Saturday, March 23. 2019
CBID - an EP collection, or not
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: Thierry Chanu about a new 10" LP which claims to repeat original EPs.
THE ORIGINAL EP COLLECTION - NO.1
REEL TO REEL Music company chuckep1 • 2018
School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell) / Wee Wee Hours / Brown Eyed Handsome Man / Too Much Monkey Business / Rock And Roll Music / Blue Feeling (instr) / Oh Baby Doll* / La Jaunda (Espanol)
Part of the "Original EP Collection" (other artists are: Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, ...)
It comes in a 10" cover and pressed on white vinyl. The sleeve has a round cut letting appear both sides of the label, similar design to the old 78rpm record jackets (it would have been nice to shown the original EP covers). Sound is in mono, digitally remastered.
On Side A1 we have the "After School Session" EP, originally released as Chess EP 5118 in May 1957: School Day / Wee Wee Hours / Brown Eyed Handsome Man / Too Much Monkey Business.
On Side A2 we have the "Rock & Roll Music" EP, originally released as Chess EP 5119 in Nov/Dec 1957 (not 1958 as said on this sleeve and label): Rock And Roll Music / Blue Feeling (instr) / Oh Baby Doll / La Jaunda (español). BUT: instead of "Oh Baby Doll" the record plays "Deep Feeling" (instr) ... strange! This reminds us of a mistake on the back cover of the original US EP: It says "Deep Feeling" and the record plays "Blue Feeling" as said on the label (see CBID Vol. 1, page 52).
Thursday, March 14. 2019
CBID - the earliest LP release of Johnny B. Goode - and some more CHUCK
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: Johnny B. Goode was released as a single in March 1958. In the US it took until late 1959 when the hit finally appeared on Chuck Berry Is On Top. However, this was not the first LP release of this song. Here's the album to know. Also we show yet another version of the CHUCK album as an addition to our blog post of November 2017.
AUSTRALIA
Correction - see Volume 4, page 1989
ONE DOZEN BERRYS
Philips B 94229 L • 1958
Sorry folks but there is a very important difference on this Australian release, compared to the US one. They actually changed the dreadful âLow Feelingâ with the classic âJohnny B. Goodeâ.
I didnât see this when doing CBID Vol. 4. But what an intelligent thing to do.
Of course Chess should have done exactly the same thing since the song and album came out in the US at the same time, March 1958. The actual album could even have hit the charts. The front cover is the same as the US one but the back is different, just the titles on side 1 and 2 and a survey of other Philips albums (no rockânâroll though).
This means actually that Johnny B. Goode first appeared on an LP in 1958, in Australia. Unfortunately we donât know for sure when this album came out in 1958.
Thanks to Thierry Chanu for making me aware of this fact.
POLAND / EU
CHUCK
Decca 00602557682472 (86) • 2017
I just came across another issue of the «Chuck» album, namely from Poland.
It comes in a CD Jewel case (plastic) with booklet and is on Decca 00602557682472 (86). The front cover is a little bit different because of the white line going all around. Itâs printed in very small lettering: ZAGRANICZNA PLYTA â POLSKA CENA, repeated over and over again on the white line. This is also printed on the inside of the back cover visible when you look at the CD itself. I have scanned the front, back, inside cover and label. The CD label says made in the EU but the cat.no is different from the UK one although the label look exactly the same except for the number.
The shrink wrap has a red/white/black sticker on it.
Tuesday, February 19. 2019
Chuck Berry's Birthday Album Edits
Along with Taylor Hackford's 1986 documentary film celebrating Chuck Berry's 60th birthday MCA released a soundtrack album called Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (MCA LP 6217). It has been known that the contents of the soundtrack album is edited against the original recordings made during the two shows filmed for the movie. It has not been known exactly what kind of edits were done during this post-processing, though. However, given the huge resource of professional and private audience recordings, finding out the edits is possible. It's just a tremendous task.
During many weeks reader and fellow researcher Claude Schlouch [in 2015] listened to and compared the various recordings over and over again. [Additional research was done by reader James in 2019.] Here are the results:
- Maybellene - This first track on the soundtrack album combines the Welcome announcement of the second show with that shows first song. The Welcome has been shortened to just 16 seconds.
The song's recording has no audible differences against the recording made from the second show which can be found for instance on the Crying Steel bootleg.The mix on the soundtrack album uses the exact same background track as the recording made from the second show which can be found for instance on the Crying Steel bootleg. It has a completely new vocal track, though. Thus MCA removed Berry's singing from the original recording and had him re-sing the vocals following the original track exactly. - Around And Around - The musical background of this second track, which is not included in the film at all, is the one recorded during the first show as can be heard from a private audience tape. Berry's main vocal part is not, though. There are notable differences in pronunciation and emphasis. This again proves the theory that some tracks have been overdubbed in a recording studio some time after the show took place.
- Sweet Little Sixteen - This third track is from the first show as well. As the sound quality of the audience tape is fairly bad, there are no differences between the soundtrack album, the film, and the original recording which could be easily spotted.
- Brown Eyed Handsome Man - Robert Cray's solo number again is from the first show and has no notable changes over the original recording.
- Memphis, Tennessee - The same holds for this fifth track: no difference against the poor audience tape of the first show.
- Too Much Monkey Business - The audience tape of the first show only holds the first two minutes of this recording. Therefore there's no definitive result, but at least these two minutes are the same on the audience tape and the soundtrack album.
- Back In The U.S.A. - Since Linda Ronstadt didn't show up on the second show at all, that one is easy to solve. The recording is from the first show and there seem to be no later overdubs or edits.
- Wee Wee Hours - Quite the contrary when it comes to Eric Clapton's solo number. This is neither the recording from the first show nor the one from the second show. Instead careful listening reveals that the track on the soundtrack album as well as its visual counterpart in the film are a combination of both. The first three minutes are taken from the first show. The complete recording is available on a Japanese bootleg. The remaining two-and-a-half minutes are taken from the second show. Here the full recording can be found on the Crying Steel CD.
- Johnny B. Goode - Julian Lennon's contribution on the soundtrack album has been taken from the second show. One should note that this track is about 30 seconds longer on the soundtrack album as it is in the film itself. The lengthy guitar solo has been shortened in the video.
- Little Queenie - The same holds for this tenth track. Again the soundtrack album version is about ten seconds longer than the corresponding film segment. It's not quite clear whether the film version has been shortened or the soundtrack version lengthened as the audience tape we could compare it to misses part of this song. As the soundtrack album has a few extra instrumental bars right after the guitar introduction, it's likely that the film version was shortened.
- Rock And Roll Music - Etta James' performance has also been edited against the original recording which can be heard on the Crying Steel CD. The version on the soundtrack album is a bit shorter than the recording from the second show, and the version in the film is even shorter.
- Roll Over Beethoven - The last live track on the soundtrack album has been recorded in the second show as well. Comparing the album version to the rough original from the Crying Steel CD, you again hear two different vocal tracks. As with Maybellene, the original live vocals were removed and replaced with a studio recording. Again the film version has been cut a little making it 17 seconds shorter than on the album and tapes. Interestingly, the film version also has the vocal track overwritten, though differently. This means that MCA had Berry re-sing twice to both the original recording (for the soundtrack album) and to the edited shorter version (for the film).
- I'm Through With Love -
There are no audible differences between the versions of this rehearsal to be heard in the film and on the soundtrack album.The version of this rehearsal on the soundtrack album starts with a small snippet of Berry and Johnson performing "The Frim Fram Sauce", originally known from Nat Cole. The version in the film has a slightly longer introduction instead.
- School Day - The finale was only filmed at the end of the second show. It is much shorter in the film than on the audience tape, and even shorter on the Crying Steel bootleg.
