Sally

Ok. I was spending time trying to listen to a large selection of songs by the Kinks, a group I was familiar with but only superficially.   I had already listened to many songs when I came across their unconventional cover of Little Richard's "Long Tall Sally."   This sent me on a tangent listening to various covers, looking for the best or the most unique renditions

Here's the original. Wiki says the song was first recorded by Little Richard in 1956. This video (originally B&W but colorized later) purports to have been done is 1955.

Now that we have the original, we can look a different covers and compare.

Here is what I consider the best cover--- the Beatles:

and to be thorough, here is Wings of Pegasus's spot-on analysis of a Beatles live performance of "Long Tall Sally," a song they'd been performing live sing 1957 when they were the Quarrymen.

With that out of the way, let's look first at the Kink's less exuberant cover as well as at some more unique ones.
The Kinks had been playing the song during their first year when they were The Ravens. When they changed their name in 1963 prior to their recording contract, the first song they laid down was "Long Tall Sally," They used this song simply to beat the Beatles (whose live performance inspired them to make it part of their repertoire) at releasing a recorded version. Anyway, other than a great harmonica part, the Kinks version sounded uninspired and completely out of step.

Not being a big Bruno Mars fan, I was prepared to hate the following cover, but, in fact, I rather like it. He even dresses up like Little Richard:

The following is a quite credible live version by the all-star line up of John Fogarty with Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir on guitar, Steve Jordan on drums, Randy Jackson on bass and Clarence Clemons on sax.

Some local group named West Drive gave this fun street performance of "Long Tall Sally""

This guy busking doesn't do a bad job using one electrified acoustical guitar:

and finally.... a girl with a uke.

I was happy to see, in the Fogerty video, Clarence Clemons. He was a sweet, humble person.

John Fogarty is great and the others are/were great too 

Clemons provides the sax. In the first video for some reason Little Richard uses a line up with no less than 4 saxes. 

Not great fan of L. Richard but I remembered this tune [maybe only this and Lucile]. Nice song! Probably best by L.Richard and Beatles

My favorite version is Cactus' live version, though I think it's a bit too loud and rowdy for most people.  But I had no idea that there were so many and varied versions out there.  Thanks, Sarah.

Rob, I admit that's a one-of-a-kinda arrangement.  Actually, it's too slow for me which seems to make it sound like something else.  I do like the guitar work. which for some reason reminds me Big Brother in Janis Joplin's "Piece of My Heart." 

You go down the most interesting rabbit holes!

Excellent memories you remind me , thank you very much . Have a good day  . Greetings from Greece.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u0Ujb6lJ_mM

If you would have played the first video, you might have been reminded of Tutti Frutti.

Thanks. Lucille is a great song and this was one of his better renditions.  I noticed he went from a strange line-up of 4 saxes, 2 guitars, a drum and a piano in the top video to an equally strange line-up of 3 saxes, 3 guitars (one may be a bass, it's hard to tell), drums and piano. 

To me, the signature of the song is the up front, in your face lead vocal. There are some nice covers here but I still prefer Little Richard's original. By the way, I didn't hear it mentioned but isn't that Bill Haley center screen at 1:19 in the Little Richard video?

 The Kinks smoothed off the tone and added harmonies. That just doesn't fit the spirit of the song in my ear. Cactus did seem to slow down the beat to turn it into a Rock anthem type song. I do so love many of the tones only those vintage Les Pauls can produce.

If you're talking about the guy with the curlicue hair thingy, that was exactly my reaction. I thought he looked just like Bill Haley too. 

I'm not sure if I don't prefer the Beatles over Little Richard himself. Paul's vocals are amazing and the band's instrumental take seems to energize the song. 

Great post! My mother's name was Lucille. As a prank, we kids liked to make her crazy by playing Little Richard screaming it full volume in the house. Sorry, Mom. But it is hard not to love Little Richard.

I suspect most mothers in the 1950s-60s had little appreciation Rock & Roll, much preferring the more sedate Big Band music prevalent during the War Years and part of their national consciousness.   

oh didn't get till the end. I surely know it.

That Little Richard - Long Tall Sally clip is from a movie called "Don't Knock the Rock" starring, you guessed it, Bill Haley and the Comets. The person who introduced Little Richard was DJ Alan Freed. The other person at the table with Bill Haley is an actor playing a fictitious character.