Friday, July 8. 2016
CBID - The FAST Singles From Belgium
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: Chuck Berry singles on FAST, which is from Belgium indeed.
BELGIUM
Refering to pages 393 & 400, plus 2089 & 2094, because when this Fast label first turned up in the late â90s, the labels of 1056 and 1068 proclaimed Made In Holland (thatâs why it was placed under Netherlands in Vol.1) which it turned out not to be. Information received after the publication of Vol.1 came from a guy in Belgium who said Fast was actually a Belgian label. As far as we know only 3 releases exists.
Let It Rock / Too Pooped To Pop+
Fast 1056 • 1960
Black label with silver print. The A and B sides are switched here as Too Pooped To Pop was the A-side on the original Chess single, however, it really became a double-sider on the Billboard charts.
Bye Bye Johnny / Worried Life Blues+
Fast 1068 • 1960
Black label with silver print. B-side credited to Chuck Berry Music, probably because the original Chess single didnât have any credit on this track.
Almost Grown / Johnny B. Goode
Fast International 1081 • 1960
This release has blue labels with silver print and has added International. Misspelling of Johnny as "Johny B. Goode". And this label donât have Made In Holland as printed on the other two.
Monday, June 20. 2016
Chuck Berry live in New York 1956
Anthony Chanu asked me:
Did you notice that the live version of Roll Over Beethoven on the first HIP-O-Select set is different from the version used on the early Radiola album?
No, I didn't. But it reminded me that I always wanted to write something about this recording and its releases. Time to do so.
Live recordings of early performances of the 1950's Rock'n'Rollers are extremely rare. Even though the artists played hundreds of gig each year, no audience tapes or concert recordings were made. In contrast to the 1970s and onwards, where visitors recorded and saved almost every concert, in the 1950s there was no portable personal audio recording equipment available. Even record companies had no intention to tape the raw public performance instead of using a clean and controlled studio environment. Too much effort, too bad quality.
Due to this, the only surviving performance recordings from the 1950s stem from radio and TV broadcast as well as from movies. Movies and TV broadcast however usually had the artists lip-syncing to a playback of their hit records meaning these are not live performances even if some audience is heard.
The only surviving true live performances by Chuck Berry recorded in the 1950s are from the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958 and from New York, 1956. The Newport recordings were made because some of it was used for the movie "Jazz on a Summer's Day". The story behind the New York recordings is even more interesting:
Between March 24 and September 25, 1956, Alan Freed hosted a series of 26 shows on CBS radio. Each show ran half an hour and was called âThe Camel Rock'n'Roll Dance Partyâ. Most of the shows were recorded in New York and produced by WCBS, CBS' New York radio station. The shows from May to mid-June were recorded in Hollywood and produced by KCBS instead because Alan Freed was filming in Hollywood then.
Chuck Berry, who was in New York for filming his segment of Alan Freed's "Rock, Rock, Rock" movie, contributed to the twenty-second show which was broadcast on Tuesday, August 28, 1956. Along with him were The Flamingos and Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers. It is not clear when and where the show was recorded. It may have been broadcast âliveâ as most other 1950s radio shows were. Since there is a loud audience to be heard, the venue must have been a smaller theater. Most likely it was CBS-TV Studio 50, now the Ed Sullivan Theater, on Broadway or the theater in CBS' Studio Building at 52nd Street.
Many of the original tapes from the Camel Rock'n'Roll Dance Party as used for broadcast have been made available to the public in 2015. You can listen to them at archive.org.
In addition the AFRTS (United States Armed Forces Radio and Television Service) created transcription records from the broadcasts. These transcription records were then sent out to AFN radio stations worldwide for broadcast to US military in foreign countries. (This image shows a sample AFRTS record label. If you have a label scan of this or any other Rock'n'Roll Dance Party transcription, please email it to the address given under Copyright to the right.)
The AFRTS transcriptions were edited over the original broadcast. Most importantly all the advertising spots and the name of the show sponsor "Camel Cigarettes" were removed from the recording. This cut off almost five minutes from each show. In addition AFRTS added a different out cue to the show. The transcription records containing the edited shows were produced in small quantities for the AFN stations abroad. A few of them survived until the 1970s, even though their unusual format of 16-inch diameter required special turntables to play.
The AFRTS versions of most of the shows are available from the Old Time Radio Catalog as Audio-CDs.
Snippets of these shows taken from the AFRTS disks have found their way to commercial albums and CDs since the 1970s. The first record I know of was Radiola's Rock'n'Roll Radio (Radiola MR-1087) published in 1978. Roughly at the same time a series of five albums called Alan Freed's Rock n' Roll Dance Party (WINS 1010-1014) came out with the same and additional segments from the AFRTS records. The Flamingos' performance of the August 28 show was to be found only on the WINS release, while both Berry and the Teenagers were on both. A CD release containing 27 tracks was published by Magnum Force in 1991 as Rock And Roll Dance Party (Magnum Force CDMF 075).
The August 28 show starts with Bern Bennett announcing Alan Freed. Freed then opens the show and introduces his house band led by Sam "The Man" Taylor which start a four-minute instrumental called Pretzel. Next follows a lengthy Camel spot introduced by Freed as "the Camel song". After the advertisement The Flamingos sing A Kiss From Your Lips and, as Freed proudly declares, their upcoming next release The Vow. After this another Camel spot explains in detail while one has to smoke only the sponsor's cigarettes.
"And now back to our Camel Rock And Roll Dance Party. And here's the guy that is just the greatest: Chuck Berry and Maybellene!" In less than two minutes Berry runs really fast through his first record. Of the band only the drummer is heard with a short solo. "Wow!" sighs Freed and directly announces the next number: "Chuck Berry and his current bagel, right back to our Camel mike with Roll Over Beethoven!" Again we hear mostly Berry playing both lead and rhythm on his guitar. During the mid-song solo, the crowd hollers and shouts "Go! Go! Go!" indicating that we probably miss seeing Berry duck-walking across the stage. At the very end of the song, one of the sax players cannot step back any longer and adds some answering licks. With "Chuck Berry, just fabulous!" Freed ends Berry's performance.
And the show returns to promoting Camel cigarettes. After that Frankie Lymon & the Teenagers perform I Promise To Remember and Why Do Fools Fall In Love followed by another spot featuring the Camel song. The show ends with Sam Taylor and the Big Band going crazy on another instrumental called Look Out! Alan Freed once again praises Camel and finishes the show.
As said, the AFRTS edits of the show exclude all the Camel spots as well as all mentions of the sponsor in Freed's announcements. So here it goes "right back to our (cut) mike with Roll Over Beethoven." Maybellene is about 2:00 minutes long and Roll Over Beethoven clocks at 3:10 approximately.
But on HIP-O Select's release of the 4-CD set Johnny B. Goode - His Complete '50s Chess Recordings (HIP-O-Select B0009473-02, 2008) this song only runs for 2:44 minutes. And if you listen closely, you will notice that after the solo almost a complete verse is missing and replaced with a segment from the beginning of the show. Why?
I asked Fred Rothwell who helped compiling the CD sets. He told me that Andy McKaie of Universal Music had found one tape in the MCA archives containing both the two 1956 live songs and eight unusual Chess studio recordings with artificial audience dubbed. Even though the live songs we not Chess recordings they decided to include them on the set. And this edited version is as it was on the tape.
At that time no-one noticed that this was a damaged or repaired track. Fred said that he later became aware of this and when he compiled the recordings for the Bear Family boxset Rock And Roll Music - Any Old Way You Choose It (Bear Family BCD 17273 PL, 2014) the correct and complete track from the AFRTS transcription record was used.
Eight unusual Chess studio tracks with audience dubs and the two Camel show tracks on one tape? This made me remember one of the stranger LP albums I have in my collection: Alive And Rockin' (Stack-O-Hits Records AG9019, 1981).
This album had the two 1956 live tracks plus eight rarities which at that time were otherwise only known from the American Hottest Wax bootleg (Reelin' 001): previously unreleased versions of Rock And Roll Music, 21 (here called Vacation Time), Reelin' And Rockin', Sweet Little Sixteen, and Childhood Sweetheart along with the undubbed version of How High The Moon plus the previously unknown songs I've Changed (here called just Changed) and One O'Clock Jump (here as Chuck's Jam). All eight tracks were "enhanced" with fake audience on the Stack-O-Hits release. Yes: How High The Moon which was released in 1963 with audience noise and finally came to light in its original form on the Reelin' bootleg, was re-destroyed with different audience noise.
Fred confirmed that these are exactly the eight tracks from the mysterious tape in Universal's archive. And yes, the album also contains the edit of the Camel show live recording of Roll Over Beethoven. So this is not new, we only never recognized it.
Does this mean that Chess had created another fake live album and released it on the Stack-O-Hits label? Certainly not. In 1981 the Chess archives were owned by All Platinum Records and all they did with it was a hit sampler called The Great Twenty-Eight.
