After returning from the military, Price became more financially savvy than many of his fellow early Rock n Roll and gritty R&B artists. In 1957, he decided to launch his own label KRC (Kent Record Company) and retain control of his masters, leasing his tracks to labels like Atlantic and later ABC-Paramount in an arrangement that likely inspired Ray Charles to do the same.
His first single after returning from Korea was "Just Because". That was followed by a massive hit, "Stagger Lee", which has appeared in many multi-artist collection albums and served as one of Price's best known songs. Television host Dick Clark insisted the violent content of the track, which lyrically describes a shooting based on a gambling fight, be toned down when Price appeared on the popular but highly sanitized show American Bandstand.
Price’s biggest year was likely 1959, during which he had four hit records: “Personality,” “Where Were You (On Our Wedding Day),” “I’m Gonna Get Married” and “Come Into My Heart.” His increasing entrepreneurial efforts soon included new record labels and starting the Turntable nightclub in New York City. Price's Double L Records, started with partner Harold Logan discovered Wilson Pickett, who got his career started on their label. Price's biggest hit for Double-l was a 1963 revival of the old standard "Misty", but his remaining efforts at hitmaking drew little national attention. He signed briefly to Monument in 1964 and then Reprise, and later to JAD and to his own Turntable imprint to no avail. By 1971, he was recording in Muscle Shoals his own cover version of BJ Thomas hit "Hooked On A Feeling" for Scepter but the arrangement failed to catch fire.
In 1974 Price was a partner of boxing promoter Don King who staged the famous music festival in Zaire featuring James Brown, B.B. King, Etta James, Bill Withers, The Spinners, and the Fania All Stars as documented in Spike Lee's film about the Ali vs Foreman fight "When We Were Kings"
Price continued touring with a 9 piece group in the 1970's, issuing some singles on the GFS label, but seemingly retired for awhile. He then returned to performing and touring in 1993, when Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard and Gary U.S. Bonds accompanied him on a European tour. He was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of fame in 1998, and can still occasionally be seen on PBS performing during oldies revue concerts, or during fundraising breaks such as during a recent Sam Cooke documentary special, and remains surprisingly youthful despite well over 50 years in the music business.
Long Tall Sally
Lloyd Price Lyrics
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He claim he has the misery but he's havin' a lot of fun
Oh baby, yeah baby, woo
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah
Well long, tall Sally
She's built for speed, she got
Everything that Uncle John need, oh baby
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah
Well, I saw Uncle John with long tall Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin' and he ducked back in the alley oh baby
Yeah baby, woo baby
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah, ow
Well, long, tall Sally
She's built for speed, she got
Everything that Uncle John need, oh baby
Yeah baby, woo baby
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah
Well, I saw Uncle John with bald-head Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin' and he ducked back in the alley, oh, baby
Yeah baby, woo, baby
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah
We gonna have some fun tonight
We gonna have some fun tonight, woo
Have some fun tonight, everything's all right
Have some fun, have me some fun tonight
In Lloyd Price's song Long Tall Sally, the lyrics depict a man who is having an affair with a woman named Sally while also telling his aunt about his uncle's supposed "misery." The man seems to be enjoying himself with Sally as he sings about having fun throughout the song. However, when his uncle is caught in the alley with Sally, he quickly tries to cover it up by hiding from his Aunt Mary. The song is full of innuendos and alludes to the sexual promiscuity of some of the characters.
One interpretation of this song is that it highlights the societal double standards of the time period regarding gender and sexuality. The man in the song seems to be having a lot of fun with Sally while his uncle is presumably ostracized for having "the misery." The use of the phrase "long, tall" to describe Sally could also be seen as objectifying her and reducing her to her physical appearance rather than her personality or character.
Line by Line Meaning
Gonna tell Aunt Mary 'bout Uncle John
I am going to inform Aunt Mary about Uncle John's behavior
He claim he has the misery but he's havin' a lot of fun
Uncle John pretends to be unhappy but is actually enjoying himself
Oh baby, yeah baby, woo
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah
Expressing excitement to have fun tonight
Well long, tall Sally
She's built for speed, she got
Everything that Uncle John need, oh baby
Yeah baby, woo baby
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah
Long, tall Sally is physically attractive, and provides everything that Uncle John wants
Well, I saw Uncle John with long tall Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin' and he ducked back in the alley oh baby
Yeah baby, woo baby
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah, ow
Uncle John was spotted with long tall Sally and he quickly hid in the alley when he saw Aunt Mary approaching
Well, I saw Uncle John with bald-head Sally
He saw Aunt Mary comin' and he ducked back in the alley, oh, baby
Yeah baby, woo, baby
Havin' me some fun tonight, yeah
Uncle John was seen with another woman, bald-head Sally, and he hid when Aunt Mary came by
We gonna have some fun tonight
We gonna have some fun tonight, woo
Have some fun tonight, everything's all right
Have some fun, have me some fun tonight
Reiterating the desire to have fun tonight and reassuring that everything will be okay
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Entoris Johnson, Richard Penniman, Robert Blackwell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind