The Georgia Peach

Little Richard

album cover

The First Rock and Roll Whirlwind

Before popular music became a forum for deep thoughts about the human condition, it was mainly about a-whop-bop-a-lu-bop. It was Little Richard. Peeping and sliding and pounding the piano, transmitting on a frequency of pure electric sensation, Richard embodied the spirit of rock and roll like nobody else. On his stage, rock was twitchy and irresistible, a highly addictive potion with no known antidote. You had to be ready for his blend of frenzied gospel, jump blues, and R&B, because with just a lurch into that heaven-bound falsetto, the diminutive Richard Penniman from Macon, Georgia, skipped the ramp-up and took you straight to the higher ground.

The pianist and singer first recorded for RCA Victor Records in 1952, an unremarkable session. He kicked around the South for the next few years, and encountered Lloyd Price, then riding high with a crossover hit called "Lawdy Miss Clawdy." Price advised Richard to send Specialty head Art Rupe a tape, and in September 1955, Rupe, said to be mildly impressed with Richard's talent, sent a $600 advance and arranged for a session in New Orleans. Legend has it that after a frustrating morning spent recording blues songs, Richard entertained the musicians at lunch with an impromptu romp through the explicit "Tutti Frutti Good Booty," which impressed the executive Bumps Blackwell so much he asked a local songwriter, Dorothy LaBostrie, to craft less explicit lyrics. The song, revised as "Tutti Frutti" and recorded in a flash, launched Little Richard. Over the next couple of years, Richard would define—and then exhaust—a singular rock and roll sound. His amazing string of singles, all represented on this comprehensive anthology, includes "Long Tall Sally," "Slippin' and Slidin' (Peepin' and Hidin')," and "Good Golly Miss Molly," as well as updates of pieces made famous by Louis Jordan ("Keep a knockin'") and Jerry Lee Lewis (Richard does an absolutely blazing version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"). The explosion of interest led to appearances in movies (The Girl Can't Help It), and Richard blossomed into an international star—the Beatles opened for him in the U.K.

The ride ended as quickly as it began. In late 1957, Richard experienced a religious awakening that prompted the first of several "retirements." He attempted comebacks throughout the '60s, continued to be a powerful live performer, and eventually recorded several memorable gospel albums. Usually such a long period of "decline" is cause for lament. But with Little Richard—whose influence on Prince, James Brown, Michael Jackson, and others is unmissable—the initial contribution was so huge, it seems almost inevitable that his prime would be abbreviated. Nobody burns that brightly for long.

Genre: R&B
Released: 1991, Specialty
Key Tracks: "Tutti Frutti," "Keep a Knockin'."
Catalog Choice: Little Richard Is Back; God Is Real
Next Stop: Esquerita: Vintage Voola
After That: Jerry Lee Lewis: Eighteen Original Sun Greatest Hits
Book Pages: 451–452