« Back to Top Level | Little Richard

Little Richard - The Specialty Sessions (1959)

Track listing:
CD1
  1. Baby (Demo) 4:21
  2. All Night Long (Demo) 2:48
  3. She's My Star (Rehearsal) 2:37
  4. Lonesome And Blue 2:25
  5. Wonderin' 2:51
  6. All Night Long 2:14
  7. Kansas City (Take 1) 2:18
  8. Kansas City 2:08
  9. Maybe I'm Right (Take 7) 2:15
  10. Directly From The Heart 2:21
  11. Baby 2:06
  12. I'm Just A Lonely Guy (All Alone) 2:38
  13. Tutti Frutti (Take 2) 2:28
  14. Tutti Frutti 2:25
  15. Slippin' & Slidin' (Peepin' & Hidin') (Demo) 1:45
  16. Slippin' & Slidin' (Peepin' & Hidin') (Demo) 1:58
  17. Slippin' & Slidin' (Peepin' & Hidin') (Demo) 1:52
  18. She's My Star (Demo) 2:40
  19. Chicken Little Baby 1:44
  20. Miss Ann (Take 8) 2:37
  21. Baby (Take 1) 2:24
  22. True Fine Mama 2:44
  23. Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey (Takes 5,6,7) 0:47
  24. Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey 2:40
  25. Long Tall Sally (The Thing) (Take 1) 2:04
  26. Long Tall Sally (The Thing) (Take 6) 2:17
CD2
  1. Slippin' & Slidin' (Peepin' & Hidin') 2:43
  2. Long Tall Sally 2:10
  3. Miss Ann 2:17
  4. The Most That I Can Offer (Just My Heart) 2:22
  5. Oh Why 2:10
  6. Heeby-Jeebies-Love (Undubbed) 2:11
  7. I Got It 2:40
  8. Ready Teddy (Take 3) 1:54
  9. Ready Teddy 2:09
  10. Hey Hey Hey Hey (Goin' Back To Birmingham) 2:08
  11. Rip It Up (rehearsal) 3:19
  12. Rip It Up 2:24
  13. Heeby-Jeebies (Takes 6,7 & 9) 2:53
  14. Lucille 2:25
  15. Heeby Jeebies 2:18
  16. Good Golly, Miss Molly (Fast Version) 2:39
  17. Can't Believe You Wanna Leave 2:27
  18. Shake A Hand 3:36
  19. All Around The World 2:27
  20. She's Got It 2:27
  21. Hound Dog (Rehearsal) 2:00
CD3
  1. Jenny, Jenny 2:04
  2. Good Golly, Miss Molly 2:51
  3. Baby Face 2:15
  4. The Girl Can't Help It (Movie Master Version) 2:32
  5. The Girl Can't Help It (Take 10 and 12) 2:49
  6. By The Light Of The Silvery Moon 2:06
  7. Send Me Some Lovin' 2:45
  8. "Royal Crown Hairdressing" Commercials 1:05
  9. Ohh! My Soul 1:49
  10. Keep A Knockin' (Take 4) 2:10
  11. Keep A Knockin' 2:20
  12. I'll Never Let You Go (Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo) Take 6 2:33
  13. I'll Never Let You Go (Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo) 2:21
  14. Good Morning Little Schoolgirl (Takes 1 & 3) 2:59
  15. Ohh! My Soul (Take 8) 1:46
  16. Ohh! My Soul (Take 9) 2:10
  17. Early One Morning 2:16
  18. She Knows How To Rock (Takes 1,2 & 3) 4:19
  19. She Knows How To Rock 2:03
  20. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On (Rehearsal) 2:37
  21. Bama Lama Bama Loo (Take 10) 2:45
  22. Poor Boy Paul (False Start & Master) 2:23
  23. Annie Is Back (False Start & Take 3) 2:57
  24. Annie Is Back (45 Mono Master-Take 7) 1:59
  25. Miss Ann (False Start & Take 6) 3:19
  26. Well Alright (False Starts 1 & 2, Take 3) 3:59

Notes


Dig it -- a collection of all 73 songs that Little Richard cut for Specialty Records from 1955 through 1959, including early working versions of hits including "Long Tall Sally" and "Slippin' and Slidin'," may seem like overkill to the casual listener, but if you're thinking of buying this three-CD box, chances are you're not a casual listener. And if you're not thinking about it, then you should be. This set covers only four years in Little Richard's career, but manages to sum up virtually everything you need to know about him (his earlier sides, available on Bear Family, are an interesting appendix, but of his later stuff, only the early- and mid-'60s material, with Jimi Hendrix on guitar, hold any significance, mostly as a curiosity). Not only does the music make you want to get up and dance, but the notes -- spread out on a lavishly illustrated booklet and the individual jewel boxes -- tell the whole story of Specialty Records and the people behind it, including Art Rupe, Bumps Blackwell, Dave Bartholomew, and, of course, Richard Penniman himself. The session information alone could keep owners busy for a week. The sound is nothing less than breathtaking, loud and raunchy but razor sharp, and the price of this set -- about $42 retail -- makes it competitive with other Little Richard single-disc sets as well as more attractive than the price of boxes devoted to Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry. The only complaint -- why couldn't the producers list the songs on the individual jewel boxes?