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Long Tall Sally
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"Long Tall Sally" is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman (known as "Little Richard"), recorded by Little Richard and released March 1956 on the Specialty Records label.
The flip side was "Slippin' and Slidin'". Both songs were subsequently released in the LP Here's Little Richard (Specialty, March 1957). The single reached #1 on the rhythm and blues charts, staying at the top for six of 19 weeks.
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Encyclopedia
"Long Tall Sally" is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert "Bumps" Blackwell, Enotris Johnson and Richard Penniman (known as "Little Richard"), recorded by Little Richard and released March 1956 on the Specialty Records label.
The flip side was "Slippin' and Slidin'". Both songs were subsequently released in the LP Here's Little Richard (Specialty, March 1957). The single reached #1 on the rhythm and blues charts, staying at the top for six of 19 weeks. It received the Cash Box Triple Crown Award in 1956. The song as sung by Little Richard is #56 on Rolling Stones list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
It became one of the singer's best-known hits and has become a rock and roll standard covered by hundreds of artists.
The song was originally called "The Thing", recorded in New Orleans by Little Richard.
History
"Tutti Frutti" had been a big hit for Little Richard and Specialty in October 1955, reaching #2 in the R&B charts. Pat Boone's cover version of the song reached #1 in the pop charts. Although this meant an unexpected cash income for the Specialty publishing firm, A&R man and producer "Bumps" Blackwell and a proud Richard decided to write a song that was so up-tempo and the lyrics so fast that Boone would not be able to handle it (Boone eventually did record his own version, getting it to #8).
According to Blackwell, he was introduced to a little girl called Enortis Johnson by Honey Chile, a popular disc-jockey. Apparently, Johnson had written a song for Little Richard to record so she could pay the treatment for her ailing aunt Mary. The song, actually a few lines on a piece of paper, went like this:
Saw Uncle John with Long Tall Sally
They saw Aunt Mary comin'
So they ducked back in the alley
Not wishing to upset an influential disc-jockey, Blackwell "accepted" the offer and took the idea to Richard, who was reluctant at first. Nevertheless, the line "ducked back in the alley" was exactly what they were looking for, and Richard kept practicing until he could sing it as fast as possible. They worked on the song, adding verses and a chorus, until they got the hit they wanted.
Recording
The recording session took place on February 10, 1956 at J&M Studio in New Orleans, the legendary studio owned by Cosimo Matassa on the corner of Rampart and Dumaine where Fats Domino and many other New Orleans luminaries recorded. "Tutti Frutti", as well as many other Little Richard sides, were also recorded there.
The backing was provided by the house top session men: Edgard Blanchard (guitar), Frank Fields (bass), Lee Allen (tenor sax), Alvin "Red" Tyler (baritone sax) and Earl Palmer (drums), plus Little Richard on vocals and piano. Blackwell was the producer.
The music was a fast up tempo number with Little Richard's hammering, boogie piano. Richard plays staccato eighth notes while Palmer plays a fast shuffle. The shuffle was the most common rhythm and blues beat; Richard added the eighth notes, much less common in that time, although now standard for rock music. Together this created an ambiguity in the ride rhythm -- known to musicians as playing in the crack-- that came to characterize New Orleans rock and roll. Little Richard sang in a very high key (F), in his raw, aggressive, exhilarating style the lyrics of self-centered fun.
Well, Long Tall Sally,
She's built for speed,
She's got everything that Uncle John needs.
Although the lyrics are lightweight, Little Richard's style triumphs over content and provides a wonderful vehicle for his enthusiastic exhibitionism.
Selective list of recorded versions
Tornado Rock EP 1963 The Rivingtons on their Doin' The Bird LP. 1964 The Kinks -- their first single, (produced by Shel Talmy) 1964 Barbara Greene -- a female version made for Atlantic 1964 The Beatles on their Long Tall Sally EP 1971 Cactus on their "One Way... Or Another" album, and "Fully Unleashed: The Live Gigs" 1978 Scorpions on their Tokyo Tapes album 1996 Blind Guardian on their The Forgotten Tales album.
The Beatles wild version featured Paul McCartney singing in G, a whole step higher than Richard, in an apparent attempt to surpass his master. The Beatles' master was recorded in one take. In the early sixties, The Beatles played as an opening act for Little Richard in England and in Hamburg and made friends with Richard, who taught them -and especially McCartney- a few lessons in singing. The famous 'ooohs' in "She Loves You" and other Beatle songs came directly from the ones in "Long Tall Sally" and they are actually a Little Richard trademark.
"Long Tall Sally" was also covered live by Led Zeppelin at the Royal Albert Hall in 1970, but was omitted from their DVD.
The Seattle based sisterly rock duo Heart performed "Long Tall Sally" as a part of a medley including the Beatles' "I'm down" Live in concert the recording can be found on Heart's Greatest Hits Live album.
It was performed by John Fogerty during his PNC Bank Arts Center show on August 5, 2006. Bruce Springsteen accompanied him on stage for the song.
The song was also once covered by Jake Thomas in an episode of Lizzie McGuire.
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