Rock and Roll

Little Richard  (i.e., Richard Wayne Penniman) started recording for Peacock Records in 1951, but he was not successful until 1955. He went into J&M Studios in New Orleans to record some new song  using Fats Domino’s backup band. The session was fairly dull and Little Richard was getting frustrated. Finally, he pounded on the piano and screamed: “A-wop-bop-a-loo-mop-a-wop-bam-boom!” It was from a bawdy song he did during live performances. His producer, Robert “Bumps” Blackwell jumped  up and proclaimed: “That’s a hit!” They created a song around the phrase, recorded it once, then cleaned up the lyrics, and then recorded it again. “Tutti Frutti” reached #3 on the Billboard R&B Chart and #17 on the Billboard Hot 100. It is considered to be a pivotal record that helped shape the sound of Rock & Roll. There have been numerous covers and versions, including those by Pat Boone, Elvis Presley, Queen, T. Rex, MC5,  Fair Weather, and Sting.

Here are the lyrics to “Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard:

A wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom!

Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
A Wop bop a loo bop a lop ba ba!

I got a gal, named Sue, she knows just what to do
I got a gal, named Sue, she knows just what to do
She rock to the East, she rock to the West
She’s  the gal that I love best

Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti, ooh
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
A wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom!

I got a gal, named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy
Got a gal, named Daisy, she almost drives me crazy
She knows how to love me, yes indeed
Boy you don’t know what she do to me

Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti, ooh
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Wop bop a loo bop!

Oh tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti, ooh
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
A wop bop a loo bop a lop bom bom!

I got a gal, named Daisy, she almost drive me crazy
Got a gal, named Daisy, she almost drive me crazy
She knows how to love me, yes indeed,
Boy you don’t know what she do to me

Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti, ooh
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
Tutti frutti, oh rutti
A wop bop a loo bop a lop bam boom!

For more songs by Little Richard: “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” “Keep A-Knockin,” and “Long Tall Sally.”

For More Golden Oldies Music                                

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop, rock and roll, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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