CBID - The Never Ending Story

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: Just three months ago we were confident to have documented all cover versions of Berry songs except for the ones newly recorded. Then came Bjørn Knudsen, a friend who’s been helping Morten a lot with Berry covers through the years, with a new list of hundreds of cover versions to include. Many of these are digital only and thus don't qualify for our list of records and CDs, but others require us to open the list again. Thank you, Bjørn! Here's a first batch.

Let’s go back to page 1837 (+ page 761) and Lenny & The Thundertones (USA) with their “Big Berry (Boss Man Guitar)” 1964. It has come to my attention that the song was actually released in 1963 by Big Daddy G (Lenny Drake).
So the correct name for the tribute should read as follows:

BIG DADDY G (USA)
Big Berry (Boss Man Guitar) (1:43) (L. Drake-J. Stokes) 1963
45: Hyland A-3009 ● USA, 1963

The reason for this mix-up is the Lenny & The Thundertones CD I bought in ’95 (page 1837) containing this Berry tribute. Nothing was mentioned in the liner-notes that it was actually recorded as Big Daddy G. But we are still talking about the same artist, Lenny Drake, who also co-wrote the song.

If you search Secondhandsongs and the title “Thirty Days” by Chuck Berry you get several versions and one by Jim Stringer & The Austin Music Band. However, It is actually the song written by Winfield Scott and recorded by Clyde McPhatter in 1957, SO it’s not Berry’s.

The same goes for Mitch Ryder and his “It Wasn’t Me” on the album “Live At The Logo Hamburg” (1996), which is stated by Secondhandsongs as written by Chuck Berry, but is NOT. It’s an original song from Ryder. I hate it when they do this, as the big problem for me is the fact that if I can’t find the song online to listen to I will probably include it in the survey.

AND even one more. Secondhandsongs says that “Reelin’ And Rockin’” by John Littlejohn on the album “John Littlejohn’s Chicago Blues Stars” from 1968 was written by Chuck Berry, but it’s NOT. It was written by John Wesley Funchess.

CHRISTIAN ANDERS (Austria)

Antonio Augusto Schinzel-Tenicolo, born 1945 in Bruck an der Mur. His first record came in 1965, and he’s had many since. The latest I found was from 2006.

Johnny B. Goode (1:54) 1973

2-LP: Der Untergang von Taro Torsay - Aufstieg Und Fall Eines Pop Stars [Chranders 1C 188 30 185 186] ● Austria, 1973

This is way too short but it seems that the album is from some kind of musical with introduction by Anders and various speeches between songs.

HASSE ANDERSSON (Sweden)

Hans Olle Lennart Andersson. Country singer, songwriter born 1948 in Malmö. He’s released many albums since 1983. He usually sings in Swedish, but the album below is in English.

Johnny B. Goode (2:54) 2010

CD: Hasse’s Jukebox [SlowFox FOXCD-10015] ● Sweden, 2010

“With the songs we remember”. 14 tracks.

RICHIE ARNDT (Germany)

Blues and rock singer, guitar player.

Memphis, Tennesee (2:23) 2016

3-CD: Mississippi Songs Along The Road [Fuego Records 2606 2] ● Germany, 2016

1 CD containing songs and 2 CDs as audio-book.

ATOMIC LEOPARDS (Spain)

See Volume 3, page 1051, for biographical info.

Beautiful Delilah (2:34) 2005

CD: In Technicolor [Foot Tapping Records FT-048] ● UK, 2006

This is already in Vol.3, however, wrong recording year and I didn’t have the timing for the song. And it’s a UK label and not Spain.

Promised Land (2:46) 2009

CD: Rockin’ Fix [Raucous Records RAUCD-247] ● UK, 2010

STERLING BALL, JOHN FERRARO, JIM COX (USA)

Musicians from California. Sterling Ball (bass, various guitars, bongos), Jim Cox (keyboards), John Ferraro (drums, percussion).

