Little Richard discography

Little Richard discography
Little Richard performing in Austin, Texas, in March 2007
Studio albums19
Live albums3
Compilation albums36
Singles77

This page is a discography for American musician Little Richard (1932–2020). Described as "the architect of rock and roll", Little Richard was a pioneering singer-songwriter whose career also encompassed rhythm and blues, soul, and gospel. He began his recording career in 1951, signing to RCA Victor, releasing his first singles, and his first album in 1957, although he released his last album in 1992, he continued to tour into the 21st century. He attained international success after signing with Specialty Records in 1955.

Studio albums

Title Album details Peak chart positions
US
Here's Little Richard 13
Little Richard
  • Released: 1958
  • Label: Specialty
  • Format: mono LP
76
The Fabulous Little Richard
  • Released: 1958 / March 1959
  • Label: Specialty
  • Format: mono LP
Pray Along with Little Richard, Volume 1
  • Released: 1960
  • Label: End
  • Format: mono LP
Pray Along with Little Richard (Vol 2)
  • Released: 1960
  • Label: End
  • Format: mono LP
The King of the Gospel Singers
  • Released: c. November 1961
  • Label: Mercury
  • Format: stereo LP
Little Richard Is Back (And There's A Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!)
  • Released: August 1964
  • Label: Vee-Jay
  • Format: mono LP
136
Little Richard's Greatest Hits
  • Released: c. January 1965
  • Label: Vee-Jay
  • Format: mono LP
The Explosive Little Richard
  • Released: January 1967
  • Label: Okeh
  • Format: mono LP
The Rill Thing
  • Released: August 1970
  • Label: Reprise
  • Format: stereo LP
The King of Rock and Roll
  • Released: 1971
  • Label: Reprise
  • Format: stereo-mono LP
193
The Second Coming
  • Released: 1972
  • Label: Reprise
  • Format: stereo LP
Right Now!
  • Released: 1974
  • Label: United
  • Format: stereo LP
Little Richard Live
  • Released: 1976
  • Label: K-Tel
  • Format: stereo-mono LP (all studio)
God's Beautiful City
  • Released: 1979
  • Label: Word
  • Format: stereo LP
Lifetime Friend
  • Released: 1986
  • Label: WEA Records
  • Format: stereo LP
Shake It All About
  • Released: 1992
  • Label: Disney
  • Format: stereo LP
Little Richard Meets Masayoshi Takanaka
  • Released: 1992
  • Label: Eastworld
  • Format: stereo LP
Southern Child
  • Released: 2005 (recorded 1972)
  • Label: Reprise; later released by Rhino Handmade.
  • Format: stereo LP / CD set
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Live albums

Title Album details Peak chart position
US
US R&B
The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits - Live!
  • Released: 1967
  • Label: Modern
  • Format: stereo LP
Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live!
  • Released: July 1967
  • Label: Okeh
  • Format: stereo LP
184 29
"—" denotes releases that did not chart.

Compilation albums

  • 1958 Little Richard (with Buck Ram and his Rock 'n Ram Orchestra)
  • 1960: Little Richard Sings: Clap Your Hands (Spinorama M119)
  • 1963: Sings Spirituals
  • 1963: His Biggest Hits (Specialty SP-2111)
  • 1964: Sings the Gospel
  • 1968: The Wild and Frantic Little Richard
  • 1967: Rock N Roll Forever
  • 1968: Little Richard's Grooviest 17 Original Hits (Specialty)
  • 1968: Forever Yours (Roulette)
  • 1969: Good Golly Miss Molly
  • 1969: Little Richard
  • 1970: Every Hour with Little Richard
  • 1970: Rock Hard Rock Heavy
  • 1970: Little Richard
  • 1970: Well Alright!
  • 1971: Mr. Big
  • 1972: The Original
  • 1972: Friends from the Beginning – Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix
  • 1972: Super Hits (Trip; gatefold)
  • 1973: Rip It Up
  • 1974: Recorded Live
  • 1974: Talkin' 'bout Soul
  • 1975: Keep a Knockin'
  • 1976: Sings
  • 1977: Now
  • 1977: 22 Original Hits (Warwick)
  • 1983: 20 Greatest Hits (Lotus)
  • 1984: Little Richard's Greatest (Kent)
  • 1985: 18 Greatest Hits (Rhino)
  • 1985: The Essential Little Richard (Specialty)
  • 1988: Lucille
  • 1991: The Georgia Peach
  • 1996: Shag on Down by the Union Hall Featuring Shea Sandlin & Richard "The Sex" Hounsome
  • 1996: Little Richard's Grand Slam Hits (DIMI Music Group)
  • 2006: Here Comes Little Richard/Little Richard
  • 2008: The Very Best of Little Richard
  • 2016: California (I'm Comin')

