In 1956, Little Richard (Richard Wayne Penniman) wrote
and recorded "Tutti Frutti." It was a middlin' hit and a modest success on the record charts. When
Pat Boone covered the song that same year, however, Boone's version shot into the top ten. For revenge, Little Richard wrote "Long
Tall Sally," saying he wanted to write a song "so fast that Pat Boone couldn't
sing it." Boone couldn't (though he tried). "Long Tall Sally"
topped the R&B charts and was the first of Little Richard's three US Top
10 hits.
In the early 50s, the owner of Sun Records, Sam Phillips, said, "If I could
find a white man who had the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a
billion dollars." He found Elvis. Here's the King's versions of "Tutti
Frutti" and "Long Tall Sally" (1956). You be the judge.
(Click on the arrows above to hear the respective versions of these songs)
How much have things changed since the 50s? In 1986, the first Rap album ever
to hit number one on the Billboard Charts was released. Who had this number
one hit? Click here
to find out.