Memphis, Tennessee (3:11) 2018 (instr)

CD: The Mutual Admiration Society [Favored Nations Entertainment FNM-75432] ● Netherlands, 2018

Here they have help from an ac.bass player called Brad Hayman. They have sadly covered (like so many others) the Lonnie Mack/Johnny Rivers arrangements. Although I must admit they do a very good and solid job.

BAMBI KINO (USA)

Group was formed 2009 in New York. They wanted to play music of the early ‘60s to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the first Beatles’ concerts in Hamburg. (Well, well.) They also debuted in Hamburg during 2010 (see below).

I’m Talking About You (1:58) 2010 (live)

CD: Bambi Kino [Tapete Records TR-202 (mono)] ● USA, 2011

Recorded live at The Indra Club, Hamburg, 19 August 2010.

BAND OF HOPE JUG BAND (New Zealand)

Folk, country, bluegrass, jug music played by a sextet. They were active in the late ‘60s.

Memphis, Tennessee (2:40) 1968

LP: The Band Of Hope Jug Band [Kiwi SLC-61] ● New Zealand, 1968

JIMMY BARNES (Australia)

James Dixon Swan, singer, songwriter, guitarist. Born 1956 in Glasgow, Scotland, but the family moved to Australia when he was 4 years. He’s had 14 Top 40 albums as the lead singer of the rock band Cold Chisel and 12 charting albums as a solo act which gives Barnes the highest number of hit albums of any Australian artist. Not bad!

Run Rudolph Run (3:21) 2022

CD: Blue Christmas [Bloodlines BLOOD-111] ● Australia, 2022

Standard rock version with piano, guitar and a horn section.

BAS EDIT (Sweden)

Folk and country trio, Bengt Sandblom (vocals, guitar), Torbjörn Sörensen (banjo, mandolin, slide guitar, vocals), Tony Rudberg (ac.bass, vocals), but they are expanded on the record below by fiddle, accordion and drums.

Johnny B. Goode (2:16) 1999
You Never Can Tell (2:38) 1999

CD: Vol. 3 [Hönö Records HRCD-08] ● Sweden, 1999

These guys were quite good.

CAMILE BAUDOIN (USA)

Singer, guitarist, from New Orleans, who is in the Louisiana Music Hall Of Fame. He played guitar for over 40 years in the New Orleans Radiators who by the way have released several albums.

You Never Can Tell (3:37) 2021

CD: This Old House [Indipendent release ] ● USA, 2021

Recorded May 2021 at Rhythm Shack Studio, New Orleans. Pretty good mid tempo version with guitar (Camile) and piano (Josh Paxton), plus Jake Eckert (rhythm guitar), Reggie Scanian (bass) and Frank Bua Jr. (drums).

CLIFF BEACH (USA)

Black singer, songwriter and keyboardist. He’s been playing live in Los Angeles and Southern California for over 15 years. It is said that his style is a cross between soul, trad R&B, funk and neo-soul = Nu-funk as he calls it himself.

Run Rudolph Run (3:03) 2021

Digital: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year [California Soul Music 01 9640 03543 8 3] ● USA, 2021

As you can see this is digital but I wanted to include it because it’s a very good soulful version and he has a good voice. Go Rudolph Go.

VINNY BELL (USA)

Vincent Edward Gambella, session guitar player, also a master on electric sitar, based in New York. Born 1932, died in 2019. Also known as Vinnie Bell.

Memphis, Tennessee [as “Memphis”] (2:19) 1964 (instr)

LP: Whistle Stop [Verve Records V6-8574] ● USA, 1964

BIG BILL (Belgium)

Armand Hombroeckx also known as Big Bill Krakkebaas. Born 1950 in Leuven. Blues singer and guitarist.

