CBID - And they play Chuck Berry music - part 6

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 more you browse the Internet, the more cover versions you find. Here's another list of artists and band playing Chuck Berry's music. This segment starts with Run Rudolph Run and it ends with it. [continued]

PSYCHIC ILLS (USA)

Tres Warren (vocals, guitar, organ, piano), Elizabeth Hart (bass), Chris Millstein (drums).

Run Rudolph Run (4:02) 2013

Various CD: Psych-Out Christmas [Cleopatra CLP-1069] ● USA, 2013

This has to be one of the worst ever, the singer sounds like he just woke up and the guitar is out of tune. And four minutes!!! You could kill for less. Sorry guys.

PUSH (USA)

Rock quintet from California.

Roll Over Beethoven (3:15) 2011

CD: American Too [Push 86559] ● USA, 2011

SUZIE QUATRO (USA)

Susan Kay Quatro, born 1950 in Detroit, Michigan. Singer, songwriter, bassist. Very popular rock performer since the early ‘70s. First album “Suzi Quatro” or “Can The Can” in 1973. She was actually much more popular in the UK and Europe than in the USA. In the UK she had 5 Top Ten albums (2 at #1). And I must say that it is about time she’s finally in this survey. She rocks!

Sweet Little Rock And Roller (2:53) 1978

Box set: The Rock Box 1973-1979 The Complete Recordings [Chrysalis CRB-1438] ● EU, 2022

Previously unreleased. She’s often done this live and you’ll find several, both early and later clips, on You Tube.
This is a 7 CD/1 DVD box set of all her recordings for the Chrysalis label (RAK Records), 132 tracks.

QUEEN DIVAS OF THE UNIVERSE (USA)

Formed in 2009. Roni Lee (vocals, guitar), Laurie Beebe Lewis (piano), Shaaron Hancock-Schuemaker (bass), Chuck Lewis (drum programming) !!! The three ladies are music vets who separately have been involved with other bands back in the ‘70s and up. The Xmas album below was their first as a group.

Run Rudolph Run (3:56) 2011

CD: All Wrapped Up In Christmas [Remnant Studios 111711] ● USA, 2011

It’s a rockin’ version in the traditional way with a few new lyric interchanges here and there.

CASSIE RAMONE (USA)

Real name Cassie Grzymkowski. Born 1986 and raised in Ridgewood, New Jersey. Moved to Brooklyn in 2004. Singer, songwriter, guitarist. She released her debut album in August 2014 titled “The Time Has Come”. She’s been involved in several bands since 2008, like Vivian Girls, Bossy, The Babies, OCDPP, and all have released records.

Run Rudolph Run ( : ) 2015

CD: Christmas In Reno [Burger Records BRGR-960] ● USA, 2015

Don’t know why the title is as it is, because the album was recorded in New Jersey and Los Angeles during February 2014 – August 2015, and there are no titles with Reno in them. Maybe her grandparents lived there?

BO RAMSEY And The Sliders (USA)

Robert Franklin Ramsey. Singer, songwriter, guitarist. Born 1951 in Burlington, Iowa. Has released several albums since 1982.

Memphis, Tennessee ( : ) 1983

LP: Feelin’s Getting’ Stronger [3rd Street Records RR-001] ● USA, 1983

LARRY RASPBERRY & THE HIGHSTEPPERS (USA)

Singer, songwriter, guitarist. Blues/rock group from Memphis, Tennessee.

Back In The USA [as “Livin’ In The USA”] (3:32) 1975

CD: Highsteppin’ And Fancy Dancin’, Jukin’ And Jivin’ [Intense/Backroom Records BR-1000] ● USA, 1996

This album is a compilation of previously released and unreleased tracks. The Berry cover previously unissued.

DAVID REA (USA)

David Ernest Rea. Born near Akron, Ohio in 1946, died in 2011. Singer, songwriter, musician. Session work with Ian & Sylvia and Gordon Lightfoot.

Nadine (2:45) 1973

LP: Slewfoot [Columbia KC-32485] ● USA, 1973

I haven’t heard this version but I would reckon it sounds a little folky.

REBEL CATS (Mexico)

Rockabilly trio.

Run Rudolph Run [as “Corre Rodolfo Corre”] (2:29) 2009

CD: Navidad Rock-A-Billy [Grabaxiones Alicia 0045] ● Mexico. 2009

RED HOT ROCKIN’ SANTAS (Australia)

Rock’n’roll trio, Brian Dean, Mick Hamilton, Leon Isaacson.

Run Rudolph Run ( : ) 1987

45: Festival Records K-471 ● Australia, 1987

I haven’t heard this, as it is the A-side “Another Rock’n’Roll Christmas” that turns up.

