The Essential Little Richard: Architect of Rock & Roll
What remains to be said about Little Richard that he hasn’t articulated better himself? “I am the innovator! I am the originator! I am the emancipator! I am the architect! I’m rock & roll!” he declared to an interviewer, adding, “Now I am not saying that to be vain or conceited.” No, Little Richard — born Richard Penniman in Macon, Georgia, in 1932 — was simply stating facts. His impact is immeasurable, defining the very core of what makes music exciting and rebellious. Understanding the Essential Little Richard means understanding the bedrock of popular music itself. The Beatles honed their ecstatic falsetto shouts listening to him; James Brown credited him as “the first to put the funk in rhythm.” Bob Dylan famously wrote in his yearbook that his ambition was “to join Little Richard,” and a nine-year-old David Bowie acquired a saxophone with the same aspiration. The glam rock era spearheaded by Bowie, Mick Jagger’s iconic prancing, and Prince’s psychosexual explorations are difficult to envision without Richard’s pioneering androgynous flamboyance.
Little Richard stood out as the most audacious among the foundational rock & rollers. His sexual expression lacked the down-home charm of Elvis Presley, the sly wit of Chuck Berry, the wolfish intensity of Jerry Lee Lewis, the pop sensibilities of Buddy Holly, or the avuncular warmth of Fats Domino. Richard’s signature feral woo merged the spiritual and the orgasmic, permanently altering how musicians convey desire. As Jimi Hendrix aptly put it, “I want to do with my guitar what Little Richard does with his voice.” His music wasn’t just heard; it was felt – a visceral, untamed energy that continues to resonate. Exploring his key tracks reveals the blueprint for much of the music that followed, solidifying his place as an indispensable figure in music history.
“Tutti-Frutti” (1955)
A-wop-bom-a-loo-mop-a-lomp-bom-bom. Little Richard reportedly conceived rock & roll’s greatest (perhaps first) nonsense lyric to describe a drum fill he envisioned. Alternatively, he claimed it was his retort to his boss while washing dishes at the Macon Greyhound station. Recognizing a hit in the raw energy Richard unleashed during a recording break, producer Bumps Blackwell enlisted songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie to refine the original lyrics, which overtly celebrated “good booty” and offered practical advice on anal sex (“If it don’t fit, don’t force it/You can grease it, make it easy”). Though “Tutti-Frutti” was toned down from explicit to suggestive, Richard’s lustful, tumbling onomatopoeia conveyed a carnal joy far exceeding conventional language – the final syllables almost echo the sound of bodies colliding.
Black and white portrait of a young Little Richard, architect of rock and roll, known for essential hits like Tutti-Frutti.
“Long Tall Sally (The Thing)” (1956)
While “Tutti Frutti” reveled in lascivious nonsense, its successor “Long Tall Sally” charged forward with lusty innuendo. Little Richard narrates spotting Uncle John sneaking Sally through an alley, threatening to inform Aunt Mary. However, his delivery makes it clear he sides with the clandestine couple, not the tattletale. The precise nature of their activities remains ambiguous, but the secrecy and Sally’s bald head hint at something illicit, even unconventional – territory not tread by the conventional “good guys.” This untamed spirit earned Richard his first R&B chart-topper and his inaugural Top 10 pop hit, proving irresistible to subsequent generations of rockers, notably The Beatles. John Lennon confessed, “When I heard it, it was so great I couldn’t speak,” and Paul McCartney meticulously studied it, making it a staple showcase in the Fab Four’s early performances.
Little Richard performing energetically on stage, showcasing the wildness inherent in his essential track Long Tall Sally.
“Slippin’ and Slidin’” (1956)
“Another cat put ‘Slippin’ and Slidin” out before I did, Eddie Bo, and it was a hit by him in New Orleans,” Richard revealed to Rolling Stone in 1970. “They put mine out the following week, and it killed him, because he didn’t have the rhythm, you see, he didn’t have that thing I have.” Contrasting Richard’s rock & roll inferno with Bo’s smoother New Orleans R&B shuffle (titled “I’m Wise”) highlights Richard’s unique “thing” – his indefinable je ne sais woo. While pianists like Jerry Lee Lewis and Chuck Berry’s sideman Johnnie Johnson might have displayed more melodic ingenuity, Little Richard’s percussive keyboard assault provided the essential rhythmic foundation, freeing up master drummer Earl Palmer to embellish underneath.
