Koen continues exploring outside the DUBZONE...
I just finished reading Chuck Berry - An American Life by RJ Smith, quite a fascinating read showing lots of aspects of this Rock & Roll enigma.
Rampant racism, jail time(s), getting ripped off by promoters, the songs, shambolic live performances (with occasional glimpses of brilliance), sexual predator, etc., it’s all there.
Chuck probably was one of the first (if not The First) singer/songwriter responsible for loads of classic rock songs covered by almost every rock band in the US, UK, and Europe, from The Beatles & Stones to Santana and George Benson. Weird fact though, his only number one novelty hit My Ding-A-Ling (reviled by many & hardly covered by anyone!) was more of less a cover of a Dave Bartholomew’s 1952 song…
My first Chuck lp was On Stage which I considered a great
live album not knowing anything yet about the existence of fake live
concerts, I was only 10 at the time after all…
Thanks to an uncle I got several singles and eps (on Funckler and Pye International rather than Chess) which I played a lot.
Best though were the Chuck Berry's Golden Decade double lps, I had Volume 2 & 3, the first had some hard to get classics and the second featured a lot of obscure work, but still worthwhile. From his Mercury years I didn’t have much, never cared much about his re-recordings of the old Chess hits and wasn’t familiar with the newer songs. Back at Chess I got (& still have!) his 1971 San Francisco Dues which is excellent.
In 1972 The London Chuck Berry Sessions came out with great cover artwork, but the music was less though, despite the number one hit. Another odd fact, the guys behind the Lanchester Arts Festival where My Ding-A-Ling was recorded tried to get part of the royalties as the audience participation made up a significant part of the song!
Highlight of my collection though was a purple bootleg (but excellent sound) recording of the BBC 1972 live concert named Six Two Five!
Fast forward to the CD era, by now uncountable collections can be found, many of dubious origin and sound quality, which is a shame really. Charlie Records came up in 1991 with a 9 CD The Chess Years box and later Hip-O Select released a number of CD sets; 2008 Johnny B. Goode His Complete '50s Chess Recordings, 2009 You Never Can Tell: His Complete Chess Recordings, and 2010 Have Mercy - His Complete Chess Recordings 1969-1974.
Of course German Bear Family topped them all in 2014 with
the massive 16 CD box: Rock And Roll Music - Any Old Way You Choose It -
The Complete Studio Recordings ... Plus!
Even so, there are still a
large number of outtakes, alternative versions of his songs floating
around the Net, but how much does anyone really need?! I still haven’t listened to all his officially released work…
His final album Chuck was released a few years later posthumously in 2017 and imo is a fitting farewell recording.
Since the fake On Stage several real live performances have been released officially (& many more unofficially):
Live At The Fillmore Auditorium - San Francisco (with the Steve Miller Band) 1967
Toronto Rock 'N' Roll Revival 1969
The London Chuck Berry Sessions 1972 (3 songs) > 2010 (8 songs)
Oh Yeah, Live in Detroit.
No lack of tributes either, in 1987 Chuck got on the big screen to celebrate his 60th birthday and the resulting Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is definitely worth listening, partly thanks to the special guests: Keith Richards, Robert Cray, Linda Ronstadt, Eric Clapton, Julian Lennon, and Etta James. Making the movie was at times a nightmare for Keith & director Taylor Hackford as Chuck upheld his cantankerous reputation…
Where to start as most of the Major’s regular visitors probably have all the hits already?
During one of my visits to the home country I bought You Came A Long Way From St. Louis: The Many Sides Of Chuck Berry (2006), an excellent collection of Chess and Mercury songs with insightful liner notes by Peter Doggett which contains a very good track by track (31!) annotation.
During
his lifetime in 2004 his hometown St. Louis decided to salute the Father
of Rock & Roll with the 19 track Brown Eyed Handsome Man, some
great covers!
To get these last 2 lovely discs (+ some surprises!) just answer Koen's question below!
Koen sez:
ReplyDeleteJust let us know your favorite Berry song or anecdote.
Sorry, answer went to Jonder but I always loved Promised Land which was from 1964. Still it's hard because there were so many favourites.
DeleteNo harm, no foul. Promised Land is a great answer! I read somewhere that a lot of people didn't get the meaning of its lyrics. Maybe they all live in Florida now.
Deleteyou just answered the question "what's the most impossible question to answer?"
DeleteAnecdotes? I have none. Favorite song? A tough one to answer. Chuck was a master storyteller, and some of his best tales involve automobiles. I'll go with "Jaguar and Thunderbird" (aka "County Line"). A number of artists have covered this song. My favorite version, by a country mile, is the frenetic 1969 performance by Bunky & Jake. I picked up their album in the 80's because it had a great cover and title (LAMF):
ReplyDeletehttps://youtu.be/BRIAgvifG-s
Promised Land.
DeleteJonder, you might like Mano Negra's version too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dL_yvFmEAB4
DeleteNot an anecdote, per se.
ReplyDeleteI've read somewhere that Warren Zevon's "The Overdraft" (from 1981's The Envoy) was written about Chuck Berry smuggling an underage girl across state lines for, uhm, illicit purposes. Was never confirmed or denied, but why the hell not.
Favorite song? Well, You Never Can Tell.
