It'll Be Me

In 1957, Jerry Lee Lewis recorded a track that, at first glance, seemed like just an accompaniment to the success he was already enjoying: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On. But It'll Be Me ended up being much more than that. Written by Jack Clement with the idea of it being Lewis's next single, the song was relegated to the B-side of the record, though its catchy rhythm and straightforward structure made it an instant classic. The anecdote behind its recording is as curious as the sound itself: according to Clement, Lewis was about to leave the session because he wasn't convinced by the track, until bassist J. W. Brown suggested playing Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On instead. In the end, the B-side stole the spotlight and remains a perfect example of how rock & roll of the era blended raw energy with simple yet effective melodies.

The song did not fade into obscurity. In 1958, Lewis included it on his first self-titled album, this time with a slower tempo and a reduced runtime of 2:14. But the most unexpected twist came in 1962, when Cliff Richard and The Shadows released it as a single and took it to number 2 in the UK, while also charting in the top ten in other countries. Decades later, in 1993, the song resurfaced on British television thanks to the series Lipstick on Your Collar, and artists like Tom Jones, Deep Purple, and Johnny Winter covered it in various styles. What's remarkable is that, despite its simplicity, It'll Be Me has a magic that allows it to adapt to any performer without losing its essence.