Tuesday, July 6. 2021
CBID - Never ending additions to the list of Chuck Berry cover versions
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: New Chuck Berry cover versions from well-known and little-known artists and groups including an astonishing number of Maybellenes.
A friend of mine called the other day and said he had a Berry cover that was not in Vol.3: Red Jenkins And The Midnight Cowboys (Sweden). It contained a version of âPromised Landâ (2:14), and the album on Shannon Records SMLP-5013 was released in 1983 but recorded in 1971. It took me a while to figure this out as I was sure I had Red Jenkins somewhere. And I did find out. If you look at page 1363 youâll find Midnight Cowboys which was the original band name when the album was released back in 1971.
CALIFORNIA HONEYDROPS (USA)
Blues/R&B/soul quintet, formed in 2007. Fronted by guitarist, trumpeter and vocalist Lech Wierzynski (born in Warsaw, Poland).
Johnny Bones (tenor saxophone, clarinet), Lorenzo Loera (keyboards, melodic), Beau Bradbury (bass, percussion), Ben Malament (drums, washboard, percussion).
You Never Can Tell (4:38) 2021
CD: Covers From The Cave [Tubtone Records ] • USA, March 2021
ALEX CHILTON (USA)
Born 1950 in Memphis. He was a founding member and lead singer of the Box Tops (âThe Letterâ 1967). Chilton later formed the power-pop band Big Star. By the time the album below was done he was living in New Orleans. He died in 2010 of heart failure.
Maybellene ( : ) 1999 (live)
CD: Boogie Shoes - Live On Beale Street [Omnivore Records OVCD-420 ] • USA, 2021
LP: Boogie Shoes - Live On Beale Street [Omnivore Records OVLP-420 ] • USA, 2021
Previously unissued recording from 1999 at the New Daisy Theater in Memphis. Backed by the High Rhythm Section. The LP was limited to just 100 copies.
DOWNLINERS SECT (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1167 for biographical info.
Rock And Roll Music (2:07) 1964
EP 45: Brite-Lights Big City [Contrast Sound Prod. RBCSP-002] • UK, 2011
Called the lost EP. Due to various circumstances this was not released back in â64. It was supposed to be a follow up to the âR&B At Nite In Gt. Newportâ EP.
Little Queenie (3:12) 1998
CD: Dangerous Ground [Birch MB-23897] • UK, 1998
Don Craine (vocals-rhythm guitars) and Keith Grant (vocals-bass) are supported by Paul Martin on harp / sax and Alan Brooks on drums plus some additional musicians. Grant sings on âLittle Queenieâ.
DRONGOS (New Zealand)
According to what I have found on the net, they were a quartet from New Zealand who primarily performed in the streets of New York City from 1979-1986. They actually moved to New York in 1978. Jean McAllister (vocals-guitar), Richard Kennedy (vocals-guitar), Tony McMaster (bass), Stanley John Mitchell (drums).
Too Much Monkey Business [as âMonkey Businessâ] (2:53) 1984 (live)
LP: Small Miracles [Proteus Records PROT-002] • USA, 1985
MC: Small Miracles [Proteus Records M5PROTE-2] • New Zealand, 1985
It was recorded live on the streets of Manhattan, 5 September 1984. Now this is a very goode rockinâ version, rhythm, vocals and guitars.
BILLY FURY (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1205 for biographical info.
Sweet Little Sixteen (2:23) 1969 (live)
CD: Three Saturdays With Billy [Top Sounds TSSCD-009] • UK, 2021
10â LP: Three Saturdays With Billy [Top Sounds TSLP-009] • UK, 2021
Recorded live for BBC Radio 1, broadcast on Saturday Club, 18 January â69. Previously unissued.
FOGHAT (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1197 for biographical info.
Maybellene ( : ) 2019 (live)
2-CD+DVD: 8 Days On The Road [Foghat Records (Select-O-Hits) ] • USA, 2021
A 50th anniversary celebration concert album (14 tracks) recorded live 17 November 2019 at the Darylâs House Club in Pawling, New York. The club is owned by Daryl Hall. It features the current line-up led by founding drummer Roger Earl, plus Charlie Huhn (guitar and vocals), Bryan Bassett (guitar) and Rodney OâQuinn (bass).
LES COCHRANâS (France)
Beat quintet.
Carol (2:18) 1966
Memphis, Tennessee (2:38) 1966
EP: Les Cochranâs [Zaphyr 6002] • France, 2000
Songs copied from an acetate, recorded in 1966. Two Berry songs, one from the Kinks, and one original. On the front cover they are four (quartet) and on the back they are on stage as 5 (quintet). Itâs a strange thing that a band name themselves after a certain artist and no songs from that artist appears. Itâs about the same with The Rockinâ Berries from the UK. They never recorded any Berry songs, not even a soundalike!
LOVESICK DUO (Italy)
Paolo Roberto Pianezza plays various string instruments and Francesca Alinovi plays upright bass. After six years they have released 4 albums and several singles. They are rooted in the American style of the â40s and â50s country, rock & roll and western swing. Heâs a very good player and she can really slap that bass.
Memphis, Tennessee [as âMemphisâ] ( : ) 2017
CD: The New Orleans Session [Lovesick Duo ] • Italy, 2017
Featuring special guest: Chloe Feoranzo
Back In The USA (2:49) 2015
No Particular Place To Go (2:51) 2015
CD: Lovesick Duo [Pianezza LOV-01] • Italy, 2015
Itâs kinda amazing that two people can make so much goode sound.
MIRACULOUS MULE (UK)
Rock quartet consisting of Alex Louise Petty, Ian Burns, Michael J. Sheehy, Patrick McCarthy. The album below was their debut. They have released three more since then.
Down Bound Train (5:07) 2011
10â EP: Miraculous Mule [Stag-O-Lee STAG-O 022] • UK, 2011
6 track EP recorded in London.
JAYNIE NORTON And Her Dominators (UK)
A south London rocker who had a 45 vinyl out in 2019. On this debut album she gathered some old rockers from bands like Wild Angels, Matchbox and Rockhouse including Wild Bob Burgos (drums), Dick Callan (guitar), Dave Thorncroft (sax), Ian Sab (piano) and Bob Plumb (upright bass).
Maybellene (2:25) 2021
CD: Revâd Up & Rockinâ [TCY Records TCY-035] • Switzerland, 2021
But guys, âMaybelleneâ should only be credited to Berry, not the addition of Alan Freed and Russ Fratto. Thatâs ancient history.
ROLLING STONES (UK)
See volume 3, pages 1475-1477 for biographical info.
Thereâs a new 6-CD set out on Laser Media, âThe Broadcast Archives â Rolling Stones Boxâ LM-5608 (UK), containing 89 various live recordings with the band, from radio broadcasts, 1965-1988. A lot of Berry covers here (14 to be exact) and several soundalikes but thereâs no info on the set, and I will not use time and effort to try and find out whatâs new or previously released and where, what or when. The sound is also a bit irritating bad on some cuts. So why bother. Just for die-hard Rolling Stones fans, and me because I bought a copy (!)
RULLATOR BOOGIE BAND (Norway)
Blues/Rhythm & Blues sextet from DrĂžbak. They usually perform cover versions but also include original songs. On the 12 track CD below they have two originals.
Carol (3:19) 2019 (live)
CD: Live Fra Rommen Scene [Rullator Boogie Band, no cat.#] • Norway, 2020
Recorded live 30 October 2019 at Rommen Scene, Groruddalen, Oslo, Norway. A good rockinâ version.
TOMMY STEELE (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1532 for biographical info. However, on 10 October 2020 he was knighted so heâs now Sir Tommy Steele. It was about time.
Maybellene (3:02) 1959 (live) (previously unissued)
3-CD: Hits And Rarities [Acrobat Music ACTRCD-9108] • UK, May 2021
BBC Radio âThe Tommy Steele Showâ broadcast 14 November 1959. Donât know what to say except it was a big disappointment. Apart from making up his own lyrics and shouting, heâs just singing the refrain a few times while the orchestra is blowing away! The CD set itself is interesting containing a lot of rare and unissued stuff.
KENT WENNMAN ROCKABILLY QUARTET (Sweden)
Kent Wennman (vocals-guitar), Ulf Holmberg (lead guitar), Stefan Persson (bass), Per-à ke Persson (drums), plus add Nicke Widén (steel guitar).
Maybellene (2:01) 2019
CD: Guitar Man & Other Great Rockabilly Tracks Associated With The King Vol. 2 [Kattguld CD 024] • Sweden, 2019
6 tracks. Not quite sure if I should laugh or cry? Do they really mean that âMaybelleneâ is associated with Elvis? They do a very decent cover though.
CD: Good Rocking Tonight And Other Louisiana Hayride Live Performances Associated With The King [Kattguld CD 025] • Sweden, 2021
9 tracks. All the tracks are songs that Elvis performed on the Louisiana Hayride one time or another. Some he did record and others he didnât. I mean, hey, âTweedle Deeâ = Elvis? Give me a break, and the Lavern Baker classic is performed country. The guys are pretty good musicians and have the rockabilly feeling for sure. But the album titles are pretty irritating.
JERRY WILLIAMS (Sweden)
See Volume 3, page 1607 for biographical info. Except that the man died in March 2018. He was 75.
Down Bound Train (2:58) 2006
Too Much Monkey Business (2:44) 2006
CD: Waterfront Studio Sessions [Universal Music AB 050257757369] • Sweden, 2019
LP: Waterfront Studio Sessions [Universal Music AB 050257757138] • Sweden, 2019
âDown Bound Trainâ is actually very good, but ââŠMonkey Businessâ is a cover of the Elvis version and that was a disappointment.
Down Bound Train (3:35) 2015
CD: Ghost Rider [Universal Music AB 060254730493] • Sweden, 2015
LP: Ghost Rider [Universal Music AB 060254731847] • Sweden, 2015
Now this is strange in two ways, first too much music/noise and second the whole album is so far from what I have ever heard from Mr. Williams. The whole concept of the album is quite dark which reflects the music and arrangements.
Almost Grown (2:47) 2016 (live)
You Never Can Tell (3:43) 2016 (live)
2-CD set: Man MĂ„ste FĂ„ Lira [Universal Music AB 060255717019] • Sweden, 2017
It was recorded live at the Scalateatern, Stockholm 29 April 2016. A typical Jerry show! He has a great band, great singers, and he gives it all during almost 2 hours. He also has a habit of talking between some songs and when Jerry starts talking nothing can stop(?) him. He also had something to say about âChuckenâ (as he called him) before âAlmost Grownâ...
Saturday, May 1. 2021
Farewell to my favourite RnR magazine
The magazine started in 1977, produced by three Rock'n'Roll fanatics who complained about the lack of reliable information about 1950s music and performers. So Claus-D., H.-GĂŒnther and Wilfried decided to research and publish by themselves.
