Lucille (Little Richard song)

"Lucille"
Single by Little Richard
from the album Little Richard
B-side"Send Me Some Lovin’"
ReleasedFebruary 1957 (1957-02)
RecordedJuly 30, 1956
StudioJ&M (New Orleans, Louisiana)
GenreRock and roll
Length2:21
LabelSpecialty
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)Robert "Bumps" Blackwell
Little Richard singles chronology
"The Girl Can't Help It"
(1956)
"Lucille"
(1957)
"Jenny, Jenny"
(1957)

"Lucille" is a 1957 rock and roll song originally recorded by American musician Little Richard. Released on Specialty Records in February 1957, the single reached number 1 on the Billboard R&B chart, 21 on the US pop chart,[1] and number 10 on the UK chart. It was composed by Albert Collins (not to be confused with the blues guitarist Albert Collins) and Little Richard. First pressings of Specialty 78rpm credit Collins as the sole writer. Little Richard bought half of the song's rights while Collins was in Louisiana State Penitentiary.[2]

The song foreshadowed the rhythmic feel of 1960s rock music in several ways, including its heavy bassline and slower tempo, inspired by the chugging of a train the band had been riding.[3] The scene-setting sections also feature stop-time breaks and no change in harmony, and it has a darker sound because most of the instruments use a low register.[4]

  1. ^ Jay Warner, On this Day in Black Music History (Hal Leonard, 2006), 84.
  2. ^ "Our Rock and Roll Hall of Fame". 9 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Little RIchard Recorded LUCILLE this Day in 1957". Mybeachradio.com. 16 January 2018. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  4. ^ Michael Campbell & James Brody (2007), Rock and Roll: An Introduction, page 117