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When I wake up on a Saturday morning, still feeling the effects of the previous Friday, and realize that I'm once again a 'guest' at my mom and dad's house, I feel indebted, terribly indebted to them. My mother's ironic phrase - Quanno te ne andrai sarà sempre troppo tardi! - makes me smile and instantly re-verberates my head, still swimming from last night's alcohol. Then, with that mischievous awareness on my skin, which makes my mouth even more bitter than last night's final drink while my biological clock tells me it's time again, I get a craving for rock and roll. But the real kind, the wild and lived one, the sensual and vicious one. I get the urge for the r'n'r of mister Richard Wayne Penniman: Little Richard.
The trouble is that I'm still in debt. My parents raised me with Little Richard, at elementary and middle school parties when they'd play 'Tutti Frutti' at stellar volumes, and I, from afar among the guests, would watch with a big glass of Fanta in hand, my 'favorite little sweetheart' of the moment, overwhelmed and speechless, not daring to talk to him. Once it was almost like that. Now that the glass wouldn't be of Fanta, I’m not sure if this time I'd leave the 'favorite little sweetheart' standing there in the corner looking around or if I'd kindly devour him. On second thought, I suppose settling the score with my conscience, at this point, wouldn't be so easy, but I could start by tidying up this room or my thoughts, neglected and disorderly for years; Little Richard would do the rest.
Have you ever tried to tidy up your life with him singing, screaming, shaking, winking like only the great singers of the '50s knew how to do? Try it; the result is guaranteed chaos. Just the time to slip the CD into the player and Mr. Richard kicks off with a heart-stopping triptych: 'Long Tall Sally' the irresistible, 'Lucille' the carnal, 'Keep A Knockin' the assertive, with the most emphatically insistent drum intro of all time. Rock is rock, and it must be heard at suitably appropriate volumes. So if the walls shake, and the neighbors collapse to the ground, do yourself a favor: ignore them.
The most beloved, praised, adored, and damnably copied Little Richard with that explosive voice (which betrays no gospel origins) powerful and exuberant, with his sinful performances, engaging and furious settles the scores. He captures you like a bandit. He is whirlwind, exceptional, frenzied in his vividly performed songs ('Good Golly Miss Molly' and 'Long Tall Sally'); excessive, cutting ('The Girl Can’t Help It'); unseemly, animalistic, sacrilegious in rhythm ('Groovy Little Suzy') as well as in look. He is audacious, rude, disrespectful in his often incomprehensible lyrics ('Hound Dog' and 'Tutti Frutti'), but for this very reason, exhilarating and primitive. With that epileptic, uncontrolled groan that bursts from his chest with every note, he anoints you as a sinner with him... (that a-wop-bop-a-loo-lop a-lop-bam-boo in 'Tutti Frutti' will scorch the throats of many and herald an era). He sings screeching his 'mass' and does it without false modesty: made-up, masked with that indelible eyeliner line on his eyes, those teased hair, those outfits that verge on kitsch but with a voice and a piano that could make you sell your soul or change religion on the spot if it were necessary, (incredible the fact that it was he who first in '57 and later in the mid-'60s abandoned the excesses of rock and roll because called back in prayer by his merciful god..).
A consecration of living r'n'r, the 'little' Richard from Georgia capable of making history. Flanked by the faithful saxophones of Lee Allen and Alvin Tyler, modeled onto a roaring drum and his incandescent and boiling piano, among howls, unlikely scat and pressing phrasings this 'rock priest' is capable of giving us not only examples of the most visceral and holy r'n'r but also illuminating soul-blues 'sermons' ('Talking 'Bout Soul'), sensual soul ballads all piano voice and sax ('Send Me Some Lovin', 'Without Love'), 'parables' R&B ('Cherry Red'). All this while always lavishly indulging his rock-boogie soul, which aggressively resurfaces ('Groovy Little Suzy', 'Money Honey') and managing always to keep in sight the 'way': that inviolable path that is the purest and wildest rock'n'roll ('Jenny Jenny', 'Tutti Frutti') that distinguishes him.
It was the 1950s and this man and his music made of sonic excess and unruliness, jolts and fits suddenly overwhelming, had said a lot, maybe too much... condemning the sinful and mortal souls of the poor spectators enchanted by every vocal and physical contortion of his. Condemning us all to a seductive uncontrollable and beautiful beast called rock'n'roll.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 Long Tall Sally (02:09)
Gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John,
He claims he has the misery but he has a lot of fun
Oh baby,
Yes baby,
Wooh baby,
Havin' me some fun tonight
Yeah
Well, long tall Sally, she's
Built for speed, she got
Everything that Uncle John need
Oh baby,
Yes baby,
Wooh baby,
Havin' me some fun tonight
Yeah
Well, I saw Uncle John with bald headed Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin' and he ducked back in the alley
Oh baby,
Yes baby,
Wooh baby,
Havin' me some fun tonight
Yeah
We gonna have some fun tonight
We gonna have some fun tonight
Wooh
Have some fun tonight
Everything's alright
Have some fun,
Have me some fun tonight
02 Lucille (02:23)
LUCILLE
Lucille, wont you do your sisters will?
Oh, Lucille, wont you do your sisters will?