RRMM was a magazine made by fanatics and made for fanatics. My subscription started with issue number five in 1978.
When I started writing about Chuck Berry, RRMM was the logical choice: an early concert report made it to number 35 in 1983, a two-part biography with discography was published in numbers 49 and 50 in 1986. Since then whenever there was something of interest to tell about Chuck Berry, I was happy to write an article for the German-language readers. My final contribution was in the next-to-last issue published this January.
As everyone interested in 1950 Rock 'n' Roll knows, all of the famous performers have died or at least are becomming very old. And so did the readers of RRMM. In the end, there were so few subscriptions that printing the magazine was no longer reasonable.
I want to thank all the fellow writers at RRMM for doing all the research and for providing all their results to us, especially Dieter and Klaus. And many, many thanks to Waltraut and H.-GĂŒnther for keeping the magazine alive for 44 years!
Those of you who don't know the magazine still have a chance to buy certain back-issues. Look at the list of available issues at http://rocknroll-magazin.de/index/archiv. If you don't read German, don't worry. Translation software such as Deepl is excellent and will easily output a readable English version of everything you don't understand.
Friday, April 16. 2021
The Toronto Concert Complete - not yet - still
The audio was published on hundreds of vinyl and CD albums starting with the 2-LP set Live in Concert (Magnum LP-703) in 1978. The optical recording was used as early as 1970, most importantly in D.A. Pennebaker's movie Keep On Rockin' from 1972.
The interesting thing to collectors is that none of the audio or video releases contains the entire performance. The 2-LP set has, very uncommon for a live recording, each song completely separated with faded start and ending. The movie contains just a selection of songs as well as some in-between talks, but cut and spliced as it fitted to the director.
it is totally unclear why there has never been a complete release of the entire show. At least in the 1980s and 1990s a more complete source still existed, as budget re-releases of the concert contained indeed MORE than the original Magnum album. For instance a French LP album contains half a minute of introduction between School Day and Wee Wee Hours.
Thus at least in the 1990s some company still owned a more complete, maybe entire tape of the show they could license. Some labels used this, though never in total.
It is unclear whether this tape still exists somewhere. When Bear Family in 2014 released their huge Berry box, they tried to find it, but didn't succeed. Therefore Bear Family extracted the only song from the show still missing an audio release (the short Bonsoir Cherie) from Pennebaker's movie.
We all thought this would be the end of the story. But a few days ago, Sunset Blvd. Records released another audio CD with music from Toronto, but promoted their release with a prominently placed large sticker:
Even those like me who already have dozens of records containing the same show, felt tempted to buy one of the (pretty expensive) CDs. Don't do it!
Also Sunset Blvd. Records (SBR) did NOT find the original audio tape. Instead they cut and spliced available and well-known material trying to recreate the original concert. There's nothing wrong trying so. I did the same in 1997. However, I used all the material from all the sources. SBR obviously only had the Magnum album and Pennebaker's film.
This means that several of the transitions between songs are missing from this CD. And it means that what sounds like on-stage chatter and comments is not at the correct place, since Pennebaker already had cut and spliced segments from all over the concert and shuffled them around.
The songs are not in the correct sequence and parts of the show are omitted even though already known. The only interesting thing is that SBR included Kim Fowley's introduction to Berry.
So this is a fake! And at some time SBR must have recognized it. MC Kim Fowley is heard twice at song endings applauding Berry. One is at the non-medley version of Johnny B. Goode and thus also on the SBR CD. A second time is at the end of Maybellene.This and its placement at the end of the Magnum 2-LP set lets me assume that this song is one of the rare encores in a Berry concert. SBR instead decided to place Maybellene after I'm Your Hoochie Coochie Man which ends with Berry asking "You name it, we play it." Maybellene starts with "Did I hear Maybellene?" Fits, thought the people at SBR. But this required them to cut off Kim Fowley from the end of the song and to fade over into Too Much Monkey Business.
And indeed it's too much monkey business here. Why to spend all the effort to create such a fake? Either you have the original tape or you don't. But don't pretend to have it.
Interestingly the liner notes refer to and correctly name our database as a source. So they must have found this site. But why didn't they read the long chapter we have dedicated to this concert alone? All this leaves us fairly disappointed.
To end with a positive note: Have a look at Don Pennebaker's description about how the title Keep On Rockin' got selected and about his visit to John Lennon's bedroom showing him the film: https://phfilms.com/films/sweet-toronto-keep-on-rockin/#summary
Somehow Pennebaker misses to tell that Lennon demanded payment for his appearance and thus had to be cut from the film.
Monday, April 12. 2021
Jon Brewer's official Berry documentary - now on DVD
As a reminder: The film is a typical documentary/interview combination. The documentary part is taken from very well known sources, mostly from Taylor Hackford's "Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll" and its DVD bonuses. New interview segments are from many known musicians such as Johnny Rivers, Gene Simmons, Steve Van Zandt, George Thorogood, and Alice Cooper. The most interesting segments are interviews with the Berry family and close friends which speak quite frankly (though of course biased) about living and working with Chuck. So we listen to Chuck's wife Themetta, their children Charles, Ingrid, and Melody, the grandsons Charlie and Jahi as well as Jim Marsala, Joe Edwards, and Wayne Schoenberg. In total it is a very complete and historically exact description of Berry's life and career. And if you exclude Elise LeGrow, the soundtrack is perfect.
The DVD contains both the 103-minute documentary as well as larger segments of the interviews used within the film. This way you get another 100 minutes of talks about Chuck Berry by musicians Alice Cooper, Gene Simmons, Steve Van Zandt, George Thorogood, Joe Perry, Nils Lofgren, Nile Rodgers, Joe Bonamassa, and Johnny Rivers as well as by family and friends Ingrid Berry, Charles Berry Jr., and Jimmy Marsala. Recommended.
The DVD unfortunately is Region-coded. It will only play if your DVD player is able to show Code 1 DVDs (US+Canada). If it does you can buy it from the usual online stores even outside the U.S.A.
Sunday, January 17. 2021
CBID - Run Rudolph and 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: 40 more Chuck Berry covers from 27 artists and groups, including several versions of Run Rudolph Run.
Hey listen, you will be amazed of how many covers of Run Rudolph Run there are on YouTube. (Many just for digital downloading.) The latest being by a Norwegian group of 14 young blues musicians called Little Stevenâs Blues School 2020 provided by none other than Little Steven (Bruce Springsteen) who has taken a deep interest of blues music in Norway. Weâre talking 4 girl vocals, 2 guitars, piano, organ, 2 saxophones, 2 trompets, bass and drums. Recorded at Juke Joint Studio at Notodden, Norway. Produced by Morten Omlid and Jostein Forsberg. And all captured on video by Kristian Sundsvalen. Check it out.
And on 16 December 2020 Foo Fighters performed âRun Rudolph Runâ live on Amazon Music Holiday Plays special. Youâll find it on YouTube and as a digital download exclusively through Amazon Music.
BEATLES (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1064 for biographical info.
Roll Over Beethoven (2:10) 1963 (live)
LP: Live At The Liverpool Empire 7th December 1963 [Rhythm & Blues Records R&B-67] • UK, 2020
Except for the irritating screaming and noise from the audience itâs an okay version, the Beatles way. Side B feature live performances from other venues.
BLUEJAYS (UK)
Said to be the UKâs premier vintage rockânâroll band. Main members are Oliver Seymour (lead vocals-guitar), Matt Wycliffe (keys), Chris Reid (bass-vocals), Dan Graham (drums-vocals).
âTheir high-octane performance will shake, rattle and roll your event with hit after hit. The band are available as a four, five or eight piece.â This will give you an idea of what to expect.
Around And Around (2:09) 2018 (live)
CD: On The Air With The Bluejays [Bluejays] • UK, 2018
A collection of 11 live recordings from various BBC Radio sessions to promote the Rock And Roll Revolution album below. However, the Berry number above is not on the album.
Johnny B. Goode (3:00) 2018
CD: Rock And Roll Revolution [Bluejays] • UK, 2019
Featuring 21 studio recordings of their favourite songs from the touring show.
You Never Can Tell (2:44) 2019
LP: The Bluejays To The Rescue [Bluejays] • UK, 2020
Limited edition (500 copies) on 180gm vinyl and deluxe gatefold cover. 15 of the Bluejays recordings for the first time on vinyl. Including 5 previously unreleased tracks like the Berry one.
CHEAP TRICK (USA)
Rock band from Rockford, Illinois, formed in 1973. Consists of vocalist Robin Zander, Rick Nielsen (guitar), Tom Peterson (bass), Bun E. Carlos and later Daxx Nielsen (drums). Their biggest hits were âI Want You To Want Meâ in 1979 and âThe Flameâ in 1988. On the Xmas album below they have a lot of additional musicians participating throughout.
Run Rudolph Run (3:59) 2017
CD: Christmas Christmas [Big Machine Records BMRCT-0275A] • USA, 2017
LP: Christmas Christmas [Big Machine Records BMRCT-0275D] • USA, 2017
Although I like the guitar here the song becomes pretty heavy and annoying.
CLARKSDALE BROS. (Switzerland)
A folk/blues group founded in 2003 in Bern. Rick Steiger (vocals-r.guitar), JĂŒrg Heiniger (lead guitar), Marc Herrmann (doublebass). They may perform as a duo, trio or quartet, acoustic set or electric set. Named after the famous town Clarksdale in Mississippi.
You Never Can Tell [as âNever Can Tellâ] (3:04) 2012
CD: Studio Live Adventures [Self-released ] • Switzerland, 2012
Acoustic versions. Unusual.
Wee Wee Hours (5:30) 2015
You Canât Catch Me (3:40) 2015
CD: From Rags To Riches [Self-released ] • Switzerland, 2015
Acoustic versions. Very authentic.
ERIK & THE DRAGTONES (USA)
Erik Mielzarek is from Washington D.C. and it seems like heâs kept the band for some 30 years. They play neo rockabilly or in that genre.
Let It Rock (2:33) 2020
EP: Rockabilly Child [Bohemian Amigos ] • USA, 2020
7 inch EP on pink vinyl with three tracks. According to the reviewer in Blue Suede News mag, itâs Rockabilly headbanger music. After listening to the album I fully agree.
SARA EVANS (USA)
Country singer/songwriter, born 1971 in Boonville, Missouri. In 1997 she got three chart hits, but hit it big in 1998 with âNo Place That Farâ #1. She continued with many hits, both Top Ten and #1s up to 2016. She has a great voice and was voted Female Vocalist by ACM in 2006.
