Released 1972 Artist Little Richard Genres Rock music, Rock and roll | Length 34:55 Release date 1972 | |
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Recorded various dates 1964–1971 Label Original Signal/Stay Platinum/Power Pop Similar Little Richard albums, Rock and roll albums | ||
Friends from the Beginning – Little Richard and Jimi Hendrix is an album with songs purportedly recorded by Little Richard between 1964 and its 1972 release date. Contrary to the album title and claims in the liner notes, Jimi Hendrix does not contribute anything to the recording. Little Richard's involvement in some of the songs has also been questioned. AllMusic critic Joe Vilione describes the album as "totally bogus" and adds:
Contents
Fraudulent recordings like Friends from the Beginning serve no purpose but to confuse the public and harm the reputations of the artists whose names appear on these travesties. It is a deception.
Hendrix was a off-and-on member of Richard's backup band, the Upsetters between late 1964–January 1965 until June–July 1965. So far, Hendrix biographers have identified only two songs he recorded with Richard, but are uncertain about the dates: "I Don't Know What You've Got (But It's Got Me)", a two-part single released by Vee-Jay Records in November 1965, and "Dancing All Around the World". Neither song appears on this album, although they are included on the West Coast Seattle Boy: The Jimi Hendrix Anthology (2010).
In July 1965, Hendrix played guitar during a WLAC-TV television appearance by Upsetters backup singers Buddy & Stacy. They performed the Junior Walker hit "Shotgun", which was broadcast on Night Train, a Nashville, Tennessee, music variety show. Soon thereafter, Hendrix moved to New York City, where he sent a postcard to his father:
He [Little Richard] didn't pay us for five and a half weeks, and you can't live on promises when you're on the road, so I had to cut that mess loose.
Richard's brother, Robert Penniman, later claimed that Hendrix was fired because "he was always late for the bus and flirting with all the girls and stuff like that."
Tracks
Six tracks are believed to have been recorded by Richard in Los Angeles on June 30, 1964. The rest are previously unreleased Reprise material from 1971, though the instrumentals are still unknown as to recording date/location, etc. "Why Don't You Love Me" is an alternate take of the "official" version, released in 2005. Two other songs were officially released in 2005: "Belle Stars" is an instrumental version of "Settin' the Woods on Fire" and "Funky Dish Rag", an instrumental version of a song titled "Mississippi" (a vocal version was recorded in 1973 and released by United/Superior). "Tutti Frutti", an instrumental here, is actually "Long Tall Sally". The remaining tracks from the Vee Jay vaults were issued on the albums Mr. Big and Talkin' 'bout Soul.
Songs
1Tutti Frutti2:23
2Lucille2:15
3Send Me Some Lovin'2:13