I posted this song to show the other side of Little Richard. Some people just know him as the screamer and rocker. This is a ballad that he released in 1962. nobody beats Little Richard (Richard Penniman) for a hard-raving song but it’s nice to see this side also.
Little Richard isn’t just a singer he is a force of nature. I think he would have been successful now or in any decade. He is one of the best singers I’ve heard in rock and roll. His voice is brash, intense, rough, soulful, and magical. He takes you to the edge of the cliff and when you think he will go over he pulls it back.
This song was the B side to “He Got What He Wanted (But Lost What He Had)” released in 1962 as Little Richard returned to Rock and Roll after his retirement. He was touring the UK and Germany at this time. The Beatles opened a few shows for him while he was on tour.
Joe Lutcher wrote this song and had a hand in Little Richard retiring earlier. In 1957, he discussed religious matters with Little Richard, following which, during a tour of Australia, Little Richard resolved also to give up playing what was described as “the devil’s music”. Lutcher joined Penniman in Bible studies, and they toured the country together as The Little Richard Evangelistic Team, preaching the word of God to reportedly enthusiastic crowds.
Little Richard would come back to Rock and Roll of course but Joe Lutcher would not. In later years he refused all requests to discuss his earlier secular music career. He died in 2006.
Here is the A-Side of the single….He Got What He Wanted (But Lost What He Had)… great title by the way.
Why Don’t You Change Your Ways?
Why don’t you change your ways of living
why don’t you do it now
Why don’t you do it my friend this very day
Because there is no other way
Why don’t you change your ways of talking?
Why don’t you do it now
Why don’t you do it my friend this very day
Because there is no other way
Yes, this is the way
This is the way oh well
This is the way
This is the way oh yes
Why Don’t you change your ways of walking
why don’t you do it now
Why don’t you do it my friend this very day
Because there is no other way
It’s so straight and there could be no other way
It’s so narrow many would never look that way
It’s so they don’t won’t to even find the way
It’s the light that leads me the right way
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He totally shifted gears on WDYCYW’s Max. True as everyone knows him as a screamer and a rocker. Loved it when he was in Cinderella’s vid Shelter Me.
I forgot about that video…I need to watch that again. That was one of my favorite songs by them.
Cinderella made 4 great albums. Not a dud amongst them
I will listen to them Deke…I didn’t start paying attention to the Heartbreak Station album.
Thats a great starting point. Listen to Night Songs followed by Long Cold Winter and you can hear how Keifer was headed towards what became Heartbreak Station.
Cool dude… I saw a picture of them and this is NOT the way to judge…but I thought they were like Poison…but when I heard Heartbreak Station…I’m like wow…I like these guys. They had the throwback rock in them.
What a gorgeous song which I had not had the fortune to hear before. This is so silky smooth. Nice choice Max.
He Got What He Wanted (But Lost What He Had) sounded a bit like Long Tall Sally, but not as good. The other song was really good.
What I said on your post is what I meant on this post…with him retiring.
OK, I will delete your other comments.
Thank you…sorry Jim
What a great song to demonstrate the transition that was going on in his life.
It really is….something that was really different for him and it worked.
Wow, I’ve never heard that one and wouldn’t have guessed it was Little Richard! I like it though, I would’ve liked to hear more like this from him.
He does have some ballads…they are just never heard.
Nice; 50s tinkling piano, surprising change of voice, yet I like ‘He Got What He Wanted But Lost What He Had’ more.
Never heard either- and yes, ‘He Lost’ is a great title for a song. Digging deep into the past here Max!
Thanks obbverse… I like this different sounding music from Richard…a little more mellow…and mellow + Little Richard doesn’t go together much.
No, Little ‘Wop bop a lu bop a lop bam boom’ Richard literally does not exactly scream ‘mellow!’ But we all need our quiet places at times…
Great post, Max. I love both of these songs! I believe “Why Don’t You Change Your Ways” is the first ballad I ever heard by Little Richard. “He Got What He Wanted” is definitely the type of song you commonly associate with him.
Yea it’s so different than what he usually does…that I had to post them.
Glad you did, Max. And I bet many of your readers didn’t know that side of Little Richard either!
No they didn’t…and the author didn’t either!