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{{short description|1955 single by Little Richard}}
{{About|the Little Richard song|the New Order song|Tutti Frutti (New Order song)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2024}}{{other uses|Tutti Frutti (disambiguation)}}
{{short description|Original song written and composed by Little Richard, Dorothy LaBostrie, Joe Lubin}}
{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
| name = Tutti Frutti
| name = Tutti Frutti
Line 7: Line 7:
| type = single
| type = single
| artist = [[Little Richard]]
| artist = [[Little Richard]]
| album =
| album = [[Here's Little Richard]]
| B-side = I'm Just a Lonely Guy
| B-side = I'm Just a Lonely Guy
| released = October 1955<ref name=DawsonPropes/>
| released = October 1955<ref name=DawsonPropes/>
| format = [[45-rpm record]]
| recorded = September 14, 1955
| recorded = September 14, 1955
| studio = J & M Studio, New Orleans, Louisiana<ref name=DawsonPropes/>
| studio = [[J&M Recording Studio|J&M]] (New Orleans, Louisiana)<ref name=DawsonPropes/>
| venue =
| venue =
| genre = [[Rock and roll]]
| genre = [[Rock and roll]]
| length = 2:23
| length = 2:23
| label = [[Specialty Records|Specialty]] 561
| label = [[Specialty Records|Specialty]]
| writer = [[Little Richard]], [[Dorothy LaBostrie]]
| writer = [[Dorothy LaBostrie]], [[Little Richard]]
| producer = [[Robert Blackwell]]
| producer = [[Robert Blackwell]]
| prev_title = Always
| prev_title = Always
Line 24: Line 23:
| next_year = 1956
| next_year = 1956
}}
}}
"'''Tutti Frutti'''" (meaning "all fruits" in Italian) is a song written by [[Little Richard]] along with [[Dorothy LaBostrie]] that was recorded in 1955 and became his first major hit record. With its opening cry of "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom!" (a verbal rendition of a drum pattern that Little Richard had imagined)<ref name="whitep49-51">White, Charles (2003), pp. 49–51 ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography.'' Omnibus Press.</ref> and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs, but also a model for [[rock and roll]] itself.<ref>{{cite web|author= |url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/music_blog/archive/2012/09/today_in_music_836.shtml |title=The Current from |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |date= |accessdate=2015-11-09}}</ref> The song introduced several of [[rock music]]'s most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume and vocal style emphasizing power, and its distinctive beat and rhythm.<ref name=campbell115/>
'''"Tutti Frutti"''' ([[Italian language|Italian]] for "all fruits") is a song written by [[Little Richard]] and [[Dorothy LaBostrie]], recorded in 1955, which was his first major hit. With its energetic refrain, often transcribed as "A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom!" (a verbal rendition of a drum pattern that Little Richard had imagined),<ref name="whitep49-51">White, Charles (2003), pp. 49–51 ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography.'' Omnibus Press.</ref> and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs, but also for [[rock and roll]] itself.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/music_blog/archive/2012/09/today_in_music_836.shtml |title=The Current from |publisher=Minnesota Public Radio |access-date=2015-11-09}}</ref> The song introduced several of rock music's most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume, powerful vocal style, and distinctive beat and rhythm.<ref name=campbell115/>


In 2007, an eclectic panel of renowned recording artists voted "Tutti Frutti" number one on [[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'s ''The Top 100 Records That Changed The World,'' hailing the recording as "the sound of the birth of [[rock and roll]]." In 2010, the U.S. [[Library of Congress]] [[National Recording Registry]] added the recording to its registry, claiming the "unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music".<ref name=registry>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-masterlist.html|title=The Full National Recording Registry: National Recording Preservation Board (Library of Congress)|publisher=National Recording Preservation Board|accessdate=2012-12-29}}</ref><ref name=13wmaz>{{cite web|url=http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=80925|title='Tutti Frutti' Joins National Music Registry|date=June 23, 2010|author=O'Donnell, Bernard|accessdate=2012-12-29}}{{Dead link|date=July 2019 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In April 2012, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine declared that the song "still contains what has to be considered the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded: 'A wop bop alu bop, a wop bam boom!'&thinsp;"<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/little-richard-heres-little-richard-19691231 ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624230642/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/little-richard-heres-little-richard-19691231 |date=June 24, 2012 }}</ref>
In 2007, an eclectic panel of renowned recording artists ranked "Tutti Frutti" at No. 1 on ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'''s "The Top 100 Records That Changed The World" and hailed the recording as "the sound of the birth of rock and roll". In 2009, the U.S. [[Library of Congress]] [[National Recording Registry]] added the recording to its registry, claiming the "unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music".<ref name=registry>{{cite web|url=https://www.loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry/nrpb-masterlist.html|title=The Full National Recording Registry: National Recording Preservation Board (Library of Congress)|publisher=National Recording Preservation Board|access-date=2012-12-29}}</ref><ref name=13wmaz>{{cite web|url=http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=80925|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130116001551/http://www.13wmaz.com/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=80925|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 16, 2013|title='Tutti Frutti' Joins National Music Registry|date=June 23, 2010|author=O'Donnell, Bernard|access-date=2012-12-29}}</ref> In April 2012, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine declared the refrain "the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded".<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-156826/little-richard-heres-little-richard-165415/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624230642/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-20120531/little-richard-heres-little-richard-19691231|url-status=dead|title=500 Greatest Albums of All Time|first=Rolling|last=Stone|magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=May 31, 2009|archivedate=June 24, 2012}}</ref> It was inducted into the [[Grammy Hall of Fame]] in 1998.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#t|title=GRAMMY Hall Of Fame &#124; Hall of Fame Artists &#124; GRAMMY.com|website=grammy.com}}</ref>


==Original recording by Little Richard==
==Original recording by Little Richard==
Although "Little Richard" Penniman had recorded for [[RCA]] and [[Peacock Records]] since 1951, his records had been relatively undistinguished and did not result in the commercial success for which his producers hoped. In February 1955, he sent a [[demo (music)|demo]] tape to [[Specialty Records]], which was heard by Specialty owner [[Art Rupe]]. Rupe heard promise in the tapes and arranged a recording session for Little Richard at [[Cosimo Matassa]]'s J & M Studio in New Orleans in September 1955, with [[Bumps Blackwell|Robert "Bumps" Blackwell]] as producer and [[Fats Domino]]'s backing band. The band included [[Lee Allen (musician)|Lee Allen]] and [[Alvin Tyler|Alvin "Red" Tyler]] on [[saxophone]]s, [[Huey Smith]] on [[piano]], Frank Fields on [[double bass]], Justin Adams on [[guitar]] and [[Earl Palmer]] on [[Drum kit|drums]].<ref name=DawsonPropes>Jim Dawson and Steve Propes, ''What Was The First Rock'n'Roll Record,'' 1992, {{ISBN|0-571-12939-0}}</ref><ref name=grove>Penniman, Richard Wayne. "Little Richard." Little Richard 24 Jan 2008. GroveMusic.com (subscription only)</ref>
Although "Little Richard" Penniman had recorded for [[RCA]] and [[Peacock Records]] since 1951, his records had been relatively undistinguished and did not result in the commercial success for which his producers hoped. In February 1955, he sent a [[Demo (music)|demo]] tape to [[Specialty Records]], which was heard by Specialty owner [[Art Rupe]]. Rupe heard promise in the tapes and arranged a recording session for Little Richard at [[Cosimo Matassa]]'s J & M Studio in New Orleans in September 1955, with [[Bumps Blackwell|Robert "Bumps" Blackwell]] as producer and [[Fats Domino]]'s backing band. The band included [[Lee Allen (musician)|Lee Allen]] and [[Alvin Tyler|Alvin "Red" Tyler]] on [[saxophone]]s, [[Huey Smith]] on [[piano]], Frank Fields on [[double bass]], Justin Adams on [[guitar]] and [[Earl Palmer]] on [[Drum kit|drums]].<ref name=DawsonPropes>Jim Dawson and [[Steve Propes]], ''What Was The First Rock'n'Roll Record,'' 1992, {{ISBN|0-571-12939-0}}</ref><ref name=grove>Penniman, Richard Wayne. "Little Richard." Little Richard 24 Jan 2008. GroveMusic.com (subscription only)</ref>


