Little Richard - Here's Little Richard

Released - March 1957

Genre - Rock & Roll

Producer - Bumps Blackwell

Selected Personnel - Little Richard (Vocals & Piano); Lee Allen (Tenor Saxophone); Alvin "Red" Tyler (Baritone Sax); Frank Fields (Bass); Earl Palmer (Drums); Edgar Blanchard (Guitar)
Standout Track - Tutti Frutti

A trawl through every thorough interview ever conducted with a prominent rockstar would turn up countless instances of the same anecdote. In my own rather limited forays into the history of music, I've already come across several instances of some hugely popular singer tracing their love of music back to its roots, which invariably involves first hearing the famous scatted intro to Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" blasting out of the radio as a small child in the late 50s. The influence of that song simply can't be underestimated, and to this day it remains an undeniable and immortal example of the raw energy and passion that characterised early rock & roll. That's not to say that rock and roll was completely unheard of by the time Little Richard appeared - the likes of Chuck Berry and Ray Charles had been developing the genre over the last few years, but "Tutti Frutti" was one of its earliest true classics.

Producer Bumps Blackwell happened to stumble across Richard Penniman after being tasked by Specialty Records to find a new talent for them to develop so they could capitalise on the growing rock & roll craze, and it was a truly special talent that he discovered. Today, listening to Here's Little Richard is largely an exercise in upbeat nostalgia - the incredible surprise it must have been on its initial release has been watered down by decades of imitators and innovators. It's possible that this music no longer sounds adventurous or new, but there are two things that make it a very special record. The first is its masterful simplicity - personally, I'm a 70s man. For me, it was the 70s where musicians really capitalised on their potential and had the technological capability to fully realise their visions. But what makes music from the 50s and 60s very special is when it's able to overcome its technical limitations, and this is one of the best examples. The musical arrangements themselves are perhaps a little safe, a little predictable in places, but this puts all the more focus on the simple elements that the artists were able to control however they wanted - things like melody or harmony. Penniman here manages to assemble one of the most gloriously simple collections of hummable melodies ever committed to record, and every single one of these songs is a masterpiece of concision, of being utterly compelling and exciting without ever needing to resort to complexity in order to hold attention. The other thing that makes the record stand out is the sheer joy and energy of it. Even 50 plus years after it's release, it's still a record that can put a smile on the face of any partygoer, no matter how cynical or dismissive of old music they might be. Little Richard's voice is infectious in its energy and its passion, and the band can inject some fire into even the simplest of tunes, most notably Richard's own piano and the raucous sax parts from Lee Allen and Alvin Tyler. The album spawned a number of hit singles in addition to "Tutti Frutti," including "Long Tall Sally" and "Ready Teddy." The only complaint one could make of the album is the utter relentlessness of its mood, never once shifting from the template of one high-energy rock & roll party number following on from another following on from another. If the album were much longer, perhaps this would become a problem as the listener begins to demand a bit more variation in the tone or the mood, but at a concise half hour not one of these songs outstays its welcome, and the optimistic party mood never becomes grating. Quite simply, the ultimate party album, and the birthplace of modern rock and roll.

Track Listing:

1. Tutti Frutti (Richard Penniman; Dorothy LaBostrie & Joe Lubin)

2. True Fine Mama (Richard Penniman)

3. Can't Believe You Wanna Leave (Lloyd Price)

4. Ready Teddy (Robert Blackwell & John Marascalco)

5. Baby (Richard Penniman)

6. Slippin' And Slidin' (Peepin' And Hidin') (Richard Penniman; Eddie Bocage; Al Collins &    James Smith)

7. Long Tall Sally (Enotris Johnson; Robert Blackwell & Richard Penniman)

8. Miss Ann (Richard Penniman & Enotris Johnson)

9. Oh Why? (Winfield Scott)

10. Rip It Up (Robert Blackwell & John Marascalco)

11. Jenny, Jenny (Enotris Johnson & Richard Penniman)

12. She's Got It (John Marascalco & Richard Penniman)