''Here's Little Richard'' is the debut album by American musician

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

, released on March 4, 1957. Promoted as "six of Little Richard's hits and six brand new songs of hit calibre", the album compiles many of the A-sides and B-sides from Richard's hit singles including the ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large adverti ...

'' top 40 entries " Tutti Frutti", " Long Tall Sally", "

Slippin' and Slidin' "Slippin' and Slidin' (Peepin' and Hidin')" is a R&B/rock 'n' roll song performed by Little Richard. The song is credited to Little Richard, Edwin Bocage (Eddie Bo), Al Collins, and James Smith. Al Collins first recorded "I Got the Blues for You ...

", " Rip It Up" and " Jenny, Jenny" and the top 10 Rhythm and Blues Best-Sellers hits " Ready Teddy", "She's Got It" and "Miss Ann". The album's twelve tracks were produced by

Robert "Bumps" Blackwell Robert Alexander "Bumps" Blackwell (May 23, 1918 – March 9, 1985) was an American bandleader, songwriter, arranger, and record producer, best known for his work overseeing the early hits of Little Richard, as well as grooming Ray Charles ...

and recorded in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

and

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world ...

in a highly collaborative process. Several of the songs included have been characterised as innovative and important in the development of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

. ''Here's Little Richard'' was Richard's highest charting album, peaking at 13 on the ''

'' Pop Albums chart. In the years since its release, the album has been included in several lists of the greatest albums of all time including those by ''

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its ...

'' and ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and event (philosophy), events that occurs in an apparently irreversible process, irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various me ...

''.

Background

Little Richard first achieved success after signing to

Art Rupe Arthur Newton Rupe (born Arthur Goldberg; September 5, 1917 – April 15, 2022) was an American music executive and record producer. He founded Specialty Records, known for its rhythm and blues, blues, gospel and early rock and roll music reco ...

's label

Specialty Records Specialty Records was an American record label founded in Los Angeles in 1945 by Art Rupe. It was known for rhythm and blues, gospel, and early rock and roll, and recorded artists such as Little Richard, Guitar Slim, Percy Mayfield, and Lloyd Pr ...

and releasing the single " Tutti Frutti". A self-composed number which Richard had been performing live for some time, "Tutti Frutti" was recorded at J & M Studio,

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

in September 1955 after producer

had Richard's ribald lyrics revised by songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie.White, Charles (2003), p. 55 ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography.'' Omnibus Press. The song's hollered refrain (often transcribed as "a-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom!"),White, Charles (2003), pp. 49–51 ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography.'' Omnibus Press. hard-driving sound and unconventional lyrics became a model for many future Little Richard songs. Richard accompanies himself on piano on the song, playing eight-note patterns that have been cited as an innovation in

rhythm and blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

. In 2012, musicologist Lee Hildebrand stated "swing and shuffle beats had been the primary pulse of rhythm & blues until Richard introduced the even eights that would come to drive most R&B and rock music". Issued as a single in November 1955, "Tutti Frutti" was an instant hit, reaching No. 2 on ''

'' magazine's Rhythm and Blues Best-Sellers chart and crossing over to the pop charts in both the United States and overseas in the United Kingdom. In the wake of his single’s success, Richard travelled to

and recorded demos at Specialty's offices,

Radio Recorders Radio Recorders, Inc. was an American recording studio located in Los Angeles, California. During the 1940s and 1950s, Radio Recorders was one of the largest independent recording studios in the world. Notable musicians recorded at Radio Recorder ...

and Ted Brinson's studio before returning to J & M. His style of working was marked by grinding rehearsals and close collaboration with Art Rupe, Bumps Blackwell, and

recording engineer An audio engineer (also known as a sound engineer or recording engineer) helps to produce a recording or a live performance, balancing and adjusting sound sources using equalization, dynamics processing and audio effects, mixing, reproductio ...

and

studio A studio is an artist or worker's workroom. This can be for the purpose of acting, architecture, painting, pottery (ceramics), sculpture, origami, woodworking, scrapbooking, photography, graphic design, filmmaking, animation, industrial design ...

owner

Cosimo Matassa Cosimo Vincent Matassa (April 13, 1926 – September 11, 2014) was an American recording engineer and studio owner, responsible for many R&B and early rock and roll recordings. Life and career Matassa was born in New Orleans in 1926.Komorows ...

