Lifetime Friend

Lifetime Friend
Studio album by Little Richard
Released	1986
Recorded	1985–1986
Studio	London, England
Genre	Rhythm and blues soul rock and roll contemporary Christian music
Label	Warner Bros.
Producer	Stuart Colman
Little Richard chronology
God's Beautiful City (1979) Lifetime Friend (1986) Shake It All About (1992)

Lifetime Friend is an album by Little Richard, and his first album in seven years since the release of the 1979 gospel album, God's Beautiful City. Following that album's release and some 1981 recordings, Richard had made no recordings while he continued his career in the ministry. Following the release of his autobiography, The Quasar of Rock and Roll, in 1984, Richard reemerged in the public eye and had begun to be recognized for his contributions to popular music as one of the founders of rock and roll music.

Before Richard recorded Lifetime Friend, his mother, Leva Mae, had died; Richard had promised her that he would remain a Christian. For this album, he decided to mix his trademark rock and roll sound with gospel lyrics, in a style that he called "message music" or "messages in rhythm". One track, "I Found My Way", co-written by Richard and one of his young proteges Victor Brooks ll, included a blend of rap vocals and rock and roll. The album was recorded mainly in England, and was issued on WEA in Europe and Warner Bros. Records in the United States.

The song, "Great Gosh A'Mighty", co-written by Richard and Billy Preston, was released as a single after being featured on the soundtrack of Down and Out in Beverly Hills. It just missed making the top 40, peaking at number 42 on the Billboard Hot 100 in April 1986. The song did not receive substantial airplay.

Track listing

1. "Great Gosh A'Mighty" (Billy Preston, Richard Penniman) – 4:48
2. "Operator" (Jesse Boyce) – 4:52
3. "Somebody's Comin'" (John David) – 3:40
4. "Lifetime Friend" (Jesse Boyce, Travis Wammack) – 3:38
5. "Destruction" (Jesse Boyce, Travis Wammack) – 3:45
6. "I Found My Way" (Victor L. Brooks ll, Richard Penniman) – 3:40
7. "The World Can't Do Me" (Jesse Boyce, Richard Penniman) – 3:48
8. "One Ray of Sunshine" (Darrell Smith, Travis Wammack) – 4:42
9. "Someone Cares" (Richard Penniman) – 4:30
10. "Big House Reunion" (Travis Wammack) – 4:05

References

Little Richard p.2

Sources

White, Charles (2003). The Life and Times of Little Richard. The Authorised Biography. London: Omnibus Press. pp. 60–62. ISBN 0-711997616.

Little Richard (2020). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Richard