No Particular Place To Go [as “Ene Me Hesp” (2:21) 1975

LP: Big Bill [Parsifal KLE-4000 231] ● Belgium, 1975

GARRY BLACKMORE BAND (UK)

Country singer. The band: Terry Clifford (guitars), Robbie Hawks (bass, vocals), Frog Goddard (drums), with the help of Dave Hayward (steel guitar, keyboards, harmony vocals).

Memphis, Tennessee (3:57) 2005

CD: Remembering [self released GB-15CD] ● UK, 2005

Covers from the likes of Bill Anderson, Don Gibson, Marty Robbins, Rick Nelson, Kris Kristofferson etc.

BLUEJAYS (UK)

This group is already on this blog with three entries.

Johnny B. Goode ( : ) 2016
No Particular Place To Go ( : ) 2016

CD: Rockin’ And Rollin’ With The Bluejays [Bluejays JAY-5005] ● UK, 2016

Maybellene ( : ) 2021 (live)

CD: Rock And Roll Revolution – Live Tonight [Bluejays ] ● UK, 2021

Run Rudolph Run (2:55) 2021 (live)

CD: The Christmas Show – Live [Bluejays ] ● UK, 2021

Recorded 18 December 2021 at Pound Arts Centre, Corsham. It seems like this is only available online.

CD: Rave On – The Rise Of Rock’n’Roll [Bluejays BP-2201] ● UK, 2022

BO GUMBOS (Japan)

A rock quartet who got their name from Bo (Diddley).

Johnny B. Goode ( : ) 1993 (live)

CD: King Of Rock’n’Roll [Bo Records BO-001 D] ● Japan, 1994

Recorded live at On Air, Shibuya (Tokyo), 2 December 1993.

JONNY BOMBASTIC (Germany)

Marco Majewski, born 1984. He’s looking like Johnny Restivo (if you remember him). A wrestler with muscles and a voice so and so.

Johnny B. Goode [as “Johnny Be Good”] (2:39) 2011

45: 3rd Floor Music 42 6020 60423 3 4 ● Germany, 2011

This might be a song for downloading only (?)

RAY BROWN Jr. (USA)

Raymond Matthews Brown Jr., blues and jazz singer, pianist, drummer. He’s the adopted son of Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Brown. He was born 1949 in New York City to Fitzgerald’s half sister Frances. He’s lived in California and Oregon but now resides in Hawaii.

Memphis, Tennessee [as “Memphis”] (3:37) 2008

CD: Friends And Family [SRI Jazz SRI-311252] ● USA, 2008

With Dr. John and featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith. You probably have never heard the song performed like this. Very bluesy and jazzy. And again it’s interesting to notice the 16 songs on the album which are mostly jazz tunes and popular songs: “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”, “Lullabye Of Birdland”, “Laughter In The Rain”, “On The Sunny Side Of The Street” …and a Berry classic.

EDDIE BUSH (USA)

Born 1965 in Princeton, Indiana. Country-rock singer, songwriter, guitarplayer who has lived in Charleston, South Carolina since the early ‘70s. He has several albums for downloading on Bandcamp.

Run Rudolph Run (3:03) 2011 as Eddie & The Icicles

CD: Holiday Harmonies [Eddie Bush self-released ] ● USA, 2011

Real rockin’ version, maybe a little noisy but I still like it.

BUSHMEN (Italy)

Beat quintet.

Memphis, Tennessee (2:09) 1965

45: SunStar SPS-214 ● Italy, 1965
CD: The Bushmen [On Sale Music 52 OSM 025] ● Italy 1997

The arrangement here is closer to Berry’s original than most others from the ‘60s. Although it’s different.

CALYPSONUTS (USA)

Steel drum duo from Navarre, Florida.

Johnny B. Goode (4:39) 2012

CD: Down To The Wire [Red Cedar Devil CD-35409 5] ● USA, 2013

They have followed the Peter Tosh version.

