"Rip It Up" Little Richard

[4stringer77]

[westen44]

Wow, I think my father may have had that on 78. 

[gweimer]

I think I had the whole album that "Rip It Up" was part of on 78.  I picked it up at a Goodwill store somewhere.

[Dave W]

I had it on 45. Bought new in '56. I'm old.

My folks were pretty cool about rock 'n' roll, but my mother just couldn't stand Little Richard. "He sings like a woman!"

[4stringer77]

He sings like a girl here.

Part of the reason I transcribed this was because it was recorded with a Gibson EB(1) by Olsie Robinson according to the authenticity letter that Bob Daisley has for the bass.
I have also heard of a Frank Fields that has gotten bass credits for Little Richard as well.
I consider Rip It Up a fusion song. You have to admit it's a rock tune yet it's in the key of F with a blues form that has a ii V in the solo section and it has a great walking bass line.

[Rob]

I had it on 45. Bought new in '56. I'm old.

My folks were pretty cool about rock 'n' roll, but my mother just couldn't stand Little Richard. "He sings like a woman!"

Dayum Dave
I
am so happy hear that 'cause I was 6 that year 

[Rob]

4-S it's just TASTY that's why you transcribed it.

[4stringer77]

Thanks Rob. Yes it's mighty tasty. Here's some tab for a good study in position shifts.

[4stringer77]

If you want to play this like Olsie, use your thumb. In the verses you can rake the eighth notes before the quarter notes in one motion. Like from B flat or C to open D or C to F. There's also a spot in the sax solo section where you can do this from the E on the 14th fret to the F on the 10th fret.
Check out Olsie's technique.

[Rob]

Check out the bass 

[4stringer77]

Eb1 played with a thumb is no joke. He must have been pumping out some serious bass frequencies. Wonder what kind of amp he used live. Is it me or doesn't it look like there is some type of scrunchie type thing on his headstock?

[Rob]

Eb1 played with a thumb is no joke. He must have been pumping out some serious bass frequencies. Wonder what kind of amp he used live. Is it me or doesn't it look like there is some type of scrunchie type thing on his headstock?

I think so too . . . . Wonder if it was act like a string tree?

[4stringer77]

A tilt back headstock shouldn't need a string tree. My guess is he used it as a mute especially for the open strings. If his background was on upright he probably used open strings more as a transition for position shifts. So the sock might have helped keep the open strings as thumpy as the fretted ones. On the other hand, you'd think it would be easy to palm mute when using your thumb. Go figure, it was 58 years ago.

[Dave W]

This was a mimed performance for a movie (IIRC it's Don't Knock The Rock). I doubt we can say what his real technique was just by watching this.

[4stringer77]

True, there's no way to be sure if he actually played that way just based on the video. All the same, the line as transcribed seems to lend itself well to the thumb raking technique and it crosses over well to pick playing too.