. The follow-up to "Tutti Frutti", " Long Tall Sally", was initially titled "The Thing" and was cut three times on different dates before Rupe was satisfied. In addition to the hallmarks carried over from "Tutti Frutti" such as Richard's falsetto "woo"s and his hammering

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pi ...

-styled piano, "Long Tall Sally" features a rapid fire vocal delivery. The song topped the Rhythm and Blues chart and its B-side, "

", reached No. 2. Richard's next single " Rip It Up / Ready Teddy" was his third million-seller, while "

She's Got It "She's Got It" is a 1956 song by Little Richard, written by John Marascalco and Little Richard. It was originally called "I Got It" (and Richard had also recorded a version with that title), but the lyrics were rewritten for the film ''The Girl C ...

" was another Rhythm & Blues top ten. By the end of 1956, Richard's success had led to appearances in the rock and roll films ''

Don't Knock the Rock ''Don't Knock the Rock'' is a 1956 American musical film starring Alan Dale and Alan Freed. Directed by Fred F. Sears, the film also features performances by Bill Haley & His Comets, Little Richard, The Treniers, and Dave Appell and the Appleja ...

'' and '' The Girl Can't Help It''. His frantic performance style saw him described as a "

whirling dervish The Mevlevi Order or Mawlawiyya ( tr, Mevlevilik or Mevleviyye; fa, طریقت مولویه) is a Sufi order that originated in Konya (a city now in Turkey; formerly capital of the Seljuk Sultanate) and which was founded by the followers of Jala ...

of modern entertainment" by ''

Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...

''.

''Here's Little Richard'' was Specialty's first 12-inch LP. Assembled by Art Rupe, the album compiles Richard's six hit songs from 1955-56 alongside six previously unreleased cuts with each recording featuring his distinctive "totally untameable, anarchic vocal style" pushed forward. Among the new songs on the album, "Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave" has been described as a "chugging blues lament" that, along with "Oh Why", resembles the "sedentary style of

Fats Domino Antoine Dominique Domino Jr. (February 26, 1928 – October 24, 2017), known as Fats Domino, was an American pianist, singer and songwriter. One of the pioneers of rock and roll music, Domino sold more than 65 million records. Born in New O ...

". The tender "Baby" has been likened to the work of

Clyde McPhatter Clyde Lensley McPhatter (November 15, 1932 – June 13, 1972) was an American rhythm and blues, soul, and rock and roll singer. He was one of the most widely imitated R&B singers of the 1950s and early 1960sPalmer, Robert (1981)"Roy Brown, a Pi ...

and

the Drifters The Drifters are several American doo-wop and R&B/ soul vocal groups. They were originally formed as a backing group for Clyde McPhatter, formerly the lead tenor of Billy Ward and his Dominoes in 1953. The second group of Drifters, formed i ...

. "Miss Ann" alludes to Ann Howard, a Macon woman who ran the club Ann’s Tic Toc Room. All of the songs on ''Here’s Little Richard'' were recorded in New Orleans with the exception of "True, Fine Mama" and "She’s Got It", both made in Los Angeles. The single " Jenny, Jenny/Miss Ann" was released from the album in June 1957. "Jenny, Jenny", described by ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'' as a "joyous celebration of womanhood", peaked at number ten on the US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and reached number two on the Hot Rhythm and Blues Singles chart.

Release

''Here's Little Richard'' was issued by Specialty on March 4, 1957, both as a 12-inch LP (SP-100) and as a series of three EPs (SEP-400, 401 and 402 respectively). According to author George Plasketes, the album felt "fresh but familiar" to listeners because, as it contained previously released hits, it bore similarities to a

greatest hits album A greatest hits album or best-of album is a type of compilation album that collects popular and commercially successful songs by a particular artist or band. While greatest hits albums are typically supported by the artist, they can also be creat ...