Run Rudolph Run (3:25) 2014
CD: At Christmas [RCA 88750 29722] • USA, 2014
Now this is a great rockinâ version. Evans is not considered as a rockinâ country gal. The project is more like a pop/country album and again itâs interesting to notice the choice of material. The Berry cover really differs from the rest of the tracks. His music always seems like a winner when it comes to pick a rockinâ song.
SAMANTHA FISH (USA)
Born in 1989. Singer/songwriter/guitarist originally from Kansas City, Missouri. Sheâs a pretty versatile musician in genres like rock, blues, country and funk. She has won several awards, especially in the blues field. Her first album âLive Baitâ came in 2009 and 9 more have followed.
Run Rudolph Run (4:51) 2019
45: Rounder Records 1166100825 • USA, 2019
Now this is pretty different, slower and with a little jazz/blues effect. Itâs okay but loses a bit of the rockânâroll feeling.
250 copies pressed and available only from SamanthaFish.com. White vinyl with red splatter.
ANDREAS GABALIER (Austria)
Born near Friesach, Austria in 1984. Heâs regarded as a folk singer and has received several awards in that category. His first single came in 2008, and heâs released some 11 albums since 2009, seven of them being Platinum.
Run Rudolph Run (2:40) 2020
CD: A Volks-RockânâRoll Christmas [Electrola 06024Â â3520176] • Germany, 2020
CD: A Volks-RockânâRoll Christmas [Electrola/Universal 06024Â â35206318] • Austria, 2020
The Austrian CD is a limited fanbox with 15 songs, including a embroidered tablecloth, printed candle and a wood star.
He usually sings in German, but this Berry cover is in English and rockinâ okay.
JOHNNY HALLYDAY (France)
See Volume 3, page 1227 for biographical info.
Carol [as âO Caroleâ] (5:08) 2016 (live)
Nadine (4:15) 2016 (live)
Promised Land [as âLa Terre Promiseâ] (4:40) 2016 (live)
3-CD: Rester Vivant Tour [Warner 0190295 923631] • France, 2016
Live at Palais 12, Brussels, Belgium, 25 March 2016. 41 tracks. Thereâs also a 2-CD set (minus âPromised Landâ) containing 28 tracks. Actually this album came out in several variants, including also DVD.
HOME FREE (USA)
Acappella quintet consisting of Austin Brown, Rob Lundquist, Adam Rupp, Tim Foust, and Adam Chance, originally formed in 2000 in Mankato, Minnesota. They released their first album âFrom The Topâ in 2007 on their own label, and in 2014 got a record deal with Columbia and the album âCrazy Lifeâ. Altogether they have 12 albums out. They sound really good and leave the listeners amazed with their vocal skills.
Run Rudolph Run (3:00) 2020
CD: Warmest Winter [Home Free Records 3961] • USA, 2020
Here they use a few instruments which was a disappointment to me.
LEVI KREIS (USA)
Singer and a Tony Award winning actor from Oliver Springs, Tennessee. Born 1973. His debut album âOne Of The Onesâ was released in 2005. He portraited Jerry Lee Lewis in Broadwayâs âMillion Dollar Quartetâ for which he received a Tony in 2010. He can look back at some 10 albums including his latest being âBad Habitâ in 2020.
Run Rudolph Run (2:38) 2018
CD: Home For The Holidays [Vision 9 Records ] • USA, 2018
A pretty standard rockinâ version.
LA SETTA (Italy)
Very authentic quartet, sounding just like the â60s.
Carol ( : ) 1992
Oh Baby Doll ( : ) 1992
Our Little Rendezvous ( : ) 1992
LP: 1965, Ramazzini Street [Dischi Impero/Contempo Records DI-102] • Italy, 1992
They are also covering âDonât You Lie To Meâ but since this is not a Berry song in the first place itâs not counted for.
Around And Around (2:59) 1993
LP: Hey! [Destination X Records DSX-33010] • Italy, 1993
They also do covers of âRoute 66â and âDonât You Lie To Meâ (blues version).
You Canât Catch Me (3:13) 1993
CD: Torture [Contempo Records CD-014] • 1993
LATERAL BLUE (USA)
A Nashville based string quartet, consisting of two guys, Caleb Edwards (mandolin), Kyle Lee (banjo) and two girls, Kori Caswell (bass), Laura Epling (fiddle), and it seems that they all sing.
Run Rudolph Run (3:27) 2019
CD: This Christmas [Green Hill Productions 562142] • USA, 2019
As the cover proclaims, A Progressive Bluegrass Holiday Collection. 15 mostly well known Christmas songs done in a traditional Bluegrass style. Again I find it interesting that they include this Berry classic among the other standard Yuletide songs.
SCOOTER LEE (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1312 for a cover of âYou Never Can Tellâ from 2005.
And!!! I beg you to excuse me for the very short and unfortunate comment on page 1312.
Line-dance queen (sounds better). She was born in 1957 and raised in the bayouâs of Lousiana, New Orleans that is. Sheâs been performing since 1971, so sheâs been around for a while(!) And despite that her first album came as late as 1994 she has released over 20 albums. Currently, Scooter Lee lives in Atlanta, Georgia where she owns and operates her international distribution company for audio and video. She also runs a charity organization for better health through dancing for elderly people. âDancing For The Dream, Inc.â is a non-profit charity.
Tulane (3:04) 2013
CD: Welcome To Scooterville [Scooter Lee/Superline Inc. ] • USA, 2013
Quite a good version.
EDDY MITCHELL (France)
See Volume 3, page 1367 for biographical info.
Medley: Almost Grown [Câest La Vie Mon ChĂ©ri] / No Particular Place To Go [Ă Credit et en StĂ©reĂł] / Iâm A Rocker [as âCâest Un Rockerâ] (6:30) 2016 (live)
2-CD: Big Band - Palais des Sport 2016 [Polydor 572Â 315-5] • France, 2016
Recorded 2 December 2016.
Iâm A Rocker [as âCâest Un Rockerâ] (3:57) 2017 w/ Johnny Hallyday
CD: La MemĂ© Tribu Vol. 1 [Universal 5788976] • France, 2017
LP: La MemĂ© Tribu Vol. 1 [Universal 5788977] • France, 2017
No Particular Place To Go [à Credit et en Stéreó] (2:48) 2018
Almost Grown [Câest La Vie Mon ChĂ©ri] (3:19) 2018
CD: La MemĂ© Tribu Vol. 2 [Universal 7450542] • France, 2018
LP: La MemĂ© Tribu Vol. 2 [Universal 7450573] • France, 2018
LEO MORACCHIOLI (Norway)
A singer and multinstrumentalist based in Oftedal. Born 1978 (Italian father). He is known for his metal covers of famous songs which have gained him over 4 million followers (!) on YouTube as Frogleapstudios. Besides arranging all the songs and playing all instruments (mostly) he also creates videos. The story goes that he has recorded over 400 covers. He also has a band called Frog Leap who did a European tour in the Spring of 2019 which resulted in an album, âFrog Leap Live In Europeâ.
Johnny B. Goode (3:52) 2017
Mp3: Leo Metal Covers / Volume 13 [Frog Leap Studio] • Norway, 2017
This should not be here but thinking of how many albums heâs done I think he deserves it.
Run Rudolph Run (Metal Version) (4:03) 2019
Single mp3 [Frog Leap Studio] • Norway, 2019
Mp3: Leo Metal Covers / Volume 22 [Frog Leap Studio] • Norway, 2019
I know this should not be here either, however, I do fancy this version with great guitar work. They call it metal but to me it sounds more like rockinâ punk.
EMILY OSMENT (USA)
Actress, singer, songwriter Emily Jordan Osment was born in 1992. She has starred in numerous TV series and movies.
Nominated for several performances and has won a few. She has released two EPs (2009) and (2019) as Bluebird and one album called âFight Or Flightâ 2010. Plus some nine singles.
Run Rudolph Run (2:14) 2008
CD single: The Bicycle Music Company • USA, 1 January 2009
Recorded late 2008. There are various performances on YouTube where she sings this Berry cover.
KAT PERKINS (USA)
Kathy Joan Perkins, singer, songwriter from Scranton, North Dakota, born 1980. So far sheâs released one full album âKat Perkinsâ (2015) and four EPs and a few singles. She was also a part of the Voice 6th season in 2014 and reached the semifinale.
Run Rudolph Run (2:55) 2018
CD: A Kat Perkins Christmas III [Kat Perkins Music Inc. ] • USA, 2018
A rockinâ version with a horn section.
Itâs interesting to notice that more and more female artists are covering this Berry classic.
ROCKPILE (UK)
See volume 3, page 1471 for biographical info.
Let It Rock / Letâs Talk About Us (6:58) 1980 (live)
Promised Land (3:40) 1980 (live)
CD: Live At Rockpalast [Repertoire REP-5325] • Germany, 2013
Previously unissued. 1 DVD and CD, same tracks. Recorded at Markthalle, Hamburg, West-Germany, 12 January 1980.
Featuring Dave Edmunds (vocals, lead guitar), Billy Bremner (guitar, vocals), Nick Lowe (bass, vocals), Terry Williams (drums).
S-CAPE (Germany)
Singer/songwriter/guitarist Sina Emmerich (born 1969) from Kloster Lehnin (near Berlin). After many years as a guitar player in various rock bands she decided to go solo in 2010 and released her first album âImaginationâ. Rock & roll legends like Chuck Berry influenced her style of playing. She also uses the standard rock & roll set up, guitar, bass and drums.
Johnny B. Goode [In a Rock & Roll Medley] (4:58) 2020
CD: Raceday [RecordJet 1002 189REJ] • Germany, 2020
The medley consists of Letâs Have A Party - Blue Suede Shoes - Johnny B. Goode.
WILLIAM SHATNER (Canada)
Born in 1931. Singer and actor. Heâs probably best known as Captain James T. Kirk of The USS Starship Enterprise from the science fiction TV series Star Trek and also the TV police series T. J. Hooker in the â80s and many others. Heâs had several albums out and as late as 2020 he released one titled âThe Bluesâ featuring a.o. Brad Paisley and Sonny Landreth.
Run Rudolph Run (3:13) 2018
CD: Shatner Claus - The Christmas Album [Cleopatra Records CLO-0959] • USA, 2018
Itâs also been released as a limited LP variant (same cat.no.) in four different colours, red, green, white and splatter vinyl.
The rockinâ cover is a cross between talking and singing but heâs doing a good job of it. He was around 87 years old when he recorded this. Remarkable. And by the way, I had no idea he had recorded so many albums!
SHOWADDYWADDY (UK)
See volume 3, page 1504 for biographical info.
