Ready, set, go man go, I got a girl that I love so.
What else do we need to have a great rock and roll song? Not exactly Shakespeare but Shakespeare couldn’t write Gonna kick off my shoes, roll up my faded jeans, Grab my rock ‘n’ roll baby, pour on the steam. The song was written by John Marascalco and Robert Blackwell with probable help from Little Richard. Most Little Richard songs are like a shot of adrenaline…this one is no different.
This was originally a B-side to Rip It Up. Little Richard claimed to have helped write this song but he said he didn’t have the business sense at that time to demand credit. He said: “They brought me the words and I made up the melody, and at the time I didn’t have sense enough to claim so much money, because I really made them hits. I didn’t get the money, but I still have the freedom.”
The song peaked at #44 on the Billboard 100 and #8 on the R&B charts.
The song is about a girl who wants sex… a ready teddy. Like most of Little Richard’s songs, this contains a lot of innuendoes but most people were too busy listening to the music to notice or didn’t get the reference. If sex had a voice…it would be Little Richard.
This song was covered by a lot of artists including Buddy Holly, The Tornados, Elvis Presley, Tony Sheridan, and others. Elvis did this song on one of his Ed Sullivan appearances.
My dad told me about Little Richard before I ever heard him. He said he had the biggest voice he ever heard. He talked about a song called Long Tall Sally. I first heard it…it blew me away. Such a raw emotional power in that voice. He would take us to the edge of the cliff and then at the last minute pull us back.
His voice was one of a kind…
Ready Teddy
Ready, set, go man go
I got a girl that I love so
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready to a rock ‘n’ roll
Going to the corner, pick up my sweetie pie
She’s my rock ‘n’ roll baby, she’s the apple of my eye
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready to a rock ‘n’ roll
All the flat-top cats and the dungaree dolls
Are headed for the gym to the sock hop ball
The joint is really jumpin’, the cats are going wild
The music really sends me, I dig that crazy style
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready to a rock ‘n’ roll
Going to the corner, pick up my sweetie pie
She’s my rock ‘n’ roll baby, she’s the apple of my eye
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready to a rock ‘n’ roll
All the flat-top cats and the dungaree dolls
Are headed for the gym to the sock hop ball
The joint is really jumpin’, the cats are going wild
The music really sends me, I dig that crazy style
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready to a rock ‘n’ roll
Gonna kick off my shoes, roll up my faded jeans
Grab my rock ‘n’ roll baby, pour on the steam
I shuffle to the left, I shuffle to the right
Gonna rock ‘n’ roll to the early, early night
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready teddy
I’m ready, ready, ready to a rock ‘n’ roll
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One of my favorite Little Richard songs!!
Mine also…what a voice.
With Little Richard, you rarely can go wrong. The man was just infectious and an amazing live performer. Yes, a bit flamboyant!
Just a bit! The guy had a super human voice.
Great voice, great songs, great live performer – there was really nothing little about Little Richard!
A lot of Little Richard’s songs did include sexual innuendos, but I think this song is all about dancing.
I bet a lot of ladies would take issue with that voice of sex being his, not Barry White’s, LOL. Too bad he didn’t get the songwriting credit, I bet that happened frequently back then to many artists.
Oh yea….many artists got their name taken off or another publisher added to their credit.
No, not Shakespeare, but that cat could have the cemetery jumping and shaking.
Rip it Up is fantastic, too
I like that: ‘If sex had a voice it would be Little Richard’s…’ He could have sung the phone book and made it sound raunchy
Thanks! I have to wonder if he would have been born later…what kind of music would have done? Hard rock?
Maybe more glam? (To be fair, he already was pretty glam!)
You have a great point…he probably helped create it…I’ve seen him with glitter before.
Yeah he did the glitter and eye shadow… and those jackets! If Elvis was the King, he was the Queen 😄
Yes he was! I remember seeing him on film playing in the UK in the 70s…those mirrors on his shirts and jackets.
His fashion style reminds me of Prince. He could sing any kind of music with high energy. Did he ever do slow songs?
Yes he did some ballads…I’ll tell you what…it’s time for me to post some ballad from him…I’ll do that next.
YAY! Can’t wait to hear it.
I’ll hunt one down because I remember Graham posting a ballad by him before.
He had the kind of energy needed to make this kind of song really jump. I love the suit he’s wearing in the first video.
Yup!
I had a half-brother who was 16 years older than me, so as a toddler, I’d hear him play his favorite records. By the age of three, I was a fan of Elvis, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers and Little Richard.
I love that era of music…down to basics.