Label overviews

  • 1989: The Specialty Sessions (Ace, UK, 6CD; truncated 3CD version released in US on Specialty)
  • 1996: The Second Coming (Charly; also released as Dancin' All Around the World - The Complete Vee-Jay Recordings; all previously released, missing alternate take of "I Don't Know What You've Got", and other unreleased material)
  • 2004: Get Down With It: The Complete Okeh Sessions (all studio; Columbia)
  • 2005: King Of Rock and Roll: The Complete Reprise Sessions (Rhino Handmade)
  • 2005: Get Rich Quick – Birth of a Legend, 1951–1954 (RCA Victor, Peacock, Republic; Rev-Ola)
  • 2015: Directly from My Heart: The Best of the Specialty & Vee-Jay Years (Concord Music Group)

Singles

Date Side Title Label
Cat. no.
Chart positions Album
US
US R&B
US AC UK
Nov.
1951
A "Taxi Blues" RCA Victor
20/47-4392
N/A
B "Every Hour"
Feb.
1952
A "Get Rich Quick" RCA Victor
20/47-4582
B "Thinkin' 'Bout My Mother"
May
1952
A "Ain't Nothin' Happenin'" RCA Victor
20/47-4772
B "Why Did You Leave Me"
Nov.
1952
A "Please Have Mercy on Me" RCA Victor
20/47-5025
B "I Brought It All on Myself"
June
1953
A "Ain't That Good News"
(credit: Duces of Rhythm and Tempo Toppers, lead Little Richard)
Peacock
1616
B "Fool at the Wheel"
(credit: Duces of Rhythm and Tempo Toppers, lead Little Richard)
March
1954
A "Always"
(credit: Tempo Toppers feat. Little Richard)
Peacock
5-1628
B "Rice, Red Beans and Turnip Greens"
(credit: Tempo Toppers feat. Little Richard)
Oct.
1955
A "Tutti Frutti" Specialty
561
18 2 29 Here's Little Richard
B "I'm Just a Lonely Guy" (pre-overdub version) The Fabulous Little Richard (with additional backup singer overdubs)
March
1956
A "Long Tall Sally" Specialty
572
6 1 3 Here's Little Richard
B "Slippin' and Slidin'" 33 2
April
1956
A "Little Richard's Boogie"
(with Johnny Otis' band)
Peacock
5-1658
N/A
B "Directly from My Heart to You"
(with Johnny Otis' band)
N/A/re-recorded for The Fabulous Little Richard
June
1956
A "Rip It Up" Specialty
579
17 1 30 Here's Little Richard
B "Ready Teddy" 44 8
Oct.
1956
A "Heeby-Jeebies" Specialty
584
7 Little Richard
B "She's Got It" 9 15 Here's Little Richard
Dec.
1956
A "The Girl Can't Help It" Specialty
591
49 7 9 Little Richard
B "All Around the World" 13
Feb.
1957
A "Lucille" Specialty
598
21 1 10
B "Send Me Some Lovin'" 54 3
June
1957
A "Jenny, Jenny" Specialty
606
10 2 11 Here's Little Richard
B "Miss Ann" 56 6
July
1957
A "Maybe I'm Right"
(with Johnny Otis' band)
Peacock
1673
N/A/re-recorded for The Fabulous Little Richard
B "I Love My Baby"
(with Johnny Otis' band)
N/A
Aug.
1957
A "Keep A-Knockin'" Specialty
611
8 2 21 Little Richard
B "Can't Believe You Wanna Leave" Here's Little Richard
Jan.
1958
A "Good Golly, Miss Molly" Specialty
624
10 4 8 Little Richard
B "Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!"
May
1958
A "Ooh! My Soul" Specialty