Bye Bye Johnny (1:05) [in medley with âMove Itâ (3:14)] 2002
CD: Hey RockânâRoll [Ovation Recordings CLAP-001] • UK, 2002
Tulane (2:35) 2006
CD: I Love Rock âNâ Roll [Demon Music Group DMGTV-030] • UK, 2006
SARAH SMITH (Canada)
Singer, songwriter born 1978 in Guelph, Ontario and now lives in London, Ontario. Sheâs a very popular rock artist who was the lead singer of the rock band The Joys but started her solo career in 2012 with the album âStronger Nowâ. Sheâs won several awards in her homeland and play some 300 gigs a year. So far sheâs released six albums, including her newest titled âUnveilingâ (2019).
Run Rudolph Run (2:38) 2018
CD: A Christmas Wish [Sarah Smith Music ] • USA, 2018
This is a pretty goode hard rockinâ version and I must say doesnât reflect the image of the CD cover. Most of the songs have a rockinâ beat to them although you get a few slower and kinder approaches.
GEORGE THOROGOOD (USA)
See volume 3, page 1558 for biographical info, and a lot of other Berry covers.
No Particular Place To Go (4:36) 1982 (live)
Reelinâ And Rockinâ (8:16) 1982 (live)
4-LP: Live In Boston, 1982âThe Complete Concert [Craft (Rounder) CR00282] • USA, 2020
2-CD: Live In Boston, 1982âThe Complete Concert [Craft (Rounder) CR00340] • USA, 2020
Previously unissued. Part of this concert was first out in 2010 on a single Rounder Records CD including âIt Wasnât Meâ (see page 1559). So there are actually three Berry covers in the whole set, plus the Berry soundalike âHouse Of Blue Lightsâ.
This new edition is remastered and adds 12 previously unreleased tracks.
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Tuesday, October 27. 2020
CBID - Cover versions on DVD
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: You can add this release to both the DVD and the Cover Versions sections of CBID.
DVD
BROWN EYED HANDSOME MAN
Liberation Hall LIB-4057 • Germany, 2020
(Black & white/Colour 54 minutes + 26 minutes)
Carol â Chuck Berry, âHail, Hail Rock & Rollâ movie 1986 / Maybellene â Chuck Berry, Chess 1955 / Wee Wee Hours â Chuck Berry, Chess 1955 / You Canât Catch Me â Chuck Berry, âRock, Rock, Rockâ movie 1956 / Around And Around â The Rolling Stones, âThe T.A.M.I Showâ (âGather No Mossâ UK) 1964 / Roll Over Beethoven â The Beatles, Washington Coliseum concert 1964 / Johnny B. Goode â Jimi Hendrix, âJimi Plays Berkeleyâ 1971 / Back In The USA â Linda Ronstadt, âHail, Hail Rock & Rollâ movie 1986 / Nadine â Chuck Berry, âHail, Hail Rock & Rollâ movie 1986 / Sweet Little Sixteen â Chuck Berry, BBC TV show âSounds For Saturdayâ 1972 / (Johnny B. Goode â Paul Shaffer & His Band, âRock And Roll Hall Of Fameâ induction 1986) see below / Johnny B. Goode â Chuck Berry & Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band, âRock And Roll Hall Of Fameâ Grand Opening concert 1995 / Roll Over Beethoven â Jeff Lynn & Electric Light Orchestra, âRock And Roll Hall Of Fameâ induction 2017 / Carol â Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, âSoundstageâ 2003 / Brown Eyed Handsome Man â Paul McCartney, âLive at the Cavern Clubâ 1999 / Let It Rock â Chuck Berry, BBC TV show âSounds For Saturdayâ 1972 / Memphis, Tennessee - Chuck Berry, BBC TV show âSounds For Saturdayâ 1972
Bonus: 26 minute interview with Chuck from the German TV show âBeat Club, 24 March 1972. (See page 2037 âThe Lost Broadcastsâ in Vol. 4.)
This could be a bootleg but who cares(?) Good picture and sound quality. This documentary has been transmitted on various TV stations but so far very few have seen it, therefore this DVD is a welcome addition. The best performance is by all means Tom Pettyâs version of âCarolâ !!! What a drive and what a band. This documentary is more like a musical tribute to Berry than the other documentaries coming out lately. All performances are complete with no interruptions.
Note: The Paul Shaffer performance from the induction in 1986 is not featured although itâs printed on the back cover. I have tried to find it on You Tube but itâs not there either.
When Jeff Lynne starts off with âRoll Over Beethovenâ thereâs a big screen behind showing a picture of Chuck Berry. This song was ELOâs first hit in the USA in 1973. Also he was inducteed in 2017 not 2016 as printed on the back cover.
I have searched for Liberation Hall (printed on the back cover) to see what turned up and they actually have a website and there seems to be some other releases like The Blasters, The Flaminâ Groovies, Commander Cody and more according to discogs. So maybe itâs not a bootleg after all (?)
Saturday, October 17. 2020
CBID - A first Chuck Berry release from China
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: CBID lists and shows Chuck Berry Vinyl and CD releases from all over the world. Recently I came across a release from a country not listed so far.
CHINA
CLASSIC CHUCK BERRY - The Universal Masters Collection
MCA (Universal) HD-0044 • 1999
Same 20 tracks with some electronic stereo cuts as the 1999 UK (EU) issue MCA (Universal) 112 172-2 (page 216). However, since this is from China there are some differences involved, a separate lyric booklet in Chinese for one and much other Chinese printings. And it also has a cardboard wrapper. Considering what I wrote about this release in â99, the only interesting thing is that it was actually released in China (Made in China both on cover and label). Weâve never had anything from China before. It says in small printing For Distribution in Mainland China only. Also Shanghai Tendery Music Production Co., LTD.
Thursday, July 16. 2020
CBID - Cover versions: Hard Rock and Jerry Lee
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 wild mixture from blues to hard rock — and some more Jerry Lee.
CARBURETORS (Norway)
Hard rock quintet from Oslo who had their first single out in 2002 titled âBurning Rubberâ. Edwing Pinilla Gustoff (vocals), Kai Kristiansen (guitar), Stian Krogh (guitar), Gunnar Lund Wang (bass) and Cristopher Lindahl (drums).
However, they all use various nicknames like Eddie Guz, Kai Kidd, Stian K, King OâMen and Chris Nitro. Their music is said to be a mix of Chuck Berry and Motörhead.
Let It Rock (2:31) 2016
45: Steamhammer SPV-269886 • Germany, 2016 (picture sleeve)
Hard rockinâ version. A-side is âLords Of Thunderâ written by the band.
Sweet Little Rock And Roller (2:41) 2018
45: FFR (3) FFR-006 • Norway, 2018 (picture sleeve)
This was a limited edition. Really noisy hard rockinâ version. A-side titled âHurricaneâ written by the band.
BOBBY CRAFFORD And The Pacers (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1145 for biographical info.
Wee Wee Hours (2:44) 1961
45: Vaden 45-303 • USA, 1961
Various CD: Hot Rockinâ Music From Arkansas [Stomper Time STCD-32] • UK, 2013
Now this is a rare one. 45cat doesnât have it and neither do Rockinâ Records but youâll find it mentioned on the Rockinâ Country Style site . Anyway, itâs a lightweight white blues rendition, but still interesting that someone covered it in 1961 and released it as an A-side. The Fabulous Silver Tones had it as a B-side in 1960 (see page 1180).
JERRY LEE LEWIS (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1317 for biographical info.
Johnny B. Goode / Carol (6:17) 1974
LP: The Knox Phillips Sessions [Saguaro Road Records 30847-Z] • USA, 2014
CD: The Knox Phillips Sessions [Saguaro Road Records 30558-D] • USA, 2014
CD: The Knox Phillips Sessions [Ace CDCHM-1413] • UK, 2014
Previously unissued. It says in the booklet that this was recorded at Sam Phillips Recording Service in Memphis in late â70s, however, on-line it says 1973 or â74 and also 1979. Take your pick, I did. Again itâs annoying that one canât print when the damn thing was recorded. There must have been a tape-box or something. In 73-74 he was with Mercury. Anyway, the medley is again typical Jerry Lee but the sound is a bit woolen. Whatâs the matter with the guys mastering sound these days?
Promised Land (2:55) 2014
LP: Rock & Roll Time [Vanguard 78334-1 ] • USA, 2014
CD: Rock & Roll Time [Vanguard 78334-2] • USA, 2014
CD: Rock & Roll Time [Caroline Vanguard 5707833424] • UK, 2014
The sound here is also a little woolen (donât like the mastering) but the song itself is okay in typical Jerry Lee style. Another Berry cover to fill in on the very long list of Jerry Lee Lewis Sings Chuck Berry. You can also add âCarolâ on the Ace CD above.
SWEET SOUL (USA)
California band who plays something described like pop-punk.
Come On (1:45) 2020
EP: Noises Drown [New Morality Zine ] • USA, 2020
Rather a cover of the 1963 Rolling Stones version.
TONY VILAPLANA (Spain)
We still have no biographical info for this artist who was already listed in our July 2019 CBID Update.
Carol ( : ) 1965
EP: Tony [Vergara 299 XC] • Spain, 1965
I havenât heard this one either. It never stops regarding Berry covers. This one was spotted on eBay on 1 July 2020. Think of all the ones we still donât know about???
Thursday, June 4. 2020
CBID - Cover versions: a big surprise
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 few additions, two corrections, and a big surprise.
A new one to place in the NO CHUCK section.
Cathy Saunders (USA) â (I said) Johnny Be Good (2:05) (Edit 45-00-2002-V) 1962
This is teen pop with a little rockinâ voice. And has absolutely nothing to do with the Berry song. Written by one Triune who also produced the record.
BOOKER T. JONES (USA)
Booker Taliaferro Jones Jr. was born in Memphis, Tennessee in 1944. Heâs an multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, producer and arranger. Booker T & The MGâs should be a well known name for lots of people, soul music from the â60s. They were the unnamed house band for Stax Records. Along with Steve Cropper and Duck Dunn he did all the Stax hits from Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett and so on. âGreen Onionsâ is a classic instrumental hit from 1962 with a really good groove. His first solo album came in 1974.
Because of his studio work with so many artists in the last 60 years he won himself a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. Heâs in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, inducted 1992.
Itâs also interesting to notice that Booker T. actually sang lead on Santanaâs version of âHavana Moonâ in 1983 and that he co-produced the entire album.
Havana Moon (4:26) 2019
CD: Note By Note [Edith Street 51182] • USA, 2019
This album is released together with an autobiography titled âTime Is Tight â My Life, Note By Noteâ. He was on a national tour of concert and book reading events which started in November 2019 and went on through February 2020. On the album he has help from several people both on vocals and various instruments. Booker T. himself is handling the vocals on this Berry number and gets help from his son Teddy on guitar. This is not so different from several other versions and is performed in an okay latin way, all considered.
