Red Hot (song)


"Red Hot" is a song written and recorded by Billy "The Kid" Emerson and released on Sun Records in 1955. It has been covered many times since then.

Emerson's version

Emerson recorded the song at the Sun Recording Studio in Memphis, Tennessee on May 31, 1955. Besides Emerson as the vocalist, the Sam Phillips produced session included Calvin Newborn, guitar: Kenneth Banks, bass: Phineas Newborn, drums: Bil Love, piano: Jewell Briscoe, tenor sax: Moses Reed, tenor sax. The b-side for the release was another Emerson song, "No Greater Love".

Covers

The best known cover of "Red Hot," also recorded at Sun Studio, produced by Sam Phillips, and released on Sun Records was by Billy Lee Riley & The Little Green Men, in January 1957 and issued as # 277. Along with Riley on vocals and guitar were guitarist Roland Janes, drummer J.M. Van Eaton, bassist Marvin Pepper, and Jimmy Wilson on piano. The record did not chart. Ronnie Hawkins released a version of the song on his first album, Ronnie Hawkins, on Roulette Records, # SR 25078 in 1959. Drumming on the season as a member of Hawkins' band, The Hawks, was Levon Helm.
The song is performed by Joss Ackland in the 2003 movie, I'll Be There.