Monday, 17 January 2011

One Night of Sin - Smiley Lewis

 
Presley recorded R & B artist Smiley Lewis's One Night of Sin (Written by Dave Bartholomew / Pearl King) but it wasn't released - a version of it is now on You Tube but it was re-recorded as One Night With You - with a less risque lyric!

"Hill & Range Publishing shoved Presley a cleaned up version. “One night of sin is what I’m paying for” became “One night with you is what I’m praying for”. As a result, many more radio stations could include it on their playlists. His untouched version wasn’t released until 1985 (lp Reconsider Baby).! http://merlinsnewrags.wordpress.com/2010/12/05/one-night-1956/



This is Smiley's original version 




One Night of Sin - by Elvis






The Re-written version - One Night With You by Elvis







Smiley Lewis
Lewis was born in DeQuincy, Louisiana, U.S., a rural hamlet near Lake Charles, to Jeffrey and Lillie Mae Lemons, as the second of three sons and given the name of Overton Amos Lemons.

He began playing clubs in the French Quarter and "Tan bars" in the 7th Ward, at times billed as Smiling Lewis, a variation of the nickname earned by his lack of front teeth, and often accompanied by pianist Isidore "Tuts" Washington, who he spent the mid-1930s with in Thomas Jefferson's Dixieland band. When the band dissolved, Lewis turned to going from one club to another, playing gigs for only tips.

Lewis married Leona Robinson in 1938, the couple living with her mother until they began having children, when they moved to South Tonti Street while Lewis spent the day time hours working odd manual labor jobs and the nights singing. During World War II, he joined Washington again, this time with Ernest "Kid" Mollier's band entertaining soldiers stationed at Fort Polk outside of Bunkie, Louisiana while also serving as the house band at the Boogie Woogie Club. The two formed a trio with drummer Herman Seals after the war ended, and again began playing the French Quarter and down Bourbon Street.

An invitation by David Braun to record a session with his DeLuxe Records followed in 1947 for the trio and resulted in the release of his debut album, Here Comes Smiley,[4]

An attempt prompted by Imperial Records president Lew Chudd to attract new record buyers in 1957 saw Lewis recording pop and country music songs; the experiment failed and did nothing to boost Lewis's declining record sales. He was released from the label, and spent the early 1960s as an opening act for new performers, including Lee Dorsey, Irma Thomas, and Ernie K-Doe, the money short and Lewis arriving to gigs via the city bus. His career rounded out with a brief stint at Okeh Records in 1961 that consisted of one single, a 45 producted by Bill "Hoss" Allen in 1964 for Dot Records, and ended with a Loma Records release of "The Bells Are Ringing," remade with record producer Allen Toussaint.

He was hospitalized in 1965 and diagnosed with an ulcer, the operation led to the discovery that Lewis had stomach cancer, and quickly a benefit was organized by Bartholomew at La Ray's on Dryades Street. In the arms of his second wife, Dorothy Ester Lemons, whom he had married only six months prior, Lewis died on October 7, 1966, three days before the benefit.

Although Lewis' Imperial singles never sold more than 100,000 copies individually, they often lent themselves success to other artists. Gale Storm's pop version of "I Hear You Knocking" found its way into the top five on the charts.

A Wiki on one of the writers Earl King 

and Dave Bartholomew 

Earl King -co-writer
Dave Bartholomew - Co Writer
ONE NIGHT OF SIN (Dave Bartholomew / Pearl King) Smiley Lewis - 1956 Elvis Presley - 1957 One night of sin, yeah Is what I'm now paying for The things I did and I saw Would make the earth stand still Don't call my name It makes me feel so ashamed I lost my sweet helping hand I got myself to blame Always lived, very quiet life Ain't never did no wrong But now I know that very quiet life Has cost me nothing but harm One night of sin, yeah Is what I'm now paying for The things I did and I saw Would make the earth stand still Always lived, very quiet life Ain't never did no wrong But now I know that very quiet life Has cost me nothing but harm One night of sin, yeah Is what I'm now paying for The things I did and I saw Would make the earth stand still
........................

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