CONNECTION (USA)
Rock quartet from Rochester, New Hampshire, consisting of Brad Marino (vocals-guitar), Geoff Palmer (lead guitar-vocals), Bobby Davis (bass) and Zack Sprague (drums), plus additional musicians like Kris Rodgers (piano-organ). Again interesting that of 14 tracks 12 are written by Marino and Palmer, one cover by the Rolling Stones âConnectionâ and the Berry cover, which of course was also covered by the Stones.
Let It Rock (2:12) 2013
CD: Let It Rock [Collectors Club CCR-12] • USA, 2013
LP: Let It Rock [King Yum KY-002] • USA, 2013
LP: Let It Rock [Rumble/Ghost Highway GHR-67] • Spain, 2013
A good rockinâ version with elements of the Stones (naturally).
See also Brad Marino
JERRY GARCIA BAND (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1207 for biographical info.
Let It Rock (8:59) 1989 (live)
2-CD: GarciaLive Volume 13: September 16th, 1989 Poplar Creek Music Theatre [Round Records 40152] • USA, 2020
The 13th installment of an ongoing series of archival concert albums from the Jerry Garcia Band was released on Friday 24 April, featuring a previously unreleased performance the late Grateful Dead frontman's side group gave outside of Chicago that featured a guest appearance by late E Street Band sax player Clarence Clemons.
HATTERFOX (USA)
School Day [School Days] (2:11) 1970s
45: Med-Fly Records MFR-001 • USA, 1970s
This was spotted on eBay March 2020 and the seller wanted over 200 dollars for it so I passed. I wonder, old records arenât gold anymore but some sellers still think so.
And sorry to say I donât know anything about this, canât find it mentioned anywhere. The label is out of Redstone, Al which could mean Alabama. The B-side has a song titled âComing Down On Youâ written by Leverett/Leverett, which tells me nothing.
However, I did find another 45 by Hatterfox on Unique Records out of Daytona Beach, Florida titled âLonely Tonightâ also written by Leverett.
BIBER HERRMANN (Germany)
Acoustic folk/blues singer, songwriter. His first two albums (in 1993 & 1999) he released himself. The one below is his third and he also has four more CDs and a couple of guitar workshop DVDs.
You Canât Catch Me (3:45) 2007
CD: Rainbow Walker [Wonderland Records WR-9043] • Germany, 2007
Pretty unusual acoustic guitar version with nice and easy drums put on to good effect.
SKIP JENSEN (Canada)
Real name Serge Gendron, born in 1967 and raised in Lachine, Montreal. Singer, songwriter, cartoonist. While also performing solo heâs been in various rock bands like Scat Rag Boosters (1996-2004), Stack-OâLees, The Wrong Doers and Demonâs Claws.
Promised Land (3:56) 2002
EP: Skip Jensen & His Shakinâ Feet [Yakisakana Records SAZAE-010] • France, 2003
3 tracks. Issued with an insert quoting: Recorded at home in my room and bathroom at the end of 2001 and beginning of 2002. Skip Jensen sings, plays guitar, harmonica and his feet do the rest. If you read my comments on the below youâll get an idea, although this sounds more simple in structure, interesting but pretty boring, sorry to say.
Promised Land (3:57) 2005
CD: Abscond [Delta Pop Music DPM-005] • USA, 2005
LP: Abscond [Demolition Derby NITRO-28] • Belgium, 2005
Strange mid tempo folky version with harmonica (Dylan type). Actually heâs trying to sound a bit like Dylan in his singing too. The beauty of Berryâs original is almost gone.
KAISERS (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1283 for biographical info.
Nadine (2:20) 2018
CD: Ruff âNâ Rare [Sound Flat Records SFR-10-005] • Germany, 2018
LIVINâ BLUES (Netherlands)
Rock/blues band whoâs been around since 1967 in various formations. So far they have released some 12 albums, the first coming out in 1969, titled âHellâs Sessionâ. Also a lot of compilation albums throughout the years. It seems like they are being very popular.
Havana Moon (3:50) 1987
LP: Now [Bounce Records BR-8701] • Netherlands, 1987
CD: Now [DMI Records DMI-201205080] • Netherlands, 2012
Less caribbean and more bluesy version with harmonica.
BRAD MARINO (USA)
Rock singer/songwriter from Rochester, New Hampshire. Founding member of the rock group The Connection who had an album released in 2013 titled âLet It Rockâ.
Bye Bye Johnny (2:30) 2019
CD: Extra Credit [RUM BAR Records RUM-042] • USA, 2019
LP: Extra Credit [Ghost Highway Beluga077 GHR-203] • Sweden, 2019
The LP was a limited edition with only 500 copies pressed.
See also Connection
MORRIS FONTANE (USA)
Maybellene [as âMaybellineâ] ( : ) 1955
45 EP: EP Records EP 4 Hits EPR-11 • USA, 1955
Various artists performing then current hit records. Budget label out of Brooklyn, New York. Morris Fontane was better known as Morris Fontain who recorded âJuicinâ And Goofinâ â on Savoy 1139 in 1954. The other two artists featured are The Echoes (2 songs) and Emmet Hobson.
PANIKS (Spain)
Punk/garage rock quartet consisting of José Ramón Rioja (vocals, guitar), Ainoa Astiazaran (guitar), Maribel Ortiz De Urbina (standup bass), Patxi López Monasterio (drums). At least that was the band when they recorded the album below.
Stop And Listen (2:55) 2007
CD: Panik Piknik [Bi Batean Diskak BBD-004] • Spain, 2008
LP: Panik Piknik [El Beasto Recordings EB-033] • Spain, 2008
Thereâs an extra track on the LP at the end of side B.
Now what a BIG surprise finding this very obscure Berry track being covered in 2007. Never thought anyone would do this although they actually did a decent job of it.
POPA CHUBBY (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1422 for biographical info.
However, there are some justifications and amendments regarding the actual release, see below.
No Money Down (9:59) 2002 (live)
2-CD: Live At FIP [Dixie Frog DFGCD-8550 ] • France, 2003
This is what happens when you donât have the actual album in hand. The track was recorded live at Radio France (Studio 105), Paris, 12 February 2002. He also does Carl Perkinsâ âMatchboxâ and the country classic âJacksonâ a.o. And it was a 2-CD set and album released in France.
TOMMY C & THE BLACK WIDOW GREASE BAND (USA)
Tommy C has been rocking crowds since 1979. Singer, saxophone player. Heâs played on stage with many of the rocknâroll legends and also had a 10 year stretch as a musical director for Chubby Checker. Tommy C is a Detroit native and has been influenced by musical styles from Motown to rock ânâ roll. A revival band with a Detroit sound from Santa Clarita (California).
Bye Bye Johnny ( : ) 2019
Memphis, Tennessee [as âMemphisâ] ( : ) 2019 (instr)
CD: Hidden Treasures [TCI 0968] • USA, 2019
A Tribute to the Finest Era of American Rock And Roll, so the add tells us. And he and the band are doing concert dates throughout the US during 2020, also Canada.
Sunday, March 29. 2020
CBID - Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits also released in South Korea
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 South Korean record from the 1960s we hadn't seen before.
SOUTH KOREA
CHUCK BERRYâS GREATEST HITS
Seill SL-137 (Tae Do Record Co.) • mid 1960s
This looks very much like the ones from Taiwan. Thin paper jacket, however, it has an open folio sleeve with an art work for a George Jones album on the opposite side. Same tracks as the original US Chess LP.
(There are still records out there that we have never seen or heard of. Itâs a strange world.)
Wednesday, February 19. 2020
Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits (Chess LP-1485)
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. And while we're at it, we also have a deeper look at the multiple labels found with this album.
USA
CHUCK BERRY'S GREATEST HITS
Chess LP-1485 • April 1964 + reissues
This is another of those Berry LPs that has come out with countless number of label variants and three different front covers, six if you count the el.stereo ones numbered LPS-1485. Itâs been reissued so many times, Morten has 8 different copies of this album, cover and label, and we have been made aware that even more variants exist through readers of this site. This text should help collectors to understand the various releases of a record published for more than a decade using the same catalog number and a basically unchanged cover.
- The first cover didnât have any titles listed on the blue front side.
- Just like with the On Stage album (Chess LP-1480) soon thereafter the cover received a sticker containing important song titles printed in black on yellow: Memphis, Maybellene, and Johnny B. Goode. (Memphis had been a hit by both Lonnie Mack and Johnny Rivers (1963-1964), Maybellene a hit by Johnny Rivers (1964), and Johnny B. was a classic everybody was doing.). Note aside: this was the first occasion that âMaybelleneâ was incorrectly spelt with an âiâ.
- Finally the most common variant of the cover contains the same titles printed in yellow in the bottom right-hand corner (see images). 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 three covers of Chess LP-1485. As with all images on this site you can enlarge them by clicking.
Again as with the On Stage album, the first records sent out to disk jockeys at radio stations were produced using the then new (and expensive) multi-color label with the golden Chessknight logo (sometimes referred to as the 'crest' logo). Our good friend and expert on US album releases, Thierry Chanu, whom we unfortunately lost a few weeks ago (bless his soul), provided this image of a DJ Copy label:
The same label template and print was also used for commercial records, though less the DJ COPY print:
When reading about LP-1485, records with the multi-color label are often called a second or later pressing. This does not make sense if the initial very first records produced, the DJ copies, already had this label. Such saying stems from a misunderstanding about how the recording industry worked during the mid-Sixties.
The label of a record was maybe a marketing instrument when giving a record to the press or to a disk jockey. It did not matter at all for the records sold to the public, though. What mattered to Chess was to produce as many records as needed, fast and cheap. Where cheap also meant with little transport costs.
Due to this Chess records weren't all produced by the Chess-owned "Midwest Record Pressing" plant in Chicago but with the help of local pressing plants distributed all over the country. The partner companies simply received the master disks from Chess along with paperwork telling them what was to be read on the record labels.
In the case of LP-1485, the engineers at the Chess-owned "Ter-Mar Recording Studios" had combined the old master tapes from Berry's hit singles to form two new master tapes numbered 12989 for side 1 and 12990 for side 2. From master tape 12989 a one-sided master disk ('lacquer', 'nickel', or 'matrix') was cut. Within the dead-wax area of the master disk you find the etchings 'LP1485', 'Side 1', '12989', and 'TM0840'. The unknown engineer also left his personal logo which looks like the Greek letter Ω in a circle. If a reader can identify the engineer from this logo, let us know.
Likewise the side 2 master tape 12990 was converted into a second one-sided master disk etched 'LP1485', 'Side 2', '12990', and 'TM0841'. Copies of these master disks were sent to the pressing plants which then used them in their production processes.
The corresponding paperwork told the pressing plants that the artist name was to be written as CHUCK BERRY and the record name was to be CHUCK BERRY'S GREATEST HITS. The label had to contain the publisher note "Published by Arc Music Corp. - BMI", the master tape number, and the composer note "All Songs Written By Chuck Berry Music Inc." (not "by Chuck Berry").