RED TOPS (Spain)

Rockabilly band.

Thirty Days (3:30) 2012

CD: …Are Back In Town [Vaso Music VM-473] ● Spain, 2012

A rock swingin' version, with a guitar solo and sax solo.

BUDDY REED & THE ROCKET 88s (USA)

Blues-rock quartet. Buddy Reed (vocals, guitar), Bill Tarsha (harmonica), Jerry Smith (bass) and Roger Rotoli (drums, vocals).

Sweet Little Rock And Roller (3:41) 1983

LP: Short Dress Woman [Trash Records TLP-1002] ● USA, 1983

CHRIS ROBERTS (West Germany)

Real name: Christian Klusáček, pop singer and actor, born 1946 in Munich-Schwabing, died in 2017. He was very popular and had A LOT of record releases, both singles and albums.

Rock And Roll Music (3:03) 1972

LP: Love Me [Polydor 2371 314] ● West Germany, 1972

Well, this is awful to say the least. The backing is by Orchester Hans Bertram and production by Bertram. It goes too fast and the happy sound by the tanzorchester is too much to swallow.

R.O.C.K. FLAMINGOS (Japan)

Rockabilly band from Nagoya, formed in 1997.

Thirty Days (2:16) 2013

CD: Play With Mr. Pan [Get Hip Records GC-042] ● Japan, 2013

The problem is their English pronunciation, but they should have for trying, and for playing the guitar solo the same way Berry did. That’s not done very often.

ROCKEC IVO PEŠÁKA (Czech Republic)

Jazz musician -flute, clarinet, saxophone-, singer, actor and painter. Born 1944, died 2011. Although being in the jazz field he sounds very rockin’ on the Berry covers.

Maybellene [as “Má Drahá”](2:18) 2002
Roll Over Beethoven [as “Tak Straší Beethoven”] (2:35) 2002
You Never Can Tell [as “Zabitá Láska”] (3:25) 2002

CD: Rockec Ivo Pešáka [Areca Multimedia AM-80119 2] ● Czech Republic, 2002

Again interesting to notice that Berry’s music is in the lead when it comes to numbers of covers on an album.

ROCKVEREINIGUNG WINTERTHUR (Switzerland)

Rock sextet, Markus Hodel (vocals), Päde Morf (guitar), Roger Flieg (guitar), Beat Iseli (steel-guitar, guitar) Bob Curiano (bass), and Stefan Engler (drums). Guests: Roman Weissert (saxophone) and Marc Wagenbach (backing vocals).

Carol (3:41) 1998 (live)
Johnny B. Goode (3:29) 1998 (live)
Sweet Little Sixteen (2:50) 1998 (live)

RVW Live ’98 [RVW Hardstudios HS-98481 (Matrix no)] ● Switzerland, 1998

17 tracks. Recorded live at Winterthurer Musikfestwochen, Steinberggasse-Bühne, Sunday 6 September ’98.
Yeah, this is a self-released album, but it has an informative booklet and you can see that they have made the best efforts to get it as presentable as possible. And they do several Berry soundalikes also: “Natural Born Woman”, “Brown Sugar”, “Back In The USSR”, “Route 66” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. Not a bad rockin’ album to have in your collection.

ROLLING STONES (UK)

See volume 3, pages 1475-1477 for biographical info.

Around And Around (3:53) 1977 (live)

2-CD: El Mocambo 1977 [Rolling Stones Records (Polydor) 4549589] ● UK-USA, 2022

Recorded live at the El Mocambo Tavern in Toronto, Canada on 5 March 1977 in front of 300 people. It’s the full concert (previously unissued) from 5 March ‘77 and three bonus tracks from the 4 March performance. In addition to the Berry number they also perform soundalikes like “Route 66”, “Star Star”, “It’s Only Rock’n’Roll (But I Like It)”, “Brown Sugar” and “Jumpin’ Jack Flash”. There is also a 4-LP box set available.

LEON RUSSELL (USA)

See volume 3, page 1484 for biographical info.

Roll Over Beethoven (3:10) 2011 (live)

LP: The Montreux Session [Edel: Content  0208394CTT] ● Germany, 2013

Recorded at Miles Davis Hall in Montreux, 6 July 2011, during Festival De Jazz De Montreux 2011.

SALEBARBES (Canada)

Cajun quintet. Singing in French.

You Never Can Tell [as “C’est La Vie”] (3:03) 2021

CD: Gin À L’Eau Salée [L-Abe LABECD-21001] ● Canada, 2021

Pretty good swingin’ cajun version in French which makes it more authentic despite not being from Louisiana.

SEACRUISERS (Finland)

Rock’n’roll band from Helsinki.