As the session wore on, Little Richard became frustrated that his anarchic performance style was not being fully captured on tape. During a lunch break, he started pounding a piano and singing a ribald song that he wrote and composed, and which he had been performing live for a few years.<ref name="whitep55">White, Charles (2003), p. 55 ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography.'' Omnibus Press.</ref> According to some accounts, he first wrote and performed the song while working as a janitor in a bus station.<ref>Cox, Michael (1997). ''Mind-Blowing Music'' Scholastic Press. {{ISBN|0590195700}}</ref> The song that he sang was a piece of music that he "had polished in clubs across the South."<ref name=Lhamon>Lhamon, W.T. (1990). ''Deliberate Speed: The Origins of a Cultural Style in the American 1950s''. The Smithsonian Institution {{ISBN?}}</ref> Little Richard sang:
As the session wore on, Little Richard became frustrated that his anarchic performance style was not being fully captured on tape. During a lunch break, he started pounding a piano and singing a ribald song that he wrote and composed, and which he had been performing live for a few years.<ref name="whitep55">White, Charles (2003), p. 55 ''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography.'' Omnibus Press.</ref> According to some accounts, he first wrote and performed the song while working as a janitor in a bus station.<ref>Cox, Michael (1997). ''Mind-Blowing Music'' Scholastic Press. {{ISBN|0590195700}}</ref> The song that he sang was a piece of music that he "had polished in clubs across the South."<ref name=Lhamon>Lhamon, W.T. (1990). ''Deliberate Speed: The Origins of a Cultural Style in the American 1950s''. The Smithsonian Institution {{ISBN?}}</ref> Little Richard sang:<ref name=cWhite49>{{cite book |last1=White |first1=Charles |title=The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock |url=https://archive.org/details/lifetimesoflit00whit |url-access=registration |date=1984 |publisher=Harmony Books |isbn=0517554984 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lifetimesoflit00whit/page/49 49]}}</ref>
{{poemquote|A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-wop-bam-boom!
{{poemquote|A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop a-good-Goddam!
Tutti Frutti, good booty}}
Tutti Frutti, good booty}}
After this lively performance, Blackwell knew the song was going to be a hit, but recognized that the lyrics, with their "minstrel modes and sexual humor", needed to be revised for lyrical purity.<ref name=Lhamon/>
After this lively performance, Blackwell knew the song was going to be a hit, but recognized that the lyrics, with their "minstrel modes and sexual humor", needed to be revised for lyrical purity.<ref name=Lhamon/>
Line 38: Line 37:
Blackwell contacted local songwriter [[Dorothy LaBostrie]] to revise the lyrics, with Little Richard still playing in his characteristic style. According to Blackwell, LaBostrie "didn't understand melody" but she was definitely a "prolific writer".<ref>Brackett, David. The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates. New York: Oxford, 2004</ref>
Blackwell contacted local songwriter [[Dorothy LaBostrie]] to revise the lyrics, with Little Richard still playing in his characteristic style. According to Blackwell, LaBostrie "didn't understand melody" but she was definitely a "prolific writer".<ref>Brackett, David. The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates. New York: Oxford, 2004</ref>


The original lyrics, in which "Tutti Frutti" verses contained descriptions of [[anal sex]],<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milton |first=Josh |date=2020-05-11 |title=Little Richard's classic hit 'Tutti Frutti' was actually a graphic tribute to anal sex |url=https://www.thepinknews.com/2020/05/11/little-richard-tutti-frutti-gay-anal-sex-bumps-blackwell-charles-connor-death/ |access-date=2024-02-13 |website=[[PinkNews]] |language=en-US}}</ref> were:
The original lyrics, in which "Tutti Frutti" referred to a homosexual man, were:
{{poemquote|Tutti Frutti, good booty
{{poemquote|Tutti Frutti, good [[wikt:booty#Etymology 2|booty]]
If it don't fit, don't force it
If it don't fit, don't force it
You can grease it, make it easy<ref name=cWhite>White, Charles. The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock". New York: Harmony, 1984</ref>}}
You can grease it, make it easy<ref name=cWhite55>{{cite book |last1=White |first1=Charles |title=The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock |url=https://archive.org/details/lifetimesoflit00whit |url-access=registration |date=1984 |publisher=Harmony Books |isbn=0517554984 |page=[https://archive.org/details/lifetimesoflit00whit/page/55 55]}}</ref>}}
These were replaced with:
These were replaced with:
{{poemquote|Tutti Frutti, aw rooty
{{poemquote|Tutti Frutti, aw rooty
Line 51: Line 50:
And if it's greasy, it makes it easy<ref>''Rock 'n' Roll America'' (BBC documentary, 2015), Part 1, c. 41:00</ref>}}
And if it's greasy, it makes it easy<ref>''Rock 'n' Roll America'' (BBC documentary, 2015), Part 1, c. 41:00</ref>}}


In addition to Penniman and LaBostrie, a third name—Lubin—is credited as co-writer. Some sources considered this a pseudonym used by Specialty label owner [[Art Rupe]] to claim royalties on some of his label's songs,<ref name=DawsonPropes /> but others refer to songwriter Joe Lubin.<ref>[{{Allmusic|class=artist|id=p308092|pure_url=yes}} allmusic ((( Joe Lubin > Overview )))]</ref>
In addition to Penniman and LaBostrie, a third name—Lubin—is credited as co-writer. Some sources considered this a pseudonym used by Specialty label owner [[Art Rupe]] to claim royalties on some of his label's songs,<ref name=DawsonPropes /> but others refer to songwriter Joe Lubin.<ref>[{{AllMusic|class=artist|id=p308092|pure_url=yes}} AllMusic ((( Joe Lubin > Overview )))]</ref>


As possible evidence that the "sexual song" theory was created later, songwriter LaBostrie was quoted as saying, "Little Richard didn't write none of 'Tutti Frutti'. I'll tell you exactly how I came to write that. I used to live on Galvez Street and my girlfriend and I liked to go down to the drug store and buy ice cream. One day we went in and saw this new flavor, Tutti Frutti. Right away I thought, 'Boy, that's a great idea for a song'. So I kept it in the back of my mind until I got to the studio that day. I also wrote the flip side of 'Tutti Frutti', 'I'm Just A Lonely Guy', and a spiritual, 'Blessed Mother', all in the same day." LaBostrie was still receiving royalty checks on the average of $5,000 every three to six months from the song in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/dorothy_labostrie.htm |title=Dorothy Labostrie |publisher=Rockabilly.nl |date= |accessdate=2015-11-09}}</ref>
As possible evidence that the "sexual song" theory was created later, songwriter LaBostrie was quoted as saying, "Little Richard didn't write none of 'Tutti Frutti'. I'll tell you exactly how I came to write that. I used to live on Galvez Street and my girlfriend and I liked to go down to the drug store and buy ice cream. One day we went in and saw this new flavor, [[Tutti frutti|Tutti Frutti]]. Right away I thought, 'Boy, that's a great idea for a song'. So I kept it in the back of my mind until I got to the studio that day. I also wrote the flip side of 'Tutti Frutti', 'I'm Just A Lonely Guy', and a spiritual, 'Blessed Mother', all in the same day." However, [[Phil Walden]], co-founder of [[Capricorn Records]], said that as a teenager, he had seen Little Richard perform an "off-color" version of "Tutti Frutti" before the song was recorded.<ref>{{cite book |last=Guralnick |first=Peter |date=2002|title=Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom|publisher=MOJO Books|location=Edinburgh |isbn=1841952400|page=138}}</ref> LaBostrie was still receiving royalty checks on the average of $5,000 every three to six months from the song in the 1980s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/dorothy_labostrie.htm |title=Dorothy Labostrie |publisher=Rockabilly.nl |access-date=2015-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924091837/http://www.rockabilly.nl/references/messages/dorothy_labostrie.htm |archive-date=2015-09-24}}</ref>