CANDLEWICK GREEN (UK)

A 1970s five piece group from Liverpool. Had several 45s released during the ‘70s but the single "Who Do You Think You Are" was their only UK top 30 hit, peaking at #21 in 1974.

Roll Over Beethoven ( : ) 1980

LP: Making It [Candlewick Green SRTX/80/CUS-519] ● UK, 1980

Recorded at Amazon Studios, Kirby, Liverpool. No writing credits given on the sleeve or label. Just Copyright Control. This was a self-released item sold at gigs. However, regarding the cat.no series see also HOJO.

TIM CAPPELLO (USA)

Timmy Cappello, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and actor. Born 1955 in Harrison, New York. He’s known for his saxophone work with Tina Turner in the mid ‘80s and the ‘90s. He’s also played with Carly Simon, Peter Gabriel, Ringo Starr, Garland Jeffries and more.

Maybellene (3:44) 2018

CD: Blood On The Reed [self released ] ● USA, 2018

Very funky version with lots of harmonica playing.

HOJO (UK)

Rock trio, Howard (lead vocals, rhythm guitar, bass), John (lead and rhythm guitars, backing vocals) & Sue (keyboards, backing vocals), plus Dave Morell (drums). Strange but there are no credits regarding the composers for any songs, neither on the sleeve or label.

Roll Over Beethoven ( : ) 1979

LP: It’s The Music That Counts [SRT Productions STRY/79/CUS-497] ● UK, 1979

Recorded and mixed at Fairview Recording Studio. Special thanks to The Electric Light Orchestra who helped to inspire this album. Regarding the cat.no series see also CANDLEWICK GREEN.

HOGSLOP STRING BAND (USA)

Old-time string band music with a hint of country. Group based in Nashville. Gabriel Kelley (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Kevin Martin (vocals, fiddle), Daniel Binkley (vocals, banjo), Pickle (vocals, washtube bass, acoustic bass).

Roll Over Beethoven (4:33) 2012 (live)

CD: Hogslop String Band 2.5 [self-released] ● USA, 2012

Seven self written songs plus the Berry classic. Interesting! Now this is a pretty different version. Have I heard a string band version before? I don’t remember. Check them out on You Tube.

MICHAEL CARPENTER (Australia)

Singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist. Label (Big Radio Records) and studio (Love HZ Studios) owner from Sidney, NSW.

Sweet Little Sixteen (3:31) 2011

CD: Soop #3 – Songs Of Other People [Big Radio Records no cat no] ● Australia, 2011

On the front cover there’s a collage of pictures of various album covers including “One Dozen Berrys”.
From 2001–2016 he released 6 albums with cover songs of other people, Soop #1 - #6.

ROGER CERESI’S ALLSTARZ (USA)

According to the album cover they are 8 people all together. There’s a lot about them on You Tube.

Back To Memphis (4:13) 2011
You Never Can Tell (C’est La Vie) (4:21) 2011

CD: On The Right Track [Self released 08 8450 14701 4 8] ● USA, 2011

“Back To Memphis” is pretty solid and bluesy. The other Berry cover is performed good but unfortunately a little dull.

EUGENE CHADBOURNE (USA)

Eugene Alexander Chadbourne, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, born 1954 in Mount Vernon, New York. He’s mostly into free (avant-gard) and improvised jazz but also likes to jazz-up a country song or three. Also into avant-rock. He’s been playing in a lot of groups and has released many albums.

Roll Over Beethoven [as “Roll Over Berlosconi”] (3:02) 2010

LP: Roll Over Berlosconi [Interbang Records IBR-001] ● USA, 2010

Here Chadbourne has written mostly his own lyrics, I guess it’s not a tribute. Roll over Berlosconi tell Mussolini the news.
There are also a couple of self-released albums by Chadbourne featuring live recordings of this particular song.

LALO CHEETA (France)

Rock singer, guitarist from Paris. The songs below you’ll find on the Bandcamp site.