. The album spent five weeks on the ''Billboard'' Top LPs chart and peaked at number thirteen. It was Richard's only album to make the US top twenty. "True, Fine Mama" was released as a single in 1958 and again reached both the ''Billboard'' pop and R&B charts. The album was issued by Regency in Canada and

London Records London Recordings (or London Records and London Music Stream) is a British record label that marketed records in the United States, Canada, and Latin America for Decca Records from 1947 to 1980 before becoming semi-independent. The London nam ...

in the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil. In 1989, Ace issued ''The Specialty Sessions'', a six-disc boxset compiling demos, outtakes and masters from Richard's time with Specialty. On April 17, 2012,

Concord Concord may refer to: Meaning "agreement" * Pact or treaty, frequently between nations (indicating a condition of harmony) * Harmony, in music * Agreement (linguistics), a change in the form of a word depending on grammatical features of other ...

issued an expanded edition of ''Here's Little Richard'', adding demo versions of two tracks and a nine-minute interview with Art Rupe. On November 3, 2017, Concord's

Craft Recordings Craft Recordings is a record label owned by Concord. Like UMe, Legacy Recordings and Rhino Entertainment, Craft is specialized in reissues of Concord's back catalog. The imprint was founded in 2017, along with an online store by the same name ...

label released a 2-disc 60th anniversary edition featuring 22 bonus tracks.

Critical reception and legacy

Reviewing ''Here's Little Richard'' upon its release, ''

'' praised the "striking" cover art and commented "Richard's frantic up-tempo wailings will definitely be greeted enthusiastically by the jive set". ''

Cash Box ''Cashbox'', also known as ''Cash Box'', was an American music industry trade magazine, originally published weekly from July 1942 to November 1996. Ten years after its dissolution, it was revived and continues as ''Cashbox Magazine'', an onli ...

'' described the album as a "refresher course of previous R&R smashes", noting "with hardly a spare breath, the young entertainer belts out some of his biggest hits". A less favourable notice came from the '' Duncannon Record'', whose anonymous reviewer commented "the full treatment did not altogether convince me that rock is my salvation in the realm of the arts. But I will admit I could follow the beat and there were times when I was able to suppress my spleen long enough to allow my foot to tap". Among retrospective reviews, Mark Deming of

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Music ...

commented that "these 12 tunes may not represent the alpha and omega of Little Richard's best music, but every song is a classic and unlike many of his peers, time has refused to render this first album quaint -- Richard's grainy scream remains one of the great sounds in rock & roll history, and the thunder of his piano and the frantic wail of the band is still the glorious call of a Friday night with pay in the pocket and trouble in mind". Writing for ''

'' in 2010,

Alan Light Alan Light (born August 4, 1966) is an American journalist who has been a rock critic for ''Rolling Stone'' and the editor-in-chief for ''Vibe,'' ''Spin,'' and ''Tracks''.http://archive.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2003/11/18/new_music_ ...

described the album as "glorious anarchy, let loose by a crack team of

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

musicians with the most distinctive, most outrageous voice of them all leading the charge". Reviewing the album's 2012 reissue, Terry Staunton of ''

'' deemed the album's "raucous rockers" still startling and "rarely equalled for their flash and ferocity". In 2014, ''

Classic Rock Classic rock is a US radio format which developed from the album-oriented rock (AOR) format in the early 1980s. In the United States, the classic rock format comprises rock music ranging generally from the mid-1960s through the mid 1990s, prim ...

s Matt Stock wrote "every track on ''Here's Little Richard'' is a stone-cold classic". In 2003, the album was ranked number 50 on ''

'' magazine's list of

the 500 greatest albums of all time "The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time" is a recurring opinion survey and music ranking of the finest albums in history, compiled by the American magazine ''Rolling Stone''. It is based on weighted votes from selected musicians, critics, and indust ...

, maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list, but dropping to number 227 in the 2020 revision. It is included in the book ''

1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die ''1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die'' is a musical reference book first published in 2005 by Universe Publishing. Part of the ''1001 Before You Die'' series, it compiles writings and information on albums chosen by a panel of music critics ...

'' and ''Time'' listed it in the Top 100 Albums of All Time in 2010. In the former, writer Michael Lydon described ''Here's Little Richard'' as a "flat-out classic" and further described it as "rock 'n' roll's stem cells" in that it was one of only a few albums from which "the whole genre grew". Similarly, Plasketes wrote that the record's songs impacted the vocals and performance styles of performers including

Otis Redding Otis Ray Redding Jr. (September 9, 1941 – December 10, 1967) was an American singer and songwriter. He is considered one of the greatest singers in the history of American popular music and a seminal artist in soul music and rhythm and blues. ...