Blackwell said time constraints prevented the development of a new arrangement, so Little Richard recorded the revised song in three takes, taking about 15 minutes, with the original piano part. The song was recorded on September 14, 1955.<ref name=DawsonPropes /> Released on Specialty 561, the record entered the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Rhythm and Blues chart]] at the end of December 1955 and rose to No.&nbsp;2 early in February 1956. It also reached No.&nbsp;21 on the ''Billboard'' pop chart. In the UK, it only scraped into the top 30 in 1957, as the B-side of "[[Long Tall Sally]]". The song, with its [[Twelve-bar blues|twelve-bar blues chord progression]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/VOLUME06/Music_matters_Appendix.shtml |title=A sample of 100 rock and roll songs |publisher=Icce.rug.nl |date=2003-04-06 |accessdate=2015-11-09}}</ref> provided the foundation of Little Richard's career. It was seen as a very aggressive song that contained more features of African American [[vernacular music]] than any other past recordings in this style.<ref name=grove/>
Blackwell said time constraints prevented the development of a new arrangement, so Little Richard recorded the revised song in three takes, taking about 15 minutes, with the original piano part. The song was recorded on September 14, 1955.<ref name=DawsonPropes /> Released on Specialty 561, the record entered the ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs|Rhythm and Blues chart]] at the end of December 1955 and rose to No.&nbsp;2 early in February 1956. It also reached No.&nbsp;13 on the ''Billboard'' pop chart.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Billboard/50s/1956/Billboard%201956-02-18A.pdf |title=Billboard Magazine. 18 February 1956. p. 24}}</ref> In the UK, it only scraped into the top 30 in 1957, as the B-side of "[[Long Tall Sally]]". The song, with its [[Twelve-bar blues|twelve-bar blues chord progression]],<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/VOLUME06/Music_matters_Appendix.shtml |title=A sample of 100 rock and roll songs |publisher=Icce.rug.nl |date=2003-04-06 |access-date=2015-11-09 |archive-date=2012-02-07 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120207144935/http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/VOLUME06/Music_matters_Appendix.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> provided the foundation of Little Richard's career. It was seen as a very aggressive song that contained more features of African American [[vernacular music]] than any other past recording in this style.<ref name=grove/>


Richard's contract with Peacock had been purchased by [[Specialty Records]] owner [[Art Rupe]], who also owned the publishing company that bought Richard's songs. Specialty's deal with Richard was typical of most record companies's dealings with their artists.<ref>''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock.'' Charles White.
Richard's contract with Peacock had been purchased by [[Specialty Records]] owner [[Art Rupe]], who also owned the publishing company that bought Richard's songs. Specialty's deal with Richard was typical of most record companies' dealings with their artists.<ref>''The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock.'' Charles White.
Contributor Paul McCartney. Edition: 2, illustrated. Da Capo Press. 1994. p. 57. {{ISBN|0-306-80552-9|978-0-306-80552-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/lrichard.htm |title=Little Richard |publisher=Soulfulkindamusic.net |date=1932-12-05 |accessdate=2015-11-09}}</ref>
Contributor Paul McCartney. Edition: 2, illustrated. Da Capo Press. 1994. p. 57. {{ISBN|0-306-80552-9|978-0-306-80552-3}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.soulfulkindamusic.net/lrichard.htm |title=Little Richard |publisher=Soulfulkindamusic.net |date=1932-12-05 |access-date=2015-11-09}}</ref>


===Impact===
===Impact===
⚫
Combining elements of boogie, [[Gospel music|gospel]] and [[blues]], the song introduced several of [[rock music]]'s most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume and vocal style emphasizing power, and its distinctive beat and rhythm. The beat has its roots in [[boogie-woogie]], but Richard departed from its [[shuffle rhythm]] and introduced a new distinctive rock beat. He reinforced the new rock rhythm with a two-handed approach, playing patterns with his right hand, with the rhythm typically popping out in the piano's high [[Register (music)|register]]. The song's new rhythm became the basis for the standard rock beat, which was later consolidated by [[Chuck Berry]].<ref name=campbell115>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RK-JmVbv4OIC&pg=PA115 |title=Rock and Roll: An Introduction |author1=Michael Campbell |author2=James Brody |page=115 |date=2007|publisher=Cengage Learning |isbn=978-0534642952 |access-date=2015-11-09}}</ref>
"Tutti Frutti" provided the title for one of the earliest books about the development of rock and roll and pop music from the 1950s, [[Nik Cohn]]'s ''"Awopbopaloobop Alopbamboom"'' (1969). In 2010, the US [[Library of Congress]] [[National Recording Registry]] added the recording to its registry, stating that the hit, with its original ''[[a cappella]]'' introduction, heralded a new era in music.<ref name="Culpeper Star-Exponent : News">{{cite web|url=http://m.starexponent.com/culpeper/db_6501/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=7F4B24B2D77D68B6D0F464B77E664A6B?full=true&contentguid=6KQyJ7zJ&pn=&ps=|title=Culpeper Star-Exponent : News|publisher=M.starexponent.com|accessdate=2010-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716131347/http://m.starexponent.com/culpeper/db_6501/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=7F4B24B2D77D68B6D0F464B77E664A6B?full=true&contentguid=6KQyJ7zJ&pn=&ps=|archive-date=2011-07-16|url-status=dead}}</ref>


⚫
In 2007, an eclectic panel of renowned recording artists voted "Tutti Frutti" No.&nbsp;1 on ''[[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'''s "The Top 100 Records That Changed The World,"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo.html#100%20Records%20That%20Changed%20the%20World |title=Rocklist.net...Mojo Lists |publisher=Rocklistmusic.co.uk |access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> hailing the recording as "the sound of the birth of [[rock and roll]]."<ref name="Contactmusic.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/tutti%20frutti%20tops%20world-changing%20hit%20list_1031090|title=Little Richard – Tutti Frutti Tops World-Changing Hit List|publisher=Contactmusic.com|date=May 16, 2007|access-date=2017-08-30}}</ref> In 2009, the US [[Library of Congress]] [[National Recording Registry]] added the recording to its registry, stating that the hit, with its original ''[[a cappella]]'' introduction, heralded a new era in music.<ref name="Culpeper Star-Exponent : News">{{cite web|url=http://m.starexponent.com/culpeper/db_6501/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=7F4B24B2D77D68B6D0F464B77E664A6B?full=true&contentguid=6KQyJ7zJ&pn=&ps=|title=Culpeper Star-Exponent : News|publisher=M.starexponent.com|access-date=2010-09-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716131347/http://m.starexponent.com/culpeper/db_6501/contentdetail.htm;jsessionid=7F4B24B2D77D68B6D0F464B77E664A6B?full=true&contentguid=6KQyJ7zJ&pn=&ps=|archive-date=2011-07-16|url-status=dead}}</ref> The song was No.&nbsp;43 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s list of "[[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11028260/the_rs_500_greatest_songs_of_all_time/1|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070416005906/http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11028260/the_rs_500_greatest_songs_of_all_time/1|url-status=dead|archive-date=April 16, 2007|title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|publisher=RollingStone.com|access-date=2007-06-02}}</ref> In April 2012, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine declared that the song "still has the most inspired rock lyric on record."<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/heres-little-richard-little-richard-19691231#ixzz1rsqlCXTq] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408135202/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/heres-little-richard-little-richard-19691231#ixzz1rsqlCXTq|date=April 8, 2012}}</ref> [[Bob Dylan]] writing about the song opined "Little Richard was [[speaking in tongues]] across the airwaves long before anyone knew what was happening. He took speaking in tongues right out of the sweaty canvas tent and put it on the mainstream radio, even screamed like a holy preacher-which is what he was."<ref name="Dylan">{{cite book |last1=Dylan |first1=Bob |author-link= Bob Dylan|title=[[The Philosophy of Modern Song]] |publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|date=2022 |location=[[New York City|New York]] |isbn=978-1-4516-4870-6 |page=29}}</ref>
⚫
Combining elements of boogie, [[Gospel music|gospel]] and [[blues]], the song introduced several of [[rock music]]'s most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume and vocal style emphasizing power, and its distinctive beat and rhythm. The beat has its roots in [[boogie-woogie]], but Richard departed from its [[shuffle rhythm]] and introduced a new distinctive rock beat. He reinforced the new rock rhythm with a two-handed approach, playing patterns with his right hand, with the rhythm typically popping out in the piano's high [[Register (music)|register]]. The song's new rhythm became the basis for the standard rock beat, which was later consolidated by [[Chuck Berry]].<ref name=campbell115>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RK-JmVbv4OIC&pg=PA115 |title=Rock and Roll: An Introduction |author1=Michael Campbell |author2=James Brody |page=115 |publisher=Books.google.co.uk |date=2007|accessdate=2015-11-09}}</ref>


