Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti": The Wild Birth of Rock and Roll

Episode thirty-four of A History of Rock Music in Five Hundred Songs dives into the story of “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard, exploring its journey from risqué origins to a rock and roll anthem. This track, bursting with energy and flamboyance, wasn’t just a hit song; it was a cultural earthquake, shaking up the music scene and paving the way for future generations of rock artists.

Little Richard performing at the piano, a pivotal figure in early rock and roll music history, though his songs are not typically categorized as songs for littles

Little Richard, an artist unlike any who came before him, embodied originality. While influences can always be traced, his sound was revolutionary. Even artists who followed, from Captain Beefheart to Paul McCartney, couldn’t quite capture his unique essence. His music was a force of nature, and understanding its roots is crucial to grasping the evolution of rock.

This episode marks a significant moment: the emergence of queer culture as a visible force in rock and roll. While previous episodes touched upon potentially LGBT figures like Big Mama Thornton and Sister Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard brought an overt expression of sexuality into his music. This element became inseparable from his artistry, demanding discussion and understanding within the context of rock history.

It’s important to acknowledge the complexities and potential for misinterpretation when discussing Little Richard. As a cis straight white man in the 21st century, analyzing the experience of a queer Black man in mid-20th century America requires sensitivity and humility. Richard’s identity was multifaceted, encompassing both his sexuality and his deeply held religious beliefs. He navigated a world where his identity was often at odds with societal norms and his own faith.

Richard described himself at times as gay, while also having relationships with women. His autobiography reveals reflections suggesting he might have identified as a bisexual trans woman in a more accepting era. Despite this complexity, he consistently used “he” and “him” pronouns, which will be honored in this discussion.

Similar to Rosetta Tharpe, Little Richard wrestled with the dichotomy between the secular and the sacred. He was both a figure of unbridled rock and roll energy and a devout believer in fundamentalist Christianity, a faith tradition that often condemns non-heteronormative sexuality and gender identities. This internal conflict profoundly shaped his life and music, creating a fascinating and often contradictory persona. He swung between embodying the “sex and drugs and rock and roll” ethos and preaching against homosexuality and non-cisgender identities as “works of the Devil.” As of 2017, he reaffirmed his renunciation of rock and roll and same-sex relationships.

However, the period we are exploring captures Little Richard in his youth, fully immersed in the experiences that forged his iconic music.

[Excerpt: Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti”, opening phrase]

Richard Wayne Penniman, born the third of twelve children, showed early signs of a disruptive spirit. His childhood pranks, though sometimes mischievous, might have also been a way to cope with the challenges he faced.

He endured significant bullying due to a physical disability – one leg shorter than the other, a disproportionately large head, and differing eye sizes. His unique gait, caused by his leg length discrepancy, also led to homophobic harassment from a young age.

At fourteen, Richard left school to pursue a career in performance. His initial foray into entertainment involved touring with a snake-oil salesman. Snake oil, despite its dubious reputation in the US as a placebo, originated from traditional Chinese medicine. American snake oil was often a mixture of turpentine, tallow, camphor, and capsaicin, similar to vapor rubs, marketed as a cure-all.

Snake-oil salesmen attracted crowds with entertainers. Young Richard Penniman joined “Doc Hudson,” singing his only secular song, Louis Jordan’s “Caldonia”:

[Excerpt: Louis Jordan, “Caldonia”]

The vocal stylings of Louis Jordan, particularly the yelps and hiccups, deeply influenced Richard’s developing vocal style.

Richard soon departed the medicine show and joined B. Brown and his orchestra. It was during this period that he cultivated his signature pompadour hairstyle and adopted the stage name “Little Richard.” However, finding himself surrounded by older musicians, he sought opportunities with other touring shows. In several of these, he performed as a female impersonator. This began when he filled in for an ill female performer, but he soon found himself in drag shows catering to predominantly gay audiences.

These shows brought him into contact with his first major influence, Billy Wright. Wright, also a former female impersonator with a pompadour, was a prominent blues star in the early 1950s, known for incorporating gospel inflections into his blues singing:

[Excerpt: Billy Wright, “Married Woman’s Boogie”]

Richard became a devoted follower of Billy Wright, integrating Wright’s stylistic elements into his own performances. He also adopted Wright’s stage makeup, Pancake 31, which became a lifelong part of his persona.

Wright introduced Richard to Zenas Sears, a white DJ who gained popularity by playing Black music and adopting elements of African-American Vernacular English, similar to Alan Freed and Dewey Phillips.

