Little Richard, "Bama Lama Bama Loo" c/w "Annie Is Back," Specialty 692 (rel. 6/1964)
The stage was not set well for a comeback by Little Richard Penniman, rock 'n' roll's notorious wildman who'd had a religious moment, while traveling by air in 1960, and foresook the sordid ways of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll and enrolled at a religious college. There, he struggled with his sexuality, memorized masses of Bible text and pretended to be a pious pilgrim amongst others in search of the light.
"Bama Lama Bama Loo" sounds like something from 1969; the lysergic tone of the lead guitarist and the muddy racket of the band threaten to overcome Richard's wailing, gritty vocal. The near-tuneless song is a mere vehicle for Penniman to announce his return to American rock 'n' roll with a peacock's flourish and a tiger's roar.
Via UK beat-group covers such as The Swinging Blue Jeans' "Good Golly Miss Molly" and The Beatles' "Long Tall Sally," Little Richard was name-checked by these younger musicians in interviews and his material newly appealing. But the results of Specialty single #692 were too sinister and raw to reach the mainstream. The single stalled at #82 and put paid to a regal Richard return. Those holdouts who treasured the earlier Specialty releases were delighted to have him back; they were a wee sliver of the music-buying public.
"Annie is Back" revives the storyline of Annie, a wanton woman who's in a series of singles by The Midnighters, Hank Ballard's vocal group who recorded for Federal Records in the 1950s. As with those earlier songs, this is celebratory; Annie's good fortune and sex appeal leave the narrator dazzled and het-up. It was penned by John Anderson, a Black singer, songwriter and arranger who worked in Los Angeles. Check out his 1962 Imperial Records single "Five Steps From The Blues"--a record I wish I owned.
Richard's performance is more focused, as is the band's. The proto-psychedelic tone of the lead guitarist remains, but the results sound more mid-decade than Nixon-era.
Specialty Records didn't pursue a further reunion. Richard went to Vee-Jay Records, which was headed for bankruptcy but were glad to have a rock 'n' roll giant in their ranks. He created a classic in his two-part "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)," which got to #12 on the rhythm and blues hit list and a mere #92 in pop. American audiences preferred their Little Richard strained through Merseyside accents.
Little Richard persevered, and, after many years without success, almost cracked the Top 40 with 1986's "Great Gosh A'mighty!." Featured in the hit film Down And Out in Beverly Hills, it got Richard back on the late-night talk-show circuit, where he befuddled David Letterman and let his freak-flag fry. We're fortunate to live in a world where Little Richard existed and once prospered, and his recordings remain a treasure of American popular culture.
Tomorrow: Bongo fury with Black rocker Wendell Smith on a pair of peppy powerhouses for United Artists Records, 1959. A major "wow" two-sider!
I think you're right about Little Richard 2.0 and these two great forward sounding songs. It's interesting that the Beatles covered 1956's "Long Tall Sally" in the same year as "Bama Lama Bama Loo." The Fab Four were doing an almost nostalgic song that they had grown up with and liked playing. These two new songs from Little Richard are a nod to a future sound while the Beatles were looking back. Unfortunately, I guess the public had moved on from Little Richard or maybe it was his pomaded pompadour and whip-thin mustache — this "theatre" didn't quite jibe with the new decade and the mop-topped swingin' Sixties.
ReplyDeleteGreat insights, Bill! Thank you!
DeleteNow I want to watch that David Letterman episode.
ReplyDelete