- No Particular Place To Go - The performance shown in the film is on neither of the audience tapes and bootlegs. As there is a (different) recording of this song on the tape of show 1, we suspect this is from an unknown part of show 2.
- Nadine - While the audience tapes contain several versions of this song, the performance shown in the film is neither the original recording from the show 1 tapes nor from the show 2 tapes. Thus it was either filmed in a segment of the show not preserved on audience tapes, or it is a heavily modified version cut from multiple performances.
Many thanks to Claude [and James] for all the work spent and for sharing his results with us. I have edited the section of the main site which covers the birthday concerts accordingly.
Sunday, February 10. 2019
CBID - More Berry Covers
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: Some observations and yet another list of cover versions to be added to the chapter on Chuck Berry covers in Volume 3:
Thereâs lot of versions of Johnny B. Goode on the net but many of them are for download only. I am glad that I am not doing the books now (especially Vol. 3) as there would have been a complete mess finding out if the actual songs are available on any CDs.
I also found a duo calling themselves Johnny B. Goode (yes) and a girl quartet named The Maybelleneâs, both seem to be from the US.
Note: âBack In The USAâ by Starbyrd we will have to place in the NO Chuck section, itâs not Berryâs!
Also, âRun Rudolph Runâ by Chuck is featured in many films, as we know. A more recent movie from 2015 titled âA Christmas Melodyâ has this played when the family is driving from one place to another. Cast Lacey Nicole Chabert and Brennan Elliott. Directed by Mariah Carey who also has a role in this movie.
DONALD FAGEN (USA)
Donald Jay Fagen from New Jersey, born in 1948, is a singer and keybord player and probably best known for being a co-founder of the 1970s pop-rock/jazz band Steely Dan.
Viva, Viva Rock & Roll (2:42) 2007 (live)
CD: Morph The Cat [Reprise 43325-2] • USA, 2007
5-CD box: Cheap Xmas: Donald Fagen Complete [Rhino/Warner Bros. 812279328 2] • USA, 2017
Interesting to see that he covers an obscure Berry rocker. He does a great job of it, and you can even find a performance on You Tube.
ADAM DOUGLAS (USA/Norway)
Born in the USA (Oklahoma), but now living in Norway (Harestua . Hadeland). Born in 1981. Heâs a very versatile artist performing rockânâroll/soul/blues type of music, and released his debut album in 2015, âI May Never Learnâ. He competed in the Norwegian TV-show Stjernekamp (=Starfight) in 2017 and won.
Run Rudolph Run (4:01) 2017
CD: An American Holiday [Reva Records CA-19] • Norway, 2018
Recorded live in Nordstrand Kirke, Oslo, Norway. (Kirke = Church) This was also a TV-programme. This version of the Berry classic doesnât run so much and the guitar solo is more 60s/70s lacking the most.
JOHNNY FRITZ (Canada)
Country singer/songwriter , born 1961 in a small town just outside of Toronto.
Johnny B. Goode (4:02) 2015
CD: No End In Sight [J Fritz 234639] • Canada, 2015
ERIN HARPE And The DELTA SWINGERS (USA)
Run Rudolph Run (3:33) 2018
CD: Christmas Swing [Vizz Tone CD-VTJJ-003] • USA, 2018
WALLIS LAKE & The Surfinâ Guitars (USA)
Brown Eyed Handsome Man (2:03) 1963
Let It Rock [as âRocking On The Railroadâ] ( : ) 1963
45: 4 Sons Records 4106 • USA, 1963
Label out of Paris, Tennessee. Again interesting to see a double sided Berry cover 45. Thereâs no year printed on the label, but because of the mistitle of âLet It Rockâ itâs probably taken from the Berry âOn Stageâ Chess LP from August â63. I havenât heard it but it should be interesting to hear if they by any chance used the new arrangement of âBrown Eyed Handsome Manâ which was also included on the âOn Stageâ album.
RONNIE LANE (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1305 for biographical info.
You Never Can Tell (9:57) 1980 (live)
CD: Live At Rockpalast 1980 [MIG Music 90542 CD] • Germany, 2012
Recorded on 19 March 1980 in Cologne, West Germany. This is okay but nothing more, even though he has Ian Stewart with him on piano. Almost 10 minutes, I still feel it doesnât swing enough.
SCORPIONS (UK)
See volume 3, page 1492 for biographical info.
Guitar Boogie (instr) (2:20) 1959
Rock At The Philarmonic [as âRockinâ At The Philâ] (instr) (3:52) 1960
CD: The Scorpions: Anthology 1959-1965 [Wooden Hill WHCD-004] • UK, 1996
When Vol.3 was published I didnât have this particular CD. I was quite certain that it was the same version and nobody told me that âGuitar Boogieâ was actually a Berry cover and not Arthur Smithâs. Anyway, it turns out that the numbers here were recorded in November 1959 and December 1960 respectively. AND the version of âRockinâ At The Philâ is a totally different take, going much slower and stretched out to almost four minutes. However, it doesnât have the fire and power of the released fast and shorter version. âGuitar Boogieâ is not in the same league, itâs messy and in poorer sound quality.
The CD contains 32 tracks, many instrumentals.
SHIVAREE (USA)
Alternative pop/rock band formed in 1997 and consisted of Ambrosia Parsley (vocals), Danny McGough (keyboards), Duke McVinnie (guitar). Probably best known for âGoodnight Moonâ, a song used in both Dawsonâs Creek and Volume 2 of Kill Bill. The band separated officially the same year the album below came out.
I Want To Be Your Driver [as â I Wanna Be Your Driverâ] (2:29) 2007
CD: Tainted Love: Mating Calls And Fight Songs [ZoĂ« Records ZOE 01143-1092-2] • USA, 2007
This is quite okay, but too much noise for me, and the guitarist is no rockânâroller to say the least.
RON WILLIAMS (USA)
Country singer/songwriter in the traditional style. Son of country singer/songwriter Leona Williams.
Nadine (3:18) 2013
CD: Foolproof [Loveshine CD-4261] • USA, 2013
A solid rendition of this Berry classic, with fiddle, steel and a horn section.
Saturday, February 9. 2019
CBID - addition to the Johnnie Johnson discography
CBID is never complete as new records and CDs appear and some old rarities are discovered. This section presents interesting additions and corrections to CBID.
Today: Chapter 18 in Volume 2 has a complete discography, full session information and everything else of interest about Johnnie Johnson, Berry's great pianist. Here's an addition to the Johnnie Johnson discography:
SESSION WORK and GUEST APPEARANCES
Kentucky Headhunters With Johnnie Johnson (USA)
MEET ME IN BLUESLAND
CD: Alligator Records ALCD-4965 • USA, 2015
Stumblinâ / Walking With The Wolf / Little Queenie / Sheâs Got To Have It ◊ / Party In Heaven / Meet Me In Bluesland / King Rooster / Shufflinâ Back To Memphis / Fast Train / Sometime / Superman Blues
11 tracks, recorded 26-28 January 2003 at Barrick Recording Studio, Glasgow, Kentucky. Johnnie plays piano on all tracks and does vocals on one song marked ◊. Two of the songs have typical Berry guitar and beat, âStumblinâ, a very goode one, and âParty In Heavenâ. For some strange reason this album was never released when Johnnie was alive. They say that the session was actually a spontaneous one and therefore no immediate plans to release an album. Luckily it became a reality in 2015. Three more songs were later featured on an album by the Kentucky Headhunters in 2019 (see below). See also cover versions for extra comments on âLittle Queenieâ.
This album should be in every Berry fanâs collection. It has drive and the piano of Johnnie is spot on. Play It JohnnieâŠ!