===The B-side===
⚫
In 2007, an eclectic panel of renowned recording artists voted "Tutti Frutti" No.&nbsp;1 on [[Mojo (magazine)|Mojo]]'s ''The Top 100 Records That Changed The World,''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rocklistmusic.co.uk/mojo.html#100%20Records%20That%20Changed%20the%20World |title=Rocklist.net...Mojo Lists |publisher=Rocklistmusic.co.uk |date= |accessdate=2017-08-30}}</ref> hailing the recording as "the sound of the birth of [[rock and roll]]."<ref name="Contactmusic.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.contactmusic.com/news.nsf/article/tutti%20frutti%20tops%20world-changing%20hit%20list_1031090|title=Little Richard - Tutti Frutti Tops World-Changing Hit List|publisher=Contactmusic.com|date=May 16, 2007|accessdate=2017-08-30}}</ref> The song is No.&nbsp;43 on ''[[Rolling Stone]]''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s list of [[The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/11028260/the_rs_500_greatest_songs_of_all_time/1|title=The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time|publisher=RollingStone.com|accessdate=2007-06-02}}</ref> In April 2012, ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' magazine declared that the song "still has the most inspired rock lyric on record."<ref>[https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/heres-little-richard-little-richard-19691231#ixzz1rsqlCXTq ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120408135202/http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/500-greatest-albums-of-all-time-19691231/heres-little-richard-little-richard-19691231#ixzz1rsqlCXTq |date=April 8, 2012 }}</ref>
"I'm Just a Lonely Guy," the B-side ballad credited to LaBostrie-Penniman, has rarely appeared on albums or compilations in its original, undubbed mix, as heard on the single. A remix featuring overdubbed female backing vocals appeared on Little Richard's third album, ''[[The Fabulous Little Richard]]''.


==Personnel==
==Personnel==
Line 76: Line 76:
===Additional personnel===
===Additional personnel===
*Justin Adams{{snd}}guitar
*Justin Adams{{snd}}guitar

==Certifications==
{{Certification Table Top|caption=Certifications for "Tutti Frutti"}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=New Zealand|type=single|artist=Little Richard|title=Tutti Frutti|award=Gold|access-date=December 15, 2024|relyear=1955|certyear=2020|source=radioscope}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Little Richard|title=Tutti Frutti|award=Silver|access-date=December 20, 2024|relyear=2005|certyear=2024|id=20623-6989-1}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|streaming=true|nosales=true|noshipments=true}}


==Early cover versions==
==Early cover versions==
The song has been [[cover version|covered]] by many musicians.<ref>''The Blue Moon Boys – The Story of Elvis Presley's Band.'' Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. p. 87. {{ISBN|1-55652-614-8}}</ref> After [[Pat Boone]]'s success with "[[Ain't That a Shame]]", his next single was "Tutti Frutti", markedly toned down from the already reworked Blackwell version. Boone's version made No.&nbsp;12 on the national pop chart, with Little Richard's trailing behind reaching only No.&nbsp;21 in February 1956.<ref name=smothers>Smothers, Robert. "Macon Journal; Georgia's Very Own: a Wop Bam Boom." The New York Times 08 Jan. 1990, Late ed., sec. A10</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://top40weekly.com/1956-all-charts/|
The song has been [[cover version|covered]] by many musicians.<ref>''The Blue Moon Boys – The Story of Elvis Presley's Band.'' Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. p. 87. {{ISBN|1-55652-614-8}}</ref> After [[Pat Boone]]'s success with "[[Ain't That a Shame]]", his next single was "Tutti Frutti", markedly toned down from the already reworked Blackwell version. Boone's version made No.&nbsp;12 on the national pop chart, with Little Richard's trailing behind reaching only No.&nbsp;21 in February 1956.<ref name=smothers>Smothers, Robert. "Macon Journal; Georgia's Very Own: a Wop Bam Boom." The New York Times 08 Jan. 1990, Late ed., sec. A10</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://top40weekly.com/1956-all-charts/|
title=All US Top 40 Singles for 1956|
title=All US Top 40 Singles for 1956|publisher=Top40Weekly.com|accessdate=January 7, 2019}}</ref> Boone himself admitted that he did not wish to do a cover of "Tutti Frutti" because "it didn't make sense" to him; however, the producers persuaded him into making a different version by claiming that the record would generate attention and money.<ref>Harrington, Richard. "VIDEOS; 'the Early Days,' When Rock Began to Roll." ''The Washington Post,'' 19 May 1985, Final ed., sec. G12</ref>
date=30 November 2013|publisher=Top40Weekly.com|access-date=January 7, 2019}}</ref> Boone himself admitted that he did not wish to do a cover of "Tutti Frutti" because "it didn't make sense" to him; however, the producers persuaded him into making a different version by claiming that the record would generate attention and money.<ref>Harrington, Richard. "VIDEOS; 'the Early Days,' When Rock Began to Roll." ''The Washington Post,'' 19 May 1985, Final ed., sec. G12</ref> Bob Dylan said of Boone's cover, "Of all the people who sang 'Tutti Frutti,' Pat Boone was probably the only one who knew what he was singing about."<ref name="Dylan" />