Well, you ran away and left, I love you still
Lucille, please, come back where you belong
Oh, Lucille, please, come back where you belong
I been good to you, baby, please, dont leave me alone
Lucille, baby, satisfy my heart
Oh, Lucille, baby, satisfy my heart
I slaved for you, baby, and gave you such a wonderful start
I woke up this morning, Lucille was not in sight
I asked her friends about her but all their lips were tight
Lucille, please, come back where you belong
I been good to you, baby, please, dont leave me alone
- A. Collins & R. Pennima
05 Tutti Frutti (02:26)
Wop-bop-a-loo-mop alop-bom-bom
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Awop-bop-a-loo-mop alop bom bom
I got a girl, named Sue,
She knows just what to do
I got a girl, named Sue,
She knows just what to do
I rock to the east, She rock to the west, but
she's the girl
That I love the best.
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Awop-bop-a-loo-mop alop bom bom
I got a girl, named Daisy,
She almost drives me crazy
I got a girl, named Daisy,
She almost drives me crazy
She knows how to love me ,
Yes indeed
Boy you don't know,
What she's doing to me
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Awop-bop-a-loo-mop
(Saxophone solo)
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Awop-bop-a-loo-mop alop bom bom
Got a girl, named Daisy,
She almost drives me crazy
Got a girl, named Daisy,
She almost drives me crazy
She knows how to love me ,
Yes indeed
Boy you don't know,
What she's doing to me
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Tutti Frutti, aw rutti
Awop-bop-a-loo-mop alop bam boom
06 Rip It Up (01:57)
Well, it's Saturday night and I just got paid,
Fool about my money, don't try to save,
My heart says go go, have a time,
Saturday night and I'm feelin' fine,
I'm gonna rock it up, I'm gonna rip it up,
I'm gonna shake it up, gonna ball it up,
I'm gonna rock it up, and ball tonight.
Got me a date and I won't be late,
Picked her up in my 88,
Shag on down by the union hall,
When the joint starts jumpin' I'll have a ball,
I'm gonna rock it up, ...
'Long about ten I'll be flying high,
Walk on out unto the sky,
But I don't care if I spend my dough,
'Cause tonight I'm gonna be one happy soul,
I'm gonna rock it up, ...
07 The Girl Can't Help It (02:32)
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
If she walks by, the men folks get engrossed,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
If she winks an eye, the bread slice turn to toast,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
If she got a lot, of what they call the most,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
The girl can't help it, she was born to please,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
And if she's got, a figure made to squeeze,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
Won't you kindly be aware, the girl can't help it,
The girl can't help it,
If she mesmerizes, every mother's son,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
If she's smiling, beefsteak become well done,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
She makes grand pa feel like twenty one,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
The girl can't help it, she was born to please,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
And if I go to her, on bended knees,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it,
Won't you kindly be aware, that I can't help it,
I can't help it,
Because I'm hoping, obviously,
That some day, the answer would be,
The girl can't help it, she's in love with me,
She can't help it, the girl can't help it.
08 Good Golly Miss Molly (02:08)
Good Golly Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' can't hear your momma call.
From the early early mornin' till the early early night
You can see Miss Molly rockin' at the house of blue lights.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like to ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' can't hear your momma call.
Well, now momma, poppa told me: "Son, you better watch your step."
If I knew my momma, poppa, have to watch my dad myself.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like a ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' can't hear your momma call.
I am going to the corner, gonna buy a diamond ring.
Would you pardon me if it's a nineteen carat golden thing.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like a ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' can't hear your momma call.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like a ball.
Good golly, Miss Molly, sure like a ball.
When you're rockin' and a rollin' can't hear your momma call.
09 Baby Face (02:32)
Mmm baby face
You`ve got the cutest little mmm baby face
There`s not another who could take your place
Mmm baby face
My poor heart's jumpin`
You sure have started somethin`
Mmm baby face
I`m up in heaven
When i`m in your firm embrace
I didn`t need a shove `cause I
I fell in love with your pretty baby face
Mmm baby face
You`ve got the cutest little
Mmm baby face
There`s not another who could take your place
Mmm hmm baby face
My poor heart's jumpin`
You sure have started somethin`
Mmm baby face
I`m up in heaven
When i`m in your firm embrace
I didn`t need a shove 'cause I
I fell in love with your pretty baby face
Mmm baby face
You got the cutest baby face
There's not another who could take your place
My poor heart's jumpin'
You sure have started somethin`
You start my heart a jumpin`
Mmm baby face
I`m up in heaven
When i`m in your firmm embrace
I didn`t need a shove `cause I fell in love
With your pretty baby face
12 Money Honey (02:15)
You know, the landlord rang my front door bell.
I let it ring for a long, long spell.
I went to the window,
I peeped through the blind,
And asked him to tell me what was on his mind.
He said,
"Money, honey, a-huh-huh
Money, honey.
Money, honey, if you wanna get along with me."
Well, I screamed and I hollered,
I was so hard-pressed.
I called the woman that I loved the best.
I finally got my baby 'bout half past three,
She said I'd like to know whatcha want with me.
I said,
"Money, honey, a-huh-huh
Money, honey.
Money, honey, if you wanna get along with me."
Well, I said "Tell me baby, what's wrong with you?
From this day on our romance is through?"
I said "Tell me baby, face to face
How could another man take my place?"
She said
"Money, honey, a-huh-huh
Money, honey.
Money, honey, if you wanna get along with me."
Well, I've learned my lesson and now I know
The sun may shine and the winds may blow.
The women may come and the women may go,
But before I say "I love you so"
I want
"Money, honey, a-huh-huh
Money, honey.
Money, honey, if you wanna get along with me."
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