Here’s Little Richard

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Work

Here’s Little Richard · This debut album by Little Richard was released on 4 March 1957 as Specialty's first twelve-inch LP. Art Rupe put it together from six hits of 1955 and 1956 and six new tracks. The producer was Bumps Blackwell, and almost everything was recorded in New Orleans, with True, Fine Mama and She's Got It in Los Angeles as the exceptions. Tutti Frutti began as a rough song that the songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie cleaned up. It is celebrated for its screamed opening phrase and the piano playing in straight eighths, which gave R&B a new pulse.

Long Tall Sally is also fast, with falsetto and hammering boogie piano. The album reached number thirteen on the Billboard chart, his highest placing. Critics regard it as one of the records from which rock 'n' roll grew, and it ranked high in lists by Rolling Stone and Time. Singers such as Otis Redding and James Brown borrowed from it, as did the Beatles and the Rolling Stones later.

Listening

Track list

1. 1Tutti Frutti2:24Apple Music ↗
2. 2True, Fine Mama2:42Apple Music ↗
3. 3Can't Believe You Wanna Leave2:25Apple Music ↗
4. 4Ready Teddy2:07Apple Music ↗
5. 5Baby2:05Apple Music ↗
6. 6Slippin' and Slidin2:28Apple Music ↗
7. 7Long Tall Sally2:08Apple Music ↗
8. 8Miss Ann2:17Apple Music ↗
9. 9Oh Why2:09Apple Music ↗
10. 10Rip It Up2:23Apple Music ↗
11. 11Jenny Jenny2:04Apple Music ↗
12. 12She's Got It2:11Apple Music ↗

30-second previews via Apple Music. Listen to the whole album on Apple Music ↗