633
35 15 22
B "True Fine Mama" 68 Here's Little Richard
July
1958
A "Baby Face" Specialty
645
41 12 2 Little Richard
B "I'll Never Let You Go (Boo Hoo Hoo Hoo)"
Nov.
1958
A "She Knows How to Rock" Specialty
652
The Fabulous Little Richard
B "Early One Morning"
March
1959
A "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" Specialty
660
17 Little Richard
B "Wonderin'" The Fabulous Little Richard
April
1959
A "Kansas City" Specialty
664
95 26 The Fabulous Little Richard
B "Lonesome and Blue"
June
1959
A "Shake a Hand" Specialty
670
B "All Night Long"
Aug.
1959
A "Whole Lotta Shakin'" Specialty
680
B "Maybe I'm Right"
Aug.
1959
A "I Got It" (similar to “She's Got It") Specialty
681
N/A
B "Baby" Here's Little Richard
Sep.
1959
A "Save Me Lord" (aka “Certainly, Lord”) End
1057
Pray Along with Little Richard (Vol 2)
B "Troubles of the World"
Sep.
1959
A "Milky White Way" End
1058
Pray Along with Little Richard (Vol 1)
B "I've Just Come from the Mountain"
1959 A "Directly from My Heart to You" (overdubbed ) Specialty
686
The Fabulous Little Richard
B "The Most I Can Offer" (overdubbed)
Sep.
1961
A "He's Not Just a Soldier" Mercury
71884
113 The King of the Gospel Singers
B "Joy Joy Joy"
Jan.
1962
A "Ride On, King Jesus" Mercury
71911
B "Do You Care"
May
1962
A "He Got What He Wanted (But He Lost What He Had)" Mercury
71965
38 N/A
B "Why Don't You Change Your Ways"
Dec.
1962
A "I'm in Love Again"
(credit: The World Famous Upsetters)
Little Star
123
B "Every Night About This Time"
(credit: The World Famous Upsetters)
Feb.
1963
A "Crying in the Chapel" Atlantic
2181
119
B "Hole in the Wall"
May
1963
A "Traveling Shoes" Atlantic
2192
B "It Is No Secret"
Oct.
1963
A "Milky White Way" Coral
62366
Pray Along with Little Richard (Vol 1)
B "Need Him"
1963 A "Valley of Tears"
(credit: The World Famous Upsetters)
Little Star
128
N/A
B "Freedom Ride"
(credit: The World Famous Upsetters)
April
1964
A "Bama Lama Bama Loo" Specialty
692
82 82 20 Well Alright! (overdubbed versions)
B "Annie Is Back"
Aug.
1964
A "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" Vee Jay
VJ 612
126 42 Little Richard is Back (And There's a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!)
B "Goodnight Irene" 128
Nov.
1964
A "Blueberry Hill" Vee Jay
VJ 625
B "Cherry Red"
Feb.
1965
A "Cross Over" Vee Jay
VJ-652
N/A
B "It Ain't Whatcha Do (It's the Way How You Do It)"
June
1965
A "Without Love" Vee Jay
VJ-665
B "Dance What You Wanna"
Oct.
1965
A "I Don't Know What You've Got But It's Got Me - Part I" (first version) Vee Jay
VJ-698
92 12
B "I Don't Know What You've Got But It's Got Me - Part II" 12
Jan.
1966
A "Holy Mackerel" Modern
45xM 1018
The Wild and Frantic Little Richard
B "Baby, Don't You Want a Man Like Me"
Feb.
1966
A "Do You Feel It (Part 1)" Modern
45xM 1019
The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits - Live!