Early photo of Little Richard at the piano, capturing the percussive energy behind essential songs like Slippin' and Slidin'.
“Ready Teddy” (1956)
“Ready, set, go man go.” The opening line acts as a starting gun, Richard’s voice the ensuing blast propelling singer and band in a sprint towards the chorus’s end. Each verse is essentially an a cappella shout punctuated by percussive bursts, building anticipation that climaxes in the chorus’s raw excitement. This energy makes Richard’s claim of merely heading to a sock hop sound like a thin excuse for far less innocent plans. John Marascalco and Robert Blackwell “brought me the words and I made up the melody and at the time I didn’t have sense enough to claim so much money, because I really made them hits,” Richard told Rolling Stone in 1970. “I didn’t get the money, but I still have the freedom.”
Little Richard in a dynamic pose, embodying the readiness expressed in his essential rock & roll hit Ready Teddy.
“Heeby-Jeebies” (1956)
Little Richard’s songs embodied rock & roll’s dedication to velocity, typically conveying associated optimism, enthusiasm, and restlessness. Yet, on this frantic track (distinct from the Louis Armstrong classic), Richard seems to sing faster than the beat itself, as if his need for acceleration is uncontrollable. This fits the theme, as he laments the “jinx” his “bad luck baby” has cast upon him. It’s unsurprising that Otis Redding, arguably the rawest Sixties soul giant, who cited Richard as “my inspiration” and even performed with Richard’s band, The Upsetters, launched his career performing “Heeby-Jeebies” at a talent show, winning it for 15 consecutive weeks.
Classic image of Little Richard, whose frantic energy on songs like Heeby-Jeebies influenced soul singers like Otis Redding.
“All Around the World” (1956)
Little Richard defined “rock & roll” simply as fast R&B: “Played uptempo, you call it rock & roll; at a regular tempo, you call it rhythm & blues.” Jumpy, light on the bottom end, and horn-driven, “All Around the World” differs rhythmically from Richard’s more frenetically paced hits. While slightly slower, it’s no less exuberant and unequivocally rock & roll. The message “Rock & roll is here to stay” was common by 1956, but “All Around the World” raises the stakes, insisting the new sound was a global phenomenon – a point Richard would soon reinforce by touring as far as Australia.
Little Richard gesturing broadly, reflecting the global message in his essential track All Around the World.
“The Girl Can’t Help It” (1956)
Typically, Little Richard required no backup; his voice alone possessed the power of a full quartet. “The Girl Can’t Help It” serves as the exception proving this rule. On the title track for the 1956 Jayne Mansfield film, Richard engages in a call-and-response with background singers, shouts that amplify the frenzy of this two-and-a-half-minute musical catcall. The beat swings – nodding to the fact that Fats Domino was initially considered for the song – but Richard pushes his vocals to their limit. It’s this full-throated wail that imbues the record with an atmosphere of unrestrained sexuality.
Promotional shot of Little Richard, associated with the film and essential song The Girl Can't Help It.
“Rip It Up” (1956)
An implicit violence resides in the title “Rip It Up,” Little Richard’s second R&B chart-topper. Despite this promise of chaos, the track surprisingly allows for some breathing room. Richard refrains from screaming the vocals; instead, he floats his falsetto during the chorus. The band swings effortlessly, creating a single that genuinely grooves. His contemporaries approached it differently – Elvis Presley’s rendition rocked harder, The Everly Brothers transformed it into a hop tune – but Little Richard’s version showcases his mastery of jump blues, an endearing quality for a rocker typically operating at maximum intensity.
Little Richard looking sharp, representing the confident swing of his essential hit Rip It Up.
“Send Me Some Lovin’” (1957)
Little Richard’s monumental impact on rock & roll sometimes overshadows his significant role in soul music’s development. “He has done so much for our music,” Sam Cooke stated in 1962, and Otis Redding, as noted, was equally admiring. Comparing Richard’s performance of “Send Me Some Lovin'” to the versions later recorded by both soul legends, each in their distinctive style, reveals the diverse paths Richard’s influence forged. Traces of his carefully articulated consonants and embellished vowels can be heard in Cooke’s smooth delivery, while his moments of heightened intensity seem to sketch a blueprint for the soulfully raw pleading Redding would later perfect.
Reflective pose of Little Richard, whose essential track Send Me Some Lovin' showcased his influence on soul music.
