The 12 months of 1957 was unforgettable for Little Richard. Within the US, he had 4 chart singles and 6 chart songs, as a result of two of them had flipsides that certified in their very own proper. As rock’n’roll unfold like wildfire on the opposite aspect of the Atlantic, the Georgia Peach was cleansing up there too.
Richard positioned no fewer than seven singles on the UK chart through the course of 1957, making his chart entrance with the fifth of them, “Jenny, Jenny,” on September 14. One other observe from his dynamite debut album Right here’s Little Richard, it was written by the artist, aka Richard Penniman, and Enotris Johnson, who was additionally the co-writer of Richard’s “Long Tall Sally” and “Miss Ann.”
Like his different gems for the Specialty label, “Jenny, Jenny” featured the good 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.” Manufacturing was by the equally revered Otis “Bumps” Blackwell.
A transatlantic catch-up
When the 12 months started, Richard had exactly one week to his title on the UK bestsellers, with the belated and modest look of “Rip It Up.” He’d been electrifying the American scene for the entire of 1956, however now Britain had caught on. He made the UK Prime 10 early in 1957 with “Long Tall Sally,” scored lesser hits with “Tutti Frutti” and “She’s Got It,” then hit the Prime 10 once more with “The Girl Can’t Help It” and “Lucille.”
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“Jenny, Jenny” debuted within the UK at No.15 and reached its No.11 peak two weeks later. Richard nonetheless wasn’t carried out, showing once more in November with “Keep A Knockin’,” which managed a No.21 peak. They had been all a part of a 12 months that he would always remember, nor certainly repeat within the UK. Of all of his Fifties singles to make the charts there throughout that period, a complete of 13, greater than half of them got here in 1957.
Purchase or stream “Jenny, Jenny” on Right here’s Little Richard.