overdubbed w/additional audience sounds

B "Do You Feel It (Part 2)"
June
1966
A "Poor Dog (Who Can't Wag His Own Tail)" Okeh
4-7251
121 41 The Explosive Little Richard
B "Well"
July
1966
A "Directly from My Heart" Modern
45xM 1022
The Wild and Frantic Little Richard
B "I'm Back"
Nov.
1966
A "I Need Love" Okeh
4-7262
The Explosive Little Richard
B "The Commandments of Love"
Jan.
1967
A "I Don't Want to Discuss It" Okeh
4-7271
B "Hurry Sundown"
Feb.
1967
A "Get Down with It" Columbia (UK)
DB 8116
N/A
B "Rose Mary"
March
1967
A "Don't Deceive Me" Okeh
4-7278
The Explosive Little Richard
B "Never Gonna Let You Go"
June
1967
A "A Little Bit of Something (Beats a Whole Lot of Nothing)" Okeh
4-7286
N/A
B "Money" The Explosive Little Richard
1967 A "Bring It Back Home to Me" (variant of live recording ) Modern
45xM 1030
The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits - Live!
B "Slippin' and Slidin'" (1964 recut) N/A
Nov.
1967
A "Baby What You Want Me to Do (Part 1)" Modern
45xM 1043
The Wild and Frantic Little Richard
B "Baby What You Want Me to Do (Part 2)"
Dec.
1967
A "Try Some of Mine" Brunswick
55362
N/A
B "She's Together"
June
1968
A "Baby, Don't You Tear My Clothes" Brunswick
55377
B "Stingy Jenny"
Sep.
1968
A "Soul Train" Brunswick
55386
B "Can I Count on You"
March
1969
A "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On" Okeh
4-7325
Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live!
B "Lucille"
April
1970
A "Bama Lama Bama Loo" (overdubbed) Specialty
697
Well Alright!
B "Keep A-Knockin'" (original version) Little Richard
April
1970
A "Freedom Blues" Reprise
0907
47 28 The Rill Thing
B "Dew Drop Inn"
August
1970
A "Greenwood, Mississippi" Reprise
0942
85
B "I Saw Her Standing There" (edited) N/A
Nov.
1970
A "Poor Boy Paul" Specialty
699
Well Alright!
B "Wonderin'" (first version)
March
1971
A "Shake a Hand (If You Can)" (Re-recording from 1971) Reprise
1005
N/A
B "Somebody Saw You" The Rill Thing
Oct.
1971
A "Green Power" Reprise
1043
The King of Rock and Roll
B "Dancing in the Street"
Nov.
1972
A "Mockingbird Sally" Reprise
REP 1130
The Second Coming
B "Nuki Suki"
1972 A "Goodnight Irene"
(reissue; with Jimi Hendrix [disputed])
ALA
ALA-1175
Friends from the Beginning
B "Why Don't You Love Me" (1971 recording; not with Hendrix)
May
1973
A "Good Golly Miss Molly" (live) (Extended version) Bell
2008 189
Let the Good Times Roll (soundtrack)
B "Lucille" (live)
June
1973
A "In the Middle of the Night" Greene Mountain
413
71 N/A
B "Where Will I Find a Place to Sleep This Evening"
Feb. 1973 A "In the Name" Kent
4568
Right Now!
B "Don't You Know I”
Oct.
1975
A "Call My Name" Manticore
7007
106 N/A
B "Steal Miss Liza"
1975 A "Try to Help Your Brother" Mainstream
5572
B "Funk Proof"
1977 A1 "Good Golly Miss Molly" Creole
CR 140
37 Little Richard Live
A2 "Rip It Up"
B "By the Light of the Silvery Moon"
Sep.
1983
A "Chicken Little Baby" Specialty
734
The Fabulous Little Richard
B "Oh Why" Here's Little Richard
1985 A "All Around the World" Specialty
736
Little Richard
B "Heeby-Jeebies-Love"
1986 A "Great Gosh A'Mighty! (It's a Matter of Time)" MCA
52780
42 62 Down and Out in Beverly Hills (soundtrack)/Lifetime Friend
1986 A "Operator" WEA
YZ89
67 Lifetime Friend
B "Big House Reunion"
Jan.
1987
A "Somebody's Comin'" WEA
YZ98
93
B "One Ray of Sunshine"
1987 A "Happy Endings" (with the Beach Boys) Critique

7-99392

N/A
1988 A "Twins" (from the original motion picture "Twins")
(with Philip Bailey, 3:18)
WTG
31-08492
82
B "Twins" (from the original motion picture "Twins")
(with Philip Bailey, 3:57)
82
"–" denotes releases that did not chart or was not released.