Nowadays a company would specify exactly the font size, type style, spacing and position of each character on the label. In the Sixties this wasn't important at all. Local printers at the pressing plants or nearby laid out the text in whatever style they found appropriate and printed the needed quantity onto label templates. Label templates were blank labels pre-printed with the record company logo on the correctly colored paper. Label templates were the same for all records the pressing plant would produce for this client (the record company), thus were in stock in large quantities.
When LP-1485 went into production, most early pressings were produced using the former label template having CHESS and HIGH-FIDELITY printed vertically to the left. And as each pressing plant had their own printer to layout the labels, we find multiple variants of how the record and song names were distributed on the label template. Here are four different layouts of the text printed on the same label template:
By looking at the layout of the label text and by looking at other details such as the size of the stamper which holds the label on place during pressing, experts are often able to recognize a specific pressing plant. Without access to accounting data from Chess or their suppliers, one cannot tell which plant pressed which record in which quantity or how many pressing runs there were. We also cannot tell when the records were pressed and if there was some kind of 'first' or 'second'. One thing we can tell is that records with the first label variant above have been produced by the Monarch pressing plant in Los Angeles. This is because at Monarch all the customers' master disks were additionally stamped with the Monarch order number. Thus these records have an additional etching 'âł6595' in the dead-wax area.
We hope to have made clear that therefore it does not make sense to speak about a first, second, third pressing. If you want a sequential order, you have to look at the cover where there clearly is a first, second and third variant. Because we don't know how fast Chess had changed the cover — probably soon, but not without having used the printed stock — it's not clear if all or which labels were used in which cover.
However, we do know that a second pressing exists. All the mechanical elements used to create a vinyl record wear off. The stampers have to be replaced after a certain number of pressings, the mother can only be used to create a certain number of stampers, and also the master disks cannot be duplicated too many times until the sound quality becomes unacceptable. So the engineers at Ter-Mar had to replace master disks TM0840 and TM0841. They created new master disks from the master tapes and etched them 'TM0840-1' and 'TM0841-1-'.
Those were sent out as replacements to the pressing plants including new paperwork for the labels. How can we tell about new paperwork? Simply because someone made an error when specifying the text for the side 2 label. Side 2 contains six songs: Nadine, Maybelline, Memphis, Sweet Little Sixteen, Thirty Days, and Brown Eyed Handsome Man (spellings as on cover). All labels printed for the first pressings (TM0841) correctly list all these. However, all labels printed for the second pressings (TM0841-1-) list only five songs. They miss Sweet Little Sixteen. When Morten did the Chuck Berry International Directory books 2008-2013 he didnât have any of the actual misprints, however, he did get a copy a few years back without even noticing the fact our reader Jack recently told us about. So far we have found the misprint with these label variants:
As you can see, the multi-color label was used for both vinyl variants. The blue one with the Chessknight is only known with the second set of matrices. The light-blue one is used here and in a couple of later versions. Since the error has not been corrected one can assume that these three labels were used more or less concurrently — or that no-one ever noticed.
The light-blue label template has been in use at Chess from the mid 1960s until the company was sold to GRT in 1969. During these three or four years more variants of LP-1485 were created.
At some time in the late 1960s Chess decided to no longer worry about keeping old records in stock, producing them over and over again as long as they were being sold, and having to keep up with all the effort such as renewing master disks from time to time. So they outsourced the whole process to a company called "Columbia Custom Pressings" (part of Columbia Records). The first thing Columbia did was to create new master disks. The new master disks were etched 'XCTV121409-1B' and 'LP 1485-A-' on side 1 and 'XCTV121410-1A' and 'LP 1485B' on side 2. The label looked very much like the one from 'TM0840-1'/'TM0841-1-'. But Sweet Little Sixteen was back again!
Not long after this, the labels changed slightly, now also telling the Columbia master number XCTV 121409/121410.
And since also Columbia master disks have to be redone from time to time, we find yet another vinyl variant now carrying the master disk numbers XCTV 121856/121857. The etching reads 'XCTV-121856-1A TII' and 'XCTV-121857-1A TII', and the numbers are also shown on the labels.
This label introduced another spelling error: Maybellene got its E back, but now misses the Y. This record is probably the last variant of the Mono version.
By the mid-Sixties demand began to rise for Stereo records. In 1968 the sale of Mono records discontinued because no record dealer was willing to stock Mono records any more.
The Greatest Hits sampled on LP-1485 of course were all recorded in Mono. Therefore the only way to do a kind-of-stereo release was to artificially modify the Mono signals to distribute them onto the two stereo channels. This is often called el.stereo.
It is not quite clear when the 'stereo' version of LP-1485 was released. All labels we know of include Sweet Little Sixteen but display the spelling error on Maybellene introduced with the final Mono version. So we believe, the el.stereo version was a replacement to the last Mono version, probably released in 1968.
The el.stereo version of Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits is known with at least three cover variants. While the covers continue to talk about LP-1485, the labels call this release LPS-1485.
- The very first copies of LPS-1485 were sold in the plain old sleeve of the mono version (third variant). But they had a sticker in the upper right corner saying "Electronically Altered For Stereo".
- Soon thereafter, a specific cover for the el.stereo version was printed and used. It has a print in the upper right corner saying "Electronically altered to simulate stereophonic". The number on the cover was changed from CHESS 1485 to CH-1485.
- In later years, when Chess was owned by GRT, the record was produced for retail stores in masses, now with a cheap black and white variant of the cover.
Chess had to produce a new set of master tapes for the Stereo version containing the electronically altered music. These tapes were numbered 12989-S and 12990-S. The first pressings had a Columbia XCSV (S for Stereo) matrix. We have found the el.stereo variant of the Greatest Hits album with these labels so far.
And if you think that's all, keep in mind that successful Chess records such as LP-1485 were also released as 4-track 7-inch reel-to-reel tapes and as 8-track tape cartridges — using the exact same cover image, of course. We wonder if we ever saw a Compact Cassette tape ...
CHUCK BERRY'S GREATEST HITS
Chess [Sundazed] LP 5565 • 28 April 2018 (Record Store Day)
We should not forget to mention this 2018 LP album which is — you guessed it — yet another re-release of Chess LP-1485. The Chess brand is now owned by Universal Music and their subsidiary Geffen Records uses the Sundazed label to publish high-quality audiophile re-releases of classic albums.
LP 5565 comes with the same contents as LP-1485, though with a different front cover. Interestingly the back cover is similar to the original back cover and the label resembles the original label even more. The 2018 album was pressed on orange translucent vinyl.
[Many thanks to Thierry, Anne and Jack for providing additional information and images! A big Thank You goes to Joanna of RecordsByMail.com for providing us with a good image of a cover variant we did not have.]
[A note on the images in this text: On our site we have the strict rule to show only those records we own and only images we created by ourselves. For the sake of completeness, this text is an exception as we (still) miss a few of the records shown. The corresponding images have been sent to us from readers or have been digitally extracted, enhanced and modified from images available on places such as ebay and discogs. These are the images without our watermark.]
[Edit 29-03-2020: Replaced image of DJ copy label with a better version provided by Anne Chanu - Thanks!]
[Edit 25-04-2020: Added first label of LPS version.]
Monday, February 10. 2020
CBID - Corrections and Additions to the Chuck Berry Cover Versions List
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: Some corrections, one answer to a long open question and yet another list of cover versions to be added to the chapter on Chuck Berry covers in Volume 3.
It has come to my attention that âRoll Over Beethovenâ from 1964 by the Searchers is not actually this group but rather by Ian & The Zodiacs aka the Koppykats. The German LP referred to in the text on page 1494 seems like a Searchers album and nothing is mentioned that the track in question is actually not by this group. And not just that, six of the songs are by the Searchers and 6 songs by the Koppykats â page 1296 (aka Ian & The Zodiacs). Thatâs really too much monkey business.
Thanks to Peter Checksfield for this info.
On page 1650 (Vol. 4) Mystery Cover Version. Now finally it seems we have found the answer. A popular Canadian rock band called April Wine was the support act for the Rolling Stones when the Stones played in Toronto, Canada in 1977. Unfortunately I have not been able to find this track âLittle Queenieâ on the April Wine album âLive At The El Mocamboâ (1977). So maybe this single in disguise was a try to see what happened. Very strange though.
On page 1249 John Hill & The Retreads (USA) âJohnny B. Goodeâ must be erased as you will find the same entry on page 1449 as by The Retreds (USA) which by the way is the correct name. Itâs a garage rock version.
ANIMALS (UK)
See Volume 3, pages 1041-42 for biographical info.
Sweet Little Sixteen (3:04) 1966
Wee Wee Hours (3:55) 1965
2-CD set: Broadcasts 1964-1966 [Rhythm & Blues Records RANDB-057] • UK, 2019
I havenât been able to check if the âSweet Little Sixteenâ track on the LP R&B-13 is the same as the one above on this release. âWee Wee Hoursâ is a live recording from a radio session, and again Eric Burdon proves his ability as a singer of great power.
BALLROOM ROCKETS (Germany)
Aka The Rosmaity Brothers, Christoph (guitar) and Fabian (vocals, bass), plus René Lieutenant on drums.
Thirty Days (2:29) 2008
CD: Ready If Youâre Willinâ [Rhythm Bomb Records CDRBR-5682] • Germany, 2008
Straight ahead rockabilly version. See also The Rosmaity Brothers.
CLIFF BENNETT & THE REBEL ROUSERS (UK)
The band Rebel Rousers was formed in 1957 by Cliff Bennett. They released singles on the Parlophone label but it was first in 1964 that they got hit singles with a.o. âOne Way Loveâ and 1966 âGot To Get You Into My Lifeâ. The members consisted of a.o. Chas Hodges who would later team up with Dave Peacock as Chas & Dave.
Bye Bye Johnny [as âJohnny B. Goodeâ] (2:27) 1963 (mono)
Bye Bye Johnny [as âJohnny B. Goodeâ] (2:27) 1963 (stereo)
4 CD-set: Into Our Lives: The EMI Years 1961-1969 [EMI 50999 6 97388 2] • UK, 2009
Previously unissued. Itâs a tough and rockinâ goode version. Strange but it says âJohnny B. Goodeâ on the album. They couldnât tell the difference in 2009?
GRATEFUL DEAD (USA)
See Volume 3, page 1218-1220 for biographical info, and Vol. 4 page 2048.
If you look in Vol. 3 of CBID on the above pages youâll see that there are a huge number of entries by this group.
Especially regarding the Dickâs Picks series. It was organised by Dick Latvala who was the custodian of the Grateful Dead tape vault until his death in 1999. From 2000 it was overseen by David Lemieux until 2005 when the Road Trip series took over and lasted till 2011, and the Daveâs Picks started in 2012.
