The King of Rock and Roll

The King of Rock and Roll
Studio album by Little Richard
Released	October 1971
Recorded	25 May - 2 July 1971
Genre	Rock, soul
Length	42:34
Label	Reprise
Producer	H.B. Barnum
Little Richard chronology
Mr. Big (1971) The King of Rock and Roll (1971) The Second Coming (1972)

The King of Rock and Roll was Little Richard's second album for Reprise Records, a follow-up album that contained one original Little Richard song, the Gospel-Rock "In The Name" and a new song co-written by Producer H. B. Barnum, "Green Power", the single release; and versions of tracks by artists as diverse as Hank Williams, The Temptations, Martha and the Vandellas, Three Dog Night, and The Rolling Stones. The title track, a mock braggadocio that referenced Tom Jones, Elvis Presley, Ike & Tina Turner, Sly and the Family Stone, and Aretha Franklin, amongst others, upset some fans, although the album's title tune got good airplay in New York - a 1950s style jump blues, with an exceptional Little Richard shouting vocal! But fans and critics were further upset that the album did not feature acoustic piano and that most tracks were badly mixed, with an intrusive girl group chorus.

Critical Appreciation

The album received a largely negative review in Rolling Stone magazine, where Vince Aletti stated Much of the album seems designed around the Talk Show Personality rather than the Singer, giving it the sticky veneer of a jive extravaganza.^[1]

Track listing

1. "King of Rock 'n' Roll" (Bradford Craig, H.B. Barnum) - 3:11
2. "Joy To The World" (Hoyt Axton) – 6:49
3. "Brown Sugar" (Keith Richards, Mick Jagger) – 3:23
4. "In The Name" (Richard Penniman) – 3:10
5. "Dancing in the Street" (Marvin Gaye, William "Mickey" Stevenson) – 5:31
6. "Midnight Special" (Traditional; arranged by Richard Penniman) – 4:02
7. "The Way You Do the Things You Do" (Robert Rogers, William Robinson) – 3:29
8. "Green Power" (H.B. Barnum, John "Skip" Anderson) – 3:59
9. "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" (Hank Williams) – 2:40
10. "Settin' The Woods On Fire" (Ed G. Nelson, Fred Rose) – 2:22
11. "Born on the Bayou" (John C. Fogerty) – 4:27

Personnel

• Little Richard – vocals, electric piano

Rest of personnel unknown, records not kept by Reprise.

Charts

Album

Little Richard
Studio albums	Here's Little Richard Little Richard The Fabulous Little Richard Pray Along with Little Richard Pray Along with Little Richard (Vol 2) The King of the Gospel Singers Little Richard Is Back (And There's a Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On!) Little Richard's Greatest Hits The Wild and Frantic Little Richard The Explosive Little Richard The Rill Thing Mr. Big The King of Rock and Roll The Second Coming Southern Child Friends from the Beginning - Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix Right Now! Talkin' 'bout Soul Little Richard Live God's Beautiful City Lifetime Friend Shake It All About
Live albums	The Incredible Little Richard Sings His Greatest Hits - Live! Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live!
Singles	"Tutti Frutti" "Long Tall Sally" "Slippin' and Slidin'" "Rip It Up" "Ready Teddy" "She's Got It" "Heeby-Jeebies" "The Girl Can't Help It" "All Around the World" "Lucille" "Send Me Some Lovin'" "Jenny, Jenny" "Miss Ann" "Keep A-Knockin'" "Good Golly Miss Molly" "Ooh! My Soul" "True Fine Mama" Baby Face" "Kansas City" "By the Light of the Silvery Moon" "He's Not Just A Soldier" "He Got What He Wanted (But He Lost What He Had)" "Crying in the Chapel" "Bama Lama Bama Loo" "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On" "Goodnight, Irene" "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)" "Poor Dog" "Commandments Of Love" "Freedom Blues" "Greenwood, Mississippi"" "In The Middle of The Night" "Call My Name" "Great Gosh A-Mighty!" "Operator" "Somebody's Comin'" "Twins"
Related topics	Discography Songs Albums Songs by Little Richard Billy Wright Robert Blackwell Art Rupe Esquerita Jimi Hendrix James Brown Larry Williams Little Richard (miniseries)
Book:Little Richard

References