“Jenny Jenny” (1957)
While acknowledging the dynamic interplay between Lee Allen’s tenor sax and Alvin “Red” Tyler’s baritone, “Jenny Jenny” functions less as a conventional song and more as a marvel of American engineering – a hyperkinetic, streamlined system designed to deliver the most valuable postwar commodity: Little Richard woos. This sound traversed the Atlantic to Liverpool. “I could do Little Richard’s voice, which is a wild, hoarse, screaming thing, it’s like an out-of-body experience,” remarked Paul McCartney, who was indeed one of Richard’s most adept imitators. “You have to leave your current sensibilities and go about a foot above your head to sing it.”
Little Richard captured mid-performance, channeling the energy for the essential whoops in Jenny Jenny.
“Lucille” (1957)
“Lucille” embodies pure frenzy – the drums pound relentlessly, and the horns wail, driving their refrain into submission. In a guitarist’s hands, this brassy blare would be termed a riff, which is precisely what happened as the song was repeatedly covered by heavy rock acts like Status Quo, AC/DC, and The Sonics. Yet, it sounded plenty heavy when performed by The Beatles too. Nothing, however, surpassed the original, thanks entirely to Little Richard, who cries out like a man possessed by a carnal yearning he knows, despite his desperate pleas, will remain unfulfilled.
Intense close-up of Little Richard, reflecting the desperate yearning in his essential classic Lucille.
“Keep A-Knockin’” (1957)
John Bonham famously borrowed Earl Palmer’s drum intro from “Keep A-Knockin'” for Led Zeppelin’s “Rock and Roll,” implicitly acknowledging that this 1957 single is the essence of rock & roll. Ostensibly an answer song to Smiley Lewis’s relaxed 1955 shuffle “I Hear You Knockin’,” “Keep A-Knockin'” is pure, unadulterated noise. Following Palmer’s hard-driving shuffle intro, Little Richard yells for the persistent visitor to leave. From there, it becomes a contest between Richard and his saxophonist to create the loudest possible racket. Rock & roll arguably never sounded louder, better, or more definitive than this.
Little Richard pointing emphatically, matching the forceful energy of his essential rock anthem Keep A-Knockin'.
“Good Golly, Miss Molly” (1958)
Demonstrating T.S. Eliot’s observation that mature artists steal rather than imitate, Little Richard adopted a catchphrase exclaimed by Southern DJ Jimmy Pennick for his song title and borrowed Ike Turner’s piano introduction from Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88.” “I always liked that record,” Richard recalled, “and I used to use the riff in my act, so when we were looking for a lead-in to ‘Good Golly, Miss Molly,’ I did that and it fit.” Yet, “Good Golly, Miss Molly” unmistakably sounds like pure Little Richard. His voice pushes into the red on every line, and each time he exclaims the title, it sounds spontaneous, as if conceived in that very moment.
Animated Little Richard at the piano, conveying the spontaneous energy of the essential hit Good Golly, Miss Molly.
“Ooh! My Soul” (1958)
“Elvis may be the King of Rock & Roll,” Little Richard once stated, “But I am the Queen.” His statements about his sexuality could be alternately cagey and frank, sometimes within the same sentence – “I believe I was the founder of gay,” he told John Waters, without explicit admission. Yet, from his towering, sculpted pompadour and mascara-enhanced eyes to his orgasmic whoops and flamboyant physicality, Richard was an undeniable pioneer of rock & roll androgyny. “Ooh! My Soul” might be his most flirtatiously gender-bending performance on record. He charges through the verses like a showboating star athlete, then delivers the title with the cute squeal of a coquettish cheerleader, ultimately sounding like he’s seducing himself, the post-climactic giggle confirming his own irresistible charm.
Flamboyant Little Richard, embodying the androgynous charm evident in essential tracks like Ooh! My Soul.
“Kansas City”/”Hey Hey Hey Hey” (1959)
Little Richard recorded two versions of the Lieber/Stoller classic “Kansas City” in 1955. The first, more conventional take closely follows Little Willie Littlefield’s original recording. However, on the second version, he imprinted his unique personality, breaking into a shout of “hey hey hey hey,” echoed by an enthusiastic chorus. Before this second take saw release in 1959 (coinciding with Wilbert Harrison’s hit version), Richard had recorded a separate song titled “Hey Hey Hey Hey,” about returning “back to Birmingham,” featuring the same introductory seven-note guitar lick and drum roll as his “Kansas City.” This clever maneuvering allowed Little Richard not only to make “Kansas City” his own but also to collect royalties when The Beatles covered his medley version.