The thing is that there are almost a Berry song or three on every release and I feel it will take too much space. The Daveâs Picks series have now reached Vol. 32 so you can imagine how many covers we are talking about. I have included a few issues below to give you an idea, and they have also covered âRun Rudolph Runâ a couple of times (Christmas you know).
Around And Around (9:10) 1977 (live)
Johnny B. Goode (4:20) 1977 (live)
Promised Land (4:32) 1977 (live)
3 CD: Daveâs Picks Vol 1 -The Mosque, Richmond, VA â5/25/77 [Rhino / Grateful Dead R2-529201] • USA, 2012
Run Rudolph Run (3:43) 1971 (live)
3 CD: Daveâs Picks Vol.22 â Felts Forum, New York â12/7/71 [Rhino / Grateful Dead R2-557453] • USA, 2017
Run Rudolph Run (3:28) 1971 (live)
3 CD: Daveâs Picks Vol.26 âAlbuquerque Civic Auditorium, NM 11/17/71 [Grateful Dead R2-565049] • USA, 2017
Recorded live in Ann Arbor, Michigan, 14 December 1971. Bonus concert.
Around And Around (7:50) 1977 (live)
Johnny B. Goode (4:23) 1977 (live)
Promised Land (5:03) 1977 (live)
3 CD: Daveâs Picks Vol.29 âSwing Auditorium San Bernardino, CA [Rhino Records R2-573507] • USA, 2017
âJohnny B. Goodeâ recorded live at Robertson Gym, University Of California, Santa Barbara, CA 27 February 1977, bonus track.
Johnny B. Goode (3:55) 1973 (live)
Promised Land (3:22) 1973 (live)
3 CD: Daveâs Picks Vol.32 âThe Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA 3/24/73 [Rhino Records R2-573510] • USA, 2019
This would have to do. Volumes 1 â 2 â 3 - 4 â 5 â 7 â 8 â 11 â 12 â 16 â 18 â 20 â 21 â 23 â 24 â 25 â 28 â 31 also includes one or two Berry covers, such as Around And Around, Johnny B. Goode or Promised Land .
And on top of that thereâs a lot of other Grateful Dead releases, a.o. a series titled Europe â72 that includes some 24 volumes!!! which of course also includes Berry covers.
Itâs estimated that the group performed Berryâs songs around 1100 times !!! Quite a number (the info could itself fill a whole book).
RICHARD GRAY & THE FOUR BROTHERS (Australia)
This is not a new entry, see page 1221, but additional information and correction.
A white vocal quintet from Sidney. Musically, think Deep River Boys.
Maybellene (2:33) 1955
78: Philips P-37031 • Australia, 1955
KINKS (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1292 for biographical info.
Bye Bye Johnny (2:27) 1965 (live)
Little Queenie (1:48) 1964 (live)
2-CD set: Transmissions 1964-1968 [Audio Vaults AV-201809] • UK, 2019
âLittle Queenieâ recorded 7 September, 1964, BBC Saturday Club, Playhouse Theatre, London.
âBye Bye Johnnyâ French TV broadcast - Recorded live 24 April 1965 at the Palais De La Mutualite, Paris.
Again sorry to say, but thereâs something wrong with The Kinks and rockânâroll, they just donât match.
CHARLIE LILLY (USA)
Nadine (3:30) 1974
45: Revelation Records Ltd. AS-1027 • USA, 1974
The seller on eBay wrote that it was a garage 45, however, itâs more like a soul blues with harmonica. Itâs in stereo and was as printed on the label Recorded in the country at Appalachia Sound Recording Studios, Chillicothe, Ohio. The A-side is âMama Canât Sleepâ written by one Walt Cook.
MASTERâS APPRENTICES (Australia)
See Volume 3, pages 1347-1348 for biographical info.
Around And Around (2:55) 1966
Carol (2:34) 1966
Iâm Talking About You (1:56) 1966
Johnny B. Goode (2:27) 1966
Maybellene (2:02) 1966
Too Much Monkey Business (2:35) 1966
CD: From Mustangs To Masters, First Year Apprentices [Nickoff Records NCD-1] • Australia, 2004
21 previously unreleased tracks. They also did âRoute 66â (two versions) which is modelled after the Berry/ Stones versions. All recorded in April 1966 at The Garage. Sound quality is not perfect, and for fans only.
EARL PRESTON & The T.T.âs (UK)
Mersey Beat quintet who had one single out on Fontana in 1963, and was also featured on tracks by Eden Kane and Cy Tucker. The latter part of the group. Lead singer George Joseph Spruce from Liverpool took his stage name from his brother-in-law Earl and American artist Preston Epps.
Betty Jean (2:37) 1963
CD: Unearthed Merseybeat Vol. 3 [Viper CD-032] • UK, 2005
Previously unissued demo. Thanks to Peter Checksfield for this entry.
PRETTY THINGS (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1431 for biographical info.
Johnny B. Goode (1:42) 1964 (live)
CD Box set: Bouquets From A Cloudy Sky [Snapper SMABX-1029] • UK, 2015
Previously unissued track from the BBC 2 Live on the Beat Room, recorded December 1964. The box is a collectors item consisting of all their original albums on 11 CDs, a copy of an acetate (4 tracks), and rarities on 2 CDs, and 2 DVDs, plus memorabilia and a thick hardcover book. Released to commemorate the band's 50th Anniversary.
ROLLING STONES (UK)
See volume 3, pages 1475-1477 for biographical info.
Little Queenie (4:18) 1998 (live)
2 CD: Bridges To Buenos Aires [Eagle Rock RBCD-5407] • USA, 2019 (CD + Blue-Ray)
3 LP: Bridges To Buenos Aires [Eagle Rock 20451] • USA, 2019 (Black or blue vinyl)
Recorded live at River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires, Argentina on 5 April 1998.
Donât know what happened but this one doesnât live up to the bandâs reputation. Thereâs something wrong with the drums and bass.
STORMY TEMPEST (UK)
Johnny B. Goode (2:38) 1989
45: Everbimes EVB-0071 • UK, 1989 (picture sleeve)
I did spot this on 45cat but havenât been able to find a link to listen to it or any info. Maybe a reader can?
Wednesday, January 15. 2020
CBID - new Chuck Berry tribute albums and songs
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: Chapter 14 in Volume 2 describes tribute songs and albums. Here are some additions to this:.
ROSMAITY BROTHERS (Germany)
Fabian and Christoph Rosmaity, guitar and bass respectively featuring Christian Bleiming (piano) and Alex Lex (drums). The brothers have been playing together for over 20 years.
Let It Rock (1:50) / Thirty Days (2:27) / Carol (2:55) / You Never Can Tell (2:56) / Roll Over Beethoven (2:38) / Wee Wee Hours (4:22) / Johnny B. Goode (2:49) / No Particular Place To Go (2:36) / Nadine (4:02) / Sweet Little Sixteen (2:52) / Little Queenie (3:02) / Maybellene (2:34) / Worried Life Blues+ (3:06) / Promised Land (2:21) / Rock And Roll Music (2:42) â 2016
CD: Berry Pickinâ - A Salute To the Genius of Chuck Berry [The Rocket Sound Lab] • Germany, 2016
I do appreciate that the guys took the time and recorded an album with 14 Berry songs and one related. Unfortunately they almost sound like the originals, updated that is. The tracks that really work are the two blues oriented songs. Interesting to hear âWorried Life Bluesâ the Berry way. Itâs okay to record ones favourite Berry song(s) but since they have been recorded by almost whoâs who in the music business itâs therefore important to get a personal and different approach, like they did with âWee Wee Hoursâ.
See also The Ballroom Rockets.
RICHARD THOMPSON (UK)
See Volume 3, page 1181 under Fairport Convention for more info.
Guitar Heroes (7:40) â 2015
CD: Still [Propel Records PRPCD131] • UK, 2015
CD: Still [Fantasy Records FAN-37274 02] • USA, 2015
Here Thompson pays tribute to his guitar heroes. One of them being Chuck Berry, others being Django Reinhardt, James Burton, Hank Marvin (The Shadows) etc. In one verse he sings about Berry and imitates his guitar style.
RONNIE WOOD & His Wild Five (UK)
Ronald David Wood, singer, songwriter, guitarist, author and radio personality, born in 1947. Today best known as a member of The Rolling Stones since 1975, but also as a member of Faces and The Jeff Beck Group.
Tribute To Chuck Berry (2:04) 2018 (live)
Iâm Talking About You [as "Talking About You"] (3:07) 2018 (live)
Mad Lad+ (3:13) 2018 (instr) (live)
Wee Wee Hours (4:46) 2018 (live) feat. Imelda May
Almost Grown (2:50) 2018 (live)
Back In The USA (3:58) 2018 (live)
Blue Feeling (3:52) 2018 (instr) (live)
Worried Life Blues+ (5:28) 2018 (live)
Little Queenie (4:27) 2018 (live)
Rock And Roll Music (2:17) 2018 (live) feat. Imelda May
Johnny B. Goode (3:34) 2018 (live)
CD: Mad Lad â A Tribute To Chuck Berry [BMG 538527702] • UK, 2019
LP: Mad Lad â A Tribute To Chuck Berry [BMG 538527711] • UK, 2019
Box-set Deluxe Edition: Mad Lad â A Tribute To Chuck Berry [BMG 538542250] • UK, 2019
CD: Mad Lad â A Tribute To Chuck Berry [BMG 4050 538527704] • USA, 2019
The box-set above contains the LP (180G vinyl), CD and album cover art print. Nothing fancy really. Playing time of around 40 minutes is way too short today. But I like the music and Imelda May lifts the result on the two tracks sheâs involved in. She also sings backup vocals on âAlmost Grownâ. Irritating that the running time of the tracks are completely missing.
The tribute is okay but nothing to brag about, and Ronnie is no quality singer but heâs a tremendous guitar player. The Berry sound is all in there.
Interesting to notice the two instrumentals, especially âMad Ladâ since it becomes the very first cover of this. Although not written by Berry it is credited to him on the album. âBlue Feelingâ was done by The Trashmen in 1966 (page 1568).
On YouTube youâll find Ronnie and Imelda doing âJohnny B. Goodeâ on BBCâs Later with Jools Holland show. Thereâs also videos of Ronnie playing âMad Ladâ and Ronnie and Imelda with âWee Wee Hoursâ.
Apart from Imelda May Ronnie is helped by the likes of Ben Waters (keyboards), Dion Egtved (bass) and Dexter Hercules (drums). Augmented by Antti Snellman on tenor saxophone and Tom Waters on alt saxophone. Also Amy Mayes and Denise Gordon are doing backup vocals on some tracks. All tracks were recorded at the Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne Minster, Dorset in 2018. It doesnât say when, though. Produced by Ronnie Wood.
