When a 1964 album proclaimed Little Richard Is Back, it was one thing of a matter of opinion. The Georgia Peach had truly returned to the rock’n’roll scene two years earlier, after a self-imposed interval of singing gospel. But on November 20, 1965, he did make a extra emphatic comeback to the R&B charts.
The single “I Don’t Know What You’ve Got (But It’s Got Me),” written by Atlantic soulman Don Covay, adopted Richard’s cowl of Jerry Lee Lewis’ “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.’” That had reached No.42 on the Cashbox R&B chart in September 1964. The new 45 was notable in being one among a number of of his studio classes of the time to function a younger guitarist for rent known as Jimi Hendrix.
Hendrix had began taking part in reside dates with Little Richard earlier in 1965, below the identify Maurice James. He made a mark, because the rock pioneer later admitted in an interview with VH1 Legends. “On the stage he would actually take the show. People would scream and I thought they were screaming for me. I look over and they’re screaming for Jimi! So I had to darken the lights. He’d be playing the guitar with his teeth.”
By the time of “I Don’t Know…,” Billboard had resumed publication of its personal soul listings, on which Richard duly appeared on November 20, 1965, at a assured No.21. Fontella Bass was persevering with her No.1 run with “Rescue Me,” whereas the 2 different new entries on the Top 40 chart had been the Four Tops’ “Something About You” and Wilson Pickett’s “Don’t Fight It.”
Richard’s single, his final on Vee-Jay to chart, went on to succeed in No.12 on the R&B aspect, his greatest place since, on the finish of his preliminary prominence of rock’n’roll’s first flush, “Baby Face” additionally reached No.12. By now, sadly, his days of pop crossover had been at an finish, and the 1965 single solely reached No.92 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Listen to the 50s playlist for the perfect of the complete decade, from teen pop to rock’n’roll.
He managed three extra R&B chart entries, of which 1970’s “Freedom Blues” was Top 30 soul and Top 50 pop. “I Don’t Know What You’ve Got (But It’s Got Me)” went on to be included on the 1971 compilation of his Vee-Jay interval, Mr. Big, and on the 2010 Hendrix field set West Coast Seattle Boy.
Buy or stream “I Don’t Know What You’ve Got (But It’s Got Me)’ is on the expanded reissue of Little Richard Is Back (And There’s A Whole Lot Of Shakin’ Goin’ On!).