Long Tall Sally

Song facts

From Wikipedia:

“Long Tall Sally” is a rock and roll 12-bar blues song written by Robert “Bumps” Blackwell, Enotris Johnson, and Richard Penniman (known as “Little Richard“); recorded by Little Richard; and released in March 1956 on the Specialty Records label.

The flip side was “Slippin’ and Slidin’“. Both songs were subsequently released in the LP Here’s Little Richard (Specialty, March 1957). The single reached number one on the Billboard rhythm and blues chart, staying at the top for six of 19 weeks, while peaking at number six on the pop chart. It received the Cash Box Triple Crown Award in 1956. The song as sung by Little Richard is #55 on Rolling Stone’s list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

It became one of the singer’s best-known hits and has become a rock and roll standard covered by hundreds of artists. […]

From Beatles Bible:

This McCartney-led romp through Little Richard’s rock ‘n’ roll classic was recorded in a single take during the sessions for A Hard Day’s Night. […] It is possible that the song was considered for inclusion in the film, possibly during the live finale, but was deemed to be surplus to requirements. […]

The song was originally released by Little Richard in March 1956, and was a staple of The Beatles’ live set from 1957 right up to their final show in San Francisco in 1966 – the most enduring of any of their songs. […]

In the UK it was first released as the lead song on the Long Tall Sally EP. The US heard it two months earlier, on The Beatles’ Second Album.

The Beatles included Long Tall Sally during Around The Beatles, a TV show for the ITV network filmed on 19 April 1964. The version can be found on Anthology 1.

An earlier radio version, recorded on 16 July 1963 and broadcast on 13 August, was included on Live At The BBC. The Beatles recorded six other versions of Long Tall Sally for BBC radio between 1 April 1963 and 17 July 1964.

From The Usenet Guide to Beatles Recording Variations:

• [a] stereo 10 Mar 1964.
  US: Capitol ST 2080 Second 1964.
  Germany: Teldec SHZT 516 Schlagen des Jahres [collection] 1964, Odeon SMO 83 991 (later 1C 062-04 207) Beatles Greatest 1965.
• [b] mono 10 Mar 1964.
  US: Capitol T 2080 Second 1964.
  Canada: Capitol T 6063 Long Tall Sally 1964.
• [c] mono 4 Jun 1964.
  UK: Parlophone GEP 8920 (EP) Long Tall Sally 1964, Parlophone PSLP 261 and PCM 1001 Rarities 1978-79.
  CD: EMI EP box set 1991.
• [d] stereo 22 Jun 1964.
  Australia: Parlophone PCSO 7533 Greatest Hits 1 1966.
  UK: Parlophone PCSP 719 Rock and Roll Music 1976.
  US: Capitol SKBO-11537 Rock and Roll Music 1976.
  CD: EMI CDP 7 90043 2 Past Masters 1 1988.

Of the mono mixes, [c] has echo added, while [b] does not. In stereo, [a] has the vocal over to the right side while in [d] it is centered.

Last updated on March 13, 2016

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