When I think of Little Richard I think of that voice. When Little Richard passed in 2020 he was one of the last fifties pioneers left. His influence passed through generations from Bob Dylan, The Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, to Lemmy from Motorhead.
He released this song in 1957 and it peaked at #10 on the Billboard 100, #2 on the Billboard R&B, and #11 in the UK. The song was written by Little Richard and Enotris Johnson.
Jenny, Jenny featured the great New Orleans sidemen Lee Allen and Alvin “Red” Tyler on horns, plus Earl Palmer, later described by Richard as “probably the greatest session drummer of all time.” Production was by Otis “Bumps” Blackwell.
The guy knew how to put on a show. Richard’s producer Bumps Blackwell said that he saw him break piano strings on multiple occasions by hitting the keys so hard.
In the US, he had four chart singles and six chart songs, because two of them had flipsides that qualified in their own right. As rock’n’roll spread on the other side of the Atlantic, Richard was successful there too.
He worked with some of the best musicians and also met the Beatles in Hamburg and they opened up for him in Liverpool. One of the last times they opened for anyone. Jimi Hendrix, James Brown, and Billy Preston were all backing musicians for Little Richard early in their careers.
In 1957, at the height of his career… he left the music business to pursue a life as a minister. As a child, he wanted to be part of the church, so as an adult he enrolled in Oakwood Theological College in Huntsville, Alabama. During his studies there, the British Invasion took over the musical landscape and Little Richard returned to rock ‘n roll. In 1970, he earned a BA in Theological Studies at Oakwood and became an ordained minister in the Seventh Day Adventist Church.
An ordained minister, Richard officiated weddings for Stevie Van Zandt (1982), Demi Moore and Bruce Willis (1987), Cyndi Lauper (1991), and Tom Petty (2001). He also showed up on the soap operas One Life To Live and The Young and The Restless to preside over weddings.
Mick Jagger: “I had heard so much about the audience reaction that I thought there must be some exaggeration. But it was all true. He drove the whole house into a complete frenzy. There’s no single phrase to describe his hold on the audience. I couldn’t believe the power of Little Richard on stage. He was amazing. Chuck Berry is my favorite, along with Bo (Diddley), but nobody could beat Little Richard’s stage act. Little Richard is the originator and my first idol.”
Bob Dylan: He was my shining star and guiding light back when I was only a little boy. His was the original spirit that moved me to do everything I would do.
Jenny, Jenny
Jenny Jenny Jenny, won’t you come along with me,
Jenny Jenny, ooh, Jenny Jenny,
Jenny Jenny Jenny, won’t you come along with me,
Jenny Jenny, ooh, Jenny Jenny,
You know that I love, we could live so happily,
Jenny Jenny, ooh, Jenny Jenny.
Spinnin’ spinnin’ spinnin’, spinnin’ like a spinnin’ top,
Spinnin’ spinnin’, ooh, spinnin’ spinnin’,
Spinnin’ spinnin’ spinnin’, spinnin’ like a spinnin’ top,
Spinnin’ spinnin’, ooh, spinnin’ spinnin’,
Crazy little partner, you ought to see us reel and rock,
Jenny Jenny, ooh, Jenny Jenny.
Jenny Jenny Jenny, you know that you’re my girl,
Jenny Jenny, ooh, Jenny Jenny,
Jenny Jenny Jenny, you know that you’re my girl,
Jenny Jenny, ooh, Jenny Jenny,
You know that I’ll need, I’ll buy you diamond rings and pearl,
Jenny Jenny, ooh, Jenny Jenny.
…
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One of the best singers ever! I had a live version on cassette.
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He would be on my top 10 singers list any day.
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Little Richard did the best “ooh” in rock and roll.
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No Little Richard, no Paul McCartney. “I Saw Her Standing There” would not have been the same song without Little Richard’s influence.
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I agree with that. Little Richard had a huge impact on The Beatles…
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Very true.
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That is the great thing about this site Max is one day its AC/DC followed by Little Richard! When I saw this title the first thing I thought of was the Tommy Tutone track of 867-5309 which opens with Jenny, Jenny lol
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Oh yea my wife Jen loves the Tommy Tutone song.
Thanks Deke…I try to switch it up.
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I was thinking along Deke’s line too – is this a favorite of your wife?
Certainly LR was a huge influence on early rock, it’s good that he’s not forgotten.
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Oh no…the Tommy Tutone song is but personally I’ll take this one because of his voice.
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Pure rock’n’roll, lyrically nowhere close to Chuck but he had a sonic boom of a voice and that pounding relentless beat. He must have left a few pianos all but splintered!
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Little Richard was always on attack mode….just relentless.
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I haven’t heard this in years. I think my dad had it. Great piece.
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Yea I like this one…
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Oh, man, I love that tune! Little Richard is among my favorite early rock & roll artists. His energy was just through the roof. And he had many great songs!
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I can see where the audience reaction might get Little Richard considering using that magnetism to draw people to God. He’s a first class entertainer with a voice that stirs things up. I like his style.
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I would have followed Little Richard anywhere…PS…talking to our friend now
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Yup! Part of every rock n roll medley. I seen Lee Allen with the Blasters. He was such a big part of their act.
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That sax just hits home.
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Yeah he’s a bit of a legend
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I always feel pretty ignorant of pre-Beatles/Dylan rock ‘n’ roll – like for my generation, it was largely phased off the radio so I only know ‘Tutti Fruitti’. This one sounds good though.
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Yea when I was in my teens…we had a oldies channel that I listened to because as you know I didn’t like 80s very much.
Come to think of it…I don’t think there is an oldies channel now here.
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Yeah, when I was growing up, oldies only really went back to the early 1960s.
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