One would think a song in honor of the legendary Wildman of rock, Little Richard, would be a flashy rave-up, especially one that refers to Richard’s outrageous behavior and offers a cameo of the ghost of Hank Williams and Buddy Holly with his pants down. However, Nashville’s Teddy and the Rough Riders’ homage “Hey Richard” is a somewhat sedate number that sways more than rocks. The song captures the musical pioneer’s sweetness. Richard was always a charmer, whether crooning “oooh” or pounding the keys while fluttering his eyebrows (or in “Hey Richard”, throwing bibles out of car windows to worshipful fans). Teddy and company keep the beat steady and the music primarily acoustic in tender tribute to the complicated legend.
Teddy and the Rough Riders are Jack Quiggins (vocals, guitar), Ryan Jennings (vocals, bass), Nic Swafford (drums), and Luke Schneider (pedal steel). “Hey Richard” is the second video and single released from their forthcoming eponymously titled album releasing on July 1st via Appalachia Record Co. The band enlisted Margo Price to produce the record. She suggested everything from adding a trumpet, trombone, and saxophone to radically changing arrangements to capture the live energy of the group in the studio.