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Chuck's 60th Birthday Celebrations (1986)

In 1986 MCA Records celebrated Chuck Berry's 60th birthday by filming and recording a live show held in St. Louis, Missouri. Chuck Berry was backed by an All-Star Band including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, and Robert Cray with vocal accompaniment from Julian Lennon, Linda Ronstadt, and Etta James.

Parts of this show - which were in fact two shows held within a few hours - have been released by MCA as a rock documentary film, directed by Taylor Hackford, called Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll.

The Film

For many years, the film has been available on video tape only. The original movie contains recordings from the shows as well as interviews, segments from other live shows and rehearsals.

In 2005, segments from the film surfaced on a bootleg DVD which promised "unreleased excerpts". It did not fulfill this promise, though. The DVD Chuck Berry - Rock & Roll Years (PINUP Productions) contains just some parts of the original video tape and even those in less than optimum quality. It does include additional twenty older TV and movie clips, though.

In 2006 the movie has been finally re-published on an official DVD. 20 years after the original filming the DVD perfectly fits as a celebration of Chuck's 80th birthday.

The DVD contains the original movie, though completely new digitized for perfect quality and 5.1 sound. But that's not enough! The DVD comes with a huge amount of additional material filmed during the creation of the movie. The publisher Image Entertainment released three different versions of the new DVD containing different amounts of additional material:

A One-DVD package has been produced for Hearmusic, the music division of Starbucks, the coffee shops. This One-DVD version was for sale only in the Starbucks shops in the U.S. and Canada. It contains the complete movie, an introduction by director Taylor Hackford (with an advertizement of the upcomming more-DVD versions), plus short excerpts of interviews Hackford recorded with other Rock and Roll stars. The DVD came bundled with an audio CD containing Chuck's greatest hits.

A Two-DVD package published by Image Entertainment contains one DVD with the complete movie as well as trailer and introduction by Taylor Hackford. The other DVD contains pure bonus material of highest interest to a Chuck Berry collector. Here we get various clips taken during the rehearsals at Berry Park in Wentzville which have not been used in the film. There are absolutely great performances such as a guitar jam of Berry, Clapton and Richards, or a fantastic recording of Etta James singing Hoochie Coochie Man, eh... Girl. In addition there is a one-hour "Making-Of" of the film including deep insights of the chaotic production.

A Four-DVD set (Image Entertainment ID3156THDVD, 2006) was released by Image Entertainment concurrently with the Two-DVD package. It contains the same two DVDs plus what Hachford calls "Witnesses to History". These are interviews taken for the film but used only in very small excerpts. Here you see the complete several hours long interviews with Bo Diddley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Willie Dixon, Roy Orbison and more. There is also more Chuck Berry material such as Chuck and Robbie Robertson digging through Chuck's collected memorabilia.

The four DVDs contain everything that is in the other sets except for a discussion between Berry and Eric Clapton about their musical influences which is only on the Starbucks DVD. Anyway the four-DVD box is the one to buy. Be aware, though, that for an unknown reason the DVD is region coded. Currently the 4-DVD version does not work on DVD players outside of North America, while for the 2-DVD version there are different variants coded for North America and for Europe. When purchasing, check to get a version you can watch.

Also quite interesting is Victor Bockris' description of the preparations and creation of film and album in his Keith Richards - The Biography

The Records

Excepts from the show have appeared on a number of records and CDs.

The Official Soundtrack Album

The soundtrack album Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (MCA LP 6217 ) contains live versions of Maybellene, Around and Around, Sweet Little Sixteen, Brown Eyed Handsome Man, Memphis, Too Much Monkey Business, Back in the USA, Wee Wee Hours, Johnny B. Goode, Little Queenie, Rock and Roll Music, and Roll Over Beethoven. In addition there is a version of I'm Through With Love recorded during rehearsals.

The Bootlegs

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones was the musical leader of the All-Star Band and, of course, wherever a Stone performs, collectors and bootleggers are around to capture every single note played. There are, therefore, three bootleg recordings containing parts of the show and segments from the rehearsals.

Two additional songs from the show have been made available on a bootleg album called Keith Richards - Still on the Road (Papa Records DS011, 1988): Everyday I Have the Blues and a lengthy untitled Instrumental.

Two songs from the show's rehearsals filmed at Berry's home can be found on a bootleg CD called Keith Richards - Exposures (Silver Shadow CD 9109, 1991): Come On and Carol. In addition this CD contains some talks by Keith about Chuck and a heated discussion between the two, which occurred during the rehearsals. The audio quality is bad, having been taken from a very poor video tape copy of the film.