Kentucky Headhunters (USA)
LIVE AT THE RAMBLINâ MAN FAIR
CD: Alligator Records ALCD-4988 • USA, 2019
Rock Me Baby / Rock-N-Roller / Hi-Heel Sneakers
Johnnie does not play on other tracks. The three tracks were recorded 26-28 January 2003 (see âMeet Me In Blueslandâ above). Johnnie really shines on âRock-N-Rollerâ. The other 10 tracks on the album were recorded live in 2016 at the Ramblinâ Man Fair in Maidstone, UK (it was part of an European tour). They even do a couple of Johnnie Johnson co-written songs, âShufflinâ Back To Memphisâ and âWalking With The Wolfâ. They also do âStumblinâ â. However, the band sounds different on stage, much more rock and heavier and therefore I feel they lose a lot of their integrity and individual style.
CBID - Eddy Clearwater in Lugano
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: Besides covering Chuck Berry and Johnnie Johnson, CBID also has chapter 19 containing a session discography as well as record releases by the Berry-inspired US artist Eddy Clearwater. Here's another CD containing an Eddy performance:
CDs
BLUES TO BOP LUGANO
CD: Altri Suoni (Casino Lugano) AS-058 • Switzerland, 1999
Donât Steal My Blues
12 tracks. This was recorded at the annual festival in Lugano, Switzerland called Lugano Blues To Bop, 2-5 September 1999, Itâs a very long stretched out slow blues, clocking in at 12:46, written by Eddy himself. The other performers on the CD are Ian Siegel, Mike Stresser & Ed Gents, John Crampton, Captain Luke, Judith Emmeline, John Carter Cash a.o. I have tried to check what happened during the festival and who backed Eddy on the show but with no luck. Thereâs no such info on the album. However he is augmented by both tenor saxophone and organ in addition to bass and drums.
Friday, February 8. 2019
CBID - a new Chuck Berry US single
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 2018 vinyl single
Back In The USA / Memphis, Tennessee
Chess TMR-529 (UMG Recordings Inc.) • 2018
[Manufactured by Universal Music]
This was released on Black Friday November 2018. The label is a replica of the Chess silver top, which is kinda silly as the original single came out in 1959 on the blue label with vertical silver Chess logo. It comes in a new designed Chess sleeve, printed in 2017. The sound is very good. Great for old jukeboxes. This is also out in brown vinyl in case you got to have everything (unfortunately I do).
Tuesday, January 8. 2019
Vinyl variants of CHESS LP-1480 'Chuck Berry On Stage'
Some time ago this blog had a large article on cover variants of the album Chuck Berry On Stage (Chess LP-1480). I had promised a follow-up on Vinyl variants of this album and because a recent discussion with a reader showed that most information about this album floating around on the Net is incorrect, here it comes.
Letâs start with some background information: From early 1962 to late 1963 Chuck Berry was behind bars. Berryâs previous records sold poorly due to his trials. During his prison stay he was not allowed to record new material in the studios. His record company CHESS only had a small stock of unreleased recordings.
Thus the record company was caught cold when new bands on both sides of the Atlantic became successful by covering Berry material. The Beach Boys' Surfinâ USA was released in March 1963, the Stonesâ version of Come On in June. Memphis was a hit by Lonnie Mack and the Beatles had several Berry songs in their repertoire.
There was an urgent need for a new Berry album, but there was nothing to put on it. The Chess brothers dug through their archives and looked for unreleased material recorded during the previous years. They found four tracks recorded August 1961 which they considered worth for release: Trick or Treat, The Man And The Donkey, All Aboard, and a re-recording of Brown Eyed Handsome Man. Two recordings were left from an April 1960 session: Crying Steel and I Still Got The Blues. And there was I Just Want To Make Love To You recorded in July 1959. These seven songs were selected. Today we know that there were other unreleased recordings such as House Of Blue Lights, Time Was, 21 Blues, Oh Yeah, Do You Love Me, Iâm Just A Lucky So And So, or Adulteen. None was regarded as appropriate by the studio bosses, though.
Seven songs are not enough for an album and none of it was good enough for a single. So what to do?
The Chess brothers were known for their creativity so they came up with a creative solution. Why not fill the album with older material released some years ago? OK, they already did a Greatest Hits album called Chuck Berry Twist in 1962. But why not change the hits a little bit so nobody notices?
Letâs use different song titles and letâs add some audience noise to make the album sound like it was recorded live!
I have done studio albums that ultimately sounded like "live" albums. We did a "live" Chuck Berry album, and the world didn't know that Chuck Berry was in jail at that time. We actually were releasing previously unreleased tapes that were in the can. Then we thought we'd come up with a remote which would let us release old tunes that were supposedly "live". So I found the original takes with the count-offs and the dumb endings and everything else, and I cut it all together and created a performance. Then we sweetened it, but the audience sounded phony. However, the Beatles were doing some concerts during the same time period, and the kids were screaming all the way through their concerts. So I used those audience screams, and had a continuous roar during the whole album ... at the end it got real loud. I even had the audience singing with Chuck Berry — if you ride the control along with the words it sounds like the audience's reaction is singing the words. [Ron Malo, Modern Recording & Music, Vol. 6, No. 12, Sept. 1981, p. 58]To disguise this fake even more, the Chess brothers asked Rodney Jones, who was a DJ with the Chess-owned WVON radio station, to add a little introduction. So Jones proudly announces âWelcome to the Tivoli Theatre here in Chicago ...â
The editing and engineering work to add the fake applause and Jonesâ shouts must have been done by Ron Malo sometime in May 1963. The two album sides were mastered from the resulting tape by the end of May or beginning of June and received the Chess master numbers 12477 (side 1, 16â25â) and 12478 (side 2, 14â14â).
Not telling anyone about the fake nature of this album, the liner notes proudly lied:
On this LP we present the world famous Chuck Berry in a jumping, in-person theatre appearance with thousands of fans enthusiastically responding to Chuckâs great performance. Any performer will tell you that he prefers to record in front of a live audience. There is nothing like the cheers and applause of an audience to spur a performer on to the heights of his ability and Chuck really gives his all in front of this packed theatre.
To completely confuse the buyers, the album came without a track listing. The back cover has a non-ordered and incomplete list of songs contained (and the image of an eight-year old LP). The labels simply say Side One and Side Two without any song titles at all. This obfuscation has resulted in incorrect track listings on the Net. Despite everything you read on discogs or wikipedia, the contents of the original US album Chuck Berry On Stage, released in August 1963 as CHESS LP-1480, is as follows:
Side 1:
- Introduction by Rodney Jones
- Go Go Go â originally released in 1961 on CHESS 1799 b/w Come On
- Memphis, Tennessee (title shortened to Memphis) â originally released in 1959 on CHESS 1729 b/w Back in the USA
- Maybellene (now written as Maybelline) â originally released in 1955 on CHESS 1604 b/w Wee Wee Hours
- Crying Steel (here named Surfing Steel) â finally released less overdub in 1988
- Let It Rock (renamed to Rocking On The Railroad) â originally released in 1960 on CHESS 1747 b/w Too Pooped To Pop
- Brown Eyed Handsome Man â finally released less overdub in 1979
- I Still Got The Blues (as Still Got The Blues) â finally released less overdub in 1993
Side 2:
- Sweet Little Sixteen (renamed to Surfinâ USA) â originally released in 1958 on CHESS 1683 b/w Reelinâ And Rockinâ
- Jaguar And The Thunderbird â originally released in 1960 on CHESS 1767 b/w Our Little Rendezvous
- I Just Want To Make Love To You â finally released less overdub in 1993
- All Aboard â finally released less overdub in 2003
- Trick Or Treat â finally released less overdub in 2009
- The Man And The Donkey â finally released less overdub in 1974
- How High The Moon â finally released less overdub in 1979
How High The Moon is a 1940s jazz standard. The version heard here has been recorded during a May 1957 session. Chuck Berry, Willie Dixon, Lafayette Leake and Fred Below probably used it as an instrumental warm-up.
