CBID - Eight additions to the Tributes list

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: Chapter 14 lists musical tributes to Chuck Berry. This includes tribute albums on which his music represents a large part, and it includes tribute songs in which title, lyrics or story refer to the man's life or music. This time you’ll get 8 new entries in the Tributes section: a couple of albums and 6 variations of songs.

DON ADAMS (Scotland)

Hector Reay MacKay was a blues and soul singer, born 1942 in Glasgow, and died in 1995. He was mostly active in Germany. He toured in the late ‘60s with the German Ensemble of Hair. He was also a member of the Les Humphries Singers (see page 1259). He had a few solo albums and singles released.

Reelin’ And Rockin’ / Too Much Monkey Business / Nadine / (Rock’n’Roll Fieber) / Wee Wee Hours / Sweet Little Sixteen / (Rock And Coke) / Memphis, Tennessee / Bye Bye Johnny / Roll Over Beethoven / (Rock On The Rocks) / Rock And Roll Music / No Money Down / (Rock Store)

MC: Rock It Over Again [Polyband CS-233 (12 31127-4)] ● Germany, 1973

This came as a big surprise to me when I found it on discogs. Hey, the album title don’t give any clue that it is almost a Chuck Berry Tribute album, except for the four strange titles, two written by one called Erec and two by Kienemann. When this was released is a little doubtful as there is no year printed (again), but checking other cat numbers on the same label I came to the conclusion of 1973.

ANA CÃNAS (Brazil)

Singer, songwriter, actress, born 1981 in São Paulo. So far she’s released six albums.

Chuck Berry Fields Forever [Gilberto Gil] (3:40) 2009

CD: Hein? [Sony Music 88697556392] ● Brazil, 2009

Featuring Gilberto Gil on guitar. This has no Berry arrangement, more disco oriented. But it’s still a tribute. Refering to the entry by Gilberto Gil on page 1815 (Vol. 4).

ADAM CARTER (USA?)

There’s a country singer/guitarist whose name is Adam Carter but this is surely not him. Probably studio musicians.

Rock And Roll Music / Maybellene / Johnny B. Goode / Sweet Little Sixteen / Memphis, Tennessee / School Day / Bye Bye Johnny / Roll Over Beethoven / Too Much Monkey Business / You Never Can Tell

CD: A Tribute To Chuck Berry [Kives Records kv-5107] ● Brazil, 1996

I don’t think that “the artist” is from Brazil. There’s a lot of similar tribute albums to various artists like Donna Summer, Stevie Wonder, A-Ha, Paul Simon, Eric Clapton and a whole lotta more. There’s no picture of others than the actual tribute artist/group. Discogs have listed 25 various tributes in this series on the Kives label.

HEART OF MARY (Norway)

A rockband from Kongsvinger who operated from 1986-1989. Denis (Decay) Kamphaug (vocals, guitar), Anders Bøhnsdalen (guitar), Levi Henriksen (bass) and Kai O. Tønnessen (drums). They reunited in 2015 and came to an end in late 2018 when Denis Kamphaug died.

Mozart Never Did The Duckwalk [Heart Of Mary] (3:18) 1988

CD: Greetings From Stuckville [A Rose for Emily Records Flooral-2200] ● Norway, 1989

Recorded 1988-89 at Loud Level Studio, Hjellum. Well, the title should be a sure winner for a tribute, and Chuck Berry is mentioned in the lyrics also Too Much Monkey Business. Mozart never did the Duckwalk and he never let his baby guitar talk... All of the lyrics themselves are not really about Berry, however, the guitar solo is straight Berry with all the necessary riffs.
The album was reissued in 2021 on Norske Albumklassikere series (Norwegian Albumclassics), NACD-043.

LOS REBELDES (Spain)

See Volume 3, page 1333 for biographical info, and also on this blog.
Rockabilly/rock’n’roll quartet formed in Barcelona in 1979. Originally they were a trio Carlos Segarra (vocals, guitar), Aurelio Morata (bass) and Moisés Sorolla (drums), later extended to a quartet. On the album below they are a actually a quintet: Carlos Segarra (vocals, guitar), Santiago Campillo (guitar, pedal-steel guitar), Quino Lucas (piano, accordion), Aurelio Morata (bass) and Wichi Garcia de Maya (drums).

Chuck Berry [Los Rebeldes] (2:18) 2016

CD: A Flor De Piel [Altafonte MM-0013] ● Spain, 2016
LP: A Flor De Piel [Altafonte MM-0014] ● Spain, 2016

It’s a mid-tempo rockin’ tribute sung in Spanish. You can watch it on You Tube, both the studio version and live.

RAS KASS (USA)

Real name John R. Austin IV, born in 1973, Carson, California. He was an original founding member of Patchwerk Records in Atlanta, Georgia. He’s released a lot of albums since 1994.

Chuck Berry [John Austin] (2:49) 2020

LP/CD: I’m Not Clearing Shxt [Blackhouse Records BH-999 130] ● USA, 2020

I don’t understand anything (almost) of what he’s saying but Berry’s name is mentioned several times. It all starts with the intro of “Jailhouse Rock” ! and I’m trying to figure out why. Maybe because it was a white song? You know, Berry has always been a big star amongst the hip-hoppers and rappers because he was black and proud and didn’t take any shxt from anyone during his lifetime.
There are other rap songs that mention Berry in the lyrics; to sum it up: Chuck Berry made it, but the credit went to Elvis.

WERNER SCHMIDBAUER (Germany)

TV host, singer, songwriter and musician, born 1961 in Munich.

Chuck Berry (3:03) [Werner Schmidbauer] 2017 (live)

CD: Bei Mir – Solo & Live [F.A.M.E. (Sony) 787420] ● Germany, 2018

Recorded live in October 2017. Guitar and harmonica, that’s all. This is a story about Schmidbauer meeting Chuck Berry while shopping and Berry complaining about how hard it is for old rockers to find work. So they go to a public place in Munich where they play for 5 hours so that Berry has enough money for the flight back home to the States. I’m so glad I’m livin’ in the USA… Schmidbauer is singing in Bavarian dialect which is not easy to understand, so thanks to Dietmar and his wife for the efforts of listening closely to the lyrics here.

ERIC WESTPHAL (USA)

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, pianist, producer. He has worked on numerous albums over the years as a band member, session musician and fronted one of Northern California’s most celebrated power-pop bands, James Blonde. So far he’s recorded two solo albums, “Alice Street Sessions” from 2001 and the latest being “Kobold Moon” below.

Chuck Berry [Eric Westphal] (3:50) 2021

CD: Kobold Moon [IAC Records 1202 1011] ● USA, 2021

Slow and soulful big band tribute. Album recorded at 25th Street Recording, Oakland, California.