James Brown James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, dancer, musician, record producer and bandleader. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th century music, he is often referred to by the hono ...

, Richard Berry,

Etta James Jamesetta Hawkins (January 25, 1938 – January 20, 2012), known professionally as Etta James, was an American singer who performed in various genres, including gospel, blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, and soul. Starting her career in 1954, sh ...

Big Al Downing Al Downing (January 9, 1940 – July 4, 2005), later known as Big Al Downing, was an American musician, and entertainer. He received the Billboard's New Artist of the Year and the Single of the Year Award in 1979. He was inducted into the Rocka ...

and Thurston Harris, while noting that the record's more animated songs would later attract interpreters such as

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

Paul McCartney Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. One ...

John Fogerty John Cameron Fogerty (born May 28, 1945) is an American singer, songwriter and guitarist. Together with Doug Clifford, Stu Cook, and his brother Tom Fogerty, he founded the band Creedence Clearwater Revival (CCR), for which he was the lead s ...

Mitch Ryder Mitch Ryder (born William Sherille Levise, Jr.; February 26, 1945) is an American musician who has recorded more than 25 albums over more than four decades. Career Ryder formed his first band, Tempest, when he was at Warren High School, and th ...

and

the Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically dr ...

. The opening track " Tutti Frutti" was listed as number 43 in ''Rolling Stones 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Richard would later re-record versions of the album's songs for other labels.

Track listing

Side one # " Tutti Frutti" (

Richard Penniman Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

, Dorothy LaBostrie) – 2:25 # "True, Fine Mama" (Penniman) – 2:43 # "Can't Believe You Wanna Leave" (Leo Price) – 2:28 # " Ready Teddy" (

Robert Blackwell Robert Alexander "Bumps" Blackwell (May 23, 1918 – March 9, 1985) was an American bandleader, songwriter, arranger, and record producer, best known for his work overseeing the early hits of Little Richard, as well as grooming Ray Charle ...

John Marascalco John S. Marascalco (March 27, 1931 – July 5, 2020) was an American songwriter most noted for the songs he wrote for Little Richard. He was born in Grenada, Mississippi and died in Los Angeles, California. Career Marascalco co-wrote several of ...

) – 2:09 # "Baby" (Penniman) – 2:06 # "

" (Penniman,

Eddie Bo Edwin Joseph Bocage (September 20, 1930 – March 18, 2009), known as Eddie Bo, was an American singer and pianist from New Orleans. Schooled in jazz, he was known for his blues, soul and funk recordings, compositions, productions and arrang ...

cage, Al Collins, James Smith) – 2:42 Side two #

" Long Tall Sally" ( Enotris Johnson, Blackwell, Penniman) – 2:10 # "Miss Ann" (Penniman, Johnson) – 2:17 # "Oh Why?" (

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

) – 2:09 # " Rip It Up" (Blackwell, Marascalco) – 2:23 # " Jenny, Jenny" (Johnson, Penniman) – 2:04 # "

" (Marascalco, Penniman) – 2:26

2012 bonus tracks

"Baby" (Demo) (Penniman) – 4:22 #"All Night Long" (Demo) (Penniman) – 2:49 #"Interview with Specialty Records Founder Art Rupe" (Paul Jones) – 9:13