On CHESS LP-1480 the recording is not listed on the cover and used as an instrumental sign-off (as such named on the Dutch albums). Again Rodney Jones was overdubbed to shout âChuck Berry! Chuck Berry! Chuck Berry!â during the first seconds. Shortly thereafter and almost with the first notes from Berryâs guitar, the song fades after 1:03 minutes.
Copies of the original master disk 12477/12478 went to partner companies all over the world and were used to create variants of LP-1480 e.g. in Canada, in Australia, in the Netherlands (note that the Funckler version misprints Surfing Steel as Surfinâ USA), and as re-issues e.g. in Germany (on Bellaphon in 1974) or the only available CD version which was released in Japan (on Universal in 2010).
Of interest to record collectors are variations of the Chuck Berry On Stage album which are not exact copies of the original master disks.
For some reason the UK version, released in October 1963 on PYE international, has not been produced from the LP-1480 master disks. Instead this album must have been created from the original master tapes. Where Side 2 was faded at 14â14â in the US, the British producers found additional space so the second side of PYE NPL-28027 lasts 14â56â instead. Here How High The Moon is 1â45â in contrast to the 1â03â on the CHESS LP.
This longer fade is also on the 1970s US orange/blue re-issue LPS-1480. The LPS version has been electronically altered to sound like stereo. To create this âenhancedâ variant CHESS/GRT modified the original longer tape and created a new master called 12477_S/12478_S.
Likewise the 1964 variant released in East Asia (Japan and Taiwan) was created from the longer master tape since How High The Moon has the longer fade here as well. There is a huge difference, though. The East Asian versions miss the instrumental Surfing Steel completely! The song was removed from the tape giving a smooth transition from Maybellene to Let It Rock.
We can only speculate why this was done. Maybe the tape sent to Japan was damaged, maybe there was a company or legal rule not to include instrumentals, or maybe Surfing Steel would translate to bad language in Japanese â pure speculation as said. Or maybe it had to do with the liner notes on the US cover saying
We guarantee that you wonât be able to sit still when you put this album on your turntable and hear Chuck Berryâs versions of Maybelline, Surfinâ USA, Memphis, All Aboard, Trick or Treat and seven other numbers.So the Japanese took this literally and reduced the thirteen track album to twelve numbers. Note aside: The British could count and changed the word seven to eight on the PYE release.
Another interesting aspect of the Japanese release is the corrected track listing on the back cover. The printed cover has a track listing which follows the incorrect list on the US cover, i.e. Go Go Go after Rockin' On The Railroad. This fault was repaired using a yellow sticker which lists the correct track order. The initial Japanese records, probably those used as promo copies, came with a white Imperial label and a thin sticker through which you can see the original print. Later records then had a Globe label and an opaque sticker.
In 1982 the On Stage album was re-issued in Germany as part of a 2 LP set along with Rockinâ At The Hops. This version has Surfing Steel but omits How High The Moon completely.
And finally thereâs the most interesting French version, released on Barclay 80258 in March 1965 as Chuck Berry A L'Olympia. This variant of Chuck Berry On Stage contains the same recordings in the same sequence, though without the two songs having Rodney Jones overdubbed: Go Go Go and How High the Moon were cut off. Instead the French had their own announcer. Eddy Mitchell, a successful RockânâRoll singer by himself, is heard with a French language introduction to side 1 which then starts into Memphis, Tennessee. And Chuck Berry himself speaks the introduction to side 2. In addition a few shouts and stage banter from Berry is merged in between the songs on the tape. Berry refers to Paris and tries to speak French. Both Eddy Mitchellâs introduction and Berryâs segments have been recorded at a Paris concert on February 7, 1965. So this is Chuck Berry on stage, indeed. Just the songs are the same as on the US version having the fake audience.
As always: Many thanks to Thierry Chanu and Morten Reff for providing images and a lot of additional information about the 'Chuck Berry On Stage' album.
[Edit 08-01-2018: Added comment and images for the Japanese sticker version.]
[Edit 08-01-2019: Added Ron Malo quote.]
Tuesday, October 23. 2018
Nadine - in color - by Jean-C. Denis
A couple of weeks ago I received a 2017 release which you might want to know about. Again this contains two CDs containing songs you have heard a thousand times. It's just the old Chess records one more time. No need to even listen to those.
But this release is a bit more. "Chuck Berry - Is It You?" (BDROCK BDR144) is a hardcover booklet twice the size of a CD. The two CDs include a total of 44 of his best Chess tracks up until Nadine.
Nadine is also the main point of the book. A seventeen-page comic strip ("Bande Dessinée") shows Berry chasing Nadine following exactly the lyrics of the song. The French text in the drawings is a translation of the lyrics. The drawings were made by Jean-Claude Denis, a well-known comics artist whose publications range back to the late 1970s. Non-french readers should be aware that comics in France, Belgium and other French-speaking countries are considered a special art form. It's not just the funny Snoopy cartoons English-language readers will know. BDs cover serious topics and are usually read by adults, not kids.
As such the Nadine story is drawn the way Berry sings it: seriously with a special kind of humor. Inserted in the story are five full-page drawing showing the ageing Berry in concerts, each drawn according to a typical photo we all know.
The comic strip ends with a full page containing the English lyrics of the song. Next is a "biography", 11 pages in French followed by 11 pages in English. There's little biographical information but more a chronological description of the songs on the CD. It concentrates on the influence of the songs by listing lots of cover versions, especially the French ones.
Finally there's a two-page "discography" which is just the track listing with personnel included. Unfortunately, that info is from very old sources such as the Red Box or the Golden Decade Vol. 2 and is mostly outdated. Please refer to this site's database for the correct recording information.
While you won't care much about the CDs and the "biography", the comic strip and the drawings are quite interesting. Of all the re-releases, this one is special and nice to have.
When looking for this item, check out multiple online shops to find the best price. Amazon Germany for instance demanded almost three times the amount to be paid at Amazon France - at the same shipping costs.
Monday, October 8. 2018
CBID - St. Louie to Frisco - the UK-way
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: Cassette tapes contributed to a large part of worldwide sales of prerecorded music throughout the 1970s to 1990s. The first commercial MCs were produced by Phillips/Mercury in 1966. Most MCs were duplicates of LP albums, which is why collectors typically go for the original. This one here is an exception.
UK
FROM ST. LOUIE TO FRISCO
MC: Mercury CMP-7029 • 1968
Side 1: Louie To Frisco / Ma Dear / Misery / I Love Her, I Love Her / Little Fox
Side 2: Soul Rockinâ / I Canât Believe / The Love I Lost / My Tambourine / Rock Cradle Rock / Oh Captain / Mumâs The Word
Now here is a rarity. Itâ s the first time we write about a certain cassette, since it was only issued like this in the UK. Why they chose to ignore an LP is anyoneâs guess. I have collected Berry records since the mid â60s and have never seen a copy. I actually wondered if what I heard back then was just a fabrication, since it never showed up anywhere. UNTIL 14 days ago (mid September 2018) it suddenly turned up on eBay in all its glory(?). I should have loved to see my face when I spotted it. I bid so high (bidnapper - ÂŁ 171,-) that absolutely no-one would beat me. I ended up paying ÂŁ 26,- + postage for a cassette which is really somethinâ else, all things considered.
I have written the sequence of the songs as they are a little bit different than on the LP because of the length of the individual songs. As you can see the MC cover is just an extract from the original album cover. The stereo sound is the usual Mercury without depth.
Anyway, my UK Berry collection is finally complete(?) except for a few promos. Not bad after over 50 years.
Friday, September 7. 2018
CBID - Chuck Berry in the movies - soundtrack album
CBID is never complete as new records and CDs appear and some old rarities are discovered. This section presents interesting additions and corrections to CBID.
