Peaches And Cream - Larry Williams

Peaches And Cream - Larry Williams

2:01

single, 1958

Written by Larry Williams

More Chuck Berry than Little Richard, this Williams rocker is, of course, about a rather inappropriately young girl whom the narrator is crazy for.  Sigh; it's best to assume that all these '50s (and onward) boogies about minors are written for, and from the perspective of, teenage boys.  Anyway, this is an archetypical example of the genre, with references to drive-ins on Saturday night, parking in the dark, and comparing the girl to a movie star.  "Great balls of fire, honey, I wanna be your man / I′m not jivin', it's understood / You′re the cutest in the neighborhood."  Rapid-fire piano tinkling and wailing sax give this song its fire.

Nobody - Larry Williams & Johnny Watson with Kaleidoscope

Nobody - Larry Williams & Johnny Watson with Kaleidoscope

2:35

Two For the Price Of One, 1967

Written by Dick Cooper and Ernie Shelby

It's Larry Williams week!

Quite a departure from his early R&B work, this is a sort of country-funk song with psychedelic Middle Eastern instrument backing.  In between the crooning chorus ("They don't know that you're an angel") are ferocious, almost rapped verses that wield the hep slang of their era like a weapon: "They just don't understand our bag," "All the squares keep talkin' 'bout you, baby."  It's a terrific, unique song, criminally overlooked as ahead of its time in its blending of genres.

Dizzy, Miss Lizzy - Larry Williams

Dizzy, Miss Lizzy - Larry Williams

2:12

single, 1958

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

The Beatles covered this track, but they removed the comma, which is present in the original single.  Larry gives this one a more subdued vocal than on a lot of other hits (except a couple of roaring "woo's" like the one before the guitar solo), so if you've only heard the Beatles' screaming version this can seem like a letdown.  But it's a great song on its own, minus any comparisons, and a fine companion to Little Richard's more flamboyant "Good Golly Miss Molly."

Slow Down - Larry Williams

Slow Down - Larry Williams

2:46

single, 1957

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

Williams' careening piano drives this song, along with a yelping but confident vocal ("Whoo! If you want our love to last") and two saxes buzzing along.  It's a roller-coaster of a song, thundering down a track.  I feel like he escapes the looming shadow of Little Richard here, owning the boogie-woogie and turning it to something wild and almost punk.

She Said "Yeah" - Larry Williams

She Said "Yeah" - Larry Williams

1:51

single, 1958

Written by Don Christy and Roddy Jackson

It's Larry Williams week!

I know this song from McCartney's version on his excellent 1999 album Run Devil Run.  It's a declaration of intent about a pretty girl that caught the narrator's eye, as was the rock 'n' roll style of the time.  "Dum deedle dee dum dum / Little girl, where did you come from?"  Great horn sound, an up-tempo rocker very much in the style of Little Richard.  There's a reason both the Stones and the Beatles covered Williams; he knew how to infuse vinyl with the spirit of rhythm and blues.

Bad Boy - Larry Williams

Bad Boy - Larry Williams

2:17

single, 1958

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

The tale of a juvenile delinquent, classic early rock 'n' roll sounding like a subdued Little Richard with spoken echoes like in "Bird Dog."  The bad behavior starts off rather tame, as befits the era, and then devolves into actual crimes.  He plays rock 'n' roll all night, he teases the girls, he has long hair, he feeds a pet canary to a cat, a puts the dog in a washing machine.  Hmm, I'm usually pretty anti-authoritarian, but maybe this particular bad boy should be sent to military school.

Bony Maronie - Larry Williams

Bony Maronie - Larry Williams
3:07
single, 1957

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

As this song starts out you think it'll be a novelty number about a strange-looking girl ("I got a girl named Bony Moronie / She's as skinny as a stick of macaroni") on the lines of Fats Waller's "Your Feet's Too Big," but as it progresses, the lyrics reveal what is actually a pretty sweet love song, and not much more about her appearance is said.  "I wanna get married on a night in June / And rock 'n' roll by the light of the silvery moon."  Add a boppin' boogie sax, and what else can you ask?

Short Fat Fannie - Larry Williams

Short Fat Fannie - Larry Williams

2:26

single, 1957

Written by Larry Williams

It's Larry Williams week!

A terrific '50s rocker, a winking answer song to Little Richard and Elvis and other rockers of the era, peppered as it is with references to "tutti frutti," "rip it up," "blue suede shoes," "long tall sally," "slippin' and sliding," "heartbreak hotel," and more.  There's even a reference to Fats Domino, with "we were married up on Blueberry Hill."  So it's kind of a novelty song, but it's also a great example of '50s rock boogie.