The original Annie Lou

In October 1972 Chuck Berry recorded two blues numbers at an unknown location using unknown musicians. These recordings remained unreleased until in early 2010 Hip-O Select issued Have Mercy - His Complete Chess Recordings 1969-1974 (HIP-O-Select B0013790-02). According to the booklet, both songs were original Chuck Berry compositions.

I've just found the original of the song Chuck recorded as 'Annie Lou'. It's a recording from 1940 by Tampa Red called 'Anna Lou Blues' and is the B side of his original 'Don't Lie To Me' so I bet Chuck owned this 78 at some time and both songs stuck in his memory. I previously thought the song was a cover of 'Anna Lee Blues' by Robert Nighthawk but it seems Nighthawk based his song on Tampa's original.

TITLE: Anna Lou Blues
MATRIX NO.: -44977-1
SINGER: Tampa Red (Hudson Woodbridge / Hudson Whittaker), Blind John Davis, piano; Tampa Red, electric guitar, unknown sb
COMPOSER(S): Tampa Red
DATE OF REC.: May 10, 1940
ORIGINAL ISSUE(S): Bluebird B8654
REISSUE(S): RCA double LP set, "Tampa Red Guitar Wizard."