Billboard Year-End performances

Year Song Year-End
Position
1956 "Long Tall Sally" 45

Other appearances

Year Song Album Notes
1988 "Rock Island Line" Folkways: A Vision Shared - A Tribute to Woody Guthrie & Leadbelly traditional song
1991 "Itsy Bitsy Spider" For Our Children
1993 "Roll Back the Rock (To the Dawn of Time)" We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story soundtrack Thomas Dolby song
1994 "Somethin' Else" Rhythm, Country and Blues Eddie Cochran cover with Tanya Tucker
1996 "I Feel Pretty" The Songs of West Side Story Marni Nixon cover
2002 "Get Rhythm" Kindred Spirits: A Tribute to the Songs of Johnny Cash Johnny Cash cover
2008 "I Ain't Never" The Imus Ranch Record Mel Tillis cover

Guest appearances

Year Song Album Artist Notes
1970 "Miss Ann" To Bonnie from Delaney Delaney & Bonnie and Friends
  • Little Richard played piano on a version of his song "Miss Ann."
1971 "Money Is" and "Do It" Dollars Quincy Jones
  • Featuring vocals by Little Richard.
1972 "He's Not Just a Soldier" Over the Influence Mylon LeFevre
  • Vocals
1975 "Take It Like a Man" Head On Bachman-Turner Overdrive
  • Piano
1989 "When Love Comes to Town" (Live from the Kingdom Mix) "When Loves Comes to Town" B-side U2 with B.B. King
  • Little Richard preaches a sermon in rhyming rap style and sings background vocals
1990 "Elvis Is Dead" Time's Up Living Colour
  • Guest rap
1990 "You Really Got Me Now" Blaze of Glory Jon Bon Jovi
1991 "Voices That Care" N/A Voices That Care
  • As part of a supergroup known as Voices That Care
  • The single and documentary music video were intended to support the International Red Cross organization.
1993 "The Power" Duets Elton John
  • Duet with Elton John.
1996 "Everybody's Got A Game" Definition of Soul Solomon Burke
  • Duet with Solomon Burke
1997 "Hold On to What You've Got" Soul-Gasm Jimmy Lewis
  • Duet with Jimmy Lewis.
1999 "Keep a-Knockin'" Why Do Fools Fall in Love soundtrack Little Richard
2006 "I Saw Her Standing There" Last Man Standing Jerry Lee Lewis
  • Plays piano and sings a duet with Jerry Lee Lewis
2012 "But I Try" Analog Man Joe Walsh
  • This recording is from a 1971 session by the James Gang, on which Little Richard sat in on vocals and piano

Recording sessions

1950s

The pre-Specialty sessions

RCA Victor sessions: WGST Studio, Atlanta, October 16, 1951, and January 12, 1952

Peacock sessions: Houston, February 25 and October 5, 1953

The Specialty sessions

Little Richard recorded a demonstration tape for Specialty at WBML Studio, Macon, on February 9, 1955. He recorded for Specialty for two years, from September 13, 1955, to October 18, 1957.

When Richard abdicated from rock 'n' roll in late 1957, Specialty was forced to go back to earlier, less rock-oriented recordings they had rejected initially to make future releases. In an effort to make these recordings sound "current", they added a female chorus (and in at least one instance, extra instrumentation) to the basic track.

The Goldner sessions

Several religious tracks were recorded in the summer of 1959 in New York City and released by different labels owned by (or associated with) record industry mogul George Goldner (End, Goldisc, Coral, Spin O Rama, etc.). Three record labels with access to the "dirgelike" tracks later overdubbed drums and other percussion to fill out the sound.

1960s

The Little Star sessions

Little Richard recorded six rhythm and blues songs, three Fats Domino vocals and three instrumentals, backed by his 1950s band, the Upsetters, on November 24, 1962, in New York. Two singles were released by Little Star under the name "The World Famous Upsetters".

