The Rill Thing is Little Richard's first album for Reprise Records, released in August 1970. It was considered a comeback album for Richard, following a three-year hiatus on new albums and an acclaimed performance at Atlantic City Pop Festival. The album utilizes a soul-influenced sound and contains Little Richard's biggest post-Specialty single in "Freedom Blues", which broke the Billboard top 50. The follow-up single, "Greenwood, Mississippi" made the top 100 and number 56 on Cashbox Black Singles. Despite the success of the singles, the album failed to chart.
Background
In 1970, three years had passed since the last new material from Little Richard. Richard signed with Okeh Records in early 1966, and released two new albums on the label in 1967; The Explosive Little Richard, which utilised a Motown-influenced sound and featured no songs written by Richard, and Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live!. Both were produced by Larry Williams but the alliance was troubled; Richard would describe Williams as "the worst producer in the world". Feeling he wasn't given enough respect or support from the label, Richard left Okeh in 1967. Richard then signed with Brunswick Records but clashed with the label over musical direction, leaving it the following year and turning his focus to live performance. Appearing at the Atlantic City Pop Festival in August 1969, Richard "revived his own legend" according to David Dalton of Rolling Stone. His appearance the following month at Toronto Rock and Roll Revival was similarly well received. These successes brought Little Richard to talk shows such as The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson and The Dick Cavett Show, making him a prominent celebrity again. Richard felt "the music business runs in a cycle and my time has come around again". Richard received offers from many record labels including the Beatles' Apple. Aiming to cross over to both black rhythm and blues and white rock audiences, he accepted an offer from Reprise Records. Richard was the first major signing negotiated by Mo Ostin in his position as president of Reprise.
Composition
Musical style
The Rill Thing was Little Richard's first self-produced album. Richard is reported to have been focused on the material and even invested his own money in the project. Richard described the album as "the only thing I’ve done since I was back in the business that I think is really good", referring to his work since he ceased recording gospel music. Though many of the songs use twelve-bar blues structures like Richard's earlier rock and roll work, the arrangements are more informed by the contemporary soul and R&B music of the time. Reflecting on the album's sound, Little Richard commented "the bass riffs are more predominant, the guitar you'll notice is more out front. The voice is just riding on the rhythm, it's a force and a funk, and it's clean, it's not gutty-gut but it's clean". Reviewing the album in 2009, Kev Boyd of Fatea Magazine described its style as consisting of "blues-inflected R&B, hints of Sly Stone-lite funk, the occasional rambling instrumental and Richard's characteristic scream-singing".
Songs
The album opener Freedom Blues features a message of brotherhood. Richard felt the song's inclusive theme was important to its success, commenting "it's catchy, the little thing is catchy, and the message is universal. It's not like "black people you gotta be free!" I didn’t say that. Everybody, everybody got to be free". Richard's stance had not been universally popular; his insistence on performing in front of integrated audiences at the time of the black liberation movement shortly after the Watts riots and the formation of the Black Panthers had caused many black radio DJs in certain areas of the United States, including Los Angeles, to choose not to play his music. "Greenwood, Mississippi" was written by Travis Wammack, whom Richard met at FAME Studios. Wammack told Richard he had recorded a demo of a song that was a cross between Richard’s style and John Fogerty of Creedence Clearwater Revival. After sitting in Wammack's truck to listen to the demo cassette, Richard decided to record the song. Richard insisted he record his vocals over the cassette recording, to FAME owner Rick Hall's chagrin. Travis Wammack released his own recording of the song on his 1975 Capricorn Records album Not For Sale.