TALLER HAIR AND WEIRDER

At first glance Esquerita might appear a poor man's Little Richard. There's some speculation about who influenced who, but both were flamboyant as all get out, that much is certain. Though Little Richard made it big, Esquerita must have been just too weird, because he's pretty much just one of those, uh, unique talents that slipped through the cracks, known by few outside of lovers of, uh, unique talent. While Little Richard has enjoyed a long on again-off again career, by the time the eighties rolled around Esquerita was working as a parking lot attendant, and washing windshields for tips. Listen to the first two songs below and you'll understand the Little Richard chicken-or-egg debate. Listen to the third song and you'll understand why he may have been a little too out there for general consumption. Interesting factoid: Paul Peek, one of Gene Vincent's Blue Caps (see previous post) was the one who first brought him into the studio. Tell you what, it's a small weird world.

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Listen:
Esquerita - Crazy, Crazy Feeling mp3 at Rocky 52
Esquerita - Rockin' the Joint mp3 at Rocky 52
Esquerita - Esquerita and the Voola mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Esquerita - Mississippi God Damn at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban
Little Richard - Dew Drop Inn mp3 at Rock 'n' Soul Ichiban Co-written by Little Richard and "Esqrita"
Visit:
Esquerita at The Hound Blog Excellent bio