Today: Chapter 7 in Volume 2 is about "Chuck Berry in the movies". This includes both those movies Berry is shown on screen and those having soundtrack albums featuring one or more Berry recordings. Here's a new one of the latter type:
THE HITMANâS BODYGUARD
Millennium Media (Colour, 118 min.) • USA, 2017
Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson • Directed by Patrick Hughes
An action comedy featuring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Gary Oldman. Other artists on the soundtrack include Lloyd Price, Memphis Slim, Lionel Richie, Bobby Bland, Foreigner, King Harvest, Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band, Atli Ărvasson, the latter wrote the music score.
THE HITMANâS BODYGUARD
Millenium 88235 02533-9 - 4k Ultra HD Blu-ray (2 discs) Colour 118 min.• USA, 2017
Also available as DVD.
Berryâs Little Queenie is heard in the movie and was also included on the soundtrack album (CD and LP). The album has 15 tracks but there are 24 songs featured in the movie.
THE HITMANâS BODYGUARD
Milan Records N2 36887 • 2017
Little Queenie
Saturday, September 1. 2018
CBID - 44 new Chuck Berry covers
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: 31 artists/groups â 44 new cover versions to be added to the chapter on Chuck Berry covers in Volume 3 (+ 1 correction)
BRYAN ADAMS (Canada)
See Volume 3, page 1034 for biographical info.
Rock And Roll Music (2:34) 2014
CD: Tracks Of My Years [Verve (Badman) 96823 7] • USA, 2014
Here Adams has gone back to his roots and recorded songs from the likes of the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, John Fogerty, Eddie Cochran and more. There are three variants of the album, standard edition (11 tracks), De Luxe edition (16 tracks) and a Japanese edition (17 tracks).
ANIMALS (UK)
See Volume 3, pages 1041-42 for biographical info.
Sweet Little Sixteen ( : ) 1966 (live)
LP: Five Animals Donât Stop No Show [Rhythm & Blues LPR&B-13] • UK, 2017 (RSD)
Recorded live for a BBC radio session in 1966. RSD means that the record was released in time with the internationally celebrated Record Store Day, here in April 2017.
MARCEL BONTEMPI (Germany)
Real name Marcel Sala-Keikel from Kassel. Has been around since the mid â90s and in the 2000s released several singles on various labels. In 2015 a CD was released containing many various recordings and demos.
Havana Moon (3:23) 2018
45: Twi-Lite TL-002 • 2018, Germany
Sounds a bit like Carlos Santanaâs version from 1983. Although a little more simple arrangement. Bontempi plays all the instruments himself according to the sleeve.
BRAD & BRIAN (USA)
Duo from Vermont, New England. No more information available.
No Money Down (2:49) 1966
LP: Brad & Brian [Allen TR4M-5080/5081] • USA, 1966
Acoustic rousing bluesy version, according to someone whoâs heard it. Recorded at Allen Associates by Glenn Allen. The album proclaims that the music is blues, folk, rock and pop by the duo. I think this must have been a local maybe private pressing.
CADILLAC, The (Hungary)
Rockânâroll revival group from Budapest. Been around since the early â90s.
Sweet Little Sixteen (4:09) 1994 (live)
CD: Live â94 [BĂĄl-Na ProdukciĂł ? ] • Hungary, 1994
Roll Over Beethoven (2:33) 1997
CD: The Cadillacâs Showtime [Cadillac & Maximusic Records CAD 59-01] • Hungary, 1997
CASTAWAYS (Philippines)
Sonny Baecher (vocals),Tony Jalandoni (lead guitar), Charlie Meeleib (rhythm guitar), Bobby Juico (bass), Danny Pangan (drums).
Sweet Little Sixteen (2:10) 1970s
45: Silahis Records SRS-077 • Philippines, 1970s
CHICAGO BLUES ALL STARS (USA)
See page 1265 under CLIFTON JAMES
This should actually have been listed under Chicago Blues All Stars and not Clifton James. Donât know what the people at Laserlight were thinking as the info on the actual âChicago Blues Bandâ CD listed under Clifton James in Vol.3 are full of mistakes and wrong info. The band was really called Chicago Blues All Stars and the personnel on the actual recording were as follows: led by Willie Dixon (bass), Lafayette Leake (piano), Lee Jackson (guitar), Walter Horton (harmonica), Clifton James (drums). So it actually should read something like this:
Wee Wee Hours (5:10) (live) 1970
2-CD: Chicago Blues All Stars 1970 [Klondike KL2CD-5084] • USA, 2017
Vocals by Clifton James. Recorded in Germany on 8 November 1970. CD 1 is by this group performing 10 tracks and the rest they are backing Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
CD 2 has more by Rosetta Tharpe and also gospel groups The Patterson Singers and Stars Of Faith, all backed by the band.
ERIC CLAPTON (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1126 for biographical info.
Little Queenie (6:18) 1974 (live)
2-CD: Eric Clapton: Life In 12 bars [Universal 673212-9] • UK, 2018
Previously unreleased. Recorded live at Long Beach Arena, California in July â74. 32 tracks. Also released as a 4-LP deluxe set. Music on the 2-CD set is taken from a documentary about the life and times of Clapton. Available as DVD and Blue-Ray.
JESSIE CLARK (USA)
Contemporary country/folk artist from Norfolk, Nebraska. Sounds a bit like Anne Murray.
Johnny B. Goode (3:07) 2015
CD: Beautiful Night [Praire Wind Records 888295211000] • USA, 2015
Again interesting to notice the inclusion of Berryâs classic, as the other 11 tracks are not familiar with me at all.
FOX AND THE RAIDERS (USA)
Garage band.
Roll Over Beethoven (2:30) 1965
45: Disaster Records DR-140 • 1965
Record label out of Inidianois, Mississippi
GIBASDRA (Sweden)
It seems like they are a dance band type of thing, however, they look like a rock band.
You Never Can Tell (âMonsieur Pierreâ) ( : ) early 1970s
45: California C-5661 (PS) • Sweden, 1970s
I havenât heard this but the Swedish title is identical to the one by the Streaplers from 1970.
HERMANOS CARRION (Mexico)
Memphis, Tennessee [âMemphisâ] (2:18) 1966
EP: La Llorona [Orfeon EP-613] • Mexico, 1966
Singing in Spanish. Arranged as the Johnny Rivers version.
HOLLIES (UK)
See Volume 3, pages 1252-53 for biographical info.
Reelinâ And Rockinâ (2:28) 1963 (live)
Roll Over Beethoven ( : ) 1963 (live)
Too Much Monkey Business (2:02) 1965 (live)
LP: Shake With The Hollies [Rhythm & Blues LPR&B-14] • UK, 2017 (RSD)
The first two covers were recorded live in concert 1963 (not the best of sound), and the last one was recorded live in 1965 for the Shindig! TV show in the US. RSD = Record Store Day, April 2017.
BRIAN JAMES (UK)
Born Brian Robertson in Hammersmith, London in 1955. Regarded as a punk-rock guitarist and also a founding member of bands like The Damned and The Lords Of The New Church. Heâs also been involved in other bands and has released several solo projects.
Around And Around (2:31) 2017
45EP: Too Hot To Pop [Easy Action EARS-134] • UK, 2017
First I thought it was something wrong with the pickup but it wasnât. A crash site for sound. I donât know who decided to make it like this but it didnât work at all. Punk rock. The four track vinyl EP also includes âRoute 66â with a Berry beat which is ok but nothing more, âLong Tall Shortyâ using a little bit of Berry guitar sound, and finally âLiving Dollâ which I wonât comment.
Brian wrote the liner notes on the back side: When Mr. Chuck Berry died recently I figured it was time to cover one of his songs as a tribute (also check out the title of this EP). Then I thought why stop there? So I settled on an EP of my childhood faves, hope you dig âem, they were fun to play. So now you know.
