It was ‘Ready Teddy’ that Marascalco first took to Specialty and they asked him if he had any more his reply? Yes, ‘Rip It Up.’ Johnny Marascalco wrote both sides along with Blackwell. It became Little Richard’s first UK hit when it got to No.30 in December 1956. It’s another one of those songs that was among the basic repertoire for every aspiring beat band in the early 1960s. ‘Rip It Up’ got to No.1 on the R&B chart in the summer of 1956 and equalled ‘Tutti Frutti’ by making No,17 on the Billboard charts. There is no mistaking a Little Richard record, yet they do have real differences between them, not something every rock ‘n’ roll star could claim. Specialty was in no doubt, they had someone special on their hands with Little Richard and soon had him back in the studio again. There was also a change in that, mixed audiences were more commonplace inadvertently Pat Boone covering Richard’s records had made people aware of the originator. By the time of his third single becoming a hit, he was touring further afield, even getting as far as Klamath Falls, Oregon (pop 15,875). With Richard’s records cutting through, he was soon playing live outside of New Orleans, but initially in venues that were black only. Elvis covered it, so too did The Beatles on their 1964 EP, Long Tall Sally before they found fame The Beatles worked with Richard in Hamburg and Paul’s “oohs” in ‘She Loves You’ are taken straight out of ‘Long Tall Sally’ ‘Sally’ was also the last song the Beatles performed at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, which marked the end of their touring career. Both Blackwell and Richard thought it was going to be to fast for Boone to cover, but cover it he did. ‘Sally’s’ driving piano and honking sax is archetypal New Orleans, but it is at the same time unique. was at No,2 On the Billboard chart ‘Sally’ got to No.6 and ‘Slip’ to No.33. ‘Long Tall Sally’ spent 8 weeks at the top of the R&B charts, while the b-side, ‘Slippin and Slidin’. ‘Long Tall Sally’, recorded on 10 February at J&M Studio in New Orleans, came out in April 1956 and from that moment on Little Richard really was on his way it was also the first of Richard’s classic singles on which either side was capable of being a massive hit. To compound the insult, Boone covered Little Richard’s next record too. It was typical of the time with labels targeting separate records at the black and white market. Ironically Pat Boone’s cover sold more than Little Richard’s version. By early 1956 it was at No.2 on the R&B chart and No.17 on the Billboard chart Little Richard was on his way. Richard saw a piano and a crowd of people: he was one of those people who’s always on stage, and he hit the piano and hollered, ‘A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-good-God-damn!’ – and those were the cleanest words of it.” Back in the studio Blackwell brought in a writer named Dorothy LaBostrie and she came up with the rest of the lyrics for ‘Tutti Fruitti’ they got it down in three takes. “So I called a lunch break and we went to the Dew Drop Inn. I recognized Richard as a gospel singer with his turns and stuff, and told Art, ‘This is the guy we should get.‘” – Robert ‘Bumps’ BlackwellĪrt Rupe who owned Specialty bought out Richard’s contract and Bumps Blackwell set about recording him in New Orleans, but to begin with they could not get the right sound. “ Lloyd Pride had told Little Richard to get in touch with me and so he sent a tape in. At Lloyd Price’s suggestion, Richard recorded a demo and sent it to Specialty Records in Los Angeles. This and his other singles did very little in sales, after which he signed to Peacock Records where his releases met a similar fate. His third RCA single was the joyous, ‘Ain’t Nothing Happenin’. Little Richards first release was in 1951 on RCA ‘Taxi Blues’ is closer to R & B than rock ‘n’ roll, but there is the undercurrent of something more outrageous on this record. I brought the rock and roll in there.” – Little Richard “ Everybody else was doing the trots and the foxes.

There were other gospel artists that influenced him but it was a blues ‘shouter’ named Billy Wright from whom Richard took his style in clothes, hair and make-up. When he was 13 years old he sang with gospel legend Sister Rosetta Tharpe (a woman who knew a thing or two about mixing secular and gospel music). In his early days, he sang and healed people it was great schooling for his future as a rock ‘n’ roll showman par excellence.

One of twelve children, Richard Wayne Penniman’s earliest musical memories were singing as part of the family group in churches like his father, before him, he became a preacher. I want you to know I am the bronze Liberace!” – Little Richard 1970 You know Otis Redding is from there, and James Brown’s from there. I am the beautiful Little Richard from way down in Macon, Georgia.

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