Little Richard admitted that though Boone "took [his] music", Boone made it more popular due to his high status in the white music industry.<ref>O'connor, John J. "Television Review: Rock's Story as Told by Rockers." ''The New York Times'' 08 Mar. 1995, Late ed., sec. C20</ref> Nevertheless, a Washington Post Staff Writer, Richard Harrington, quoted Richard in an article:
Little Richard admitted that though Boone "took [his] music", Boone made it more popular due to his high status in the white music industry.<ref>O'connor, John J. "Television Review: Rock's Story as Told by Rockers." ''The New York Times'' 08 Mar. 1995, Late ed., sec. C20</ref> Nevertheless, a Washington Post Staff Writer, Richard Harrington, quoted Richard in an article:
Line 88: Line 95:
{{Infobox song
{{Infobox song
| name = Tutti Frutti
| name = Tutti Frutti
| cover = File:Tuttifruttielvis.png
| cover = Elvis Presley Tutti Frutti.jpg
| alt =
| alt =
| type = single
| type = single
Line 94: Line 101:
| album = [[Elvis Presley (album)|Elvis Presley]]
| album = [[Elvis Presley (album)|Elvis Presley]]
| A-side = [[Blue Suede Shoes]]
| A-side = [[Blue Suede Shoes]]
| released = {{Start date|1956|09|08}}
| released = {{Start date|1956|08|31}}
| format = [[Gramophone record#Formats|7-inch 45&nbsp;rpm, 10-inch 78&nbsp;rpm]]
| recorded = January 30, 1956
| recorded = January 30, 1956
| studio = [[RCA]], New York City
| studio = [[RCA]], New York City
| venue =
| venue =
| genre = [[rock and roll]]
| genre = [[Rock and roll]], [[rockabilly]]
| length = {{Duration|m=1|s=57}}
| length = {{Duration|m=1|s=57}}
| label = [[RCA Victor]]
| label = [[RCA Victor]]
| writer = [[Carl Perkins]]
| writer = [[Little Richard]], [[Dorothy LaBostrie]]
| producer = [[Steve Sholes]]
| producer = [[Steve Sholes]]
| prev_title = [[Shake, Rattle and Roll#Elvis Presley versions|Shake, Rattle and Roll]]
| prev_title = [[Shake, Rattle and Roll#Elvis Presley versions|Shake, Rattle and Roll]]
Line 109: Line 115:
| next_year = 1956
| next_year = 1956
}}
}}
[[Elvis Presley]] recorded the song<ref name=pc7/> and it was included in his first [[Sony BMG|RCA]] album ''[[Elvis Presley (album)|Elvis Presley]]'' March 23, 1956. Presley's version uses "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!" for every verse,<ref name=pc7>{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19754/ |title=Show 7 - The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1] }}</ref> finishing the phrase with "bam-boom" instead of "bom-bom". Elvis' cut of "Tutti Frutti" was also released as part of a four track EP (RCA EPA-747) and as the b-side of "Blue Suede Shoes" (RCA 47-6636) which reached #20 on the 'Billboard' chart.
[[Elvis Presley]] recorded the song<ref name=pc7/> and it was included in his first [[Sony BMG|RCA]] album ''[[Elvis Presley (album)|Elvis Presley]]'', released March 23, 1956. Presley's version uses "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!" for every verse,<ref name=pc7>{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19754/ |title=Show 7 – The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1] }}</ref> finishing the phrase with "bam-boom" instead of "bom-bom". Elvis' cut of "Tutti Frutti" was also released as part of a four track EP (RCA EPA-747) and as the b-side of "[[Blue Suede Shoes]]" (RCA 47–6636) which reached #20 on the ''Billboard'' chart.


==The Beatles versions==
==The Beatles versions==
According to eminent author [[Mark Lewisohn]] in ''The Complete Beatles Chronicles'' (p.&nbsp;365) [[The Beatles]] performed "Tutti Frutti" live from at least 1960 through 1962 (in Hamburg, Liverpool and elsewhere). Reportedly the lead vocal was always by [[Paul McCartney]], but it is unknown whether their version was actually based on the one by [[Elvis]] or that of [[Little Richard]]. No recorded version is known to survive. However, according to author Allen J. Weiner in ''The Beatles - The Ultimate Recording Guide'' (p.&nbsp;225) during the massive [[Get Back]] sessions a version of "Tutti Frutti" was recorded. A few months later [[George Harrison]] played on a live version which was recorded in Copenhagen with [[Delaney and Bonnie]] and [[Eric Clapton]] which came out on an unauthorized release, though a legitimate version was also recorded in concert in England (and released in 1970). In 1972 [[Ringo Starr]] drummed on, and produced a brief version with [[Elton John]] on piano and [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]] singer [[Marc Bolan]] on lead vocal. Lastly, in the 1990s [[Paul McCartney]] did a (professionally recorded) soundcheck singing "Tutti Frutti" but not like Elvis or Little Richard but instead like an extremely laid-back [[Pat Boone]] of 1956 (Boone's real version was more lively). The McCartney version came out on an unauthorized release, ''Soundcheck Songs Vol.&nbsp;1'')
According to author [[Mark Lewisohn]] in ''The Complete Beatles Chronicles'' (p.&nbsp;365) [[The Beatles]] performed "Tutti Frutti" live from at least 1960 through 1962 (in Hamburg, Liverpool and elsewhere). Reportedly the lead vocal was always by [[Paul McCartney]], but it is unknown whether their version was actually based on the one by [[Elvis]] or that of [[Little Richard]]. No recorded version is known to survive. However, according to author Allen J. Weiner in ''The Beatles – The Ultimate Recording Guide'' (p.&nbsp;225) during the massive [[Get Back]] sessions a version of "Tutti Frutti" was recorded. A few months later [[George Harrison]] played on a live version which was recorded in Copenhagen with [[Delaney and Bonnie]] and [[Eric Clapton]] which came out on an unauthorized release, though a legitimate version was also recorded in concert in England (and released in 1970). In 1972 [[Ringo Starr]] drummed on, and produced a brief version with [[Elton John]] on piano and [[T. Rex (band)|T. Rex]] singer [[Marc Bolan]] on lead vocal. Lastly, in the 1990s [[Paul McCartney]] did a (professionally recorded) soundcheck singing "Tutti Frutti" but not like Elvis or Little Richard but instead like an extremely laid-back [[Pat Boone]] of 1956 (Boone's real version was more lively). The McCartney version came out on an unauthorized release, ''Soundcheck Songs Vol.&nbsp;1''.
==Johnny Hallyday versions==
{{Infobox song
| name = Tutti Frutti
| cover = Johnny Hallyday Tutti Frutti.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = [[Johnny Hallyday]]
| album = Johnny Hallyday et ses fans au festival de rock 'n' roll
| B-side = Depuis qu'ma môme (live)
| released = April 14, 1961
| recorded = February 24, 1961
| studio =
| venue = [[Dôme de Paris]]
| genre = [[Rock and roll]]
| length = 2:54
| label = [[Disques Vogue]]
| writer = Dorothy LaBostrie, Little Richard
| producer = Lee Hallyday
| prev_title = 24,000 baisers
| prev_year = 1961
| next_title = À New Orleans
| next_year = 1961
}}
In 1961, French singer [[Johnny Hallyday]] (who is considered the French version of Presley) first covered the song live during a set at the Premier festival international de rock (meaning "''First international rock festival''"), which was held at the
[[Dôme de Paris]] on February 24 that year, which is credited for having a great impact and truly launching rock and roll in France, which Hallyday performed at.<ref>{{Cite book |last=l'Archipel |title=Johnny live 50 ans de scènes |date=2012 |location=France |pages=31–32 |language=French |trans-title=Johnny live 50 years of scenes}}</ref> Two months later, Hallyday's gig at the festival would be released by [[Disques Vogue]] on April 5 as "''Johnny Hallyday et ses fans au festival de rock 'n' roll''" ("''Johnny Hallyday and his fans at the rock 'n' roll festival''"), being Hallyday's first live album,<ref>{{Cite web |title=lescharts.com - Johnny Hallyday - Et ses fans au Festival de Rock'n'Roll |url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Johnny+Hallyday&titel=Et+ses+fans+au+Festival+de+Rock'n'Roll&cat=a |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=lescharts.com}}</ref> and Hallyday's live rendition of "''Tutti Frutti''" would be released as the album's only single nine days later, being Hallyday's first single to feature both an English-language song and Foreign-language song on the A-side as well as his first live single.<ref>{{Cite web |title=lescharts.com - Johnny Hallyday - Tutti frutti |url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Johnny+Hallyday&titel=Tutti+frutti&cat=s |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=lescharts.com}}</ref> Hallyday's 1961 live version peaked at Number 8 on the French charts<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Chartsventes |date=August 29, 2016 |title=World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries: Johnny HALLYDAY |url=https://artisteschartsventes.blogspot.com/2014/10/johnny-hallyday.html |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries}}</ref><ref name="lescharts">{{Cite web |title=lescharts.com - Discographie Johnny Hallyday |url=https://lescharts.com/showinterpret.asp?interpret=Johnny+Hallyday |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=lescharts.com}}</ref> and Number 13 on the French Belgian charts.<ref name="ultratop">{{Cite web |title=Johnny Hallyday - Tutti frutti - ultratop.be |url=https://www.ultratop.be/fr/song/7b60e/Johnny-Hallyday-Tutti-frutti |access-date=2024-10-16 |website=www.ultratop.be}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> 14 years later, Hallyday would later record a studio version for his 1975 studio album "''Rock à Memphis''" but was not released as a single nor charted.<ref>{{Cite web |title= |url=https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Johnny+Hallyday&titel=Rock+%E0+Memphis&cat=a}}</ref>
===Personnel<ref>{{Cite book |last=l'Archipel |title=Johnny live 50 ans de scènes |date=2012 |location=France |pages=32 |language=French |trans-title=Johnny live 50 years of scenes}}</ref>===
*Jean-Pierre Martin: guitar
*Alf Masselier: double bass
*Teddy Martin: drums
*Georges Grenu: saxophone


