“Tutti Frutti” by Little Richard

On one hand certain lyrics of Little Richard’s “Tutti Fruiti” don’t necessarily make sense.  That of course would be its most famous line, “a whop bop-b-lum b-lop bam bom”.  According to history, it is a phrase Little Richard developed during his pre-fame dash as a dishwasher. And again it is not meant to mean anything but rather is more of a general exclamation – or according to legend something he came out with off the top out of his head in work-related frustration.

What is the meaning of “Tutti Frutti”?

Also in the chorus he goes about repeating “tutti frutti, oh Rudy”. Tutti frutti is actually a flavor of ice cream which has been around since the mid-19^th century. But within the context of the song it doesn’t have any to do with ice cream per se (depending on how you subscribe to Dorothy LaBostrie’s history of the track, which will be expounded on in the trivia section). Rather we can conclude that Richard goes about repeating it primarily because it sounds cool. And also we have no idea, based on lyrics of this song or the research which contributed to this post, of who “Rudy” actually is.

Song’s Verses

But as for the verses themselves, they are more clear. And in that regard they speak to the singer’s liking of two females, “Sue” and “Daisy”. It can be said that both of these ladies are the narrator’s girlfriends, and he is dropping certain details of their relationship, as in how he feels about them. For instance, he likes the way Sue moves and proclaims her as the one he ‘loves best’. Said movements can be deduced as being sensual in nature, though he doesn’t get that specific. In fact it can also be concluded that he is talking about her dancing skills.

Meanwhile he is also deeply into Daisy. She has a special effect on Richard as she “knows how to love” him. This passage reads more along of the lines of actual romance. But again the lyrics, by design, do not delve too deeply into the physical aspect of their relationship.

Conclusion

So conclusively this is a song about a couple of ladies the singer has feelings for. The chorus goes off on a tangent, if you will. Yet at the same time it can also be surmised that the “a whop bop b-luma…” is actually a primal expression of the singer’s adoration for these women.

Who wrote “Tutti Frutti”?

“Tutti Frutti” was written by Little Richard (1932-2020) and Dorothy LaBostrie (1928-2007).

According to the accepted history of the song, it was actually Richard who first composed the tune. He used to perform it live but apparently never intended on actually recording it. In fact the way his label became aware “Tutti Frutti” even existed was that he apparently started playing it in the studio one day, while he and his coworkers were on a lunch break, after becoming frustrated that the song they were actually working on wasn’t taking off.

While he was jamming, the tune caught the ear of Robert “Bumps” Blackwell, who would go on to produce the track. He’s the one who called in LaBostrie to revise the lyrics, as at first they were sensually-explicit – and then some – in nature.

LaBostrie had actually countered this telling of this history of “Tutti Frutti” by exclaiming that she wrote the song in its entirety. And in further elaborating, she said she came up with the idea for the tune one day while purchasing ice cream and coming across the Tutti Frutti flavor for the first time. And along those same lines, the phrase “tutti frutti” actually translates from Italian as “all fruits”.

A Legendary Song

As of 2010 this song is being preserved in the National Recording Registry run by the US Library of Congress. Three years prior to that a panel of music professional put together by Mojo magazine placed it at number one on their list of “The Top 100 Records That Changed the World”.

This classic is considered by many professionals to be arguably the most-influential song in the development of rock & roll. For example, Rolling Stone had placed it as high as number 43 on its listing of the “500 Greatest Songs of All Time”, which was compiled in 2011.

When was “Tutti Frutti” released?

The official release date of “Tutti Frutti”, via Specialty Records, was on 1 November 1955. 

“Tutti Frutti” went on to be featured on Little Richard’s first album, which is entitled “Here’s Little Richard”.  The project came in at number 50 on Rolling Stone’s ranking of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. And in describing “Tutti Frutti”, Rolling Stone went on to exclaim that it “still has the most-inspired rock lyrics on record”. And for the record, this is also the final song the singer actually recorded for “Here’s Little Richard”.

How did “Tutti Frutti” perform on the Charts?

“Tutti Frutti” does not have a chart history. The song had come out before the Billboard Hot 100 was even born in 1958. However, being a classic, it was still mega successful. For instance, as of the mid-1980s LaBostrie was still making in excess of $10,000 annually via royalties off of the track.

“Tutti Frutti” changes Little Richard’s Life

This classic proved not only to be the legendary Richard’s signature song but also his first hit. In fact prior to “Tutti Frutti” his music career was virtually stagnant. Moreover in recounting the impact it had on his life, he let it be known that prior to the song blowing up he was a humble “dishwasher… making $10 a week working 12 hours a day” and went on to “thank God” for the success of the tune.

Famous Covers

Moreover some of the biggest names in music history (including Queen) have dropped their own renditions of “Tutti Frutti”. Both Elvis Presley and Pat Boone came out with versions in 1956.

And whereas no extant recordings exist, it is known that the Beatles actually used to perform this song in concert during the early 1960s. The individual members went on to record their own unofficial versions also. For instance, Ringo Starr once did so alongside Elton John in 1972. Paul McCartney also recorded a professional sound check version of “Tutti Frutti” in the 1990s.

“Tutti Frutti” is also said to have been especially influential on the career of David Bowie.