The Beginning of Rock ‘N’ Roll: “Here’s Little Richard” (1957)

His breakout album, “Here’s Little Richard” didn’t vary much from song to song. Most of the songs had a traditional rhythm & blues walking bass line, honky-tonk piano part, and screaming saxophone solos. However, what really distinguishes Little Richard from other popular rhythm & blues artists of the time is his vocal stylings. The iconic growling and high-pitched shrills makes you just twist your face with pleasure while the walking bass line has you bobbing your head along to the beat.

Some songs stood out, breaking from the basic model. “Can’t Believe You Wanna Leave” features a call and response interaction between Little Richard and the saxophone section, different from the usual saxophone solos. In “Slippin’ and Slidin’,” Little Richard strays from his usual vocal stylings by integrating some country/western inspired vocal slides. I can see how Little Richard’s music would be prime material for white musicians to cover and make them more “family-friendly” and accessible to a more mainstream audience (which was common practice of the time). His songs are laced with sexually suggestive lyrics that would generally be deemed inappropriate during that era.

Most covers of his songs were censored and made much less sexual, making them more acceptable to be heard on mainstream radio. What’s impressive is that some of his songs actually broke the Top 40 on the pop and rhythm & blues charts. Overall, the album, though repetitive, was fun to listen to. I loved the groovin’ vibes of the walking bass line and Little Richard’s voice.