Rory Gallagher and Jerry Lee Lewis jam the Rolling Stones’ Satisfaction in previously unreleased recording
The session, which hails from 1973, will be included on the forthcoming The Best of Rory Gallagher compilation
A previously unreleased recording of electric guitar great Rory Gallagher and Jerry Lee Lewis covering the Rolling Stones' Satisfaction has finally seen the light of day.
The track will be included in the double-CD and digital editions of the upcoming compilation The Best Of Rory Gallagher, due out October 9, as well as on a seven-inch single accompanying the comp.
Satisfaction was originally recorded by Gallagher and Lewis during the sessions for the latter’s 1973 album, The Session... Recorded In London With Great Artists. It features the Irish bluesman on vocals and guitar, with Lewis accompanying on piano and a few vocals of his own.
Donal Gallager, Rory's brother and manager, told Rolling Stone in an email that the suggestion for the tune came from Steve Rowland, producer of the Session album, who didn’t realize that Lewis wasn’t familiar with the Stones song.
“A bit bamboozled at the lyrics and a bit embarrassed at not really knowing of the song, Jerry’s paranoia kicked in and thought he was being ‘wound-up,’ ” Donal recalled.
"Annoyance flashed on the Killer’s face, as his wild eyes scanned the studio, fixing on Rory. ‘I trust you boy. Without looking at anyone else but me, tell me truthfully, is there a song called Satisfaction? If so, you start teaching me.’ ”
The Best of Rory Gallagher features tracks from throughout the guitarist’s career, from his early days with band Taste to his final solo recording, 1990's Fresh Evidence.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
The album is available for preorder now.
Rich is the co-author of the best-selling Nöthin' But a Good Time: The Uncensored History of the '80s Hard Rock Explosion. He is also a recording and performing musician, and a former editor of Guitar World magazine and executive editor of Guitar Aficionado magazine. He has authored several additional books, among them Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck, the companion to the documentary of the same name.

“There’s nothing more Spinal Tap than going to one of the epicenters of the blues and drawing zero people”: Joe Bonamassa reflects on the worst show of his career

“I actually got to the point of doing a show and Ozzy hired me – he said he wanted me to do the gig”: Alex Skolnick looks back on his brief tenure as Ozzy Osbourne’s guitarist – and why it only lasted one show