CBID - Twenty-eight and some

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

CBID is never complete as new records and CDs appear and some old rarities are discovered. This section presents interesting additions and corrections to CBID.

Today: The re-issue of the Great 28 album comes in a box with three bonus records.

USA

THE GREAT TWENTY-EIGHT – SUPER DELUXE [4-LP]
Chess Geffen (Universal) B0027213-01 • USA, 2017

THE GREAT TWENTY EIGHT (2-LP)
Chess Geffen B0026758-01

Reissue of the original 1982 album set Chess CH-8201 (see page 86).

MORE GREAT CHUCK BERRY
Chess Geffen B0027213-01 LP01

Wee Wee Hours / No Money Down / Drifting Heart / La Juanda (Espanol) / Blue Feeling (instr) / Vacation Time+ / Joe Joe Gunne / Too Pooped To Pop+ / Our Little rendezvous / You Never Can Tell / Promised Land / Little Marie / Dear Dad / My Ding-A-Ling (live, single edit)

OH YEAH! LIVE IN DETROIT
Chess Geffen LP-1427

Guitar Boogie* (instr) / Let It Rock / Almost Grown / Chuck Berry dialogue 1 / Too Much Monkey Business* / Johnny B. Goode / Introduction – instrumental / Sweet Little Sixteen / Wee Wee Hours / Chuck Berry dialogue 2 / Maybellene / Medley: Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite +-Johnny B. Goode-Let It Rock-School Day

BERRY CHRISTMAS
Chess Geffen B0027213-01 EP01 (10”) (red vinyl)

Run Rudolph Run / Merry Christmas Baby+ / Spending Christmas / Christmas

Now this came as a surprise to most people. A 4-LP box set with Berry in 2017, however, the first time I saw it turn up on eBay was in February 2018. It contains the original double album from 1982, same fold-out cover and even the label is the same.

More Great Chuck Berry contains B-sides and more hits. Same label as above. The front cover has some resemblance to the original More Chuck Berry Chess LP-1465.

The Live In Detroit album is surely a collectors item, first time on vinyl. It contains the first and second set from Saturday 26 October at the Walled Lake Casino in Detroit, except the two tracks marked * which are from the first set on Friday 25. The thing is that this particular Guitar Boogie is the best version from the shows. The first time these songs came to light, except for Monkey Business that was included on the Bear Family box set, was on the US Universal box “You Never Can Tell” in 2009. So if you wanna get the songs in correct sequence you better stick to the Bear Family box set.

As you can see the LP number is following the “After School Session” LP-1426. The label here is the old black one with vertical silver Chess logo. (1427 was actually a Muddy Waters album. It should have followed the “On Stage” album, however, this is also wrong as LP-1481 was really a Slappy White album. Chess LP-1466 was not issued so that could have been used, but the compilers probably didn’t know.) Finally we also get the names of the musicians who played behind Berry, plus a story on the background for this special event.

The 10” Berry Christmas album comes in red vinyl with a green Chess label that makes it look like a 78rpm except for the colour that is. The credits for Run Rudolph Run reads C. Berry-M. Brodie.

There’s a 36 page booklet in LP size with liner notes by Alan Light, a lot of colour and black & white images, a US discography and recording details. Bear Family, Fred Rothwell and Morten Reff are credited. Thanks.

Addition by Arne Wolfswinkel: The box version sold by uDiscover is a limited edition of 500 copies where the four LPs are made of blue Vinyl.

Addition by Dietmar Rudolph: Since the booklet finally tells the name of the five musicians who backed Berry in Detroit, we have updated the database accordingly. The band consisted of:
Joe Hunter (piano)
Henry "Hank" Cosby (tenor saxophone)
Thomas "Beans" Bowles (baritone saxophone)
James Jamerson (bass)
William "Benny / Papa Zita" Benjamin (drums)