2017 bonus tracks

"Tutti Frutti" (Take 2) (Penniman, LaBostrie) – 1:31 # "True Fine Mama" (Incomplete Take) (Penniman) – 1:11 # "Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave" (Take 6) (Price) – 2:25 # "Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave" (Take 8) (Price) – 2:23 # "Ready Teddy" (Take 1) (Blackwell, Marascalco) – 1:32 # "Ready Teddy" (Takes 2 & 3) (Blackwell, Marascalco) – 2:09 # "Baby" (Demo) (Penniman) – 4:18 # "Baby"(Take 1) (Penniman) – 2:22 # "Slippin and Slidin" (Demo) – 1:47 # "Slippin' and Slidin" (Piano & Drums Demo) – 1:57 # "Long Tall Sally" (Take 1) (Johnson, Blackwell, Penniman) – 2:01 # "Long Tall Sally" (Take 6) (Johnson, Blackwell, Penniman) – 2:07 # "Miss Ann" (Demo) (Penniman, Johnson) – 1:43 # "Miss Ann" (Take 1) (Penniman, Johnson) – 2:29 # "Miss Ann" (Take 6) (Penniman, Johnson) – 2:51 # "Oh Why?" (Takes 3 & 4) (Scott) – 2:23 # "Oh Why?" (Take 9) (Scott) – 2:14 # "Rip It Up" (Take 1) (Blackwell, Marascalco) – 1:15 # "Rip It Up" (Take 3) (Blackwell, Marascalco) – 2:20 # "Rip It Up" (Take 4) (Blackwell, Marascalco) – 1:48 # "Rip It Up" (Take 6) (Blackwell, Marascalco) – 3:10 # "She’s Got It" (Alternate Version) (Marascalco, Penniman) – 2:28

Personnel

– vocals, piano (except on 5 and 9) *

Lee Allen Lee Allen may refer to: *Lee Allen (wrestler) (1934–2012), wrestler and coach *Lee Allen (baseball) (1915–1969), baseball historian * Lee Allen (musician) (1927–1994), saxophone player * Lee Allen (artist) (1910–2006), American artist and oc ...

– tenor saxophone (except on 2 and 12) *

Alvin "Red" Tyler Alvin Owen "Red" Tyler (December 5, 1925 – April 3, 1998) was an American R&B and neo-bop jazz saxophonist, composer and arranger, regarded as "one of the most important figures in New Orleans R&B". Biography Born and raised in New Orleans, Ty ...

– baritone saxophone (except on 2 and 12) * Frank Fields – bass (except on 2 and 12) *

Earl Palmer Earl Cyril Palmer (October 25, 1924 – September 19, 2008) was an American drummer. Considered one of the inventors of rock and roll, he is a member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Palmer was one of the most prolific studio musicians of a ...

– drums (except on 2 and 12) *

Edgar Blanchard Edgar Vernon Blanchard (August 17, 1924 – September 16, 1972) was an American R&B guitarist, bandleader and arranger who was prominent in the musical life of New Orleans between the 1940s and 1960s. He was born in Grosse Tête, Louisiana, th ...

– guitar (except on 1, 2, 5, 9 and 12)

Additional personnel

*Justin Adams – guitar on 1 and 5 * Huey Smith – piano on 5 *Renald Richard – trumpet on 2 *Clarence Ford – tenor sax, baritone sax on 2 *Joe Tillman – tenor sax on 2 *William "Frosty" Pyles – guitar on 2 *Lloyd Lambert – bass on 2 *Oscar Moore – drums on 2 *

Roy Montrell Roy Montrell (27 February 1928 – 16 May 1979) was an American rhythm & blues guitarist who performed on hundreds of records produced in New Orleans. Born Raymond Eustis Montrell, in New Orleans, Louisiana,Bob L. Eagle, Eric S. LeBlanc, ''Blues: A ...

– guitar on 9 *Wilbert Smith – tenor sax on 12 *

Grady Gaines Grady Gaines (May 14, 1934 – January 29, 2021) was an American electric blues, Texas blues and jazz blues tenor saxophonist, who performed and recorded with Little Richard in the 1950s. He backed other musicians such as Dee Clark, Little Wil ...

– tenor sax on 12 *Clifford Burks – tenor sax on 12 *Jewell Grant – baritone sax on 12 *Nathaniel Douglas – guitar on 12 *Olsie Richard Robinson – bass on 12 *

Charles Connor Charles Connor (January 14, 1935 – July 31, 2021) was an American drummer, best known as a member of Little Richard's band. Richard's shout of "a-wop bop-a loo-mop, a-lop bam-boom" at the beginning of "Tutti Frutti" is said to be a reference ...

– drums on 12

Charts

Weekly

Singles

References

{{Authority control 1957 debut albums Little Richard albums Specialty Records albums Albums produced by Robert Blackwell

Background

Contents

Release

Critical reception and legacy

Track listing

2012 bonus tracks

2017 bonus tracks

Personnel

Additional personnel

Charts

Weekly

Singles

See also

References