I've heard the same thing, and it is all so very "Zevonesque"
DeleteFavorite song: 'No Particular Place to Go'
ReplyDeleteAnecdote
Two friends of mine played with Chuck. Interestingly, they played with Chuck in different cities and in different decades, but tell almost the exact same story.
They both were told to be at the venue at 4:PM for a soundcheck, when they got to the venue, no Chuck. The promoter handed them a setlist with the key of the songs. Chuck shows up late, and alone, nobody else. Chuck tells the promoter, he won't play until he was handed his money....in cash. When the promoter handed over the money, he sat down and counted every single bill (despite being late) while the crowd waited. When he determined the money was all there, he put the bills in his guitar case and went on stage. During the show, he played one of the songs not in the key stated on the setlist. After the show, Chuck cursed at the musicians, told them they sucked, and was fining them, The fine was the exact amount, he was to pay the musicians. The promoter ended up pay them.
A flawed person for sure, but a great entertainer. He was so cool in some ways and so screwed-up in others, but his musical legacy can't really be argued with.
That sounds like Chuck for sure...
DeleteFavourite Chuck Berry song..."Let it Rock". No chorus, just guitar solos, and a strange little narrative that leaves a lot to the imagination. I love the way that an MC5 on their last legs pull off a stonking version with Fred Sonic Smith being suitably snotty.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fNxB--hJkoQ
Here's a Canadian gig from 1987. Chuck fires the band during 'School Days' and then rehires them after playing a few songs solo. This is from the Purple Chick 24 CD set - "You Can't Lose It".
ReplyDeletehttps://workupload.com/file/dR4HNUYmuX3
I'll just add that he was in a bad mood to start with because the airline had lost his guitar, clothes and other baggage.
Delete"Down the road apiece" is one of many favourites..Not interested in Chuck anecdotes etc,just put the needle down and relive my youth every time!
ReplyDeleteThat's probably the best attitude!
DeleteThanks Koen,great work as usual much appreciated.
DeleteIt's gotta be Go, Go, Go, which for some reason never appears on "Best Ofs". Some of his best playing, cute lyrics and terrific bass.
ReplyDelete"Now they tell me Stan Kenton's cuttin' Maybelline"
DeleteOn a street in earshot of the Liverpool Echo Arena "Sounds like a Chuck Berry tribute". Having followed the sound to its source with its 'Performing Tonight' notices, "Oh, it's Chuck Berry".
ReplyDeleteIn the late 60s and early 70s, “Golden Oldie” FM radio stations started popping up across The U.S.A. These stations catered to thirty-something people who were too old to be Hippies, but not old enough to be their parents. Golden Oldie stations were a backlash against the heavier and psychedelic rock sounds then in vogue. Rock and rollers like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bo Diddley, et al. with the sub-genres of Rockabilly, Doo-Wop, girl groups, surf music, teen idol singers who had been out of fashion since the British Invasion, experienced a resurgence in popularity. Rock & Roll pioneers were experiencing a renaissance.
ReplyDeleteCombining the two contrasting demographics at one event was rare, but the Toronto Rock’n’Roll Revival 1969, held on September 13 at the University of Toronto’s Varsity Stadium, represented that unlikely “hybrid”. Chuck Berry played that day, so did John Lennon. John would release his set with Yoko, Eric Clapton, Klaus Voormann and Alan White in 1970 as ‘Live Peace in Toronto 1969’
So here’s, Chuck Berry’s "Toronto Rock ‘N’ Roll Revival, 1969". Parts of this show have been previously released, usually with terrible sound. This version is from the analog master tape and, for the first time, Chuck’s entire set.
https://workupload.com/file/3H832Jafuuq
Many thanks, Babs! I've seen the documentary, but not heard Chuck's full set.
DeleteAs always, my pleasure Steve,
DeleteThanks Babs, didn't have this either!
DeleteFavorite Berry song . . . all are tied for first (except My Ding a Ling). And as far as antidotes for Chuck, there are none. -Muzak McM.
ReplyDeleteLots of reactions here, so here’s as promised, a freshly zipped package containing:
ReplyDeleteBrown Eyed Handsome Man, St. Louis Salutes the Father of Rock & Roll (320 kbps)
Chuck Berry An American Life by RJ Smith epub
Chuck Berry interview with Red Robinson 1956.mp3
The Story Of Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene’.mp3
Vintage Rock Chuck Berry a Celebration 2017.pdf
Waterloo Blues (Live From Belgium '65) (256 kbps)
You Came A Long Way From St. Louis_ The Many Sides Of Chuck Berry (256 kbps (VBR)
https://mega.nz/file/CFcECaaJ#Awi0SQLz_VojOLstoixPuGIBxRkJtkgKgBU1euP-ChQ
Whoa - quality upload there, Koen! great to have the book and I've heard none of the music - apart from some of the compilation tracks - and the other audio.
DeleteTop drawer stuff!
Thanks so much, Koen!
DeleteThe interview is intriguing as Chuck already is performing with local musicians and explains his reasons. For the future, ‘I’ll go back to hairdressing.’!!!
ReplyDeleteThe Story Of Chuck Berry's 'Maybellene’ comes from NPR.
Vintage Rock is a music magazine.
Waterloo Blues is a 11 track concert from 1965.