So who was Stack-O-Hits Records? Probably no-one at all. Stack-O-Hits was one of a dozen names used by a company called "Album Globe Distribution" (hence the AG catalog number). A.G. was known "notorious for its quasi-legitimate and downright illegal releases. Every record they issued used a different label name, but all have an AG prefix followed by a 4-digit number". (quote from discogs.com)
While the album's liner notes praise Berry to have "directly and primarily influenced artists from The Beatles, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Rod Steward, to Bob Seger, Led Zeppelin and so many more", they completely lie about the origins of the recordings contained:
Stack-O-Hits is pleased to be able to bring you this fantastic live performance by Chuck Berry, recorded in his prime, performing not only a selection of his biggest hits, but a taste of gut bucket Chicago Blues and high-flyin' jazz as well. Don't let this get by -collectors take note- these performances are released for the first time here on Stack-O-Hits Records.
The only "first time" here was that we didn't knew the modified recordings before. The eight studio tracks were stolen from the Reelin' bootleg and edited to sound "live". The two true live recordings were taken from the Radiola or WINS release. Or more probably they might stem from a broken tape copy of the AFRTS transcription record as this would explain why Roll Over Beethoven was edited (repaired?).
How the master tape of Alive And Rockin' came into the MCA archives for Andy McKaie to find it there, stays a mystery. Does anybody know whether other Album Globe bootlegs were re-released by MCA or Universal?
Thanks to Fred Rothwell for help with this article!
Thursday, June 16. 2016
CBID - a 2016 Chuck Berry single
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: two singles I have just got hold of. One is a new release from England and the other is something I have just bought on eBay.
UK
Too Much Monkey Business / Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Mabelâs Record Co. 45-M 103 • 2016
Interesting to see a new vinyl release in 2016 of this classic 1956 Berry single. The only negative thing about this is the small centre hole as the use in jukeboxes will be minimal. The sound quality is goode.
IRAN
Too Much Monkey Business - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders / (Sibony - Xavier Cuqat / La Paloma - Freddy / Tom Cat - The Rooftop Singers)
Iranian Record Distr.Co. 1493/1494 • 1965
Record label out of Teheran. This is NOT a Chuck Berry record so you probably wonder why this is included here. The thing is that I bought it on eBay for believing it was actually Chuck Berry himself on there. But it turned out not to be. It was a cover version by Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders from 1964. All the four songs are really cover versions, so itâs not Xavier Cugat, Freddy or Rooftop Singers performing either. As you will see thereâs nothing on the label saying these are cover versions. The record did cost me around $22.00 so it was an expensive expierence.
Wednesday, April 13. 2016
CBID - cover versions keep coming
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: A new set of Berry covers I have gathered lately, to be added to the chapter on Chuck Berry covers in Volume 3. It never ends!
DEBORAH ALLEN (USA)
Singer, songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee, born in 1953. She figured on the country charts for the first time back in 1980, and although she hasnât had that many hits sheâs a prolific songwriter with songs recorded by Tammy Wynette, Rita Coolidge, Fleetwood Mac, Diana Ross, Tanya Tucker, Janie Fricke, Tracey Ullman to name but a few.
Run Rudolph Run (2:54) 2013
CD: Rockinâ Little Christmas [Relativity Entertainment 9532] • USA, 2015
Deborah has a voice for rockinâ tunes and it fits perfectly on this Berry classic. This CD it seems was first released in 2013 on Weblast! Records but no more info available.
ADOLPHUS BELL (USA)
Born 1944 in Luverne, Alabama. A one-man-band who traveled around in the southern states for years playing his â59 Gibson, harmonica, bass drum and high hat, singing soul, blues and old time r&b/rockânâroll songs. He died in 2013.
Johnny B. Goode (2:21) 2004
CD: Mississippi Rubberleg [Music Maker Relief Foundation MMCD-175] • USA, 2015
Very simple and honest version, a little unusual really. But the bass drum is a bit annoying in the long run.
BLUE LINE (USA)
no biographical info.
Johnny B. Goode (2:47) 1974
45: Fanfare Studios FM-74062 • USA, 1974
Record label out of El Cajon, California. Record produced by Hal Trimble.
T. GRAHAM BROWN (USA)
Country artist born in Atlanta in 1954 and has a long career, going back to the 1980s when he had a lot of hits on the country charts, including 3 no.1âs and 8 top 10s. "I Tell It Like It Used To Be" from 1985, "Hell And High Water" 1986 and "Donât Go To Strangers" 1987 have all become classics.
Run Rudolph Run (3:05) 2015
CD: Christmas With T. Graham Brown [Mansion Entertainment 5490] • USA, 2015
ROY CAGLE And SNUFF RIDGE (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1110 for biographical info.
Carol [Oh Caroll] (2:07) 1970s
Memphis, Tennessee [Memphis] (2:16) 1970s
Sweet Little Sixteen (1:53) 1970s
Thirty Days [30 Days] (2:08) 1970s
LP: Roy Cagle And Snuff Ridge [Chris Records SS-312] • USA, 1970s
â70s country rock. Interesting to notice that out of 12 tracks 4 are Berryâs. The problem I see is that the songs are actually all too short. Why?
EMMYLOU HARRIS & The Hot Band (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1233 for biographical info.
You Never Can Tell [Câest La Vie] (4:14) 1976 (live)
CD: Hot Night In Roslyn (Iconography ICON-046] • USA, 2014
Recorded for live FM Radio Broadcast from My Fatherâs Place, Roslyn, New York, 14 September â76. Featuring Albert Lee (guitar), Rodney Crowell (guitar, vocals), Hank DeVito (pedal steel guitar), Glen D. Hardin (piano), Emery Godry Jr. (bass), John Ware (drums). Talking about a hot band !!!
SHARI KANE & DAVE STEELE (USA)
Wife and husband from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Acoustic blues with guitars, mandolin and National steel slide guitar. They both had their own career when they met in 1991, started performing together in 2010 which led to the recording of "Four Hand Blues", a well acclaimed album release in 2011.
Thirteen Question Method (3:07) 2015
CD: Feels Like Home [Kane-Steele 22077] • USA, 2015
Nice to see they included an obscure Berry number as the opening number for their second CD, and it really swings with Dave handlings the lyrics. The album also contains songs from the likes of Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnsen, Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt a.o.
DINAH LEE (New Zealand)
Born Diane Marie Jacobs in 1943. Regarded as the most famous and popular Australasian female singer of the â60s. She was frequently featured on TV back then and had several records released on the Viking label from New Zealand, the first in 1964. On her early singles she was backed by fellow New Zealanders, Max Merritt & His Meteors (see page 1361). She is still active in 2016.
Johnny B. Goode (3:26) 2011
Johnny B. Goode (4:21) 2011 extended version
Johnny B. Goode (5:01) 2011 extended version
CD: Johnny B. Goode Tonight [TFM Productions] • Australia, 2011
Recorded at studio 301 in Sydney, Australia in late 2010. Actually a straight copy of the Peter Tosh version from 1983. Nothing more nothing less. But not bad to record such a song/version in 2011. And it seems to have been very popular.
MIKE McDONALD (Canada)
Canât find out anything about this artist at all, except that the album was released in Canada, so I would assume that heâs Canadian. Thereâs a clip on YouTube of him performing at an outdoor concert in Pender Harbour, British Columbia, Canada.
Johnny B. Goode (4:39) 1983
LP: In The Heart Of Country [Sunshine SSLP-4030] • Canada, 1983
Would you believe, I have never heard this classic performed as a ballad. But it is exactly what it is, a ballad, even the refrain sounds very unusual in this particular arrangement. There is a plain echo on the voice which make it even more weird. No guitar riffs or guitar solo. Piano is the main instrument but just as an accompaniment.
BUCK OWENS (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1402 for biographical info.
Johnny B. Goode (3:22) 1989 (live)
Johnny B. Goode (reprise) (0:51) 1989 (live)
Memphis, Tennessee [âMemphisâ] (2:45) 1989 (live)
2-CD: Live In San Francisco 1989 [Rockbeat B00V4RGZPM] • 2015
This album was recorded in January â89 at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco, not long after he had been to the studio and finished his new album encouraged by Dwight Yoakam. Buck decided to try and do a little gigging again and this live album is a good proof that he had lost none of his qualities. He reassembled The Buckaroos consisting of Terry Christofferson (steel guitar), Jim Shaw (keyboards, vocals), Doyle Curtsinger (bass, vocals) and new member Jim McCarty (drums). Plus of course Buck himself on guitar and vocals. Had this album been released at the time it would have been a smash!
SWING CREW (USA)
Check out pages 1364 (Midwesterners) and 1602 (Richard Wiegel) in volume 3 and page 1852 (Midwesterners) in volume 4.
Run Rudolph Run (2:59) 2002
Guitar Boogie [Christmas Boogie] (2:56) (instr) 2002
CD: Seasonâs Greetings From The Swing Crew [The Swing Crew, no cat no.] • USA, 2003
Acoustic set with Richard Wiegel (The Midwesterners) on vocals and guitars and Dennis Relfsteck on
vocals, upright bass, fiddle and saw(!). However, the most interesting here is that Richard got the idea to use Berryâs instrumental boogie and turn it into a Christmas boogie medley. In the interludes Richard is playing several classic Christmas melodies. Quite unusual but very interesting to listen to. And both songs are credited to Chuck Berry, Isalee Music BMI. Not bad.