The Mercury sessions

Little Richard was working for Mercury from June 1961 to March 1962. These recordings have been produced by Quincy Jones and Bumps Blackwell. It appears a second Mercury album was planned but shelved. Richard reached the charts with two single releases.

The Atlantic sessions

The recordings made for Atlantic from June 14, 1962, to April 2, 1963, continue Richard's commitment to religious material. "Crying in the Chapel" was a regional USA hit.

The return to Specialty

In the wake of the "British Invasion" and following a successful tour of England, Richard collected his current guitarist (Glen Willings), the drummer from his New Orleans sessions (Earl Palmer), and old labelmates Don and Dewey and returned to Specialty to start his comeback.

He recorded five tracks (including "Well Alright" and "Bama Lama Bama Loo") in two sessions in March and April 1964. A single was released at the time, and four of the songs were eventually released, with additional overdubs, on the 1970 compilation Well Alright!.

The Vee Jay sessions

Charles White wrote in 1984 that "even with access to the Vee Jay files, information is a bit uncertain in some areas... Of most importance to latter-day rock fans are the cuts that Jimi Hendrix played on, as a member of Richard's touring band. We have singled out those tracks we are relatively sure have Hendrix involvement, although he may have appeared on others."

Little Richard was recording for Vee Jay from June 1964 to at least May–June 1965 (Vee Jay Executive Betty Chiapetta reported in 1982, that Richard recorded several instrumentals for the label). According to Charles White, Jimi Hendrix was playing guitar at least on the first session including such tracks as "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", "Hound Dog", "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Money Honey", "Goodnight Irene" and others, released on the album Little Richard Is Back. Hendrix played on at least nine tracks on the second LR Vee Jay album of '50s remakes. Among the notable Richard-Hendrix songs were "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)", a soul hit in late 1965, and "Dancing All Around the World" (aka "Dance a Go Go"), and "You'd Better Stop", recorded in New York City May or June, '65.

The Modern sessions

Little Richard was recording for the Modern Records label from December 1965 to January 1966.

The Modern recordings are demos, studio warm-ups, tapes supplied by Richard, and actual Modern sessions. Two albums were issued; all tracks of the first one, The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits - Live!, have an overdubbed audience to enhance a live shows done at The Domino, a club in Atlanta, Georgia, December 1, 1965.

There are at least six tracks still unreleased (including “Try Me”, "I Got a Woman", "Good-Bye So Long" [aka "Goodbye Baby"], "Satisfaction", "Baby Face", "High Heel Sneakers"). Two songs are leftovers from Vee Jay Records, an extended version of "Groovy Little Suzy" and a studio version of "Slippin' and Slidin'", both from August 1964. It appears that a third, "Do the Jerk" [aka "Get Down With It"], was recorded in November 1964 in Nashville with Jimi Hendrix.

The Okeh sessions

A contemporary mix of pop, jazz, and soul studio tracks and a charting, in-studio-with-audience live set highlight Richard's Okeh period from February 5, 1966, to May 17, 1967 at Hollywood and (in December 1966) at Abbey Road Studios. Penniman's long-time friend, musician Larry Williams produced the pair of albums.

The Brunswick sessions

Richard recorded six tracks for Brunswick in 1967–68. Three singles have been released.

Later years

The Reprise sessions

The Reprise era was the commercial peak of Richard's comeback, highlighted by numerous television talk show appearances. The sessions took place from March 11, 1970, to April 1972. (Reprise files mention a 1969 session in Los Angeles, for Blackwell Productions; no song titles available). Sessions yielded two hit singles and one hit album. Some tracks from April 1971 first appeared under alternate titles for the Ala label.

Miscellaneous sessions

Little Richard recorded three tracks for the film Let the Good Times Roll circa late 1972, for United Records in January 1973, and for other labels in 1973–75. He re-recorded his mid-50s and mid-60s Specialty hits for K-tel in 1976. In 1979, Koala Records issued what sounds like an early 1970s performance.[citation needed] In 1979, he recorded the gospel album God's Beautiful City, issued by Word Records. In 1985 and 1986, he recorded the album Lifetime Friend, issued by Warner Bros.


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