Now that we've looked at some Post-Punk, it's time to turn our attention to the other new genre being featured... Rockabilly! And I've brought a legendary album by an iconic musician, one that is sure to get you up on the dance-hall floor!
Here's Little Richard
As soon as I decided to start bringing Rockabilly and classic Rock 'n Roll albums, I knew which one to bring first!
Little Richard is one of the most famous Rock 'n Rollers throughout history, and was one of the figureheads who helped usher in it's golden age. Starting off in Macon, Georgia ("We've got to get to Macon, Clementine!") as Richard Penniman, he took to music naturally and become the strongest (and most infamous) singer in his church choir. With a powerful voice and a fantastic range, he found an idol in Sister Rosetta Tharpe, a very important woman in the history of Rock 'n Roll (seriously, you should check out her songs sometime. Powerful stuff!), and even managed to meet (and sing with) her at one of her shows. It seemed like Little Richard (who got his nickname "Little" from his small stature as a child) was destined to become a musician, however things didn't go so smoothly for him. His family believed that the hip R & B music of the day was morally unfounded, and refused to let him sing it. So he took the advice of one of his friends, and hit the road.
Little Richard, moments before axe-kicking his piano into pieces!
He traveled around the country with various circus and entertainment acts, singing at shows and in clubs, and doing whatever odd-job he could to make money. Eventually, he caught the attention of talent scouts and record labels, however he always ended up falling out with them. Until he joined Specialty Records, that is. At first, they didn't know what to do with him, but after hearing Little Richard sing his signature song "Tutti Frutti" in a club, his producer knew that he had a hit on his hands. His label quickly changed the dirty lyrics (Seriously. Check out the original lyrics of Tutti Frutti sometime, it's a fun read!) into something more family friendly, and cut a single. Of course, as everyone who was alive back in the fifties knows, Tutti Frutti became a hit, and he followed up on his success with the immortal chart-topper "Long Tall Sally". From then on, he would come to be known as the man that helped to push R & B and Boogie Woogie into the wild style that would come be known as Rock 'n Roll!
Little Richard also laid down a few traditions that carried on into the world of Rock 'n Roll. The most famous is the tradition of "panty-throwing", where ladies throw their underwear at a performer during a show. Believe it or not, the first recorded instance of this occurring was at one of his shows (although I wouldn't be surprised if someone threw their underwear at Mozart back in the day. Guy was a lady's man!), and it kind of became a tradition for his female fans to throw underwear at him. He was also one of the original "shock-rock" performers (along with Screamin' Jay Hawkins and Jerry Lee Lewis), using all of his energy to move around and sing wildly (not to mention putting his foot up on the piano). While it may not seem so crazy now, audiences back then had never seen anything like it! Also, Little Richard helped to bring people together, and to ease the racial tensions of the 1950's. His shows allowed both white and black audiences, who regularly left their specified areas so that they could dance together during his fast numbers. Being in close proximity allowed the youth of both races to dispel the myths perpetuated by racists, and helped to usher in a new age of integration.
Now, let's take a look at his first LP (which I believe shares the name of his first EP, "Here's Little Richard")!
1. "Tutti Frutti" - Breaking out of the silence with the most iconic song intro of all time (you know the one), the song hits you with such an infectious charm that you can't help but smile! Little Richard's voice is just dripping with energy and excitement, and it's almost like he was sticking out his hand and asking people worldwide to get up and dance! With millions of copies sold, I think it's safe to say that the world took him up on his offer.
2. "True, Fine Mama" - And here begins the tradition of the piano intro, one that would appear in many of his songs (Like "Slippin' and Slidin'" and "Lucille"). Similar in tune to "Good Golly Miss Molly", this one is an R & B number with a lot of guts!
3. "Can't Believe You Wanna Leave" - A slower R & B shuffle in the tradition of Fats Domino, with Little Richard's voice adding a lot of power and depth to an otherwise fairly simple track. His vocal "hiccups", where he ends a vocal line by going up in pitch, was very influential, and became a tradition in Rockabilly.
4. "Ready Teddy" - A fantastic rocker that's similar in style to "Tutti Frutti" and "Rip It Up", the quick back-beat of the drumming works perfectly with the saxophone playing (which culminates in a saxophone solo)! This is a great number that has been covered quite a few times.
Little Richard also starred in many movies back in the 1950's and 1960's, performing his hit songs!
5. "Baby" - The twelve bar blues always sound great, even when they're being played by saxophones rather than guitars! This one is another R & B shuffle, and Little Richard doesn't hold back as he attacks with his rough and compelling vocals!
6. "Slippin' and Slidin'" - Another fantastic track that has been covered by many artists, I believe it was the B-Side to "Long Tall Sally" (Or at least it is on the Specialty 45 that I own). Infectiously fun, it was practically made for the clubs and dance-halls!
7. "Long Tall Sally" - A song that truly needs no introduction. If you're hearing it for the first time (What?! Haven't you ever seen Predator, man?!), then I hope you're holding onto something tightly, otherwise you're going to start dancing without control (Seriously, the human body naturally reacts to this song by jumping around. It can't be helped!). Probably the most infectious Rock 'n Roll song ever crafted, this enduring hit went on to influence everyone from The Beatles to The Sonics.
I'm trying so hard to not quote the helicopter scene from Predator...
8. "Miss Ann" - Slowing down with another R & B number, this one sounds fairly similar to "Kansas City". I didn't mention it before, but Little Richard's signature technique (Screaming "Yow!", followed by a drum break and saxophone solo) is just the best thing ever recorded!
9. "Oh Why?" - A fairly slow crawler with Little Richard offering haunting and impactful vocals, this one is a fun song about a guy who dreams about being on trial for still loving the girl who he broke-up with!
10. "Rip It Up" - The ultimate party song, Rip It Up is another track that has been covered by just about every Rock 'n Roller (Eddie Cochran, Wanda Jackon, Gene Vincent, The Beatles, etc.). This is an anthem for everyone who's ever woken up on a saturday and decided to throw away all inhibitions and let loose, before the week starts over and they have to go back to work. If it's saturday night and you've just been paid, what else can you do but have a ball?
11. "Jenny, Jenny" - A number that rocks and rolls it's way across the dance floor, this one was apparently a favorite to perform live for Gerry Roslie (The singer of The Sonics). You gotta love the saxophones and slamming drums!
12. "She's Got It" - Finishing off the album is a great fast rocker, which as usual is full of Little Richard's wild energy!
Every time I bring an album here, I almost always finish with the same sentiment: That it's a good album, but not exactly a must-hear. Well this is a must-hear! If you have a music collection, whether it's a massive library of LP's, a bunch of MP3's on your computer, or even just a few dusty CD's that you keep on your desk, you absolutely need to hear these songs! Of course they're legendary and iconic, but more importantly, they're insanely fun! They're important historically and culturally, while still sounding exciting and fresh to modern audiences, and saying that they are timeless is not an understatement.