Little Richard: I Am Everything [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

by Little Richard

Overview

There are very few figures in the history of rock & roll more fascinating than Little Richard, an explosive blend of talent, influences, and contradictions who represented the Dionysian freedom of the music like no one else before or since. Richard's story has been worthy of a movie for decades, and in 2023, filmmaker Lisa Cortes released the documentary Little Richard: I Am Everything, which traced the peaks and valleys of his career as well as his importance as one of the Black artists who birthed rock & roll (and watched white artists make more money with his songs and style years later), as well as an icon of Queer identity when it dared not speak its name in the entertainment mainstream (though he would also renounce homosexuality after one of several spiritual awakenings). You couldn't tell Little Richard's story without his music, and the soundtrack to Little Richard: I Am Everything collects 11 songs from his catalog that were used in the film. This album wasn't compiled to summarize Richard's musical career, but to match the musical content of the film, and outside of an early demo for the song "Baby," this strictly features material from his heyday at Specialty Records from 1956 to 1957, and the music sounds just as wild, energetic, and dangerous as it did when it was first recorded. However, the songs have also been reissued umpteen times, and the 1991 compilation The Georgia Peach presents a more complete and satisfying overview of this period. The album also includes three cuts not by Little Richard: Valerie June summons the spirit of Sister Rosetta Tharpe with a cover of her classic "Strange Things Happening Every Day," Corey Henry delivers a faithful but slightly overpolished version of "Tutti Frutti," and Tamar-Kali contributes an atmospheric jazz piece titled "Quasar." If you enjoyed Little Richard: I Am Everything and want a souvenir of the film, the soundtrack is an enjoyable release that replicates the experience and offers some fine, soul-satisfying music. But if you want the full story of Little Richard's life as a musician, this leaves much to be desired. ~ Mark Deming

Product Details

Release Date:	11/17/2023
Label:	Concord / Varèse Sarabande
UPC:	0888072540194
Rank:	20887

Tracks

1. Good Golly, Miss Molly
2. Strange Things Happening Every Day
3. Baby [Demo]
4. I'm Just a Lonely Guy (All Alone)
5. Tutti Frutti
6. Long Tall Sally
7. Lucille
8. Bama Lama Bama Loo
9. Rip It Up
10. Ready Teddy
11. The Girl Can't Help It
12. Send Me Some Lovin'
13. Tutti Frutti
14. Quasar

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Little Richard   Primary Artist
Tamar-Kali   Primary Artist
Tamar-Kali Brown   Primary Artist
Cory Henry   Primary Artist
Valerie June   Primary Artist
Little Richard and His Band   Primary Artist
Alex Weill   Violin
Francesca Dardani   Violin
Jorge Huelga Garcia   Viola
Kirin McElwain   Cello
Jason DiMatteo   Bass (Electric),Double Bass
Chris Eddleton   Drums

Technical Credits

Angie Teo   Mixing Engineer,Recording
Albert Collins   Composer
Joe Lubin   Composer
Dorothy LaBostrie   Composer
Leo Price   Composer
Andy Fischer   Producer
Mason Williams   Producer,Executive Producer
Sig Sigworth   Producer,Executive Producer
Richard Penniman   Composer
Chas Ferry   Mastering Engineer
Tamar-Kali   Arranger,Composer
Robert "Bumps" Blackwell   Composer
Valerie June   Arranger
Jonathan Finegold   Producer
Melinda Hurley   Mastering Engineer
Dorothy La Bostrie   Composer
Amon Drum   Recording
Greg Tock   Assistant Engineer
Bobby Troup   Composer
John Marascalco   Composer
Enotris Johnson   Composer
Traditional   Composer