Lucille (Little Richard song)

"Lucille"
Single by Little Richard[1]
B-side "Send Me Some Lovin’"
Released February 1957
Format 7"
Recorded July 30, 1956, J&M Music Shop, New Orleans, Louisiana
Genre Rock and roll
Length 2:21
Label Specialty
Songwriter(s) Albert Collins, Little Richard
Producer(s) Robert "Bumps" Blackwell
Little Richard[2] singles chronology
"The Girl Can't Help It"
(1956)		 "Lucille"
(1957)		 "Jenny, Jenny"
(1957)

"The Girl Can't Help It"
(1956)		 "Lucille"
(1957)		 "Jenny, Jenny"
(1957)

"Lucille" is a 1957 rock and roll song originally recorded by American musician Little Richard. Released on Specialty Records in February 1957, the single reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, 21 on the US pop chart,[3] and number 10 on the UK chart. It was composed by Albert Collins (not to be confused with the blues guitarist of the same name) and Little Richard. First pressings of Specialty 78rpm credit Collins as the sole writer. Little Richard bought half of the song's rights while Collins was in Louisiana State prison (Angola).

The song foreshadowed the rhythmic feel of 1960s rock music in several ways, including its heavy bassline and slower tempo. The scene-setting sections also feature stop-time breaks and no change in harmony, and it has a darker sound because most of the instruments use a low register.[4]

Little Richard sang and played piano on his recording, backed by a band consisting of Lee Allen (tenor saxophone), Alvin "Red" Tyler (baritone sax), Roy Montrell (guitar), Frank Fields (bass), and Earl Palmer (drums).[5]

Cover versions

As a rock standard, it has been covered (both in studio recordings and live performances) by many artists, including AC/DC, Status Quo, Wings, The Beatles, The Doors, Sha Na Na, Mud, The Hollies, The Animals, Paul McCartney, Van Halen, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Winter, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Peter & Gordon, Queen, Deep Purple, the Ian Gillan Band, Sweet, The Everly Brothers, Little Bob Story, Bill Haley & His Comets, Otis Redding, The Sonics, John Entwistle of The Who, Kevin Coyne, The Didjits, and the Detroit band The Rockets. It was also covered by Status Quo as part of their Anniversary Waltz, Pt. 1. John Lennon and Paul McCartney sang the song together during a jam session in 1974, which can be heard on the bootleg A Toot and a Snore in '74, marking the only known occasion where the former songwriting team performed together after the bitter breakup of The Beatles. An instrumental version of the song was recorded by The Ventures in 1962.

The Beatles cover versions

Recorded live at the BBC on September 3, 1963 (aired: September 17th, 1963) for Pop Go The Beatles #14.

Recorded live at the BBC on September 7, 1963 (aired: October 5, 1963) for Saturday Club's 5th Birthday Edition.

Personnel

Reception

The song is ranked 670th on Dave Marsh's list of The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made.[6]

Rockestra version

At Concerts for the People of Kampuchea, Rockestra performed the song.

Waylon Jennings cover version

  • In 1983, Waylon Jennings recorded his version of the classic song. This version was Jennings' 12th number one on the country chart.[7]
"Lucille (You Won't Do Daddy's Will)"
Single by Waylon Jennings
from the album It's Only Rock & Roll
Released 1983
Genre Country
Label RCA
Songwriter(s) Albert Collins, Little Richard
Producer(s) Waylon Jennings
Waylon Jennings singles chronology
"(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay"
(1983)		 "Lucille (You Won't Do Daddy's Will)"
(1983)		 "Leave Them Boys Alone"
(1983)

"(Sittin On) The Dock of the Bay"
(1983)		 "Lucille (You Won't Do Your Daddy's Will)"
(1983)		 "Leave Them Boys Alone"
(1983)

Chart performance

Chart (1983) Peak
position
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[8] 1
Canadian RPM Country Tracks 4

References

  1. ↑ Maury Dean, Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia (Algora Publishing, 2003), 77.
  2. ↑ Maury Dean, Rock 'n' Roll Gold Rush: A Singles Un-Cyclopedia (Algora Publishing, 2003), 77.
  3. ↑ Jay Warner, On this Day in Black Music History (Hal Leonard Corporation, 2006), 84.
  4. ↑ Michael Campbell & James Brody (2007), Rock and Roll: An Introduction, page 117
  5. ↑ Vera, Billy. The Specialty Story 1944-1964 (Media notes). Various. Berkeley, California: Specialty Records. pp. 10, 35. 5SPCD-4412-2.
  6. ↑ Dave Marsh, The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made (Da Capo Press, 1999), 431.
  7. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 175.
  8. ↑ "Waylon Jennings Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.