Released 67 years ago on Specialty Records, recorded at Cossimo Matasa’s J&M Music in New Orleans at 838 – 840 N. Rampart Street, Little Richard’s seminal “Lucille.” Richard had a fair claim to truly being the creator of Rock and Roll. But he also had the cream of the crop backing him up at the time, among them Alvin ‘Red’ Tyler, Frank Fields, and Roy Montrell. “Lucille” also featured two musicians who would go on to be among the most credited in recorded history: Lee Allen on tenor sax, and Earl Palmer on drums.

Lee Allen would feature on most of Little Richard’s most influential records, including “Tutti Frutti,” Rip It Up,” “Good Golly, Miss Molly,” and “The Girl Can’t Help It.” He’d also appear on Fats Domino’s “I’m Walkin’,” “Blueberry Hill,” and “Blue Monday.” He’d record with Dr. John for his Gumbo album, Buddy Miles, Smiley Lewis, Big Joe Turner, Charles Brown, Professor Longhair and T-Bone Walker. By the mid-60’s, he’d more or less retired.

Working a day job after a move to Los Angeles, following Earl Palmer out there, he began to gig in the evenings, often with T-Bone Walker and Big Joe. He had some renewed interest when the Rockabilly resurgence occurred, eventually playing with the Stray Cats. But he was a mentor and part-time performer with The Blasters, one of America’s greatest bands. He played on all Blasters album other than their debut, and was often on stage with them, touring in the mid-80’s. He would continue to tour with Fats Domino as well into the 90’s, with his final recorded appearance in 1992. His friend Earl Palmer though, well, that’s a whole other level of credits. And he created the backbeat now considered an essential ingredient in Rock and Roll, when he played it on Fats Domino’s “The Fat Man.”

Earl’s singles credits alone are staggering: Among them: Smiley Lewis’s “I Hear You Knocking,” “Ike & Tina’s “River Deep, Mountain High,” Eddie Cochran’s “Summertime Blues,” Herb Alpert’s “The Lonely Bull,” Johnny Otis’s “Willie and the Hand Jive,” Jan and Dean’s “The Little Old Lady from Pasadena,” Bobbie Gentry’s “Ode to Billy Joe,” and on what many to be the greatest single of all-time, “The Righteous Brothers’ “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling.” As a member of The Wrecking Crew, his album credits are too many to list. According to musician’s union records, he played on 450 sessions in 1967 alone. A very few of the many to employ Earl: Tom Waits, Neil Young, Sarah Vaughan, Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson, Frank Sinatra, Sonny and Cher, Leon Russell, Bonnie Raitt, Julie London, Randy Newman,The Everly Brothers, Tal Mahal, Lightnin’ Hopkins, Jose Feliciano, and Sam Cooke.

Today’s Playlist is a SomethingIsHappening very brief compendium of performances featuring Lee & Earl…

Lee Allen w/Fats Domino…

Earl on the skins in 1957 with Little Richard. Lee Allen’s there too…

Please feel free to share this post, and any others, with anyone you think may be interested…

#LittleRichard #EarlPalmer #LeeAllen #DaveAlvin #PhilAlvin #TheBlasters #FatsDomino #Lucille