TRIP DADDYS (USA)
See volume 3, page 1574 for biographical info.
Maybellene (2:02) 2003
CD: Doublewide [Trip Daddys 37126] • USA, 2003
Tuesday, April 12. 2016
CBID - yet another Canadian Chess single
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: Another of these Canadian re-issues on Chess Golden Treasures:
CANADA
Nadine / OâRangutang (instr)
Chess Golden Treasures [Quality] CHGT-323X • 1981
Here is another "new" single from Canada which we didnât have before. See pages 273 and 1993 for other records from this series.
Saturday, March 5. 2016
Was Mercury 72963 a regular release? Update
In November 2013 we finally gave up. For decades Morten Reff and I had tried to find a regular copy of Berry's fifth single for Mercury It's Too Dark In There / Good Lookin' Woman (Mercury 72963). While you can buy white-label promotional (WLP) copies of this single easily, we never even saw a regular copy with the commercial Mercury label.
The regular red Mercury label. This one:
Yes, it exists! Who else but reader (or shall I say contributor) Thierry Chanu found this absolute rarity!
This is the only copy of Mercury 72963 having a regular company label we know of. It came to him in the paper sleeve of the promotional copies, Thierry remembers.
So this still does not answer the question whether It's Too Dark In There / Good Lookin' Woman was ever sold in stores. It still may be that even this copy was sent out by Mercury as a promotional item. Until I see other red label copies offered in used-record shops or on the Net, I continue saying that this single was announced only but never sold. Convince me ...
The regular red Mercury label. This one:
Yes, it exists! Who else but reader (or shall I say contributor) Thierry Chanu found this absolute rarity!
This is the only copy of Mercury 72963 having a regular company label we know of. It came to him in the paper sleeve of the promotional copies, Thierry remembers.
So this still does not answer the question whether It's Too Dark In There / Good Lookin' Woman was ever sold in stores. It still may be that even this copy was sent out by Mercury as a promotional item. Until I see other red label copies offered in used-record shops or on the Net, I continue saying that this single was announced only but never sold. Convince me ...
Saturday, February 20. 2016
Sheik of Chicago - new CD presents unreleased Chuck Berry material
The year 2016 starts with a new CD containing Chuck Berry recordings previously not released. Well, some. Well, not officially released. Well, and whether this CD is an official release is also questionable. Well, at least it looks like one.
Chuck Berry - The Sheik of Chicago (Smashing Pumpkin Records PMK-1126, 2016) comes in a cheap printed cardboard sleeve which claims to be printed in the E.U.
The CD has a playing time of almost 80 minutes consisting of a complete 1988 concert, segments from a 1981 concert, three nice short spots, and a tribute song to Chuck Berry by Joe Stampley.
The 1988 concert was recorded on New Year's Evening at the Palladium Theater in New York City. This concert had been broadcast through various U.S. radio stations and therefore this is a high-quality professional recording. The recording has been known from both audience tapes and more-or-less privately made bootleg CDs for a long time. One of these called Live at the Palladium even uses the same cover image.
While it's a high-quality recording, the performance is everything but high-quality. As he did for most of his career, Berry again uses a band he obviously has never seen before. Bass and rhythm guitar are inaudible, piano and drums are just bad. Chuck's daughter Ingrid helps out with harmonica and second vocal on a few numbers. She even gets to sing lead vocal on two blues numbers like we know from other concert recordings. All in all this concert is certainly not something you want to buy this CD for.
Following the 1988 concert are segments from a 1981 concert recorded in Reseda, California. This is much better but only 12 minutes long. Berry collectors and readers of this site know this performance for a long time. It has never been officially released for public sale. But it exists on Vinyl. These three songs have been included on a LP record sent by Westwood One to radio stations nation-wide to be broadcast as part of their In Concert radio series. Here it has been mastered digitally very well without any crackles and it's nice to have on CD now.
The first part of the former paragraph also holds for the next track. Berry's 20-seconds radio spot for the YMCA as recorded in 1967 was available on Vinyl before and has been discussed in detail on this site's section on Radio Station and Promotional Records. Here however, the transfer to CD did not go well. There are crackles, the beginning is fuzzy, and the overall sound quality is bad. However, as this recording is very rare we must be glad to be able to listen to it at all.
Jumping from 1988 to 1981 to 1967 next are two Chuck Berry recordings made in 2004. Both are speech recordings Chuck Berry did for Independence Air. The airline company Independence Air started flying in 2004 and filed bankruptcy in 2005, thus not being too successful. Besides trying to be cheap (always not a good idea) they also tried to be funny. This included that the in-flight safety announcements were spoken by comedians and other celebrities (see this old press-release).
Chuck Berry's safety announcements, to be used on their Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-65) jets, are spoken over a rock'n'roll instrumental (non-Berry). In 2004 you could download all the safety announcements from the flyi.com website. If you didn't, you now find it here on this new CD.
In addition the Pumpkin CD also includes a 30-seconds radio (?) commercial for Independence Air. In fact this is the only recording from this CD I did not know of and had before. I have not been able to find out where this spot was used and how it was distributed in 2004.
The last and 22nd track of this new CD is not a Chuck Berry recording at all. This is the song Sheik of Chicago, released in 1976 by Joe Stampley on EPIC. This Berry tribute is certainly one of the better ones and even made it to Billboard's Country Top 100.
If you are wondering about the nice and professional looking cover image, this has been cut from a contemporary (i.e. 1988) advert for Christian Brother's Brandy displaying Berry (click to enlarge).
Overall this is not necessary a CD we have been waiting for. It does include some rarities though. Thus if you don't have the radio station albums and the Independent Air MP3s, get yourself a copy.
Chuck Berry - The Sheik of Chicago (Smashing Pumpkin Records PMK-1126, 2016) comes in a cheap printed cardboard sleeve which claims to be printed in the E.U.
The CD has a playing time of almost 80 minutes consisting of a complete 1988 concert, segments from a 1981 concert, three nice short spots, and a tribute song to Chuck Berry by Joe Stampley.
The 1988 concert was recorded on New Year's Evening at the Palladium Theater in New York City. This concert had been broadcast through various U.S. radio stations and therefore this is a high-quality professional recording. The recording has been known from both audience tapes and more-or-less privately made bootleg CDs for a long time. One of these called Live at the Palladium even uses the same cover image.
While it's a high-quality recording, the performance is everything but high-quality. As he did for most of his career, Berry again uses a band he obviously has never seen before. Bass and rhythm guitar are inaudible, piano and drums are just bad. Chuck's daughter Ingrid helps out with harmonica and second vocal on a few numbers. She even gets to sing lead vocal on two blues numbers like we know from other concert recordings. All in all this concert is certainly not something you want to buy this CD for.
Following the 1988 concert are segments from a 1981 concert recorded in Reseda, California. This is much better but only 12 minutes long. Berry collectors and readers of this site know this performance for a long time. It has never been officially released for public sale. But it exists on Vinyl. These three songs have been included on a LP record sent by Westwood One to radio stations nation-wide to be broadcast as part of their In Concert radio series. Here it has been mastered digitally very well without any crackles and it's nice to have on CD now.
The first part of the former paragraph also holds for the next track. Berry's 20-seconds radio spot for the YMCA as recorded in 1967 was available on Vinyl before and has been discussed in detail on this site's section on Radio Station and Promotional Records. Here however, the transfer to CD did not go well. There are crackles, the beginning is fuzzy, and the overall sound quality is bad. However, as this recording is very rare we must be glad to be able to listen to it at all.
Jumping from 1988 to 1981 to 1967 next are two Chuck Berry recordings made in 2004. Both are speech recordings Chuck Berry did for Independence Air. The airline company Independence Air started flying in 2004 and filed bankruptcy in 2005, thus not being too successful. Besides trying to be cheap (always not a good idea) they also tried to be funny. This included that the in-flight safety announcements were spoken by comedians and other celebrities (see this old press-release).
Chuck Berry's safety announcements, to be used on their Bombardier CRJ200 (CL-65) jets, are spoken over a rock'n'roll instrumental (non-Berry). In 2004 you could download all the safety announcements from the flyi.com website. If you didn't, you now find it here on this new CD.
In addition the Pumpkin CD also includes a 30-seconds radio (?) commercial for Independence Air. In fact this is the only recording from this CD I did not know of and had before. I have not been able to find out where this spot was used and how it was distributed in 2004.
The last and 22nd track of this new CD is not a Chuck Berry recording at all. This is the song Sheik of Chicago, released in 1976 by Joe Stampley on EPIC. This Berry tribute is certainly one of the better ones and even made it to Billboard's Country Top 100.
If you are wondering about the nice and professional looking cover image, this has been cut from a contemporary (i.e. 1988) advert for Christian Brother's Brandy displaying Berry (click to enlarge).
Overall this is not necessary a CD we have been waiting for. It does include some rarities though. Thus if you don't have the radio station albums and the Independent Air MP3s, get yourself a copy.
Friday, February 19. 2016
Cover and label variants of Chess LP-1485 Greatest Hits - Update
[Update: Reader Thierry Chanu provided us with two more images extending this post of September 2015.]
