Sold Date: February 1, 2020
Start Date: January 18, 2020
Final Price: £39.99 (GBP)
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New and sealed vinyl box set
One of the Founding Fathers of rock ’n’ roll, Little Richard (born Richard Penniman) is one of the most influential entertainers in popular music history, best known for his over-the-top performances at the piano and his string of instantly recognizable hit songs, including “Tutti Frutti,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” and “Lucille.” During the course of his 60-plus-year career, the GRAMMY Award winner and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee has released nearly 80 singles and over 20 studio albums.

This deluxe, 5-LP box set includes the entire output of studio albums recorded by Little Richard for the Specialty and Vee-Jay labels, each in their original, mono mixes: Here’s Little Richard (1957), Little Richard (1958), The Fabulous Little Richard (1959), Little Richard Is Back (1964) and His Greatest Hits (1965). Each LP is housed in a sleeve jacket, within the slipcase. Rounding out the collection is a 16-page booklet featuring new liner notes by journalist Bill Dahl, plus a treasure trove of photos.

Here’s Little Richard (Specialty, 1957): Little Richard’s 1957 debut kicks off with iconic track “Tutti-Frutti,” a song which many consider to mark the birth of rock ’n’ roll. This must-have album also includes the original recordings of such classics as “Long Tall Sally,” “Ready Teddy,” “Jenny Jenny,” “Rip It Up,” “Slippin’ and Slidin’” and more.

Little Richard (Specialty, 1958): By the time he recorded his second, self-titled LP, Little Richard was one of rock ’n’ roll’s biggest stars. Little Richard finds the flamboyant singer coming into his own, with hits “Keep a Knockin’,” “Lucille,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” and the title track of Jayne Mansfield flick The Girl Can't Help It.

The Fabulous Little Richard (Specialty, 1959): Little Richard’s third album marked the end of his rock ’n’ roll period. Released soon after Richard had traded in a life of fame to focus on religion and spreading the gospel, this final album for Specialty features tracks from Richard’s 1955-57 sessions that, at the time, had not yet been released. Includes “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On,” “Lonesome and Blue” and “Kansas City.”

Little Richard Is Back (Vee-Jay, 1964): Having taken several years to focus on religion and gospel music, Little Richard returned to his rock ’n’ roll roots – kicking off with a European tour (a young band called the Beatles were one of his opening acts). Upon his return, Richard signed a record contract with Vee-Jay Records, for which he recorded a wealth of tracks – both old favorites as well as new tunes, with a backing band that, at times, included Jimi Hendrix on guitar. This album, and His Greatest Hits, are the results of these “comeback” sessions.

His Greatest Hits (Vee-Jay, 1965): In his return to rock ’n’ roll, Little Richard tackled a handful of his best-loved songs in the studio. This is an interesting listen – with nearly a decade of time between the original recordings of songs like “Tutti-Frutti” and “Good Golly Miss Molly,” Richard revisited his classics with new arrangements and instrumentation.