Crown Victoria Custom '51
| "Crown Victoria Custom '51" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Single by Jerry Lee Lewis | |
| from the album Young Blood | |
| A-side | "Goosebumps" |
| Released | 1995 |
| Genre | Rock |
| Length | 3:05 |
| Label | Sire Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Jerry Lee Lewis James Burton Andy Paley Kenny Lovelace |
| Producer(s) | Andy Paley |
"Crown Victoria Custom '51" is a song co-written by Jerry Lee Lewis and released as a B side single by Lewis in the U.S. in 1995 on Sire Records. The song was from the Young Blood album released that same year.
Background[edit]
"Crown Victoria Custom '51" was recorded for Sire Records in the U.S. and was released as a 7" 45 B side single backed with "Goosebumps" in 1995 as 7-64423.[1] The recording was produced by Andy Paley. The music and lyrics were written by Jerry Lee Lewis, James Burton, Andy Paley, and Kenny Lovelace.[2] The song was published by Twilite Tunes, Warner Chappell, DeCapo Music Inc., James Burton Music, and Ken Lovelace Music. The song originally appeared on the Young Blood album.[3] The recording was included on the 2006 3 disc career retrospective Half a Century of Hits as part of the Legends of American Music series by Time-Life Music.[4]
The theme of the song is a 1951 Ford Victoria V8 coupe, a model based on the 1949 Ford. The Victoria hardtop had a "dual-bullet" grille and heavy chrome bumpers. A new "turn-key" ignition and front suspension featuring independent coil springs were also added. The head room was 36.1 inches. It was a new, post-war streamlined car model which could be customized into a hot rod. The Ford Crown Victoria model was produced in 1955. The opening and closing verse emphasizes the continuing popularity of the 1951 model: "Born in Detroit City back in '51 / She still looks pretty and she's loads of fun / Through thick and thin she's been my only one / It's my Crown Victoria Custom '51".[5]
Jerry Lee Lewis performs a piano solo followed by an electric guitar solo by James Burton.
The recording is featured in the 1999 film A Texas Funeral starring Martin Sheen and Robert Patrick.[6]
The song was favorably reviewed in Rolling Stone: "Whether reclaiming Hank Williams' wry 'I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive' or bragging about his hot rod — or is it his woman? — on 'Crown Victoria Custom '51,' Lewis is in high gear. He revels in the signatures of his fine madness, tossing random glissandi from his piano and shouting lyrics in a voice scuffed yet steel tipped."[7]
Album appearances[edit]
"Crown Victoria Custom '51" appeared on the following albums:
- Young Blood, Jerry Lee Lewis, Sire Records, 1995
- Grooves,[8] Volume Ten, Various Artists, Time-Life Music/BMG, 1996
- Legends of American Music. Half a Century of Hits, Jerry Lee Lewis, Time-Life Music, 2006
Sources[edit]
- Bonomo, Joe (2009). Jerry Lee Lewis: Lost and Found. New York: Continuum Books.
- Tosches, Nick (1982). Hellfire. New York: Grove Press.
- Gutterman, Jimmy (1991). Rockin' My Life Away: Listening to Jerry Lee Lewis. Nashville: Rutledge Hill Press.
- Gutterman, Jimmy (1993). The Jerry Lee Lewis Anthology: All Killer, No Filler. Rhino Records.
- Lewis, Myra; Silver, Murray (1981). Great Balls of Fire: The Uncensored Story of Jerry Lee Lewis. William Morrow/Quill/St. Martin's Press.
- Legends of American Music. Half a Century of Hits. Jerry Lee Lewis. Time-Life Music. 2006.
References[edit]
- ^ Goosebumps/Crown Victoria Custom '51. 45cat.com.
- ^ Jerry Lee Lewis --- Goosebumps. Discogs.com.
- ^ Jerry Lee Lewis --- Young Blood. Discogs.com.
- ^ Jerry Lee Lewis – A Half Century Of Hits. Discogs.com.
- ^ Lyrics. Crown Victoria Custom '51.
- ^ A Texas Funeral (1999). Soundtracks. IMDB.
- ^ Drozdowski, Ted. "Jerry Lee Lewis: Young Blood." Rolling Stone, February 2, 1998. Retrieved 6-19-2018.
- ^ Grooves series, Various, Volume Ten, Time-Life. Discogs. com.