Search - Little Richard :: Get Down With It: The Okeh Sessions

At long last! Previously unreleased '60s Richard!!

p. silverman | USA | 02/27/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Legacy has offered up a Grammy-worthy (mostly) reissue compilation, and they did it well: they provided noteworthy, lesser-known progressive tracks from a real rock and roll originator and insured collectibility by including *three* missing gems found at the far end of the vaults.
This set is primarily "The Explosive Little Richard" plus two four single sides (two of which came out only in Europe) and three miscellaneous.
The surprises: "Poor Dog" (the longest version yet) minus feline chorus; "A Little Bit Of Something" (possibly the first stereo issue, with a longer fade and a powerful closing holler); the movie ballad, "Hurry Sundown" with Richard's voice all the way through - earlier releases contained another singer apparently overdubbed in a spot where LR seems to go off-mike - a powerful octave-leaping performance; stereo versions of the Abbey Road cuts of "Get Down With It" and Fats Domino's "Rosemary".
The shockers: (speakin' of the Fat Man) an instrumental version of "The Rockin' Chair", his early '50s medium-temp blues classic - it sounds more like an instrumental of Richard's "Slippin' and Slidin" complete with heavily-miked piano and LR band exhortations, but, man, I'll take it; a relaxed but potent "Hound Dog" from the same session; and another big ballad, "Golden Arrow", from the final Okeh session in '67, featuring Richard as Cupid, it's exquisitely sung - Tom Jones' fans bend an ear!
Ofcourse many fans know that most of these numbers were produced by Richard's Specialty Records labelmate Larry Williams who obviously tried to do something different for his man. Instead of looking back he looked forward - the arrangements mix jazz with rock and strongly suggest the later efforts of groups like Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Chicago, and countless others. The best examples are the smooth, medium temp "(You're My Girl) I Don't Want To Discuss It", a soft vocal over a contemporary 4/4 beat, missed (apparently) by the radio station program directors but not by folks like Delaney and Bonnie, Rhinoceros, and Rod Stewart. How this missed the Top 100 I can't fathom. Two chartmakers were the pop ballad, "The Commandments Of Love", and the driving "Poor Dog".
Fans and historians might be interested in knowing that research shows that the first OKeh session took place approximately one month following his last session for Modern Records, a live recording made in Atlanta, Georgia. That effort went unreleased for quite a while apparently because of technical problems and the star's bad throat. The "Poor Dog" session was a *go* all the way.
It's hoped that Legacy follows up with the *complete*, unedited live session done at the "Okeh Club".
By the way, official Richard biographer Charles "Dr. Rock" White provides excellent notes. He does not dissect the cuts, however, and this adds to the enjoyment. Hearing even a few seconds of new sound from a greatly under-represented artist (note that most of his post-'50s work are '64 and '76 remakes) is what it's all about."

Tamer, late career sides, but still great R & B...

William E. Adams | Midland, Texas USA | 10/13/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"The most famous and ground-breaking Little Richard tracks came in the mid and late '50's, during the early years of "Rock 'n Roll." Most of those, such as "Tutti Frutti" and "Lucille" came out on the Specialty label. Check out the CD compilations with those releases for the wildest LR. This disc, featuring songs laid down for Okeh Records in 1966, gets better with each listen. First you have to realize you are not getting "Long Tall Sally" and "Good Golly, Miss Molly" with his trademark screams and Jerry Lee Lewis-like pounding of the keyboard. The 17 tracks here are a bit mellower than his most famous recordings, but the accompaniment is excellent, and Little Richard gets to cover a wide range of vocalizations. If you are already a fan, and have his earlier stuff, you'll like this one too. If you have not been exposed to Little Richard, do the classic Specialty sides first to understand how scary he was, especially to parents of white teens, in 1956 or so...LR was part Jerry Lee, part Liberace or maybe Elton John in presentation, an influence on and a pal of Buddy Holly, and a showman to the core. By the time of these tracks, he had mellowed quite a bit, but the musicianship was stronger than ever."

Same Little Richard... Older and Wiser

Original Mixed Up-Kid | New York United States | 12/15/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Of course The Georgia Peach cd is the GREAT one but here Little Richard aged a bit needing a new base of support by the mid-60's, yet he progressed by stretching into more Otis Redding,Wilson Pickett,Motown style of arrangements and style. The beautiful mania is still here but in a more mature studio session style stretching more into traditional r&b,gospel and blues.

Okeh recordings always deserve praise...great artists,style and sound..a great service to music."