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.
Reader Thierry Chanu added two more images: Here's another minor variant of the label plus the original DJ COPY label. As with the On Stage album, the very first records produced and sent to Deejays came in the non-sticker sleeve and had the multi-color label.
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: After we have seen that there were three different versions of the cover of Chess LP-1480 Chuck Berry On Stage it is time to explain that the same variants (initial print, sticker, and final print) can also be found with Chess LP-1485 Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits.
USA
CHUCK BERRY'S GREATEST HITS
Chess LP-1485 • April 1964
This is another of those Berry LPs that has come out with countless of label variants, 8 to be exact, and three different front covers, four if you count the el.stereo one numbered LPS-1485. The first cover didnât have the titles in black on a yellow sticker or printed in yellow in the bottom right-hand corner (see images). And itâs not easy to tell for sure which label was the first, but I would guess it was the old black label with the vertical silver Chess logo (again see all the various images).
And it was also the first occasion that âMaybelleneâ was spelt with an âiâ. And take notice of the different spelling, Featuring the original hits on the sticker, contra the later printed version Featuring the hits.
Here are the four covers of Chess LP-1485. As with all images on this site you can enlarge it by clicking.
And here's a selection of labels I have found with this Greatest Hits album.
Reader Thierry Chanu added two more images: Here's another minor variant of the label plus the original DJ COPY label. As with the On Stage album, the very first records produced and sent to Deejays came in the non-sticker sleeve and had the multi-color label.
Thursday, February 18. 2016
CBID - Chess LP-1498 in silver - explained
In December Morten Reff reported here about a strange copy of the Fresh Berry's album having a silver label.
He wrote:
Reader Thierry Chanu was able to explain this unusual label:
Morten agreed. When you look very closely at the label you may see the text DJ COPY stamped below the matrix number. Here is a detail of the silver label as well as the full standard white-label promo (WLP) DJ copy of this album.
When asked how he knows of only four copies of the silver label album, Thierry told me that this is from his own experience monitoring record offers for more than thirty years. He has seen this silver label copy offered only four times so far, one being Morten's.
Thanks, Thierry!
He wrote:
A couple of weeks ago I bought a copy of this well-known album having a label I have never seen. Itâs a silver Chess label. I have not seen any other Berry LPs on Chess with this kind of label colour. The copy I got is the mono issue. The question is, was it also available as a stereo issue?
Reader Thierry Chanu was able to explain this unusual label:
This is one of the rarest original US issues ....... only four copies known!!!
It is the first US "DJ COPY" for this record. If you look at the label carefully, especially the side one, (use daylight and/or clean glasses) you will notice the "DJ COPY" writing.
CHESS seems to have used this bad silver paper in 1965 very briefly. Here's the label of a Ramsey Lewis Trio album on ARGO.
And to answer Morten's question: There is no stereo issue for this silver label. The company's DJ COPY/WLP records were only in mono at this time.
Morten agreed. When you look very closely at the label you may see the text DJ COPY stamped below the matrix number. Here is a detail of the silver label as well as the full standard white-label promo (WLP) DJ copy of this album.
When asked how he knows of only four copies of the silver label album, Thierry told me that this is from his own experience monitoring record offers for more than thirty years. He has seen this silver label copy offered only four times so far, one being Morten's.
Thanks, Thierry!
Wednesday, January 13. 2016
Fresh Berry Information
Eagle eyed (and eared) blog correspondent Arne Wolfswinkel has done some serious checking of the Berry discography posted as a PDF file here on this blog and found some errors requiring amendment.
Deep Feeling / School Day session
Close listening and playing the songs at double speed has revealed that there is no bass on Deep Feeling or School Day. Instead, there are two guitars on the recordings, the second being Hubert Sumlin playing rhythm guitar beneath Berry's lead fills. As previously noted there is no bass on the two takes of La Juanda but the bass is back, played by Willie Dixon, on Blue Feeling (and the slowed down version of the tune, Low Feeling)
Sweet Little Sixteen
The version of Sweet Little Sixteen on The Chess Box (CH6-80001), despite what the box-set notes tell us, is not the speeded up version released as the single Chess 1683 but is take 14 before it was tweaked to make the single sound brighter and the vocals higher.
Vacation Time
Arne points out that Vacation Time on the Hip-O Select B0009473-02 box-set is preceded by a studio announcement '14A remake of 21' and not 13A as listed in the discography. However, listening yet again to the studio tapes there is a version of Vacation Time preceded by the following studio dialogue 'A remake of 21. I hope this god damn thing sells records Chuck, it's cost us a fortune. Here we go 13A'. I thought this was the issued version of Vacation Time but can only conclude there was a further take (14A) which became the issued cut. I believe that where an A appears in the take number, this indicates an overdubbed cut where the basic track is enhanced generally by additional guitar but sometime additional vocals. The differences between these takes can be very slight and I guess this is a case in point.
Too Pooped To Pop
Arne points out that there is a sax present on Take 4A of Too Pooped To Pop, issued on the Hip-O Select B0009473-02 box-set, as well as on the Chess 1747 single cut. On checking the studio tape again I can confirm that sax is present on all the takes. Of the 13 takes only 4 are complete takes (4A, 8A and 9A plus the master take, the number of which is unknown). Again, this is an A take overdub session with identical instrumental backing, including the backing vocals, but with variations in Chuck's overdubbed lead vocals.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Again Arne spots that on the August 3 1961 instrumental version of Brown Eyed Handsome Man tenor saxes are present. This, in effect, means that the saxes are present on all the cuts at this session. The backing track for both the instrumental and vocal versions is identical with just the guitar overdub substituted for Chucks vocal on the former.
The Promised Land session
There was an error regarding the line-up for this session. The PDF lists Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake and/or unknown: guitar/piano when it should be Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake and/or unknown: piano, unknown: guitar. The and/or regarding the pianist comes from an eye witness report by Guy Stevens in Jazzbeat magazine #4 dated April 1964 in which he says Leake had to leave the session halfway through and was replaced by a young studio pianist who may or may not have been Paul Williams who played on Chuck's following session a month later.
Many thanks Arne, keep 'em coming!
Deep Feeling / School Day session
Close listening and playing the songs at double speed has revealed that there is no bass on Deep Feeling or School Day. Instead, there are two guitars on the recordings, the second being Hubert Sumlin playing rhythm guitar beneath Berry's lead fills. As previously noted there is no bass on the two takes of La Juanda but the bass is back, played by Willie Dixon, on Blue Feeling (and the slowed down version of the tune, Low Feeling)
Sweet Little Sixteen
The version of Sweet Little Sixteen on The Chess Box (CH6-80001), despite what the box-set notes tell us, is not the speeded up version released as the single Chess 1683 but is take 14 before it was tweaked to make the single sound brighter and the vocals higher.
Vacation Time
Arne points out that Vacation Time on the Hip-O Select B0009473-02 box-set is preceded by a studio announcement '14A remake of 21' and not 13A as listed in the discography. However, listening yet again to the studio tapes there is a version of Vacation Time preceded by the following studio dialogue 'A remake of 21. I hope this god damn thing sells records Chuck, it's cost us a fortune. Here we go 13A'. I thought this was the issued version of Vacation Time but can only conclude there was a further take (14A) which became the issued cut. I believe that where an A appears in the take number, this indicates an overdubbed cut where the basic track is enhanced generally by additional guitar but sometime additional vocals. The differences between these takes can be very slight and I guess this is a case in point.
Too Pooped To Pop
Arne points out that there is a sax present on Take 4A of Too Pooped To Pop, issued on the Hip-O Select B0009473-02 box-set, as well as on the Chess 1747 single cut. On checking the studio tape again I can confirm that sax is present on all the takes. Of the 13 takes only 4 are complete takes (4A, 8A and 9A plus the master take, the number of which is unknown). Again, this is an A take overdub session with identical instrumental backing, including the backing vocals, but with variations in Chuck's overdubbed lead vocals.
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Again Arne spots that on the August 3 1961 instrumental version of Brown Eyed Handsome Man tenor saxes are present. This, in effect, means that the saxes are present on all the cuts at this session. The backing track for both the instrumental and vocal versions is identical with just the guitar overdub substituted for Chucks vocal on the former.
The Promised Land session
There was an error regarding the line-up for this session. The PDF lists Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake and/or unknown: guitar/piano when it should be Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake and/or unknown: piano, unknown: guitar. The and/or regarding the pianist comes from an eye witness report by Guy Stevens in Jazzbeat magazine #4 dated April 1964 in which he says Leake had to leave the session halfway through and was replaced by a young studio pianist who may or may not have been Paul Williams who played on Chuck's following session a month later.
Many thanks Arne, keep 'em coming!
Sunday, December 20. 2015
CBID - Chess LP-1498 in silver - and another Canadian re-issue
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: a silver label of Fresh Berry's plus another Canadian re-issue
USA
FRESH BERRY'S
Chess LP-1498 (mono) LPS-1498 (stereo) ? November 1965
A couple of weeks ago I bought a copy of this well-known album having a label I have never seen. Itâs a silver Chess label. I have not seen any other Berry LPs on Chess with this kind of label colour. The copy I got is the mono issue. The question is, was it also available as a stereo issue?
