balls of Fire" is a 1957 song written by Otis Blackwell and Jack Hammer.

Jerry Lee Lewis recording
The song is best known for Jerry Lee Lewis's rendition, which was recorded in the Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee on October 8 1957, and released as a 45rpm single on Sun 281 in November 1957. It reached #2 on the Billboard pop charts, #3 on the R&B charts, and #1 on the country charts. It also reached #1 on the UK pop charts.

The song was featured in a performance by Jerry Lee Lewis and his band in the 1957 Warner Brothers rock and roll film Jamboree (film), which also featured Carl Perkins, Fats Domino, Buddy Knox, and Dick Clark. The recording was also released in the UK on London Records.

The song was ranked as the 96th greatest song ever by Rolling Stone.

The song title is derived from a Southern expression, which some Christians consider blasphemous, that refers to the Pentecost's defining moment when the Holy Spirit manifested itself as "cloven tongues as of fire" and the Apostles spoke in tongues.

Other recordings

 * Tiny Tim recorded a version as the b-side to "Tiptoe Thru the Tulips with Me"
 * New Grass Revival recorded a high-speed bluegrass version of the song on their 1972 album The Arrival of the New Grass Revival.
 * American Do Wop band The Flamingos recorded a version on their album "Unspoken Emotions".
 * Electric Light Orchestra recorded a version for their 1974 The Night the Light Went on (in Long Beach) live album.
 * Dolly Parton recorded a version in 1979.
 * OV7, originally called "La Onda Vaselina" made a version in Spanish called "Grandes luces de fuego" in 1989.
 * The Misfits recorded a version in 2003 for their Project 1950 album.
 * Teitur recorded a version in 2006, released on the Stay Under the Stars album.
 * Offenbach included the song on the live DVD of the album Ultime (2007).
 * Dean Delannoit, record the song for his debut album (2007).
 * Fleetwood Mac, included the track on the 1999 release of the Shrine '69 live album which was recorded at the Shrine Auditorium in 1969
 * Johnny Winter, recorded a version on the album "Johnny Winter And.... Live".