===Charts===
⚫
==Later recordings==
{|class="wikitable"
Little Richard re-recorded the song in 1964 for [[Vee Jay Records]]' ''[[Little Richard's Greatest Hits]]'' and again in 1976 for a [[K-tel]] compilation titled ''[[Little Richard Live]]''.
!align="left"|Chart (1961)
!align="center"|Peak<br />position
|-
|align="left"|France ([[SNEP]])<ref name=":0" /><ref name="lescharts" />
|align="center"|8
|-
|align="left"|Belgium ([[Ultratop 50]] Wallonia)<ref name="ultratop" /><ref name=":0" />
|align="center"|13
|-
|}


⚫
==Later recordings==
==Appearances in other media==
Little Richard re-recorded the song in 1964 for [[Vee Jay Records]]' ''[[Little Richard's Greatest Hits]]'' and again in 1976 for a [[K-tel]] compilation titled ''[[Little Richard Live]]''. [[Queen (band)|Queen]] played the song live in their [[Magic Tour (Queen)|Magic Tour]] in 1986, and it appears on their live recordings ''[[Live at Wembley '86]]''<ref>{{cite news |title=Live at Wembley '86 |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/live-at-wembley-86-mw0000082197 |access-date=January 26, 2021 |agency=Allmusic}}</ref> and ''[[Hungarian Rhapsody: Queen Live in Budapest|Hungarian Rhapsody]]''.
The opening scene of the animated feature film ''[[The Brave Little Toaster]]'' played the song.

The video game ''[[DJ Hero]]'' had a mashup remix of the song mixed with
"Beats" by Shlomo as performed by disc jockey [[DJ Yoda]].


==References==
==References==
Line 127: Line 170:


{{Little Richard}}
{{Little Richard}}
{{Pat Boone}}
{{Elvis Presley singles}}
{{Elvis Presley singles}}
{{Authority control}}


[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
[[Category:Grammy Hall of Fame Award recipients]]
Line 139: Line 184:
[[Category:Specialty Records singles]]
[[Category:Specialty Records singles]]
[[Category:RCA Victor singles]]
[[Category:RCA Victor singles]]
[[Category:LGBT-related songs]]
[[Category:LGBTQ-related songs]]
[[Category:1955 songs]]
[[Category:1955 songs]]
[[Category:1955 singles]]
[[Category:1955 singles]]
[[Category:1956 singles]]
[[Category:1956 singles]]
[[Category:1955 debut singles]]

Latest revision as of 17:44, 20 December 2024

For other uses, see Tutti Frutti (disambiguation).
"Tutti Frutti"
Single by Little Richard
from the album Here's Little Richard
B-side"I'm Just a Lonely Guy"
ReleasedOctober 1955[1]
RecordedSeptember 14, 1955
StudioJ&M (New Orleans, Louisiana)[1]
GenreRock and roll
Length2:23
LabelSpecialty
Songwriter(s)Dorothy LaBostrie, Little Richard
Producer(s)Robert Blackwell
Little Richard singles chronology
"Always"
(1954) 		"Tutti Frutti"
(1955) 		"Long Tall Sally"
(1956)

"Tutti Frutti" (Italian for "all fruits") is a song written by Little Richard and Dorothy LaBostrie, recorded in 1955, which was his first major hit. With its energetic refrain, often transcribed as "A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-lop-bam-boom!" (a verbal rendition of a drum pattern that Little Richard had imagined),[2] and its hard-driving sound and wild lyrics, it became not only a model for many future Little Richard songs, but also for rock and roll itself.[3] The song introduced several of rock music's most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume, powerful vocal style, and distinctive beat and rhythm.[4]

In 2007, an eclectic panel of renowned recording artists ranked "Tutti Frutti" at No. 1 on Mojo's "The Top 100 Records That Changed The World" and hailed the recording as "the sound of the birth of rock and roll". In 2009, the U.S. Library of Congress National Recording Registry added the recording to its registry, claiming the "unique vocalizing over the irresistible beat announced a new era in music".[5][6] In April 2012, Rolling Stone magazine declared the refrain "the most inspired rock lyric ever recorded".[7] It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1998.[8]

Original recording by Little Richard

[edit]

Although "Little Richard" Penniman had recorded for RCA and Peacock Records since 1951, his records had been relatively undistinguished and did not result in the commercial success for which his producers hoped. In February 1955, he sent a demo tape to Specialty Records, which was heard by Specialty owner Art Rupe. Rupe heard promise in the tapes and arranged a recording session for Little Richard at Cosimo Matassa's J & M Studio in New Orleans in September 1955, with Robert "Bumps" Blackwell as producer and Fats Domino's backing band. The band included Lee Allen and Alvin "Red" Tyler on saxophones, Huey Smith on piano, Frank Fields on double bass, Justin Adams on guitar and Earl Palmer on drums.[1][9]

As the session wore on, Little Richard became frustrated that his anarchic performance style was not being fully captured on tape. During a lunch break, he started pounding a piano and singing a ribald song that he wrote and composed, and which he had been performing live for a few years.[10] According to some accounts, he first wrote and performed the song while working as a janitor in a bus station.[11] The song that he sang was a piece of music that he "had polished in clubs across the South."[12] Little Richard sang:[13]

A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop a-good-Goddam!
Tutti Frutti, good booty

After this lively performance, Blackwell knew the song was going to be a hit, but recognized that the lyrics, with their "minstrel modes and sexual humor", needed to be revised for lyrical purity.[12]

Blackwell contacted local songwriter Dorothy LaBostrie to revise the lyrics, with Little Richard still playing in his characteristic style. According to Blackwell, LaBostrie "didn't understand melody" but she was definitely a "prolific writer".[14]

The original lyrics, in which "Tutti Frutti" verses contained descriptions of anal sex,[15] were:

Tutti Frutti, good booty
If it don't fit, don't force it
You can grease it, make it easy[16]

These were replaced with:

Tutti Frutti, aw rooty
Tutti Frutti, aw rooty.