CANADA
Roll Over Beethoven / Maybellene
Quality Gold Collection GC-382X ? 1986
Refering to page 1993 regarding especially the year of release, as the label on the above single also says 1982.
Monday, October 19. 2015
Chuck Berry Rarity Discovered: 1986 Live Recordings on a 1992 Keith Richards Bootleg
When Fred Rothwell's Long Distance Information: Chuck Berry's Recorded Legacy (Music Mentor Books, 2001) was published in 2001, it contained the complete knowledge about Chuck Berry's recordings known at that time. While there have been further releases of old studio recordings and some newer live recordings since then, for all experts Fred's book was complete when published.
It was kind of a sensation when in 2012 Morten Reff found a 1977 record containing recordings not included in Fred's book. And so is what I discovered some weeks ago:
I found a 1986 recording of Chuck Berry which was released on CD in 1992. And which was not in Fred's book. And not known to me or the other Berry collectors.
The CD is not an official one but a bootleg, though factory-produced. While the front cover says "I've been loving you too long", according to the back cover and the CD print this bootleg is called "Bloody Red Rooster". The artist is Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards playing with other artists such as Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis. The recordings have been taken from various shows.
Two songs feature Richards on guitar with Chuck Berry on vocals. They are named "Johnny Be Good" and "I'm Gonna Wrong" in the track listing, while the correct titles are "Johnny B. Goode" and "It Hurts Me Too".
The Berry recordings stem from the opening concert of the Chicago Annual Blues Festival of June 6th, 1986. This was one of the rare occasions where Berry was backed by a really good band consisting of Matt 'Guitar' Murphy, Lafayette Leake on piano, Thomas 'Tiaz' Palmer on bass and probably Casey Jones on drums. All of them were well-known Chicago Blues men. Ingrid Berry helped out singing second voice on "Baby What You Want Me To Do" and Keith Richards stepped in for the last four songs using a borrowed guitar (read story here, appr. 3/4 down the page). An audience tape of the show exists. It has poor quality, unfortunately. Likewise the two excerpts from the show included on this bootleg are of very low sound quality.
The bootleg claims that it has been released on the Bad Girl Songs label with catalogue number CDJ3, made in Italy 1992. As with all bootlegs, this may be correct - or not. Since we have no better information, we have to file this release under 1992, though.
The images show the front cover, back cover and label of the CD.
Many thanks to atsu-y and Fred Rothwell for help with this discovery and the corresponding research thereon.
It was kind of a sensation when in 2012 Morten Reff found a 1977 record containing recordings not included in Fred's book. And so is what I discovered some weeks ago:
I found a 1986 recording of Chuck Berry which was released on CD in 1992. And which was not in Fred's book. And not known to me or the other Berry collectors.
The CD is not an official one but a bootleg, though factory-produced. While the front cover says "I've been loving you too long", according to the back cover and the CD print this bootleg is called "Bloody Red Rooster". The artist is Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards playing with other artists such as Berry or Jerry Lee Lewis. The recordings have been taken from various shows.
Two songs feature Richards on guitar with Chuck Berry on vocals. They are named "Johnny Be Good" and "I'm Gonna Wrong" in the track listing, while the correct titles are "Johnny B. Goode" and "It Hurts Me Too".
The Berry recordings stem from the opening concert of the Chicago Annual Blues Festival of June 6th, 1986. This was one of the rare occasions where Berry was backed by a really good band consisting of Matt 'Guitar' Murphy, Lafayette Leake on piano, Thomas 'Tiaz' Palmer on bass and probably Casey Jones on drums. All of them were well-known Chicago Blues men. Ingrid Berry helped out singing second voice on "Baby What You Want Me To Do" and Keith Richards stepped in for the last four songs using a borrowed guitar (read story here, appr. 3/4 down the page). An audience tape of the show exists. It has poor quality, unfortunately. Likewise the two excerpts from the show included on this bootleg are of very low sound quality.
The bootleg claims that it has been released on the Bad Girl Songs label with catalogue number CDJ3, made in Italy 1992. As with all bootlegs, this may be correct - or not. Since we have no better information, we have to file this release under 1992, though.
The images show the front cover, back cover and label of the CD.
Many thanks to atsu-y and Fred Rothwell for help with this discovery and the corresponding research thereon.
Tuesday, October 13. 2015
The Chuck Berry Vinyl Bootlegs, Vol. 4: Telecasts
This series of articles is going to describe the Chuck Berry vinyl bootlegs released in the 1970's and 1980's. For any record collector these items are important to know of, even though you don't necessarily need to have them. Omitted from all the usual discographies, information about these records is next to void. Given the secret nature of the bootlegger business there are no exact dates, numbers, or origins. I have tried to collect this information from various sources and mostly from my own collection of records. If you can add anything of worth to the information given here, I'd be glad to know!
This is the fourth part of this series and it covers a record which isn't really a Chuck Berry bootleg.
John Lennon (featuring Yoko Ono & Chuck Berry) - Telecasts - Trade Mark of Quality 71046 (and multiple other labels/numbers)
Of all bootleg records containing unreleased Chuck Berry recordings, this one is probably the best-sold and the one of which the most variants exist. This is because it's not a Chuck Berry bootleg at all. Telecasts is a John Lennon bootleg, but it contains two recordings from the Mike Douglas TV show of February 3rd, 1972. In this show, co-hosted by Lennon, the ex-Beatle invited Berry as a guest performer. Two songs were recorded, Lennon and Berry singing duets backed by Elephant's Memory and Lennon's wife Yoko Ono: Memphis, Tennessee and Johnny B. Goode. Further segments from the show such as an interview with Berry and a cooking scene did not make it to this bootleg.
During research for this article, I learned a lot about bootleg creation in the 1970's. I strongly suggest you take some time to read the excellent blog The Amazing Kornyfone Label. If you follow closely the stories of Ken Douglas, one of the most famous early bootleggers, you'll learn that research is almost impossible. They never thought about getting their acts organized in any business sense. Which makes it more or less arbitrary how the records looked like. The color of the vinyl, for instance, was more or less random. The record pressing company just used what was lying around. Even in the same production run multiple colors were used. The same with labels or covers: any color, any print. Early bootlegs had their name placed on blank covers using a rubber stamp, but if there wasn't enough time, only some were stamped, others not. Due to this, bootlegs from Ken's Trade Mark Of Quality label (and others) exist in dozens of variants and no-one can tell which ones were produced when or in which quantity. Here is what I think might be the most probable history of this Berry bootleg.
It seems that the very first version of this bootleg was produced by the legendary Los Angeles-based bootleg label "Trade Mark Of Quality". The exact date is not known, but is must have been by the end of 1972. At that time the operation was run by Ken together with Dub Taylor. They used a so-called "Farm Pig" logo on stickers, inserts, and (sometimes) labels. The initial release had a catalogue number of TMQ 71046 which was printed on an insert (xeroxed on color paper). It came in a white or colored cover with or without a rubber-stamp reading "John Lennon (featuring Yoko Ono & Chuck Berry) Telecasts". Labels seem to contain the Farm Pig logo, but also other labels exist. Note that TMQ 71046 has been copied in later years with no or little difference. This means there are bootleg copies of this bootleg.
This might be the original version of TMQ 71046:
The matrix number etched in the dead wax of TMQ 71046 reads JL-517 A/B. It's not quite clear what this number stands for. JL of course is short for John Lennon. 517 seems to be some internal numbering at TMQ. There is for instance a Bob Dylan bootleg numbered BD-516.
The letter-sized photo-copied insert on colored paper contains poor quality photos from the shows including Berry and Lennon performing together.
The tracks on this record are as follows (spelling as on the sheet):
Side 1
- JOHN SINCLAIR
- IT'S SO HARD
- THE LUCK OF THE IRISH
- SISTERS, OH SISTERS
- WE'RE ALL WATER
- WOMAN IS THE NIGGER OF THE WORLD
Side 2
- ATTICA STATE
- SHAKE IT
- SAKURA
- MEMPHIS
- JOHNNY B. GOODE
- IMAGINE
In addition the sheet tells:
THIS MATERIAL WAS COLLECTED FROM:
THE MIKE DOUGLAS SHOW
DAVID FROST
THE DICK CAVETT SHOW
Shortly after the initial release of TMQ 71046 the owners of the label (if you can call them 'owners') split and formed separated bootleg labels. Ken Douglas continued using the Trade Mark Of Quality name. These second version records show a different TMQ logo, though. While the original label had a so-called "Farm Pig" logo, the second version uses the so-called "Smoking Pig" label. Douglas re-used the original tapes to produce his own TMOQ records.
The second variant of Telecasts has the TMQ number 1834 which is etched in the dead wax. Thus a different matrix was used. It came in completely white covers. Both the insert and the labels show the Smoking Pig logo.
Concurrently with the TMQ release(s) or not much later (appr. 1973) another variant of this bootleg has been produced from yet another matrix. This time the etching reads WEC-3711. The "company" is known as Contraband Music but this name doesn't appear on cover or label. The cover is blank with a full-size insert in brown on white. The labels are white with a rubber-stamped A and B.