Finally in 2000 bootleggers created a two-CD set incorrectly called Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll Rehearsals (no label, no number, probably from Japan). Even though they did not manage to spell Keith's name correctly, the CDs themselves - which are just burned ones, not pressed - are of very high quality. You'll find many more recordings from the two shows: Wee Wee Hours, No Particular Place To Go, Instrumental, Keith's Rock 'N' Roll # 1 (Jo Jo Gunne), Keith's Rock 'N' Roll # 2 (Havana Moon), Eric's Blues, Rock And Roll Music, Reelin' 'N' Rockin', Wee Wee Hours, Chuck's Rock 'N' Roll # 1 (Havana Moon) (part), Chuck's Rock 'N' Roll # 1 (Havana Moon), Chuck's Rock 'N' Roll # 2 (Jo Jo Gunne), Everyday I Have The Blues, and Rock 'N' Roll Music.

The Radio Show

To promote the DVD sets released in 2006, Tres Hombres Productions (Paul Rappaport, Jym Fahey, Mitch Maketansky) created a one-hour music-intensive radio special called Chuck Berry: Hail! Hail! The King of Rock 'n' Roll. The radio show was distributed by Cahn Media to broadcasters in the U.S. at no cost. As far as I know the show was sent out on individual CD-R media and not as a pressed CD like the commercial pre-produced radio shows from UniStar and the like.

The radio show contains many live segments taken from the birthday concert together with introductions and explanations by director Taylor Hackford. Also some short dialogue segments from the movie can be heard. Interestingly this radio show CD comes with several songs which are not on the official soundtrack album.

The Audience Tapes

A film, a soundtrack album. a radio show, and three bootlegs, what more could a poor boy want? Well, in fact there is more. As stated above, collectors are looking for every single note Keith plays. And in every Stones concert there is someone taping the show on a cheap cassette or Minidisc recorder. This concert was no exception. Within the collectors community you can find tapes not only from both shows, but also from the dress rehearsal which took place the day before the shows. The sound quality is pretty bad and it is clear the aforementioned bootlegs are not taken from these tapes. They are, however, useful to get an insight into how the film was produced.

The Shows

Following is a complete list of the shows used to create the film. I list every song played and where you can get it.

The Cosmopolitan Club

A segment of the film presents excerpts from a gig played at the Cosmopolitan Club, St. Louis. Chuck plays along with Johnnie Johnson (piano), Frank Dunbar (dms), Chuck Clay (bs), and Ingrid Berry (vcl).

A small interview segment of the film with Chuck presenting the Cosmo has also been used on a radio station record by Westwood One Radio Networks (see the chapter on Radio Show and Promotional Records) and as such landed on a bootleg cassette Chuck Berry Interview 10-17-1988 (GFP K0097, 2000).

Rehearsals at Berry Park

Between October 10th and 14th, 1986 the band rehearsed for the shows to be filmed. Some of these rehearsals were filmed, displaying the often complicated process of getting decent recordings from the headstrong members of the band, particularly Mr. Berry. The "Chuck Berry Band led by Keith Richards", as Berry puts it, consisted of Johnnie Johnson on piano, Joey Spampinato (NRBQ) on bass, Bobby Keys on sax, Chuck Leavell on organ, and Steve Jordan on drums. The latter three having performed with Keith many times before. Also participating in the rehearsals were some of the guest stars.

Song	appr. length	available	comments
Pass Away (Poem)	5:20	Four-DVD set	Chuck recites his poem, accompanied by Robbie Robertson of The Band on accoustic guitar
Seeking and Searching	0:50	Four-DVD set	Chuck Berry on piano with Little Richard singing
Come On	1:10	Film and Exposures bootleg	singers on this track are Robert Cray and Ingrid Berry, while Chuck just sits and listens
Carol	2:53	Film, radio show and Exposures bootleg	including several false starts with Chuck trying to educate Keith how to play (not in the radio show)
Instrumental	2:40	Film
It Don't Take But a Few Minutes	4:25	Radio show, Two-DVD and Four-DVD sets, and partially in Film	Chuck and Eric Clapton, Film excerpt shows the two performing a capella
Guitar Jam	10:20	Two-DVD and Four-DVD sets	Yes, over ten minutes of Chuck, Keith, and Eric jamming with the band
Mean Old World	6:00	Two-DVD and Four-DVD sets
Heart & Soul medley	3:25	Two-DVD and Four-DVD sets	Chuck solo
I'm Through With Love	2:12	Film and soundtrack album
A Cottage For Sale	2:15	Film	just Chuck and Johnnie playing
House of Blue Lights	2:55	Two-DVD and Four-DVD sets	again just Chuck and Johnnie
Hoochie Coochie Gal	5:45	Two-DVD and Four-DVD sets	Etta James singing backed by Robert Cray and the band, Chuck just listening
Blues For Hawaiians	2:40	Film	Chuck alone playing steel guitar used as the ending sequence of the film