I’ve Changed [as “I Have Changed”] (6:13) 2018 (live)
Thirteen Question Method (4:15) 2018 (live)
Vacation Time (2:14) 2018 (live)

Digital album: Live [Lalo Cheeta ] ● France 2018

Recorded live in France March 2018. The album was released 12 October 2018. Lalo Cheeta (vocals, guitar), Lucas Ltiė (guitar, vocals), Myrto Stathatou (keyboards), Stephen Cat (saxophone), Yacine Baroudi (saxophone), Holy Dan (bass, vocals), Pietro Loconte (drums, vocals)
Two Berry numbers that are rarely covered and one that has not been covered (so far). I didn’t know about this man before and certainly not the album above. “I’ve Changed” is an obscure Berry blues track from December 1955 that was first released in the UK in April 1983 on the LP “Chess Masters” Chess CXMP-2011, and in the US on “The Chess Box” Chess (MCA) CH6-80.001 in November 1988.
“I’ve Changed” sounds a little messy in the arrangement, unfortunately. “Vacation Time” has a different melody(!) than Berry’s and it takes a little while before you recognize the song. “Thirteen Question Method” has a long intro (1:20 minutes) and at first you think they are going to do “Memphis” until he starts singing. Cheeta’s English is not the best but I don’t think it mattered much to the French audience.

Havana Moon (4:26) 2016

Digital track: Super Bombetas [Lalo Cheeta ] ● France 2018

Recorded January 2016 at RDC Studio, Les Lilas. Released 11 October 2018. Lalo Cheeta (vocals, guitar, bass), Yacine Baroudi (saxophone), El Manicero (trumpet), Dukeul (maracas).
This is arranged a little different from most others much because of the saxophone and trumpet fills that comes in after one and half minute and makes the song more complete in this arrangement. Especially the trumpet fills are interesting.

CHER (USA)

Cherilyn Sarkisian La Pierre, known to everyone just as Cher. Born 1946 in El Centro, California. Singer, actor. She started back in the mid ‘60s together with Sonny Bono (they married in 1967, divorced 1975) as Sonny & Cher and had many hits. And she has managed to stay at the top ever since. She has sold over 100 million albums and have won many Awards.

Run Rudolph Run (2:53) 2023

LP: Christmas [Warner Records 093624851189] USA, 2023

Nice to finally have Cher on this survey. A good rockin’ version it is too, and she still has a strong voice.

ALEKSEY FETISOV Rock & Roll Tribute Band (Russia)

Rock & roll singer, bassplayer from Moscow, who really has a knack for the old stuff. Rock’n’roll classics from Russia with love (!) They are a trio but is augmented by a keyboardplayer, plus backing vocalists.

Brown Eyed Handsome Man (2:41) 2016 as Aleksey Fetisov’ Rock & Roll Trio

Digital album: Rocks [AF Recording Service] ● Russia, 2017

Released January 2017. This sounds like the Buddy Holly version.

The Little Girl From Central (2:41) 2019

Digital album: Aleksey Fetisov Rock & Roll Tribute Band Vol. 1 [AF Recording Service] ● Russia, 2020

Released January 2020. Now I just had to include this guy since we are actually talking about a NEW Berry song to be covered. He follows the Berry original. A little background: This obscure Berry track was first available to Berry fans through the UK LP “You Never Can Tell” PYE Int. NPL-28039 in late 1964, in mono. Later it was made available in stereo on the UK Marble Arch LP MALS-702 in 1967. It was not issued in the US until 1990 on the album “Missing Berries – Rarities Volume 3” Chess (MCA) CH-9318.

Carol (3:02) 2021
Nadine (3:16) 2021
Sweet Little Rock And Roller (2:41) 2021

Digital album: Aleksey Fetisov Rock & Roll Tribute Band Vol. 2 [AF Recording Service] ● Russia, 2021

Released April 2021. Again they are very similar to the original Berry arrangements.