Little Richard just died. This one really, really hurts. I'll do another post, but for now, re-upping an old post from a year ago, the original title of which was "This Man Is Still Alive". Unfortunately, that's no longer true.
They do not get much more textbook than Little Richard. All of the original fifties rockers had their strong points and little (or big) things that distinguished them from the rest of the pack. Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, the list goes on and on. But little Richard was a unique package. Flamboyant to the point of swish, sharp dresser, mile high hair, and that band he had behind him smoked. Earl Palmer on drums, Lee Allen on tenor sax and Alvin "Red" Tyler on baritone sax, Frank Fields on bass and Edgar Blanchard on guitar, that's the line up on most of his early hits. Just Palmer or Allen alone are enough to make you pay attention, not that you need more than Little Richard himself. But it's all there on those early records, the driving beat, the honking sax, the piano pounding, and that glorious screaming without screaming voice. Well dressed gravel.
They do not get much more textbook than Little Richard. All of the original fifties rockers had their strong points and little (or big) things that distinguished them from the rest of the pack. Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Eddie Cochran, Gene Vincent, the list goes on and on. But little Richard was a unique package. Flamboyant to the point of swish, sharp dresser, mile high hair, and that band he had behind him smoked. Earl Palmer on drums, Lee Allen on tenor sax and Alvin "Red" Tyler on baritone sax, Frank Fields on bass and Edgar Blanchard on guitar, that's the line up on most of his early hits. Just Palmer or Allen alone are enough to make you pay attention, not that you need more than Little Richard himself. But it's all there on those early records, the driving beat, the honking sax, the piano pounding, and that glorious screaming without screaming voice. Well dressed gravel.
~ NOTE: ALL MEDIA IS HOSTED BY THE BLOGS & SITES NAMED BELOW ~
Listen:Little Richard - Slippin' and Slidin' mp3 at Stolen Records
Little Richard - Keep-A Knockin' mp3 at The New LoFi
Little Richard - Rip It Up mp3 at Kid America Club
Little Richard - The Girl Can't Help It mp3 at Blog Rage
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