"Aw rooty" was a slang expression meaning "All right". According to Charles Connor, Little Richard's drummer, the original lyrics were:

Tutti Frutti, good booty
If it's tight, it's all right
And if it's greasy, it makes it easy[17]

In addition to Penniman and LaBostrie, a third name—Lubin—is credited as co-writer. Some sources considered this a pseudonym used by Specialty label owner Art Rupe to claim royalties on some of his label's songs,[1] but others refer to songwriter Joe Lubin.[18]

As possible evidence that the "sexual song" theory was created later, songwriter LaBostrie was quoted as saying, "Little Richard didn't write none of 'Tutti Frutti'. I'll tell you exactly how I came to write that. I used to live on Galvez Street and my girlfriend and I liked to go down to the drug store and buy ice cream. One day we went in and saw this new flavor, Tutti Frutti. Right away I thought, 'Boy, that's a great idea for a song'. So I kept it in the back of my mind until I got to the studio that day. I also wrote the flip side of 'Tutti Frutti', 'I'm Just A Lonely Guy', and a spiritual, 'Blessed Mother', all in the same day." However, Phil Walden, co-founder of Capricorn Records, said that as a teenager, he had seen Little Richard perform an "off-color" version of "Tutti Frutti" before the song was recorded.[19] LaBostrie was still receiving royalty checks on the average of $5,000 every three to six months from the song in the 1980s.[20]

Blackwell said time constraints prevented the development of a new arrangement, so Little Richard recorded the revised song in three takes, taking about 15 minutes, with the original piano part. The song was recorded on September 14, 1955.[1] Released on Specialty 561, the record entered the Billboard Rhythm and Blues chart at the end of December 1955 and rose to No. 2 early in February 1956. It also reached No. 13 on the Billboard pop chart.[21] In the UK, it only scraped into the top 30 in 1957, as the B-side of "Long Tall Sally". The song, with its twelve-bar blues chord progression,[22] provided the foundation of Little Richard's career. It was seen as a very aggressive song that contained more features of African American vernacular music than any other past recording in this style.[9]

Richard's contract with Peacock had been purchased by Specialty Records owner Art Rupe, who also owned the publishing company that bought Richard's songs. Specialty's deal with Richard was typical of most record companies' dealings with their artists.[23][24]

Impact

[edit]

Combining elements of boogie, gospel and blues, the song introduced several of rock music's most characteristic musical features, including its loud volume and vocal style emphasizing power, and its distinctive beat and rhythm. The beat has its roots in boogie-woogie, but Richard departed from its shuffle rhythm and introduced a new distinctive rock beat. He reinforced the new rock rhythm with a two-handed approach, playing patterns with his right hand, with the rhythm typically popping out in the piano's high register. The song's new rhythm became the basis for the standard rock beat, which was later consolidated by Chuck Berry.[4]

In 2007, an eclectic panel of renowned recording artists voted "Tutti Frutti" No. 1 on Mojo's "The Top 100 Records That Changed The World,"[25] hailing the recording as "the sound of the birth of rock and roll."[26] In 2009, the US Library of Congress National Recording Registry added the recording to its registry, stating that the hit, with its original a cappella introduction, heralded a new era in music.[27] The song was No. 43 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[28] In April 2012, Rolling Stone magazine declared that the song "still has the most inspired rock lyric on record."[29] Bob Dylan writing about the song opined "Little Richard was speaking in tongues across the airwaves long before anyone knew what was happening. He took speaking in tongues right out of the sweaty canvas tent and put it on the mainstream radio, even screamed like a holy preacher-which is what he was."[30]

The B-side

[edit]

"I'm Just a Lonely Guy," the B-side ballad credited to LaBostrie-Penniman, has rarely appeared on albums or compilations in its original, undubbed mix, as heard on the single. A remix featuring overdubbed female backing vocals appeared on Little Richard's third album, The Fabulous Little Richard.

Personnel

[edit]

Additional personnel

[edit]
  • Justin Adams – guitar

Certifications

[edit]
Certifications for "Tutti Frutti"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
New Zealand (RMNZ)[31] Gold 15,000‡
United Kingdom (BPI)[32] Silver 200,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Early cover versions

[edit]

The song has been covered by many musicians.[33] After Pat Boone's success with "Ain't That a Shame", his next single was "Tutti Frutti", markedly toned down from the already reworked Blackwell version. Boone's version made No. 12 on the national pop chart, with Little Richard's trailing behind reaching only No. 21 in February 1956.[34][35] Boone himself admitted that he did not wish to do a cover of "Tutti Frutti" because "it didn't make sense" to him; however, the producers persuaded him into making a different version by claiming that the record would generate attention and money.[36] Bob Dylan said of Boone's cover, "Of all the people who sang 'Tutti Frutti,' Pat Boone was probably the only one who knew what he was singing about."[30]

Little Richard admitted that though Boone "took [his] music", Boone made it more popular due to his high status in the white music industry.[37] Nevertheless, a Washington Post Staff Writer, Richard Harrington, quoted Richard in an article:

They didn't want me to be in the white guys' way. ... I felt I was pushed into a rhythm and blues corner to keep out of rockers' way, because that's where the money is. When "Tutti Frutti" came out. ... They needed a rock star to block me out of white homes because I was a hero to white kids. The white kids would have Pat Boone upon the dresser and me in the drawer 'cause they liked my version better, but the families didn't want me because of the image that I was projecting.[38]

Elvis Presley version

[edit]
"Tutti Frutti"
Single by Elvis Presley
from the album Elvis Presley
A-side"Blue Suede Shoes"
ReleasedAugust 31, 1956 (1956-08-31)
RecordedJanuary 30, 1956
StudioRCA, New York City
GenreRock and roll, rockabilly
Length1:57
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Little Richard, Dorothy LaBostrie
Producer(s)Steve Sholes
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Shake, Rattle and Roll"
(1956) 		"Tutti Frutti"
(1956) 		"I Got a Woman"
(1956)

Elvis Presley recorded the song[39] and it was included in his first RCA album Elvis Presley, released March 23, 1956. Presley's version uses "A-wop-bop-a-loo-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!" for every verse,[39] finishing the phrase with "bam-boom" instead of "bom-bom". Elvis' cut of "Tutti Frutti" was also released as part of a four track EP (RCA EPA-747) and as the b-side of "Blue Suede Shoes" (RCA 47–6636) which reached #20 on the Billboard chart.

The Beatles versions

[edit]

According to author Mark Lewisohn in The Complete Beatles Chronicles (p. 365) The Beatles performed "Tutti Frutti" live from at least 1960 through 1962 (in Hamburg, Liverpool and elsewhere). Reportedly the lead vocal was always by Paul McCartney, but it is unknown whether their version was actually based on the one by Elvis or that of Little Richard. No recorded version is known to survive. However, according to author Allen J. Weiner in The Beatles – The Ultimate Recording Guide (p. 225) during the massive Get Back sessions a version of "Tutti Frutti" was recorded. A few months later George Harrison played on a live version which was recorded in Copenhagen with Delaney and Bonnie and Eric Clapton which came out on an unauthorized release, though a legitimate version was also recorded in concert in England (and released in 1970). In 1972 Ringo Starr drummed on, and produced a brief version with Elton John on piano and T. Rex singer Marc Bolan on lead vocal. Lastly, in the 1990s Paul McCartney did a (professionally recorded) soundcheck singing "Tutti Frutti" but not like Elvis or Little Richard but instead like an extremely laid-back Pat Boone of 1956 (Boone's real version was more lively). The McCartney version came out on an unauthorized release, Soundcheck Songs Vol. 1.

