[6] It became one of the singer's best-known hits and has become a rock and roll standard covered by hundreds of artists,[7] including Elvis Presley, Fleetwood Mac, the Kinks and the Beatles.
Although this meant an unexpected cash income for the Specialty publishing firm, A&R man and producer Robert "Bumps" Blackwell and a proud Richard decided to write a song that was so up-tempo and the lyrics so fast that Boone would not be able to handle it.
The song, actually a few lines on a piece of paper, went like this: Saw Uncle John with Long Tall Sally They saw Aunt Mary comin' So they ducked back in the alley Not wishing to upset an influential disc-jockey, Blackwell accepted the offer and took the idea to Richard, who was reluctant at first.
[10] Featuring a tenor saxophone solo by Lee Allen (as did "Tutti Frutti"), "Long Tall Sally" was the best-selling 45 in the history of Specialty Records.
[7] Well, Long Tall Sally She's built for speed She's got everything that Uncle John needs According to Chris Morris' liner notes to the 2017 reissue of Here's Little Richard:[11] ‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.
[16] Looking to branch out, the Kinks sought out a manager, and after a few unsuccessful meetings, they met Larry Page, who promised the group a certain degree of fame.
[17] Page introduced the Ravens to American record producer Shel Talmy along with the Beatles' promoter, Arthur Howes, who was their tour manager.
[18] Shortly before signing, Willet left the group, upon which they hired drummer Mick Avory who had placed an ad in Melody Maker.
[23] The Kinks' version was a modernized arrangement of the song, omitting the frantic piano found in the original, along with moving away from R&B towards a contemporary rock sound.
[23] However, Thomas Kitts states that the merseybeat rendition "zapped energy" from the record and that the Kinks "lacked the necessary fire or punch to conquer both Little Richard and Paul McCartney".
[25] Though Page "aggressively" advertised and promoted "Long Tall Sally" in the media, it would fail to reach the Record Retailer charts.
[21][25] Following their breakthrough in America, "Long Tall Sally" managed to reach the Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart in January 1965, staying there for two weeks and peaking at number 129.
[29] According to band researcher Doug Hinman:[30] The Kinks Additional musician The Beatles were admirers of Little Richard, and regularly performed his songs during their live act.
[32] The group recorded "Long Tall Sally" at EMI Studios in London on March 1, 1964, during sessions for A Hard Day's Night, although it was ultimately not included on that album.
Released as a single in Sweden, the song reached number two on Tio i Topp in June and topped the Kvällstoppen Chart in July and August.
The recording has since circulated heavily among bootleggers, but the 30-minute tape ran out at the end of the second verse of "Long Tall Sally", meaning that the last moments of the Beatles' final paid performance are lost to history.