It’s Little Richard’s 1964 TV Special

It's LIttle Richard

Little Richard — who was born as Richard Wayne Penniman on December 5, 1932 — passed away on May 9, 2020. He is one of the giants of rock and roll, leaving us many great memories and performances. Among those is a wonderful UK television special from 1964 called appropriately It’s Little Richard.

By 1964, some time had passed since 1955 when Little Richard had a huge hit with “Tutti Frutti.” Like early rocker Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard pondered the relation between the new music and God. And, by the start of the 1960s, he had started focusing on gospel music.

But he could not stay away from the music he loved, and he soon returned to making secular music too. And in 1964, Grenada Television in the U.K. broadcast a Little Richard special, The Little Richard Spectacular, sometimes called It’s Little Richard. Little Richard had been out of the spotlight and the British Invasion was emerging, but his talent could not be denied.

Four years before Elvis’s famous comeback TV special, It’s Little Richard, which featured The Shirelles as guests, was so popular and generated so much fan mail that the TV station rebroadcast the show twice. Check out the special, directed by Philip Casson, below.

Songs on the special included “I’ve Got the Joy Joy Joy Joy” (with the Shirelles), “Rip It Up,” “Lucille,” “Long Tall Sally,” “Send Me Some Lovin'” “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On,” “Hound Dog,” “Good Golly Miss Molly,” “Tutti Frutti,” “Jenny Jenny.” The Shirelles performed “Everybody Loves A Lover” and “Will You Love Me Tomorrow.”

What is your favorite Little Richard song? Leave your two cents in the comments.

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    John Fogerty and Family Gift Us “Green River” from the Campfire

    As people are locked down at home during the coronavirus pandemic, John Fogerty has joined other artists sending us gifts through video. Most recently, he gave us a video of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic “Green River.”

    The video features Fogerty with his children Shane, Tyler and Kelsey around the campfire, apparently from Fogerty’s Ventura, California home. With Fogerty’s great voice, one cannot get much better than this one. In addition to the campfire, there are marshmallows and a stuffed Winnie the Pooh.

    Fogerty begins the video with an explanation of how he got the title “Green River.” A drink inspired the song. Check out the pandemic video of the day.

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    Times Like These by The Live Lounge All-Stars

    The Live Lounge All-Stars — a group of 25 performers — have come together to create a new version of the Foo Fighters’ “Times Like These.” The recording benefits the groups Children In Need and Comic Relief to help those harmed by the coronavirus pandemic.

    The song, which is an appropriate choice for our current times, features artists such as Dua Lipa, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, Elle Goulding, and Hailee Steinfeld. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters, who reports the effort made him emotional, also makes an appearance.

    It’s times like these you learn to live again;
    It’s times like these you give and give again;
    It’s times like these you learn to love again;
    It’s times like these time and time again.

    The recording has already gone to number one on the U.K. singles chart. Check it out.

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    Matthew Ryan Covers “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” (Cover of the Day)

    Singer-songwriter Matthew Ryan continues to create beautiful music for our troubled time. His latest contribution is a cover of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth.”

    The song, written by Ellen Shipley and Rick Nowels, was a hit for Belinda Carlisle when it appeared on her 1987 album Heaven on Earth. Anyone who was around at that time will remember the repeated plays of the catchy song on the radio and MTV.

    Ryan’s version of “Heaven Is a Place on Earth” is not a poppy upbeat song as it is in Carlisle’s version (although Carlisle herself recorded a rather upbeat acoustic version released in 2017 on Wider Shores). Ryan’s goal was not a pop song but a single release in “the hope of offering something beautiful during this hard and strange time.”

    While it may seem odd to be releasing a love song about heaven on earth and the “miracle of living” while we are stuck in our homes in fear of the coronavirus pandemic. But Ryan reinterprets the song to give it meaning for our present moment.

    The song in Ryan’s telling reminds us both what love can do (“When I feel alone I reach for you”) and that we can look forward to a different future. And maybe the key to remembering where we can go forward is found somewhere buried in memory and recalling the past.

    On “Heaven Is a Place on Earth,” Ryan is joined by Molly Thomas (backing vocal, timpani, violin, and cello) and Neilson Hubbard (piano). Check it out.

    The video, directed by Tom Sierchio, features “found home video” footage. Sierchio’s inspiration was the beautiful film, Cinema Paradiso, which is Ryan’s favorite movie. The images from happier times add even more power to the message of hope that we need in these dark times.

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    Bruce and Patti at Home in the “Land of Hope and Dreams”

    Springsteen Scialfa

    Bruce Springsteen and his wife Patti Scialfa are among the latest of artists working to help us through the coronavirus pandemic while we stay in our homes. As part of the Jersey 4 Jersey telethon supporting the New Jersey Pandemic Relief Fund, the two sang “Land of Hope and Dreams” and Tom Waits’ “Jersey Girl.”

    Their performance of “Land of Hope and Dreams” was understandably more subdued than the versions on 2001’s Live in New York City and 2012’s Wrecking Ball. As we previously discussed in our analysis, the song reflects a long history of American music and has special resonance for Springsteen and fans. One of the themes of the song is one of hope, something we all really need right now.

    The tone of their performance, of course, is appropriate for the occasion as there is comfort in knowing other people connect to your suffering. But I cannot help just being more sad seeing Bruce and Patti looking forlorn singing a song that in the past has lifted my spirits. We need to believe Springsteen’s promise in the song, “Tomorrow there’ll be sunshine/ And all this darkness past.”

    Regarding the other song in the video, Springsteen always gives a great performance of Waits’ “Jersey Girl.” And here, that song gains added meaning as Springsteen sings it to his own Jersey girl and to those experiencing pain and heartbreak in New Jersey.

    Check out Springsteen and Scialfa performing “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Jersey Girl” from their home.

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