Little Richard in performance mode, capturing the energy behind his essential medley Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey.
“By the Light of the Silvery Moon” (1959)
In 1956, Fats Domino found success reviving old popular tunes, notably taking the 1940 song “Blueberry Hill” high on the R&B and pop charts. Little Richard emulated this approach in 1959, reaching back fifty years for the Tin Pan Alley standard “By the Light of the Silvery Moon.” His rendition is limber and nimble, spurred by honking horns and driven by an insistent shuffle rhythm. While the rhythm is infectious, the single truly shines through Richard’s vocal performance. Grinning and mincing, he skirts the edge of camp; he isn’t mocking the beloved classic but rather giving it a knowing, sly wink.
Little Richard with a sly expression, mirroring the campy yet essential take on By the Light of the Silvery Moon.
“Bama Lama Bama Loo” (1964)
“Bama Lama Bama Loo” represents Little Richard’s first attempt to recapture his past glory. Following a period of label hopping in the early Sixties, he returned to Specialty Records in 1964 and released this burst of ecstatic nonsense. With its characteristic gibberish and screams, the song clearly aimed to evoke the spirit of “Tutti Frutti.” While it doesn’t quite reach that early intensity – he was slightly older and less wild – Richard cannily transforms aging into an advantage. He allows the rhythm to slow slightly, settling into a thick, grooving shuffle.
Little Richard in the mid-60s, attempting a comeback with essential, energetic tracks like Bama Lama Bama Loo.
“I Don’t Know What You’ve Got but It’s Got Me” (1965)
Although it didn’t cross over to the pop charts, “I Don’t Know What You’ve Got but It’s Got Me” became Little Richard’s final significant R&B hit in late 1965. Appropriately, the song’s aesthetic belongs more to Sixties soul than Fifties R&B. A gospel-infused slow-burner, so languid it was split into two parts for its single release, the track finds Little Richard embracing the deep soul sound emerging from Southern hubs like Stax/Volt. Unsurprisingly, this earthy context brought out Richard’s best. He connected with his gospel roots more profoundly than on his seminal Specialty recordings, demonstrating his capacity for powerful, passionate testimony.
Soulful image of Little Richard from the mid-60s, reflecting the deep soul of essential hits like I Don't Know What You've Got but It's Got Me.
“I Need Love” (1967)
During his mid-Sixties tenure at Okeh Records, Little Richard was somewhat adrift, trying to navigate the changing landscape of soul music. He achieved a minor hit with “Poor Dog (Who Can’t Wag His Own Tail),” but the electrifying “I Need Love” was a far superior effort. Despite going largely unnoticed, failing even to chart on the R&B listings, the single features Richard riding an uptempo Southern soul groove reminiscent of Otis Redding. He successfully makes this vibrant sound his own, adding a flashy showbiz flair as he modulates his delivery, building towards choruses so explosive they feel cathartic.
Little Richard performing in the late 60s, showcasing the Southern soul power of essential tracks like I Need Love.
“Freedom Blues” (1970)
Like many veteran rock & rollers, Little Richard gained an opportunity to connect with a new audience as the Seventies began. Signing with Reprise Records in 1970, he chose not to simply recreate the sound of his past hits – a path Fats Domino pursued – but instead plunged into the thick, funky sounds of the era. With its deeply Southern groove, “Freedom Blues” functions as both a civil-rights anthem and a reflection of the paisley-hued zeitgeist. What stands out is not just Richard’s impassioned performance, but also his skillful integration of counterculture elements into a single that retains significant impact today.
Little Richard in the early 70s, embracing funk and social commentary in essential tracks like Freedom Blues.
Conclusion
From the primal scream of “Tutti-Frutti” to the funky declaration of “Freedom Blues,” the Essential Little Richard represents more than just a collection of hits; it’s a testament to the raw, untamed energy that birthed rock & roll. His self-proclaimed titles – Innovator, Originator, Emancipator, Architect – were not hyperbole but accurate descriptors of his seismic impact on music and culture. These key tracks showcase his unparalleled vocal power, his pioneering flamboyance that challenged gender norms, and his ability to inject pure, unadulterated joy and rebellion into every note. He laid the groundwork for countless artists across genres, from rock and soul to funk and glam. Listening to these essential recordings isn’t just revisiting music history; it’s experiencing the lightning strike that changed popular music forever. Little Richard’s legacy is not confined to the past; his spirit of innovation and audacious self-expression continues to inspire.
