“Would You Take Another Chance On Me”/
Written by Jerry Foster and Bill Rice
“Me and Bobby McGee”
Written by Kris Kristofferson
Jerry Lee Lewis
Billboard
#1 (1 week)
January 8, 1972
This double-sided hit from Jerry Lee Lewis showcases the country sound that powered his comeback on the A-side, and a throwback to his piano boogie rock and roll days on the B-side.
Together, they’re a bit more than the sum of their individual parts because they demonstrate such versatility. The A-side is a string-drenched ballad that Lewis wails as much as sings, sounding at times like a forlorn hound dog howling at the moon. He doesn’t pull it off completely, but it’s fun to hear him try.
It’s also a bunch of fun to hear “Me and Bobby McGee” as an uptempo fifties era rock hit, with Lewis turning the reflective midtempo ballad into a juke joint romp. It works.
“Would You Take Another Chance On Me” gets a B+.
“Me and Bobby McGee” gets a B+.
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You have to hand it to The Killer. However much many will deplore what a moral miscreant he was while he was alive, his records, including his country records of this period, don’t sound alike anyone else’s because he was too unique, whether it’s on “Would You Take Another Chance On Me?”, or on his version of “Me And Bobby McGee” (the latter of which was his last Top 40 Pop hit [!], inching to #40).
This record had Jeckyl & Hyde existence at country radio. Most of the country radio stations that I could easily tune in, did not play “Me and Bobbie McGee” very much, if at all. I probably heard “Would You Take Another Chance On Me” ten times for each time I heard “Me and Bobbie McGee”.
The local pop stations, on the other hand, played “Me and Bobbie McGee” occasionally and basically ignored “Would You Take Another Chance On Me” – I don’t recall either WETO-AM [Deland], WLOF-AM [Orlando] or WKIS-AM [Orlando/Kissimmee} playing the song.
“Would You Take Another Chance On Me” gets an “A” from me.
“Me and Bobby McGee” gets a “B-” from me. By the time JLL released the song, Roger Miller (“A”) and Janis Joplin (“A-“) had already released better versions of the song.
Sidebar #1: Hargus “Pig” Robbins played the piano on “Would You Take Another Chance On Me” with JLL limited to singing the song.
Sidebar #2: Neither Record World nor Cash Box charted “Me and Bobby McGee” as a country song – they simply regarded it as a B side
I know I have said it before, but I just don’t see the greatness that others do when listening to Jerry Lee. Would you take another chance gets a “C+” for me. Bobby McGee is a bit more in his wheelhouse but I prefer tons a versions over this one. I will give it a “B-“.
His vocals are what slay me. They swoop and slide. They are so rich, smooth, and emotive. He often sounds like he is holding back a torrent or about to unleash something wild.
The A-side sounds like Jerry Lee’s best Conway Twitty performance, and it works? Not his usual style but I think he does a great job. Me and Bobby McGee is more in his wheelhouse and he also sings it well, though his problem is the numerous comparisons to be had with other versions.