The original TMQ matrix with the etching JL-517 (or copies thereof) has been used very often. This record exists in a multitude of covers and comes with a multitude of labels. Here's one example of a modified insert. This version had plain green labels. This may be a later or even an earlier version. Have a look at Bob's Boots discussion of TMOQ cover and label variants of a Bob Dylan bootleg.
For more variants of JL-517 see images here (Great Live Concerts 6012-4299) and here (Box Top Records). The best known version of JL-517 is the one with the full-color photograph of the bearded Lennon sitting at a piano in front of an audience. This version also has a full-color back cover. It is this cover on which the bootleggers first forgot to list the second track from side 2 "Shake it". The song is only missing from the track listing. On the record it still is. This error has been repeated ever since.
The labels of the photograph version are blank white. Both cover and record have been reproduced often. One version has a dog label (image at discogs here). In addition JL-517 has been used to produce one of the records in two-, three- or even nine-record sets such as John Lennon - Flower and John Lennon - The Plastic Ono Box.
The full-color photo from JL-517 has also been used to produce a picture disk. A picture disk is made out of transparent vinyl with a full-size print in between the two layers for the two sides. One should note that for the picture disk an even different master has been used (probably due to production reasons). The picture disk is etched 4-A and 4AB in the dead wax.
While Telecasts was the first bootleg containing the two Lennon/Berry duets, the same recordings have been used on other, later bootlegs as well. These contain different remaining Lennon recordings, typically other duets with Jimi Hendrix or Elton John. Examples of such bootlegs are the two LP set Working Class Hero (Chet Mar CMR-75, image), the Australian two LP set Stand By Me (Toasted Records TRW-1942, see below), and the single LPs The Joshua Tree Tapes (The Kornyphone Records for the Working Man TKRWM 1803, Johnny B. Goode only, image) and John Lennon with (LSD Record JCJ-37037, again see below).
The Toasted Records cover tells that there's a third duet from the Mike Douglas show (Roll Over Beethoven). This is incorrect, though. There's no Chuck Berry on that recording. Also note the spelling of Chuck on the LSD Record cover.
A (probably) legal release of the two songs plus the interview with questions to Berry, Lennon, and Ono was released in 2011 as a three CD set called Chuck Berry in the 1950s (Chrome Dreams CD3CD5073, 2011). You can also buy DVDs containing the complete show.
Thanks to Morten Reff for photos of the original TMQ record and the Toasted bootleg. All other images show records from my own collection.
To read the other parts of this series on Chuck Berry vinyl bootlegs, click here:
Wednesday, September 30. 2015
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."
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."
Thursday, September 17. 2015
New And Verified Information About Chuck Berry's 1960's Recording Sessions
In January we reported on new information gleaned from recording contracts used in the Johnnie Johnson v Chuck Berry court case. The January post covered recording sessions up to the end of 1958 and below is a continuation from 1959 to 1966.
The 17.2.1959 Session
The only variation is that Jasper Thomas is confirmed as the drummer instead of Fred Below
February 17, 1959; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Willie Dixon: double bass; Jasper Thomas: drums; Johnnie Johnson: piano; Harvey & The Moonglows (Chuck Barksdale, Harvey Fuqua, Marvin Gaye, James Nolan, Reese Palmer, Chester Simmons) and Etta James: vocal group
The 1960 Sessions
The discography previously listed all the 21 songs recorded in 1960 in two extensive sessions. The recording contract details show two sessions in March and April with only a proportion of the titles listed. The 1960 work has therefore been re-cast in four sessions, two as per the contract details and the other songs divided into two as per the matrix numbers.
The 12.2.1960 Session
The personnel is as previously listed but with only 'Drifting Blues', 'I Got To Find My Baby' and 'Don't You Lie To Me' attributed to the date. This session is not included in the contract session details.
February 12, 1960 Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Matthew T Murphy: guitar; Reggie Boyd: electric bass; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; Leroy C. Davis: tenor saxophone; unknown tenor saxophone; unknown vocal group ('Drifting Blues' only)
The 15.2.1960 Session
Again personnel is as before but with 'Diploma For Two', 'Little Star', 'The Way It Was Before' and 'Away From You' attributed to the date. The vocal group overdubbing was probably done in April hence the non-consequential matrix numbers. This session is not included in the contract session details.
Possibly February 15, 1960; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Reggie Boyd: electric bass ; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; Leroy C. Davis: tenor saxophone; unknown tenor saxophone; overdubbed unknown vocal group.
The 29.3.1960 Session
The contract information confirms that the previously used session details are correct except the vocal group clearly heard on 'Jaguar And Thunderbird' is not listed. Titles recorded were 'Worried Life Blues', 'Our Little Rendezvous', 'Bye Bye Johnny', 'Run Around' and 'Jaguar And Thunderbird'
March 29, 1960; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/steel guitar ('Run Around' only); Matthew T Murphy: guitar; Willie Dixon: double bass; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; unknown vocal group ('Jaguar And Thunderbird' only)
The 12.4.1960 Session
The contract information confirms that the previous session details are correct except for the addition of Walter Cole who is listed but with no instrument attributed to him. Walter Cole (aka Walter Champion, aka Walter "Chippy" Cole), was a bass player who recorded with other artists in Chicago in the early sixties and later joined the Treniers. Willie Dixon is also listed on the session so bass playing duties must have been split. Titles recorded were 'Down The Road Apiece', 'Confessin' The Blues', 'Sweet Sixteen', 'Thirteen Question Method', 'Stop And Listen', 'I Still Got The Blues', 'I'm Just A Lucky So And So', 'Mad Lad' and 'Cryin' Steel'. 'Thirteen Question Method' is not listed in the contract. The female vocalist on 'Stop And Listen' is not listed in the contract.
April 12, 1960; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/steel guitar ('Mad Lad' and 'Cryin' Steel'); Matthew T Murphy: guitar (except 'Mad Lad' and 'Cryin' Steel'); Willie Dixon; double bass; Walter Champion Cole: double bass; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; unknown female vocal ('Stop And Listen' only)
The 19.1.1961 Session
The contract information lists Philip Thomas on drums instead of Ebby Hardy or Jasper Thomas as previously listed. Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake is the pianist rather than the previously noted Johnnie Johnson.
January 19, 1961; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Reggie Boyd electric bass: Philip Thomas: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano
The 3.8.1961 Session
The contract information lists Abe Locke and John W Jackson as the saxophonists in place of the previously noted Leroy C Davis. Abe Locke was a well respected musician best known as a member of Howlin' Wolf's band. He recorded with Wolf, Buddy Guy and Eddy Clearwater amongst many Chicago blues artists. John Jackson was a tenor player who also recorded with blues harpists, James Cotton and Little Mac Simmons. Martha Berry is not listed in the contract details, possibly because she was not a musicians union member. The matrix numbers are attributed differently on the contract but in the discographies I use the numbers as printed on the Chess singles. 'Come On' was initially titled 'Everything Is Wrong'.
August 3, 1961; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('Come On' and 'All Aboard' only); Matthew T Murphy: guitar; Reggie Boyd: electric bass; Philip Thomas, drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; Abe Locke and John W Jackson: tenor saxophones (except instrumental version of 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man'); Martha Berry: second vocal ('Come On', 'Man & The Donkey' and 'Go Go Go' only)
The 7, 8 & 9.1.1964 Session
This extended session was previously listed as 15 & 16 November 1963 with 14 January 1964 given as an alternative date. The contract information confirms the January 7, 8 & 9 1964 dates with the 14 Jan date being the date the contract was officially signed. The contract confirms Louis E Satterfield was on bass instead of the previously listed Reggie Boyd and that George Patterson and Rubin Cooper Jr played the saxes, not James Robinson and Leroy C Davis, as previously noted. Strangely no drummer or pianist is listed in the contract information. Louis Satterfield went on to become a renowned musician (bass and trombone) playing with dozens of artists in many genres of music including the infamous 'Electric Mud' and 'Electric Wolf' albums. George Patterson and Rubin Cooper went on to record with Fontella Bass amongst many other artists..
January 7, 8 & 9, 1964; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('The Things I Used To Do' only)/double-tracked vocal ('You Never Can Tell' and 'Lonely All The Time' only); Louis E Satterfield: electric bass; Odie Payne: drums; Johnnie Johnson: piano; George Earl Patterson and Rubin Cooper Jr: tenor & baritone saxophones (except 'The Things I Used To Do' and 'The Little Girl From Central')
The 16.12.1964 Session
The contract details show no significant variations to the previously published information. There is a clear mistake in the matrix numbers with matrix 13627 used twice. So the numbers from the Chess files reproduced in The Chess labels: A Discography, compiled by Michel Ruppli are preferred. The backing band was that of Jules Blattner, a solid Berry fan who cut a spirited version of 'No Money Down' and the Berry-like 'Crazy Stockings'.
December 16, 1964; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('Dear Dad' and 'I Want To Be Your Driver' only); Jules M Blattner: guitar; William L Bixler: bass; Howard Jones: drums; Brian J Hamilton: tenor saxophone (except 'His Daughter Caroline', 'Dear Dad' and 'I Want To Be Your Driver').