MIKE ZITO And Friends (USA)
Mike Zito, singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer from St. Louis, Missouri, born in 1970. Since 1998 when his first CD âBlue Roomâ came out heâs released some 15 albums.
St. Louis Blues+ (3:19) 2019 - Charlie Berry III
Rock And Roll Music (3:08) 2019 - Joanna Connor
Johnny B. Goode (3:49) 2019 - Walter Trout
Wee Wee Hours (5:25) 2019 - Joe Bonamassa
Memphis, Tennessee [as âMemphisâ] (3:05) 2019 - Anders Osborne
I Want To Be Your Driver (2:55) 2019 - Ryan Perry
You Never Can Tell (4:00) 2019 - Robben Ford
Back In The USA (3:02) 2019 - Eric Gales
No Particular Place To Go (2:50) 2019 - Jeremiah Johnson
Too Much Monkey Business (3:13) 2019 - Luther Dickinson
Havana Moon (4:21) 2019 - Sonny Landreth*
Promised Land (3:29) 2019 -Tinsley Ellis*
Down Bound Train (4:03) 2019 - Alex Skolnick
Maybellene (2:55) 2019 - Richard Fortus
School Day (3:02) 2019 - Ally Venable
Brown Eyed Handsome Man (2:16) 2019 - Kirk Fletcher & Josh Smith
Reelinâ And Rockinâ (4:01) 2019 - Tommy Castro*
Let It Rock (2:26) 2019 - Jimmy Vivino
Thirty Days (2:56) 2019 - Albert Castiglia
My Ding-A-Ling(+) (3:16) 2019 - Kid Andersen* **
CD: RockânâRoll â A Tribute To Chuck Berry [Ruf Records RUF-1269] • Germany, 2019
LP: RockânâRoll â A Tribute To Chuck Berry [Ruf Records RUF-2059] • Germany, 2019
The LP contains 15 tracks, but you can download the 20 tracks for free. The following songs are NOT on the 180 gram audiophile vinyl pressing: I Want To Your Driver / No Particular Place To Go / Down Bound Train / School Day / Brown Eyed Handsome Man.
Some of the artists are already in the covers* or soundalikes** sections, or like Jimmy Vivino in the Johnnie Johnson discography (Vol. 2). So what should one say about such a gigantic release, I mean 20 tracks, 20 different guitar players and singers! This album might help younger people to get to know Berryâs music. In that sense the album is very important and a rockinâ goode one.
âMemphisâ is true to Berryâs original, not the same but simple in structure and sound. However, most of the others are filled with musical instruments, sometimes a little too much. Chuckâs grandson follows very much the arrangement his grandfather did in 1965. Well performed. Luther Dickinson makes it swing on âToo Much Monkey Businessâ and even includes the final lyrics with I donât want your botheration, get away leave me be⊠which is so often forgotten. âYou Never Can Tellâ is without the identical piano playing but remember this is a guitar based album. âDown Bound Trainâ is strange and even more âscaryâ than Berryâs own, think 63 years difference. âSchool Dayâ is quite goode, one of two females on the album, and Ally Venable is doing a very decent job of it.
The worst will have to be âWee Wee Hoursâ and Joe Bonamassa. That guitar playing destroys the whole tune. After just a few seconds when I heard it I said what the fâŠ? I have played the album a few times but skip this track every time. What were they (Zito and Joe) thinking? A reviewer said it was a highlight(!), well in that case we are living in two different worlds. Maybe because that kind of guitar playing to me itâs just noise.
On the contrary, check out Mike Zito and Walter Trout on YouTube performing âJohnny B. Goodeâ in a garage!!!
Again the running time on each track is missing. Thatâs an European problem on many releases.
Of course an artist wants to cover a Berry tune that most people know so itâs interesting that songs like âI Want To Be Your Driverâ, âHavana Moonâ and âDown Bound Trainâ were chosen, but why Ding-A-Ling? Although his biggest hit, unfortunately, it doesnât give Berry nor Andersen the best of credits.
The Mike Zito band is as follows on all tracks: Mike Zito (vocals, guitar), Lewis Stephens (keyboards), Terry Dry (bass, percussion, vocals) and Matthew Johnson (drums, percussion, vocals). Recorded at Marz Studios in Nederland, Texas, December 2018 â July 2019. Produced by Mike Zito.
Twenty Berry songs covered and you think where are âSweet Little Sixteenâ, âRoll Over Beethovenâ, âLittle Queenieâ, âBye Bye Johnnyâ, âCarolâ, âAround And Aroundâ, âIâm Talking About Youâ and âNadineâ? Well that gives you an idea of how many classic rockânâroll songs Berry created.
However, again on YouTube you can see and hear Mike Zito and Joe Louis Walker doing five and a half minutes of âAround And Aroundâ at the Casselberry Craft Beer & Blues Fest 2019 in Casselberry Florida.
I like the front cover and also the image of Berry on top of the St. Louis skyline and the Gateway Arch painted by Rip Kastaris. A beautiful touch to the memory of Chuck Berry.
Late addition and a little enlightening on the âWee Wee Hoursâ track.
On the Guitar World (magazine) site thereâs an indept interview with Zito explaining what went on in preparing for this album. Regarding the Joe Bonamassa version of âWee Wee Hoursâ he had this to say:
We started to work on these basic tracks at the end of 2018 and the beginning of January 2019 My group cut basic rhythm tracks and then e-mail them to the guitarists in question and have them add their parts. Joe Bonamassa texting him: âHey man, Iâm getting ready to record this track. Do you want me to play it tradional or do you want fire and fury?â I said, I want fire and fury, by all means. And he just blew the doors off.
Well now we know why it ended up sounding like it did. I still donât like it, but thatâs not the point here. They got it how they wanted it and thatâs what counts.
Tuesday, January 14. 2020
CBID - Additions to the Chuck Berry discographies for Japan and South Africa
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: Sometimes it takes decades until I am finally able to see and show a specific Chuck Berry album. And sometimes getting one requires me to rewrite a description.
JAPAN
CHUCK BERRYâS GREATEST HITS
Globe (Chess) JET-7198 • 1964
No Particular Place To Go / You Never Can Tell / Maybellene / Nadine / Brenda Lee / You Two / Memphis, Tennessee / Sweet Little Sixteen / Roll Over Beethoven / Rock And Roll Music / Johnny B. Goode / Brown Eyed Handsome Man (1961 version)
Referring to page 374. The tracks are of course not the same as the US release Chess LP-1485, as you can easily see. I didnât have this album back then and unfortunately I messed it up when writing. Anyway, it really says The Best of Chuck Berry on the back cover and on the label. As far as I can see this was the very first Berry LP issued in Japan. Including âNo Particular Place To Goâ and âYou Never Can Tellâ were wise, however, âYou Twoâ and âBrenda Leeâ were not, even though they were B-sides of the first two tracks. The front cover is the same as the US LP-1485 with the yellow sticker.
For some strange reason they included the 1961 version of âBrown Eyed Handsome Manâ (from the On Stage album with the audience noise).
This particular album was also issued in Taiwan in two different disguises, see pages 475-476, and also this blog.
SOUTH AFRICA
LIVE AT THE FILLMORE AUDITORIUM
Fontana STL-201 • April 1968
See page 2019 in Volume 4. Since I finally got a copy, I would like to show you the cover and label here.
Thursday, December 19. 2019
Thierry Chanu (â 22. 11. 2019)
A French reader showed us with a few images and sentences how little we knew. Thierry had so many records and variants we hadn't seen before. It was a pleasure to be enlightened by him again and again.
During the five years that followed, you have seen Thierry's name in articles and images on this blog many times. He was also a great help checking and correcting our database of all Chuck Berry recordings on this site. Thierry became a valued fellow researcher always hunting for details on recordings, releases, and concerts.
| All of a sudden and totally unexpected |
| Thierry Chanu |
| passed away on 22 November 2019 at the age of only 60 years. |
| R.I.P., Thierry! We will surely miss you! |
| Dietmar, Morten, Fred, Arne |
Thierry's knowledge about record releases was unmatched. Not even Morten went into this level of detail when researching releases. During the last years Thierry was of tremendous help in our research of Chuck Berry recordings. Berryâs music has lost one of its most loving collectors and knowledgeable persons.
Many thanks to Thierry's wife Anne and her sons for all their support!
Main Page
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.
Categories
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 confusion continues
- The Chuck Berry Vinyl Bootlegs, Vol. 1: Rare Berries
- Rocksmuk album - bootleg or not?
Recent Entries
- CBID - Never ending additions to the list of Chuck Berry cover versions
- Tuesday, July 6 2021
- Farewell to my favourite RnR magazine
- Saturday, May 1 2021
- The Toronto Concert Complete - not yet - still
- Friday, April 16 2021
- Jon Brewer's official Berry documentary - now on DVD
- Monday, April 12 2021
- CBID - Run Rudolph and more Berry covers
- Sunday, January 17 2021
- CBID - Cover versions on DVD
- Tuesday, October 27 2020
- CBID - A first Chuck Berry release from China
- Saturday, October 17 2020
- CBID - Cover versions: Hard Rock and Jerry Lee
- Thursday, July 16 2020
- CBID - Cover versions: a big surprise
- Thursday, June 4 2020
- CBID - Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits also released in South Korea
- Sunday, March 29 2020
- Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits (Chess LP-1485)
- Wednesday, February 19 2020
- CBID - Corrections and Additions to the Chuck Berry Cover Versions List
- Monday, February 10 2020
- CBID - new Chuck Berry tribute albums and songs
- Wednesday, January 15 2020
- CBID - Additions to the Chuck Berry discographies for Japan and South Africa
- Tuesday, January 14 2020
- Thierry Chanu (â 22. 11. 2019)
- Thursday, December 19 2019
- Chuck Berry in Stereo
- Friday, October 18 2019
- CBID - a test pressing of MAL-660
- Thursday, October 17 2019
- CBID - From one of the best versions in years to just noise - the cover versions keep coming
- Wednesday, September 25 2019
- CBID - Further entries to the Berry discographies for UK, NL, Spain and more
- Saturday, July 27 2019
- CBID - more by Johnnie Johnson and Keith Richards
- Tuesday, July 23 2019
- The fifty-five Chuck Berry recordings missing from the Bear Family 16-CD set
- Friday, July 5 2019
- CBID - Some new tributes to Chuck Berry
- Thursday, July 4 2019
- CBID - Newly discovered Berry covers - and two non-covers
- Wednesday, July 3 2019
- CBID - The Voyager Golden Record - Vinyl Edition
- Saturday, June 29 2019
- The Chuck Berry On Stage confusion continues
- Tuesday, April 23 2019
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© Dietmar Rudolph
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