The Dress Rehearsal

On Wednesday, October 15th the performers met at the Fox Theatre, St. Louis to rehearse and sound check the complete show. A fan taped this dress rehearsal so we have the chance to listen to what became everything but rehearsals. After several hours of setting up the stage, Chuck refused to sing! Here's a quote from Bill German's "Beggars Banquet" fanzine describing it:

"I gotta save my voice for tomorrow," he [Chuck] argued. Keith tried to cajole Chuck, but no way. Instead Chuck played his lyrics on the guitar, thus making the run-through virtually useless. "Just once," Keith pleaded, actually kissing Chuck on the cheek. Such a tender moment! Chuck gave in, halfway, by whispering the lyrics to songs like "Memphis" and "Sweet Little 16." Other times, the words, "Keith, you gotta let me do it my way," were a familiar utterance from Chuck.

As we learn from the Making-Of segment of the DVD sets, Chuck had performed a concert in Ohio only a few days before and lost his voice almost completely.

The First Show

On October 16th the show took place. Here you can see a newspaper ad and a ticket. Again hear what Bill German relates:

What the 4500 fans were about to see was not a concert per sé. The majority of them were disappointed by the many lengthy interruptions from the film crew to reload film or check on things. (A phenomenal show, no matter how you diced it. But that was just the point - It was diced!) It seemed, there was a break after each song. "This is Hollywood!" Chuck reminded us. "I feel like a bull," Chuck added, a possible double entendre. He was actually referring to the person on the side of the stage who held up a red card that acted as a stop sign to the band. Action halts when the card is up. To fill the awkward pauses, Chuck began reciting poetry, as Keith and the others paced around the stage. There was no impromptu jamming at first. "The reason we can't jam," explained Chuck, "is that when we get into a groove, we won't want to stop." So folks who left their seats for a few minutes were able not to miss some great guest appearances. Finally they couldn't deny us any longer. During the next pause, Chuck said, "Let these guys play the blues," allowing Keith and Eric to wail away and trade licks, as the audience howled.

Another reason for not jamming is told by drummer Steve Jordan on the DVDs: They simply were exhaused by backing Johnnie Johnson's Boogies over and over. Almost two hours of the show were recorded by a fan so we get a chance to listen also to the false starts and repeats. Better and/or edited excerpts are available on the soundtrack album, in the film itself and on the bootlegs.

Song	appr. length	available	comments
Introduction	2:46	Audience Tape
Maybellene	2:10	Audience Tape
Around and Around	1:05	Audience Tape	false start
Around and Around	2:24	Soundtrack album and Audience Tape
No Money Down	2:55	Film and Audience Tape
Back in the USA	3:29	Film, Soundtrack album, radio show, Linda Ronstadt - Boxset (Elektra 7559-62472-2, 1999) and Audience Tape	Linda Ronstadt on vocals, Robert Cray on guitar, Keith, Steve and Joey on background vocals
Sweet Little Sixteen	2:39	Film, Soundtrack album, radio show, and Audience Tape
Memphis, Tennessee	3:08	Film, Soundtrack album and Audience Tape
Roll Over Beethoven	2:46	Audience Tape
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man	2:28	Film, Soundtrack album, radio show, and Audience Tape	Robert Cray on guitar and vocals
Nadine	2:42	Film, radio show, and Audience Tape
Too Much Monkey Business	2:57	Film, Soundtrack album and Audience Tape	runs much faster on Audience Tape
Almost Grown	2:32	Film, radio show, and partly on Audience Tape	Keith, Joey, and Ingrid on background vocals
Johnny B. Goode	2:54	Film, Soundtrack album, radio show, and Audience Tape	Julian Lennon on vocals
You Never Can Tell	2:53	Audience Tape
Little Queenie	3:41	Film, Soundtrack album, radio show, and Audience Tape
Little Queenie	4:01	Audience Tape	might be same track as above?
Johnnie's Boogie	4:31	Audience Tape
Wee Wee Hours	5:24	Film, Soundtrack album, radio show, Rehearsals bootleg, and Audience Tape	Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals
No Particular Place to Go	3:18	Film, radio show, Rehearsals bootleg, and Audience Tape
Jam	6:51	Still on the road bootleg, Rehearsals bootleg and Audience Tape
Jam	4:07	Audience Tape
Jo Jo Gunne	0:39	Rehearsals bootleg and Audience Tape	false start
Jo Jo Gunne	1:18	Audience Tape
Instrumental	3:50	Audience Tape
Jo Jo Gunne	3:08	Rehearsals bootleg and Audience Tape
Havana Moon	4:55	Rehearsals bootleg and Audience Tape (partly)
Eric's Blues	4:11	Rehearsals bootleg	Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals
Rock 'n' Roll Music	4:48	Rehearsals bootleg and Audience Tape
Instrumental	6:07	Audience Tape
Reelin' and Rockin'	15:28	Rehearsals bootleg and Audience Tape	Chuck and Ingrid on vocals