Johnny Hallyday versions

[edit]
"Tutti Frutti"
Single by Johnny Hallyday
from the album Johnny Hallyday et ses fans au festival de rock 'n' roll
B-side"Depuis qu'ma môme (live)"
ReleasedApril 14, 1961
RecordedFebruary 24, 1961
VenueDôme de Paris
GenreRock and roll
Length2:54
LabelDisques Vogue
Songwriter(s)Dorothy LaBostrie, Little Richard
Producer(s)Lee Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday singles chronology
"24,000 baisers"
(1961) 		"Tutti Frutti"
(1961) 		"À New Orleans"
(1961)

In 1961, French singer Johnny Hallyday (who is considered the French version of Presley) first covered the song live during a set at the Premier festival international de rock (meaning "First international rock festival"), which was held at the Dôme de Paris on February 24 that year, which is credited for having a great impact and truly launching rock and roll in France, which Hallyday performed at.[40] Two months later, Hallyday's gig at the festival would be released by Disques Vogue on April 5 as "Johnny Hallyday et ses fans au festival de rock 'n' roll" ("Johnny Hallyday and his fans at the rock 'n' roll festival"), being Hallyday's first live album,[41] and Hallyday's live rendition of "Tutti Frutti" would be released as the album's only single nine days later, being Hallyday's first single to feature both an English-language song and Foreign-language song on the A-side as well as his first live single.[42] Hallyday's 1961 live version peaked at Number 8 on the French charts[43][44] and Number 13 on the French Belgian charts.[45][43] 14 years later, Hallyday would later record a studio version for his 1975 studio album "Rock à Memphis" but was not released as a single nor charted.[46]

Personnel[47]

[edit]
  • Jean-Pierre Martin: guitar
  • Alf Masselier: double bass
  • Teddy Martin: drums
  • Georges Grenu: saxophone

Charts

[edit]
Chart (1961) Peak
position
France (SNEP)[43][44] 8
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[45][43] 13

Later recordings

[edit]

Little Richard re-recorded the song in 1964 for Vee Jay Records' Little Richard's Greatest Hits and again in 1976 for a K-tel compilation titled Little Richard Live. Queen played the song live in their Magic Tour in 1986, and it appears on their live recordings Live at Wembley '86[48] and Hungarian Rhapsody.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e Jim Dawson and Steve Propes, What Was The First Rock'n'Roll Record, 1992, ISBN 0-571-12939-0
  2. ^ White, Charles (2003), pp. 49–51 The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography. Omnibus Press.
  3. ^ "The Current from". Minnesota Public Radio. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  4. ^ a b Michael Campbell; James Brody (2007). Rock and Roll: An Introduction. Cengage Learning. p. 115. ISBN 978-0534642952. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  5. ^ "The Full National Recording Registry: National Recording Preservation Board (Library of Congress)". National Recording Preservation Board. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  6. ^ O'Donnell, Bernard (June 23, 2010). "'Tutti Frutti' Joins National Music Registry". Archived from the original on January 16, 2013. Retrieved December 29, 2012.
  7. ^ Stone, Rolling (May 31, 2009). "500 Greatest Albums of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 24, 2012.
  8. ^ "GRAMMY Hall Of Fame | Hall of Fame Artists | GRAMMY.com". grammy.com.
  9. ^ a b Penniman, Richard Wayne. "Little Richard." Little Richard 24 Jan 2008. GroveMusic.com (subscription only)
  10. ^ White, Charles (2003), p. 55 The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Authorised Biography. Omnibus Press.
  11. ^ Cox, Michael (1997). Mind-Blowing Music Scholastic Press. ISBN 0590195700
  12. ^ a b Lhamon, W.T. (1990). Deliberate Speed: The Origins of a Cultural Style in the American 1950s. The Smithsonian Institution [ISBN missing]
  13. ^ White, Charles (1984). The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock. Harmony Books. p. 49. ISBN 0517554984.
  14. ^ Brackett, David. The Pop, Rock, and Soul Reader: Histories and Debates. New York: Oxford, 2004
  15. ^ Milton, Josh (May 11, 2020). "Little Richard's classic hit 'Tutti Frutti' was actually a graphic tribute to anal sex". PinkNews. Retrieved February 13, 2024.
  16. ^ White, Charles (1984). The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock. Harmony Books. p. 55. ISBN 0517554984.
  17. ^ Rock 'n' Roll America (BBC documentary, 2015), Part 1, c. 41:00
  18. ^ AllMusic ((( Joe Lubin > Overview )))
  19. ^ Guralnick, Peter (2002). Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom. Edinburgh: MOJO Books. p. 138. ISBN 1841952400.
  20. ^ "Dorothy Labostrie". Rockabilly.nl. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  21. ^ "Billboard Magazine. 18 February 1956. p. 24" (PDF).
  22. ^ "A sample of 100 rock and roll songs". Icce.rug.nl. April 6, 2003. Archived from the original on February 7, 2012. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  23. ^ The Life and Times of Little Richard: The Quasar of Rock. Charles White. Contributor Paul McCartney. Edition: 2, illustrated. Da Capo Press. 1994. p. 57. ISBN 0-306-80552-9, 978-0-306-80552-3
  24. ^ "Little Richard". Soulfulkindamusic.net. December 5, 1932. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
  25. ^ "Rocklist.net...Mojo Lists". Rocklistmusic.co.uk. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  26. ^ "Little Richard – Tutti Frutti Tops World-Changing Hit List". Contactmusic.com. May 16, 2007. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
  27. ^ "Culpeper Star-Exponent : News". M.starexponent.com. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved September 18, 2010.
  28. ^ "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". RollingStone.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2007. Retrieved June 2, 2007.
  29. ^ [1] Archived April 8, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  30. ^ a b Dylan, Bob (2022). The Philosophy of Modern Song. New York: Simon & Schuster. p. 29. ISBN 978-1-4516-4870-6.
  31. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Little Richard – Tutti Frutti". Radioscope. Retrieved December 15, 2024. Type Tutti Frutti in the "Search:" field.
  32. ^ "British single certifications – Little Richard – Tutti Frutti". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved December 20, 2024.
  33. ^ The Blue Moon Boys – The Story of Elvis Presley's Band. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. p. 87. ISBN 1-55652-614-8
  34. ^ Smothers, Robert. "Macon Journal; Georgia's Very Own: a Wop Bam Boom." The New York Times 08 Jan. 1990, Late ed., sec. A10
  35. ^ "All US Top 40 Singles for 1956". Top40Weekly.com. November 30, 2013. Retrieved January 7, 2019.
  36. ^ Harrington, Richard. "VIDEOS; 'the Early Days,' When Rock Began to Roll." The Washington Post, 19 May 1985, Final ed., sec. G12
  37. ^ O'connor, John J. "Television Review: Rock's Story as Told by Rockers." The New York Times 08 Mar. 1995, Late ed., sec. C20
  38. ^ Harrington, Richard. "'a Wopbopaloobop'; and 'Alopbamboom', as Little Richard Himself Would Be (and Was) First to Admit." The Washington Post 12 Nov. 1984, Final ed., sec. C1.
  39. ^ a b Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 7 – The All American Boy: Enter Elvis and the rock-a-billies. [Part 1]" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  40. ^ l'Archipel (2012). Johnny live 50 ans de scènes [Johnny live 50 years of scenes] (in French). France. pp. 31–32.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  41. ^ "lescharts.com - Johnny Hallyday - Et ses fans au Festival de Rock'n'Roll". lescharts.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  42. ^ "lescharts.com - Johnny Hallyday - Tutti frutti". lescharts.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  43. ^ a b c d Chartsventes (August 29, 2016). "World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries: Johnny HALLYDAY". World singles charts and sales TOP 50 in 58 countries. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  44. ^ a b "lescharts.com - Discographie Johnny Hallyday". lescharts.com. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  45. ^ a b "Johnny Hallyday - Tutti frutti - ultratop.be". www.ultratop.be. Retrieved October 16, 2024.
  46. ^ https://lescharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Johnny+Hallyday&titel=Rock+%E0+Memphis&cat=a. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  47. ^ l'Archipel (2012). Johnny live 50 ans de scènes [Johnny live 50 years of scenes] (in French). France. p. 32.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  48. ^ "Live at Wembley '86". Allmusic. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
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