Sweet Little Rock And Roller (3:36) 2020

CD: The Seacruisers [Turenki Records/Pressworks Music cat no? ] ● Finland, 2020

Good rockin’ version.

SEB’S MUSIC SHOP (Canada)

Sébastien Plante, one man band.

Roll Over Beethoven ( : ) 2019

LP: Blues Volume 1 [Seb’s Music Shop no cat no] ● Canada, 2019

I haven’t been able to find this Berry cover on You Tube but he has a complete sound despite being on his own.

SECRET SERVICE (USA)

Garage rock quartet from New York City. Wayne Manor (vocals), Rob Normandin (guitar), Jim Gange (bass), Steve Peper (drums).

Too Much Monkey Business (2:29) (live)

CD: Power And Volume ! [Snap, Crackle & Pop FUNCD-007] ● Spain, 1998

This is a compilation album from different sources. Berry track recorded live at CBGB, New York, NY, 28 May 1987. They also did “I Got To Find My Baby” the same year (different venue) credited to Berry which is wrong. Written by Willie Dixon and originaly recorded by Little Walter for Checker in 1954.

JAY SEWALL (Canada)

Canadian singer, songwriter and guitarist. Born in Boston, but grew up in Montreal. He played in Chicago during the seventies and the eighties. Based in Quebec over the past twenty years and he is today a legend in Canadian blues.

Reelin’ And Rockin’ (3:37) 2018

CD: Payin’ My Dues – 50 Years Of Blues [Mack Records  JS2-4788] ● Canada, 2018

SHINDIGGERS (Australia)

Garage rock quartet from Melbourne. Members on the Berry cover below are: Bill Leggett (vocals), Pete Andrews (guitar), Steve Agar (bass) and Spud Wildman (drums).

I’m Talking About You [as “Talking About You”] (2:22) 1984

EP: The Shindiggers [Preston Records 13673] ● Australia, 1985

Recorded September 1984 in Pete’s Lounge Room.

2-CD: Maximum Beat [Off The Hip OTH-7056] ● Australia, 2008

The 2-CD set is a remastered compilation of all their recordings from 1984 to 2000.

SHUSHA (UK)

See page 1505 in Volume 3. The entry below is already in the survey, however, I didn’t know anything about this lady back then. But her life story is kinda interesting. Shamsi Assãr, a very versatile lady, was born 1935 in Tehran, Iran and was an author, editor, actress, singer, songwriter who recorded under the name of Shusha, performing Persian and Western folk-songs. She was a student in France in the late ‘50s and moved to London, England in the early ’60s. Shusha was also a talented amateur documentary filmmaker and was even nominated for an Oscar back in 1976 for her feature documentary “People Of The Wind” which was also narrated by famous actor James Mason. She released 13 albums altogether, 1971-1995. She died in 2008.

Bye Bye Johnny (2:56) 1974

LP: This Is The Day [United Artists UAS-29684] ● UK, 1974
CD: Shusha / This Is The Day [BGO Records CD-531] UK, 2001

This is one of those unusual entries. Much the same as Marianne Faithful and her version of “Sweet Little Sixteen” in 1976. Shusha was a folk singer, sounding like Joan Baez and Joni Mitchell (sort of), and it’s pretty peculiar that she included this Berry title to cover together with songs from the likes of Woody Guthrie, Cole Porter, Van Morrison, Jacques Brel, Bob Dylan and others. The result is a little doubtful, but at least it’s quite different from all other versions!

SILENCE (UK)

Rock/Beat quintet from Herefordshire. Patrick Brooke (lead vocals, harmonica), Overend Watts (guitar, vocals), Paul Jeffery (rhythm guitar, vocals), Robert Fisher (bass, vocals), Dale Griffin (drums).

I’m Talking About You (2:40) 1990
Let It Rock (2:30) 1990

2 CD: Doc Thomas Group: Italian Job / The Silence: Shotgun Eyes [Angel Air Records SJPCD-278] ● UK, 1998

The Silence tracks recorded at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth, October 1990. They also did “Route 66” which I am certain sounds like Stones/Berry.

SKY HIGH (Sweden)

Blues-rock band formed 1978 in Gothenburg by guitarist Clas Yngström.

Too Much Monkey Business (3:52) 2004 (live)

CD: Soul Survivor [Virgin 7243 473524 2 3] ● Sweden, 2004

14 tracks recorded live at Fasching, Stockholm, between 9 and 11 March 2004.

SLAUGHTER & THE DOGS (UK)

See Volume 4, page 1890 (Soundalikes) for biographical info.

Run Rudolph Run (3:39) 2015

Various CD: Punk Rock Christmas [Cleopatra CLO-0091] ● USA, 2015

Heavy rockin’ version. This album was reissued both in 2017 and 2021.