JOHNNY LABORIEL (Mexico)
Memphis, Tennessee [as âMemphisâ] (2:33) 1964
EP: Que Hice You de Malo [Orfeon EP-379] • Mexico, 1964
Singing in Spanish. Arranged as the Johnny Rivers version.
LA CRUZ (Mexico)
Roll Over Beethoven (4:10) 1970s
45: Discos Versalles VER-001 • Mexico, 1970s
This turned up on eBay August 2017 but without any reference to year of release. However, because of the length of the song itâs probably modeled after the ELO 1972 version (?)
JIMMY LaFAVE (USA)
Folk singer/songwriter. Born in Wills Point, Texas 1955 but grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Died in Austin, Texas 2017, 61 years of age. A great fan of Woodie Guthrie and a friend of the family, and have contributed on several Woodie Guthrie Folk Festivals. Actually, LaFave had been given 20 copies of lyrics from Guthrie by his daughter Nora Guthrie, for him to set music to. The album below features three of them. LaFave had released many albums since his first âDown Underâ in 1979.
Promised Land ( : ) 2016
2-CD: Peace Town [Music Row Records ] • USA, 2018
A 20 track set containing various recordings made during the last year of his life.
ELISE LeGROW (Canada)
Pop singer, songwriter Elise Madeline LeGrow was born in 1987. She is known both as a solo act and as a member of the band Whale Tooth. In April 2012 she released her first self titled EP and later in the year she released a seven track album. The album below would be her first full solo album. You Never Can Tell was available for listeners on iTunes and Spotify from mid 2017.
You Never Can Tell (3:06) 2017
You Canât Catch Me (medley) (3:01) 2017 (in medley with âYou Canât Judge A Book By The Coverâ)
CD: Playing Chess [Awesome Music BMG 538337362] • USA, 2018
11 Chess classics. You Never Can Tell is a slow soulful rendition. The reason she did it this way, she says, is because most listeners, including myself, usually miss its lyrical depth. Our slower tempo highlights the poetry. You Canât Catch Me is taken at a slower speed so that it fits with the Diddley number. Interesting combination.
LUIS LĂPEZ (El Salvador)
Johnny B. Goode [Ya Vas BarrabĂĄs, Ya Vas] (2:07) 1982
45: Dicesa DI-04 • El Salvador, 1982
Red vinyl.
TRINI LOPEZ (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1330 for biographical info.
You Never Can Tell (2:27) 2008
CD: Ramblinâ Man [Fuel CD-061731] • USA, 2008
Sorry to say but this sounds pretty dull and uninspiring. The album contains 14 various cover versions of songs ranging from âThe Wandererâ and âLay, Lady, Layâ to âLady Madonnaâ and âSugar Sugarâ (yes), and of course remakes of âIf I Had A Hammerâ and âLa Bambaâ. Recorded at the Ranch Studio in Los Angeles. This was his 63rd studio album!
TONY MAC (USA)
Johnny B. Goode ( : ) 1960s
45: Jewel Records 806J-0928 • USA, 1960s
Record label out of MT Healthy, Ohio.
OFFENBACH (Canada)
Featuring Gerry Boulet.
Reelinâ And Rockinâ [Chuâ Un Rocker] (5:15) 1977
45: A&M AM-444 • Canada, 1977
LP: Offenbach [A&M SP-9027] • Canada, 1977
PACIFICS (Ireland)
Beat quartet from Dublin.
Iâm Talking About You (1:38) 2011
45 EP: Play Favourites [Bachelor BR-51] • Ireland, 2011
Authentic â60s beat sound to this, in 2011.
RED âHOTNâ BLUE (Norway)
A bluesy rock band from Bergen. Tim Wright (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Jan Gunnar Bortheim (guitar), Ole Brudvik (bass) and Karsten Olsen (drums).
School Day [âSchooldaysâ] (2:28) 1989
EP 45: Bring It On Home [Asyl Records UNI-109] • 1989, Norway
A pretty heavy blues-rock version with forceful vocals and driving guitar(s). Recorded at Bergen Lydstudio.
ROLLING STONES (UK)
See volume 3, pages 1475-1477 for biographical info.
Come On (2:02) 1963 (live â Saturday Club,26 October)
Roll Over Beethoven (2:19) 1963 (live â Saturday Club, 26 October)
Memphis, Tennessee (2:22) 1963 (live â Saturday Club, 26 October)
Around And Around (2:45) 1964 (live â Top Gear, 23 July)
Carol (2:31) 1964 (live â Saturday Club, 18 April)
Beautiful Delilah (2:10) 1964 (live â Saturday Club, 18 April)
2-CD: On Air [Polydor (BBC) 670Â 274-0] • UK, 2017
Finally after so many years we get a very good section of the Rolling Stones live from the BBC. Most of them have been frequently featured on various bootlegs throughout the years (no survey from me there).
Bye Bye Johnny (2:08) 1964 (live â Saturday Club, 8 February)
Carol (2:40) 1964 (live â The Joe Loss Pop Show, 17 July)
10â LP: The Rolling Stones Play Chuck Berry [Reel To Reel STONES-01] • UK, 2017
Sorry, this is probably a bootleg, but I just had to include it. The 10â vinyl contains 8 tracks. In addition to the two songs above it includes the following from the above 2-CD set: Come On, Roll Over Beethoven, Memphis Tennessee, Beautiful Delilah, Around And Around. Plus a cover version of Donât You Lie To Me from Saturday Club, 8 February 1964. The front cover has a picture of Mick Jagger and Chuck Berryâs faces, which also decorates each label, side one and two respectively.
A limited edition of only 1000, mine is # 281.
CHRIS SMITHER (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1514 for biographical info.
Maybellene (2:56) 2017
CD: Call Me Lucky [Signature SIGCD-2093] • USA, 2018
A slower almost acoustic version in the traditionally Smither way.
STARGAZERS (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1530 for biographical info.
Roll Over Beethoven (2:30) 2018 (live)
CD: Rock That Swing [Part Records 3720] • Germany, 2018
Recorded live February 2018 in Munich, Germany during a boogie and swing festival. 11 bands from Germany, UK, Italy, France and Sweden.
STONE SOUP (USA)
Folk group from Upstate NY. John Bagale, Kira Kim-Fredell, Leila NĂșnez-Fredell, Peter Kim-Fredell. They also released an album in 2000 titled just âStone Soupâ.
Maybellene (3:59) 2018
CD: Big Wheel Turn [Unified Field Prod. 79857651332 0] • USA, 2018
A slow bluesy folk version, really effective.
THOMAS LAVELLE FOUR (UK)
You Never Can Tell (2:49) 2015
45: Rollin Records RR45-049 • UK
The Berry classic done the Jerry Lee Lewis way.
GEORGE THOROGOOD (USA)
See volume 3, page 1558 for biographical info, and a lot of other Berry covers.
It Wasnât Me (7:32) 1980 (live)
No Particular Place To Go (6:04) 1980 (live)
Reelinâ And Rockinâ (7:25) 1980 (live)
2-CD: Live At Rockpalast â Dortmund 1980 [MIG 90722] • Germany, 2017
Now here we have Mr. Thorogood in full blast! I remember back in the early â80s that I watched this show on TV and it was quite different from what I have seen before. Playing guitar like a ringinâ a bell and walking down from the stage and mingle with the audience still playing all the way. What a revelation. On this set he plays four Elmore James classics (among others a fabulous version of âMadison Bluesâ), a little John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and more.
Recorded at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany, 26 November â80.
WILD ANGELS (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1603 for biographical info.
Promised Land ( : ) 2016
Reelinâ And Rockinâ ( : ) 2016
CD: Leathers, Studs ânâ Stripes [Crazy Times CTR-CD 119] • UK, 2017
Billed as The Legendary Wild Angels on the cover. Rob Davies (lead/rhythm guitar, vocals), Freddie Piretta (piano, accordion), Mitch Mitchell (bass, vocals), Bob Burgos (drums, vocals). Rob Davies is singing on the two Berry covers. Goode RockânâRoll music.