Sears, connected to RCA Records, recognized Richard’s talent and facilitated his signing. Richard’s debut single, “Every Hour,” was heavily imitative of Billy Wright:

[Excerpt: Little Richard, “Every Hour”]

The resemblance was so strong that Wright quickly released his own response track, “Every Evening”:

[Excerpt: Billy Wright, “Every Evening”]

At this stage, Richard was primarily a vocalist, not yet playing instruments. This changed with the arrival of Esquerita.

Esquerita, born Stephen Quincey Reeder, was another gay Black R&B singer known as “Eskew” Reeder, which evolved into Esquerita, a pun on “excreta.” Esquerita was even more flamboyant than Little Richard, with an even larger pompadour and a moustache. His singing was characterized by powerful screams, and crucially, he played the piano.

Richard openly acknowledged Esquerita as his piano teacher and inspiration, stating that his piano style was a direct imitation, and that Esquerita was the superior player.

The extent of Esquerita’s influence is debated, as Esquerita didn’t record until after Richard. However, his recordings, made after signing a record deal to capitalize on Little Richard’s success, reveal striking similarities to Richard’s later style:

[Excerpt: Esquerita: “Believe Me When I Say Rock And Roll Is Here To Stay”]

Richard’s piano skills developed rapidly. Johnny Otis, impressed by Richard’s performance, described him as “this outrageous person, good-looking and very effeminate, with a big pompadour.” Otis likened his performance to Dinah Washington, noting his “beautiful, bizarre, and exotic” stage presence, including floor performances and splits. Richard declared himself “Little Richard, King of the Blues, and the Queen, too!”

Otis recommended Richard to Don Robey of Peacock Records, who signed Richard and his band, the Tempo Toppers. In early 1953, after his RCA recordings failed to gain traction, Little Richard and the Tempo Toppers, with the Deuces of Rhythm, recorded four tracks released as two singles:

[Excerpt: Little Richard and the Tempo Toppers with the Deuces of Rhythm: “Ain’t That Good News”]

These singles were commercially unsuccessful, and Richard’s relationship with Don Robey deteriorated. Robey’s disrespectful treatment led to a physical altercation where Robey severely beat Richard, resulting in a hernia requiring surgery years later.

Richard recorded one final session for Peacock, overseen by Johnny Otis. The four tracks recorded with Otis’s band, including an early version of “Directly From My Heart To You” and “Little Richard’s Boogie,” remained unreleased at the time:

[Excerpt: Little Richard with Johnny Otis and his Orchestra, “Little Richard’s Boogie”]

Dissatisfied with the recordings, Peacock dropped Richard. Around the same time, he was forced to leave Macon, Georgia, after an arrest for “lewd conduct,” stemming from consensual voyeurism. The Tempo Toppers also disbanded. Richard faced rejection from record labels, the recent death of his father, the loss of his band, and exile from his hometown. His situation seemed bleak.

However, before leaving Macon, Richard had met Lloyd Price, who suggested sending a demo tape to Specialty Records, Price’s label. The tape languished at Specialty for months until Bumps Blackwell, Specialty’s A&R head, finally listened due to Richard’s persistent follow-ups.

This moment proved to be incredibly fortunate. Blackwell, a longtime associate of Ray Charles, had been tasked by Specialty’s owner, Art Rupe, to find a gospel-influenced R&B singer to compete with Charles’s rising popularity.

Blackwell recognized the gospel undertones in Richard’s voice from the demo tape, which included an early version of “Wonderin'”:

[Excerpt: Little Richard, “Wonderin’”]

Blackwell and Rupe negotiated with Don Robey to buy out Richard’s contract for a mere six hundred dollars – Robey seemed eager to be rid of Richard.

Knowing Richard admired Fats Domino, they scheduled his first Specialty session at Cosimo Matassa’s studio in New Orleans, utilizing Domino’s session musicians. Blackwell also brought in New Orleans piano players Huey “Piano” Smith and James Booker, both in Domino’s style. Smith’s hit “The Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu” exemplifies this style:

[Excerpt: Huey “Piano” Smith, “The Rockin’ Pneumonia and the Boogie-Woogie Flu”]

These musicians were veterans of sessions for Domino and artists in his vein, like Lloyd Price and Smiley Lewis. Bumps Blackwell took on arrangement and production duties, replacing Dave Bartholomew, Domino’s usual producer.

However, the initial session faltered. Blackwell knew Richard’s electrifying live performances, but he was underwhelming in the studio. Blackwell described it, “If you look like Tarzan and sound like Mickey Mouse it just doesn’t work out.”

They managed to record some usable tracks, including “Wonderin'” and “I’m Just a Lonely, Lonely, Guy,” a song by Dorothy LaBostrie. A decent version of “Directly From My Heart to You” was also recorded:

[Excerpt: Little RIchard, “Directly From My Heart to You”]

While usable, the tracks lacked the spark to truly capture Richard’s potential. Blackwell called a break, and they went to the Dew Drop Inn for food. There, an event occurred that would redefine Little Richard’s career.