The Second Show

Five hours after the start of the first show, the whole concert was repeated to film some other segments. Since it was already after midnight, this show took place October 17th. Again Bill German relates:

The second concert ran a lot smoother. There were only three breaks the whole show, and this time, the crew realizes it wisest to let the band take part in impromptu jams to fill the void. And wouldn't you know, while most of the cameras weren't rolling, Etta James stepped up and led the band through the most incredible rendition of "Hoochie Coochie Man" that anyone's ever heard. Mouths hung open. For the finale of "School Days," all the guests (plus Joe Walsh and Chuck's daughter Ingrid) came back out as Chuck rolled onto stage in a red Cadillac convertible. The confetti was flying, and over 4500 people toasted the sexagenerian. Uncle Chuck, here's to another sixty!

Etta James's version of Hoochie Coochie Man did not make it to the film, but on the DVDs there is at least a rehearsal version, which truely is fantastic.

Song	appr. length	available	comments
Maybellene	2:24	Soundtrack album and Audience Tape
Around and Around	3:21	Audience Tape
No Money Down	2:18	Audience Tape
Sweet Little Sixteen	2:38	Audience Tape
Roll Over Beethoven	2:43	Film, Soundtrack album, radio show, and Audience Tape
Instrumental	1:17	Audience Tape
Brown-Eyed Handsome Man	2:25	Audience Tape	Robert Cray on guitar and vocals
Nadine	2:45	Audience Tape
Too Much Monkey Business	2:31	Audience Tape
Johnny B. Goode	2:47	Audience Tape	Julian Lennon on vocals
Instrumental	2:32	Audience Tape
Almost Grown	3:07	Audience Tape	Keith, Joey, and Ingrid on background vocals
Little Queenie	2:13	Audience Tape
Instrumental	2:03	Audience Tape
Wee Wee Hours	4:32	Rehearsals bootleg, and Audience Tape	Eric Clapton on guitar and vocals
Instrumental	2:41	Audience Tape
Instrumental Blues Jam	2:06	Audience Tape
Havana Moon (part)	1:09	Rehearsals bootleg, and Audience Tape
Havana Moon	3:16	Rehearsals bootleg, and Audience Tape
Jo Jo Gunne	3:03	Rehearsals bootleg, and Audience Tape
Everyday I Have the Blues	2:49	Still on the road bootleg, Rehearsals bootleg and Audience Tape	Robert Cray on guitar
Rock 'n' Roll Music	3:32	Film, Soundtrack album, Rehearsals bootleg, and Audience Tape	Etta James on vocal, Eric Clapton on guitar
Hoochie Coochie Man	4:36	Audience Tape	Etta James on vocal, Eric Clapton on guitar
Instrumental	2:47	Audience Tape
School Day	4:30	Film and Audience Tape	Etta James on vocal, Eric Clapton on guitar

Due to Chuck's bad voice, several segments of the filmed shows have been overdubbed in an L.A. studio several weeks later. This means that what you hear in the movie is not necessarily what was recorded in the show.

The Birthday

Chuck's 60th birthday was the next day: October 18th, 1986. And again on this day a birthday concert took place, this time at the Felt Forum, New York. According to visitors of that show and judging from an audience tape, with Dave Edmunds on guitar, John Entwistle on bass and Chuck Leavell on keyboards this must have been a great concert as well.

The whole world knows the music. Nobody knows the man.
(Movie Headline)

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© 2002-2010 by Dietmar Rudolph. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be used or published without written consent by the author.
Last modified: 30.07.2010