Tuesday, August 28. 2018
CBID - a Chuck Berry record you cannot hear him on
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: as single proudly claiming that you cannot hear Chuck Berry on it.
USA (?)
SIX WHOLE MINUTES OF GOLDEN SILENCE!
Vacuum Records • 1959
Part I: Golden Silence / Part II: Quiet! (Please?)
Not featuring the following artists: Elvis Presley, Frankie Avalon, Ricky Nelson, Little Anthony, Duane Eddy, Lydia E. Pinkham, Chuck Berry. Spike Jones couldnât join us eitherâŠ
As itâs printed on the label: (Any Speed) You donât even need a record player.
Now this is a very special record indeed. Thereâs no music at all, just as it says, 3 minutes of silence on each side. And you can actually play it as it has grooves. BUT thereâs no sound.
Who came up with this crazy idea is anybodyâs guess. The cover is as thick as an EP cover. And you can enjoy(?) reading whatâs not on the record, especially on the back (see picture).
I have tried to check it out on the net but thereâs nothing to find, and if you search for Vacuum Record youâll end up with a vinyl record cleaner system.
The EP cover looks like it was made in 1959 but the record itself looks newer, soâŠ
And whoâs Lydia E. Pinkham? Well, Lydia Estes Pinkham (1819-1883) was the concocter of a herbal alcoholic âwomenâs tonicâ meant to relieve menstrual and menopausal pains. One could refer to the Scaffold and their âLilly The Pinkâ in 1968 but that was long after the record mentioned was out(?) However, the song above was based on an old US American folk song titled âThe Ballad Of Lydia Pinkhamâ known to exist around 1914.
Thursday, July 5. 2018
Chuck Berry's Recording Session for Volkswagen
Remembering this line from Chuck Berryâs 1964 hit âNo particular place to goâ, copywriter Steve Landsberg and art director Gary Goldsmith of Doyle Dane Bernbach, Inc. (DDB) had the idea for an automobile advertising TV spot. So for the 1985 Volkswagen campaign they modified the text a little bit and produced the TV spot for VWâs GTI car showing the GTI riding the country with no particular place to go.
When I researched Chuck Berryâs contribution to the 1977 Dr Pepper advertising campaign (see the previous blog post), I ran into a March 2017 article by Steve Landsberg posted in the AgencySpy blog on the Adweek Network website: âThe Day I Spent Making an Ad With the Late, Great Chuck Berryâ (https://www.adweek.com/agencyspy/the-day-i-spent-making-an-ad-with-the-late-great-chuck-berry/128720)
Here we learn that Steve not only reused Berryâs 1964 recording but instead had him record a completely new version of his classic tune. I didnât know this. And my friends here didnât either.
So I started researching more about this rare recording. Steve and especially that time's DDB account representative Charlie Zollo have been very helpful with Steve telling even more than his story and Charlie providing a great collection of old documents from his files. Many thanks to both!
Steve even sent me a copy of the 1985 TV spot. Concurrently Anne Chanu found a poor copy of the spot on YouTube. Therefore all of you can go back in time and hear Berry perform this otherwise unreleased studio recording: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SjSJHV2RfQU
Given Charlieâs and Steveâs additional information, Steveâs original article for Adweek needs some corrections and additions. Both Steve and Adweek allowed me to provide you here with an updated version of Steveâs story.
But let's first remember Charlie Zollo how difficult it was to have Chuck Berry sign the contract:
While we can't say how much, I was prepared with a "suitcase full of cash" as we fondly remember (actually a large Cashiers Check) as an upfront incentive to sign the contract. I was dispatched by Carol, the DDB talent administrator (sorry Carol, but I forgot your last name), to Berry Park in Wentzville to negotiate the final contract after Chuck had fired his agent.This is Steve's story about the recording session in Berry Park, with some embedded comments:
I brought along these incentives knowing that Chuck liked to get paid upfront. And finally that incentive sealed the deal as he was opposed to some contract language that was non-negotiable and refused to sign.
I actually got up and was walking out when he called me back saying "OK, I'll sign, but you don't expect me to sign without getting paid first, do you?" I whipped out this very large Cashiers check and that was it, he signed.
He then gave me a tour of his Memorabilia Room ... hanging costumes, guitars, photos.
It was January 1985. [Editorâs note: According to Charlie's documents, the recording session told here happened in September 1984.] I [Steve Landsberg] was a copywriter at DDB. My art director Gary Goldsmith and I got thrown into a creative gangbang for the VW GTI. The brief was simple: position the GTI as fun to drive.What a great story â and how nicely told. Thanks for sharing, Steve!
Hey, letâs take Chuck Berryâs song âNo Particular Place to Goâ and show a GTI driving all over the place! We changed the opening lyrics to âDriving around in my GTI, my baby sittinâ by my side.â The client loved it.
Go go go Johnny go.
Around this time, I saw a rock and roll documentary on TV featuring Chuck Berry. He was going through hard, lean times, playing small clubs with local house bands. He was a solitary and bitter guy, resentful of the music executives who ripped him off and of not making the big money like the many bands so heavily influenced by his music.
Meanwhile I was thinkinâ,
⊠maybe we could get Chuck Berry to re-record his own song. He could use the money. And why go the typical route and pay studio musicians to imitate Chuck Berry if we can pay the real Chuck Berry?
Ainât got nothing to lose.
At DDB, some folks thought heâd never do it. But persistence exceeded resistance. Calls were made. Negotiations were made and remade. A deal was struck. It would be Chuck Berryâs first commercial. [Editorâs note: Not quite. There was the 1970s Dr Pepper song as well as a couple of text-only commercials.]
It goes to show you never can tell.
The deal was $15,000 cash. We had to record in Chuck Berryâs personal studio on his compound in Wentzville, Mo. There would be no autographs and absolutely no cameras.
Along with me and Gary, the team from DDB included TV producer Regina Ebel; music director Mike Doran; account supervisor Charlie Zollo; music producer John Hill; his engineer Glen Kolotkin.
We flew way out to St. Louis, drove 30 minutes south, and arrived at a driveway marked by large granite headstone engraved with the words Berry Park. The long, winding driveway led us to a modest ranch house that looked a little worse for wear. Dogs barked as we grabbed our cameras and Charlie reminded us, in no uncertain terms: âNO CAMERAS.â Then Chuck Berry came out to greet us.
I got the wiggles in my knees.
After our awestruck hellos, Chuck directed us past two small in-ground swimming pools, half filled with dark water and dead leaves, to a large building across from his house that was used as a local night club. This, too, had seen better days. Inside was a low stage surrounded by tables and chairs, a bar, and a jukebox. The group followed Chuck into his side studio, but I hung back because I just had to see the songs on Chuck Berryâs jukebox.
Seven hundred little records, all rock, rhythm and jazz.
Chuckâs daughter Ingrid and her boyfriend arrived (he played rhythm guitar). [Editorâs note: Steve is talking here about Ingridâs husband Henry âChuckâ Clay who played guitar, bass and drums behind Berry on many occasions.] The piano player showed soon after, but the drummer was a no show, so, Ingridâs guitar-playing boyfriend took his place. Then we discovered the studioâs 24-track system had about four working tracks.
Chuck and his band reviewed the 30-second musical arrangement and started warming up. After a little rehearsing, Chuck walked straight over to me and said, âI need a little chord to get the song going. Is that cool?â I still canât believe the King of Rock ân Roll asked me for permission to adjust his own song. âYeah sure Chuck,â I stuttered. A few more takes followed, but then some equipment broke downâand while it was getting fixed, Chuck started jamming. No Particular Place To Go flowed into Nadine then Roll Over Beethoven and more. Chuck even did his signature duck walk.