The Dew Drop Inn had a piano, providing Richard an impromptu stage. He sat at the piano, began pounding the keys, and belted out:

[Excerpt: Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti”, opening phrase]

Hearing Richard perform “Tutti Frutti,” Bumps Blackwell instantly recognized two things: the song had hit potential, but its current form was unreleaseable.

“Tutti Frutti” originated as a sexually explicit song, part of a hidden current in 1950s R&B. These songs, often wonderfully crafted and humorous, were too explicit for mainstream radio. The original “Tutti Frutti” lyrics were far from broadcastable: “A wop bop a loo mop, a good goddam/Tutti Frutti, good booty/If it don’t fit, don’t force it, you can grease it, make it easy”. However, Blackwell sensed potential beneath the raunchiness.

Dorothy LaBostrie, the songwriter of “I’m Just a Lonely Lonely Guy,” was present. Blackwell tasked her with rewriting “Tutti Frutti” to salvage the session. LaBostrie’s songwriting, while promising in lyrics, adhered to a single melody, Dinah Washington’s “Blowtop Blues”:

[Excerpt: Dinah Washington, “Blowtop Blues”]

Richard, known for his flamboyance, became surprisingly shy about singing the explicit lyrics to LaBostrie. Blackwell insisted, and Richard agreed, but only if he could face the wall to avoid eye contact with the young songwriter.

(Accounts vary, with both Richard and LaBostrie claiming sole authorship of the revised song, but the story of others present suggests a collaborative rewrite.)

LaBostrie’s rewritten lyrics were simple: “I got a girl named Sue, she knows just what to do.” But they fit the rhythm, removed the explicit content, and were usable.

Time was running short. With only fifteen minutes remaining, the focus shifted to quickly recording a track. Blackwell, lacking time to teach the piano players the song, had Richard play piano himself. They recorded “Tutti Frutti” in three takes. Blackwell returned to California confident he had a hit.

[Excerpt: Little Richard, “Tutti Frutti”]

“Tutti Frutti” became a massive hit, reaching number twenty-one on the pop charts. Inevitably, a sanitized white cover version emerged, this time by Pat Boone.

[excerpt: Pat Boone, “Tutti Frutti”]

Boone altered the lyrics, removing the implication of Richard’s interest in both Sue and Daisy. Boone, projecting a clean-cut image, couldn’t sing about such ambiguity. This lyrical change, along with minor word alterations for sentence structure, led to songwriter Joe Lubin receiving co-credit for “Tutti Frutti.” This seemingly minimal effort earned Lubin a third of the songwriting royalties.

Richard also received less than his due in publishing royalties. Art Rupe’s publishing company licensed the song to Specialty Records at half the standard mechanical licensing rate, a common practice among independent labels but a point of contention for Richard later.

However, at the moment, Richard was not focused on contracts. He was becoming a major star, necessitating breaking existing contracts for lower-paying gigs. To avoid damaging his reputation, he hired an impostor to perform as “Little Richard” at pre-booked shows, while he focused on promoting his hit record in Hollywood. A young singer from Georgia, with a pompadour and gospel style, was presented as “Ladies and gentlemen—the hardest-working man in showbusiness today—Little Richard!”

James Brown later adopted this introduction when performing under his own name.

Meanwhile, Richard worked on his second hit. He and Blackwell aimed for “Long Tall Sally” to be even louder, faster, and more raucous than “Tutti Frutti,” hoping to make it un-coverable by Pat Boone.

The song originated from a fragment of lyrics by teenager Enotris Johnson, who walked miles to New Orleans to show them to DJ Honey Chile. Johnson hoped Little Richard could record the song to raise money for her sick aunt, “Aunt Mary” in the lyrics.

Johnson’s lyrics were just a verse, but Honey Chile championed her cause. Blackwell and Richard developed the song:

[Excerpt: Little Richard, “Long Tall Sally”]

“Long Tall Sally,” with its suggestive narrative of “John” encountering his wife while with “Sally,” who is “long, tall, and bald,” again hinted at non-heteronormative sexuality, possibly involving a sex worker, while remaining just within broadcastable limits. Despite its raucousness, Pat Boone still achieved a million-selling cover version:

[Excerpt: Pat Boone, “Long Tall Sally”]

Little Richard succeeded in making Pat Boone sing songs with more complex themes than Boone’s wholesome image projected. Richard was becoming a star, and with it came ego and growing internal conflict about his “devil music.” The next chapter in Little Richard’s story explores how this interplay of self-doubt and ego fueled his greatest triumphs and the eventual downturn of his early career.