The 1, 2 & 3.9.1965 Sessions
The contract information shows a different group of musicians to that previously published. Instead of Chuck Bernard, bass, Jasper Thomas, drums and Johnnie Johnson, piano the line-up is Bryce Roberson, Walter Ben Ruffin and Sonny Thompson with Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield overdubbed at a later date so not listed in the contract. The most significant musician is Sonny Thomson, pianist, songwriter, band-leader and producer with an extensive discography of his own but also renowned for his work as a producer for King Records and his association with blues guitarist Freddie King. Bass player Bryce Roberson was also a studio engineer at Chess and recorded with several Chess notables including Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Fontella Bass and Billy Stewart. The song 'My Mustang Ford' is not listed in recording contract details. Matrix 14156 (originally allocated to the unissued 'Lovin' You In Vain') was later re-allocated to 'My Mustang Ford' which could indicate that 'Mustang' was recorded at a separate date. The 2 September date is repeated for the 3 September which is wrong if the matrix numbers are followed. There is also some reallocation of matrix numbers. Matrix 14163 originally attributed to 'Untitled Instrumental' was reallocated to 'Welcome Back Pretty Baby' and matrix 14162 attributed to 'Forgive Me' (unissued) was reallocated to 'Right Off Rampart Street' which is not mentioned in the contract.
September 1, 1965; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('My Mustang Ford' only); Bryce Roberson: bass; Walter Ben Ruffin: drums; Sonny Thompson: piano
September 2, 1965; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Bryce Roberson: bass; Walter Ben Ruffin: drums; Alfonso 'Sonny' Thompson: piano
September 3, 1965; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('Ain't That Just Like A Woman' only); Mike Bloomfield: overdubbed guitar ('It Wasn't Me' only); Bryce Roberson: bass; Walter Ben Ruffin: drums; Alfonso 'Sonny' Thompson: piano; Paul Butterfield: overdubbed harmonica ('It Wasn't Me' and 'Sad Day, Long Night' only)
The 13.4.1966 Session
The previously listed trio of Bernard, Thomas and Johnson are yet again replaced by Louis Satterfield on bass, Sonny Thompson on keyboards and, this time, Maurice White on drums. They are further augmented by two guitarists Pete Cosey and Bryce Roberson with unknown saxes overdubbed later so not mentioned in the contract details. Maurice White was a renown session drummer at Chess and Vee Jay in Chicago who later founded and fronted Earth, Wind & Fire. Likewise Pete Cosey was a well respected guitarist cutting with other artist at Chess, before moving into the jazz field, recording with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock.
April 13, 1966; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Pete Cosey: guitar; Bryce Roberson: guitar; Louis E Satterfield: electric bass; Maurice White: drums; Sonny Thompson: piano (on 'Viva (Viva) Rock And Roll' and 'Lonely School Days') and organ (on 'Ramona, Say Yes' and 'His Daughter Caroline'); unknown: overdubbed saxes (on the LP version of 'Ramona, Say Yes')
The 20 & 21. 9.1966 Sessions
These were the first recording sessions Chuck made for Mercury Records and the contract information lists no variation in the session personnel from earlier discographies. Quincy Macon is listed as O T Macon in error. On the second session matrix 38880 is designated to 'Mother's Rule' in the recording contract details which is an alternative title for 'Laugh And Cry' which was re-designated with the matrix 39069. The last five titles of the second session are not listed in the recording contract details but are listed as recorded on this date in Berry's biography. Long-time musical associates of Berry, Johnnie Johnson and Ebbie Hardy are back in the fold together with three newcomers. Sax-man Big Joe Enlow (or Enloe) recorded later with St Louis blues-man Tommy Bankhead, but it seems that these were the only recordings made by Quincy Macon and Forrest Frierson.
September 20, 1966; Technisonic Studio, 1201 South Brentwood Avenue, Clayton, Missouri
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Quincy Macon: guitar; Forrest Frierson: bass; Ebbie Hardy: drums; unknown: tambourine ('My Tambourine' only); Johnnie Johnson: piano/organ ('Campus Cookie' only); Carey 'Big Joe' Enlow: tenor sax (except 'Laugh And Cry')
September 21, 1966; Technisonic Studio, 1201 South Brentwood Avenue , Clayton, Missouri
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Quincy Macon: guitar; Forrest Frierson: bass; Ebbie Hardy: drums; Johnnie Johnson electric piano/organ ('Maybelline' only); Carey 'Big Joe' Enlow: tenor saxophone ('Johnny B Goode' and 'Rock 'n' Roll Music' only)
The 26 & 27. 10.1966 Sessions
The contract for these two sessions confirms the information in the discography is correct. The new musician, drummer Eugene Washington was a long-standing member of Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm who recorded extensively with Ike and his numerous vocalists between 1955- 1958.
October 26 & 27, 1966; Technisonic Studio, 1201 South Brentwood Avenue, Clayton, Missouri
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Forrest Frierson: bass; Eugene Washington: drums; Johnnie Johnson: electric piano
The 17.2.1959 Session
The only variation is that Jasper Thomas is confirmed as the drummer instead of Fred Below
February 17, 1959; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Willie Dixon: double bass; Jasper Thomas: drums; Johnnie Johnson: piano; Harvey & The Moonglows (Chuck Barksdale, Harvey Fuqua, Marvin Gaye, James Nolan, Reese Palmer, Chester Simmons) and Etta James: vocal group
The 1960 Sessions
The discography previously listed all the 21 songs recorded in 1960 in two extensive sessions. The recording contract details show two sessions in March and April with only a proportion of the titles listed. The 1960 work has therefore been re-cast in four sessions, two as per the contract details and the other songs divided into two as per the matrix numbers.
The 12.2.1960 Session
The personnel is as previously listed but with only 'Drifting Blues', 'I Got To Find My Baby' and 'Don't You Lie To Me' attributed to the date. This session is not included in the contract session details.
February 12, 1960 Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Matthew T Murphy: guitar; Reggie Boyd: electric bass; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; Leroy C. Davis: tenor saxophone; unknown tenor saxophone; unknown vocal group ('Drifting Blues' only)
The 15.2.1960 Session
Again personnel is as before but with 'Diploma For Two', 'Little Star', 'The Way It Was Before' and 'Away From You' attributed to the date. The vocal group overdubbing was probably done in April hence the non-consequential matrix numbers. This session is not included in the contract session details.
Possibly February 15, 1960; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Reggie Boyd: electric bass ; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; Leroy C. Davis: tenor saxophone; unknown tenor saxophone; overdubbed unknown vocal group.
The 29.3.1960 Session
The contract information confirms that the previously used session details are correct except the vocal group clearly heard on 'Jaguar And Thunderbird' is not listed. Titles recorded were 'Worried Life Blues', 'Our Little Rendezvous', 'Bye Bye Johnny', 'Run Around' and 'Jaguar And Thunderbird'
March 29, 1960; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/steel guitar ('Run Around' only); Matthew T Murphy: guitar; Willie Dixon: double bass; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; unknown vocal group ('Jaguar And Thunderbird' only)
The 12.4.1960 Session
The contract information confirms that the previous session details are correct except for the addition of Walter Cole who is listed but with no instrument attributed to him. Walter Cole (aka Walter Champion, aka Walter "Chippy" Cole), was a bass player who recorded with other artists in Chicago in the early sixties and later joined the Treniers. Willie Dixon is also listed on the session so bass playing duties must have been split. Titles recorded were 'Down The Road Apiece', 'Confessin' The Blues', 'Sweet Sixteen', 'Thirteen Question Method', 'Stop And Listen', 'I Still Got The Blues', 'I'm Just A Lucky So And So', 'Mad Lad' and 'Cryin' Steel'. 'Thirteen Question Method' is not listed in the contract. The female vocalist on 'Stop And Listen' is not listed in the contract.
April 12, 1960; Ter-Mar Records Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/steel guitar ('Mad Lad' and 'Cryin' Steel'); Matthew T Murphy: guitar (except 'Mad Lad' and 'Cryin' Steel'); Willie Dixon; double bass; Walter Champion Cole: double bass; Odie Payne: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; unknown female vocal ('Stop And Listen' only)
The 19.1.1961 Session
The contract information lists Philip Thomas on drums instead of Ebby Hardy or Jasper Thomas as previously listed. Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake is the pianist rather than the previously noted Johnnie Johnson.
January 19, 1961; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Reggie Boyd electric bass: Philip Thomas: drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano
The 3.8.1961 Session
The contract information lists Abe Locke and John W Jackson as the saxophonists in place of the previously noted Leroy C Davis. Abe Locke was a well respected musician best known as a member of Howlin' Wolf's band. He recorded with Wolf, Buddy Guy and Eddy Clearwater amongst many Chicago blues artists. John Jackson was a tenor player who also recorded with blues harpists, James Cotton and Little Mac Simmons. Martha Berry is not listed in the contract details, possibly because she was not a musicians union member. The matrix numbers are attributed differently on the contract but in the discographies I use the numbers as printed on the Chess singles. 'Come On' was initially titled 'Everything Is Wrong'.