Itâs such a sight to see somebody steal the show.
Then the equipment was fixed and our private show ended. âOK, boys, letâs play for money,â Chuck said, and they played a few more takes. Berry wasnât happy with the drummer, so during a break he casually drifted over to the set and started tinkering. âHey, lay one of these down,â he called to the guys in the booth, and played what would become the drum track. Then he did the same thing on piano, and after a few hours of sheer jaw-dropping joy, we had what we needed.
Well, I looked at my watch and it was time to go. The bandleader said, âWe ainât playing no more.â
It would have been the end of a perfectly wonderful and crazy dayâŠbut it got even better. Chuck asked, âWould you all like to come inside for a drink?â Yeah, we all said, squeezing around Chuckâs kitchen table while his two female assistants prepared his dinner of spaghetti with tomato sauce and a side of peas.
âI donât drink anymore, but they keep giving me these,â he said while holding a cardboard box filled with an assortment of airline liquor bottles. I took a vodka (maybe two). He also gave us gold-colored souvenir matchbooks with âChuck Berryâ written in black type. We drank and watched him eat. âChuck, eat your peas,â scolded one of his assistants. He finished and asked, âWould you like a tour of the house?â as we all thought, âAre you fucking kidding me?â and responded with a polite chorus of yes and thank you.
We then followed Chuck to his study where almost every square inch of wall space was covered by framed gold records, awards, photos, and letters from Presidents, music royalty, and other VIPs. Back to the kitchen through the living room, we couldnât help but notice the round king-sized mattress on the floor, with two projection-TV screens playing. One satellite channel was tuned to Johnny Carson, the other was hard-core porn. Chuck said something I didnât quite catch, and I thought about his assistantsâ job descriptions.
Too much monkey business for me to be involved in.
Last time I saw Chuck Berry he was waving me goodbye. âIâll see you in London, Iâll see you in France,â he said, playfully pointing at each of us as we shook hands, hugged, and thanked him for everything. We got back into the cars where our lonely, empty cameras had spent the day.
Stendhal Syndrome, also known as hyperkulturemia, is a psychosomatic illness triggered when individuals feel totally overwhelmed in the presence of concentrated works of art or what they perceive to be immense beauty. The effects are short-lived and do not require medical attention.
Or maybe we just had the rockinâ pneumonia.
We drove back to our hotel in silence, exhausted from sensory overload with smiles on our faces. We didnât even turn on the radio. We were still listening to Chuck Berry.
An additional comment from Charlie Zollo:
âFor all of us who were involved, it was one of those once in a lifetime experiences weâll never forget. While we all had our own personal experiences, my favorite (which I tell often) was sitting outside of the control room, on the floor against a wall in the room where Chuck and his band were rehearsing. So there I was 10 feet away, as they jammed during the equipment down time, listening to them jam Roll Over Beethoven and other riffs. Listening to Berry during the breaks was, for me, more exciting than seeing any live concert by any rock group.âDefinitely it was, Charlie!
Charlie sent me the copy of an 1985 article by Aliza Laufer from Backstage magazine in which John Hill adds some details:
Hill was the music producer on the entire Volkswagen 1984/85 campaign, having written and produced all and arranged about half of the 20-spot package. According to Hill, the 1984/85 Volkswagen campaign is the biggest introductory budget in VWâs 30-year history.The last sentence means that in contrast to other commercials where the sound follows the pictures, here Steve, Charlie and their team had to film and cut outdoor segments so that they fit to Berryâs singing. Remembering the filming Steve told me:
Although each VW spot in the new campaign carries the tag âItâs not a Car, Itâs a Volkswagenâ, for the 1985 model year a lot of liberties were used, according to Hill. âThese arenât ordinary car commercials,â he maintains. âOther car spots follow an automotive style â almost a clichĂ©. DDBâs effort is to be innovative; a couple of steps fresher than everything else.â
Hill explains that for the 1984 campaign the melody remains unaltered from beginning to end, while for 1985 he was freer to fit the music to the visuals. He approached it as if it was a jingle with words removed.
Even though Hill had the occasion to work with many pop and rock artists during his years at Columbia, he still confesses to getting a thrill out of working with Chuck Berry. âChuck was a childhood idol of mine,â Hill recalls, âHeâs an extremely professional musician; every approach on his guitar is unique.â
In the âNo Particular Place To Goâ spot, VWâs GTI is seen doing just that â driving along with no particular place to go. The song is played in the background.
âNew lyrics were written for the commercial, so we had to start from scratch.â Hill noted. âWe used modern hi-tech equipment for the recording, which was ironic because we were striving for a 1957 sound.â For the Chuck Berry spot the commercial was cut to the music.
The commercial was shot in Scotland because Los Angeles was going through a drought and looked too dry. Nothing was green. The area of Scotland we used looked very much like Americaâs lush  heartland.Other than the music, you only hear a voice-over at the end of the spot. Steve remembers:
The announcer was the late Roy Scheider [Editorâs note: known from Jaws and other popular movies], who was the official voice of VW back then. I covered the recording myself in LA. He was a very kind man. He smoked and drank coffee to get that deep voice of this ready.According to Charlieâs old files, the VW GTI spot premiered on March 1st, 1985 on MTV.
In addition to the TV spot, Charlie remembers that the same track was also used for a Volkswagen radio spot.
Since Berry's deal was for TV only, we paid him another large amount to use the recording for radio as well. Part of the payment was a new GTI, that he picked up at a local Missouri dealer. My secretary (in the days when we had secretaries) would call out "Charlie, Chuck Berry is on the phone" as we were arranging the personal appearance of Chuck picking up his GTI. There was press coverage as I recall, but none that I have a copy of. All in all, use royalties included, he did very well for a few hours recording time. I think we paid him for his studio also.Does one of our readers have a copy of the radio spot or of the press article showing Berry getting his Volkswagen?
The gold-colored souvenir matchbook Steve Landsberg got from Chuck Berry is also known to exist in black with golden print. Hereâs a photo from Morten Reffâs collection:
Thanks to Steve, Charlie, and Morten for their help with this article bringing to our attention a Chuck Berry studio recording never released on record or CD.
Wednesday, July 4. 2018
CBID - Addition to the Billy Peek discography
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: Page 1861 in Volume 4 has a brief discography for Billy Peek, a guitarist who played with Berry and recorded several Berry covers and soundalikes. Here's an addition to the Billy Peek discography:
Single
The Hammer / Sweet Home Chicago
Rivertown RT-005 • USA, 1987
On page 1861 thereâs a Billy Peek discography which says that this single came out in 1992. Well, it didnât. The album âThe Answerâ that the two songs are featured on was released in 1992. However, thereâs no year of release printed on the single in question, so I figured that it also came out in â92. But now when this PS turned up itâs printed 1987 on the back. So the actual album that came out in â92 featured various songs probably recorded between 1987-1992. It seems like «The Hammer» was the actual plug-side. I had it the other way around in the book. As you can see on the attached labels nothing is mentioned about any A or B-side.
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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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What You Missed
Some earlier but important entries:
- Unanswered questions about the recording of Memphis, Tennessee
- 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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- Monday, January 22 2024
- The Chuck Berry Vinyl Bootlegs, Vol. 3: America's Hottest Wax
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- Chuck Berry in Fake Stereo
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- CBID - 5639 cover versions of Chuck Berry songs
- Tuesday, October 31 2023
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- Monday, August 28 2023
- CBID - And they play Chuck Berry music - final part 10
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- 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
- Thursday, January 12 2023
- CBID - And they play Chuck Berry music - part 8
- Wednesday, January 11 2023
- CBID - Sounding like Chuck Berry
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© Dietmar Rudolph
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