August 3, 1961; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('Come On' and 'All Aboard' only); Matthew T Murphy: guitar; Reggie Boyd: electric bass; Philip Thomas, drums; Ellis 'Lafayette' Leake: piano; Abe Locke and John W Jackson: tenor saxophones (except instrumental version of 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man'); Martha Berry: second vocal ('Come On', 'Man & The Donkey' and 'Go Go Go' only)
The 7, 8 & 9.1.1964 Session
This extended session was previously listed as 15 & 16 November 1963 with 14 January 1964 given as an alternative date. The contract information confirms the January 7, 8 & 9 1964 dates with the 14 Jan date being the date the contract was officially signed. The contract confirms Louis E Satterfield was on bass instead of the previously listed Reggie Boyd and that George Patterson and Rubin Cooper Jr played the saxes, not James Robinson and Leroy C Davis, as previously noted. Strangely no drummer or pianist is listed in the contract information. Louis Satterfield went on to become a renowned musician (bass and trombone) playing with dozens of artists in many genres of music including the infamous 'Electric Mud' and 'Electric Wolf' albums. George Patterson and Rubin Cooper went on to record with Fontella Bass amongst many other artists..
January 7, 8 & 9, 1964; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('The Things I Used To Do' only)/double-tracked vocal ('You Never Can Tell' and 'Lonely All The Time' only); Louis E Satterfield: electric bass; Odie Payne: drums; Johnnie Johnson: piano; George Earl Patterson and Rubin Cooper Jr: tenor & baritone saxophones (except 'The Things I Used To Do' and 'The Little Girl From Central')
The 16.12.1964 Session
The contract details show no significant variations to the previously published information. There is a clear mistake in the matrix numbers with matrix 13627 used twice. So the numbers from the Chess files reproduced in The Chess labels: A Discography, compiled by Michel Ruppli are preferred. The backing band was that of Jules Blattner, a solid Berry fan who cut a spirited version of 'No Money Down' and the Berry-like 'Crazy Stockings'.
December 16, 1964; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('Dear Dad' and 'I Want To Be Your Driver' only); Jules M Blattner: guitar; William L Bixler: bass; Howard Jones: drums; Brian J Hamilton: tenor saxophone (except 'His Daughter Caroline', 'Dear Dad' and 'I Want To Be Your Driver').
The 1, 2 & 3.9.1965 Sessions
The contract information shows a different group of musicians to that previously published. Instead of Chuck Bernard, bass, Jasper Thomas, drums and Johnnie Johnson, piano the line-up is Bryce Roberson, Walter Ben Ruffin and Sonny Thompson with Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield overdubbed at a later date so not listed in the contract. The most significant musician is Sonny Thomson, pianist, songwriter, band-leader and producer with an extensive discography of his own but also renowned for his work as a producer for King Records and his association with blues guitarist Freddie King. Bass player Bryce Roberson was also a studio engineer at Chess and recorded with several Chess notables including Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, Fontella Bass and Billy Stewart. The song 'My Mustang Ford' is not listed in recording contract details. Matrix 14156 (originally allocated to the unissued 'Lovin' You In Vain') was later re-allocated to 'My Mustang Ford' which could indicate that 'Mustang' was recorded at a separate date. The 2 September date is repeated for the 3 September which is wrong if the matrix numbers are followed. There is also some reallocation of matrix numbers. Matrix 14163 originally attributed to 'Untitled Instrumental' was reallocated to 'Welcome Back Pretty Baby' and matrix 14162 attributed to 'Forgive Me' (unissued) was reallocated to 'Right Off Rampart Street' which is not mentioned in the contract.
September 1, 1965; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('My Mustang Ford' only); Bryce Roberson: bass; Walter Ben Ruffin: drums; Sonny Thompson: piano
September 2, 1965; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Bryce Roberson: bass; Walter Ben Ruffin: drums; Alfonso 'Sonny' Thompson: piano
September 3, 1965; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar/overdubbed guitar ('Ain't That Just Like A Woman' only); Mike Bloomfield: overdubbed guitar ('It Wasn't Me' only); Bryce Roberson: bass; Walter Ben Ruffin: drums; Alfonso 'Sonny' Thompson: piano; Paul Butterfield: overdubbed harmonica ('It Wasn't Me' and 'Sad Day, Long Night' only)
The 13.4.1966 Session
The previously listed trio of Bernard, Thomas and Johnson are yet again replaced by Louis Satterfield on bass, Sonny Thompson on keyboards and, this time, Maurice White on drums. They are further augmented by two guitarists Pete Cosey and Bryce Roberson with unknown saxes overdubbed later so not mentioned in the contract details. Maurice White was a renown session drummer at Chess and Vee Jay in Chicago who later founded and fronted Earth, Wind & Fire. Likewise Pete Cosey was a well respected guitarist cutting with other artist at Chess, before moving into the jazz field, recording with Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock.
April 13, 1966; Ter-Mar Recording Studio, 2120 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Pete Cosey: guitar; Bryce Roberson: guitar; Louis E Satterfield: electric bass; Maurice White: drums; Sonny Thompson: piano (on 'Viva (Viva) Rock And Roll' and 'Lonely School Days') and organ (on 'Ramona, Say Yes' and 'His Daughter Caroline'); unknown: overdubbed saxes (on the LP version of 'Ramona, Say Yes')
The 20 & 21. 9.1966 Sessions
These were the first recording sessions Chuck made for Mercury Records and the contract information lists no variation in the session personnel from earlier discographies. Quincy Macon is listed as O T Macon in error. On the second session matrix 38880 is designated to 'Mother's Rule' in the recording contract details which is an alternative title for 'Laugh And Cry' which was re-designated with the matrix 39069. The last five titles of the second session are not listed in the recording contract details but are listed as recorded on this date in Berry's biography. Long-time musical associates of Berry, Johnnie Johnson and Ebbie Hardy are back in the fold together with three newcomers. Sax-man Big Joe Enlow (or Enloe) recorded later with St Louis blues-man Tommy Bankhead, but it seems that these were the only recordings made by Quincy Macon and Forrest Frierson.
September 20, 1966; Technisonic Studio, 1201 South Brentwood Avenue, Clayton, Missouri
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Quincy Macon: guitar; Forrest Frierson: bass; Ebbie Hardy: drums; unknown: tambourine ('My Tambourine' only); Johnnie Johnson: piano/organ ('Campus Cookie' only); Carey 'Big Joe' Enlow: tenor sax (except 'Laugh And Cry')
September 21, 1966; Technisonic Studio, 1201 South Brentwood Avenue , Clayton, Missouri
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Quincy Macon: guitar; Forrest Frierson: bass; Ebbie Hardy: drums; Johnnie Johnson electric piano/organ ('Maybelline' only); Carey 'Big Joe' Enlow: tenor saxophone ('Johnny B Goode' and 'Rock 'n' Roll Music' only)
The 26 & 27. 10.1966 Sessions
The contract for these two sessions confirms the information in the discography is correct. The new musician, drummer Eugene Washington was a long-standing member of Ike Turner's Kings Of Rhythm who recorded extensively with Ike and his numerous vocalists between 1955- 1958.
October 26 & 27, 1966; Technisonic Studio, 1201 South Brentwood Avenue, Clayton, Missouri
Chuck Berry: vocal/guitar; Forrest Frierson: bass; Eugene Washington: drums; Johnnie Johnson: electric piano
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This weblog is an addition to my Chuck Berry fansite called "A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry" which describes all books and records of interest to everyone enjoying Chuck Berry's music.
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- Sweet Little Eight Variants of Sweet Little Sixteen
- The Johnny B. Goode Session
- Chuck Berry in Stereo
- Chuck Berry's Recording Session for Volkswagen
- Chuck Berry's Recording Session for Dr Pepper
- Tim McFarlin Introduces the Berry-Johnson Test into American Copyright Law
- Chuck Berry's Early Recording Locations
- Run! Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer â and the copyright mystery
- Chuck Berry live in New York 1956
- The very first Chuck Berry LP album
- The Chuck Berry On Stage (Chess LP-1480) confusion continues
- The Chuck Berry Vinyl Bootlegs, Vol. 1: Rare Berries
- Rocksmuk album - bootleg or not?
- 6034 cover versions of Chuck Berry songs
- Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits (Chess LP-1485) variants
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- CBID - The Never Ending Story - pt. 3
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- CBID - The Never Ending Story - pt. 2
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- The Chuck Berry Vinyl Bootlegs, Vol. 3: America's Hottest Wax
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- CBID - The Never Ending Story
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- CBID - 5639 cover versions of Chuck Berry songs
- Tuesday, October 31 2023
- CBID - Covers, Chart Listings, and Not-Covers
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- CBID - And they play Chuck Berry music - final part 10
- Monday, March 27 2023
- Little Queenie overdubs
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- An Interview with Johnnie Johnson - 1987
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- Chuck Berry: An American Life - by RJ Smith
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© Dietmar Rudolph
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To contact the authors, email to cbguide@crlf.de.
© Dietmar Rudolph
No part of this document may be used or published without written consent by the author.
Impressum/Haftungsausschluss/Datenschutz/Disclaimer
To contact the authors, email to cbguide@crlf.de.