The Chuck Berry Collectors Blog

CBID is never complete as new records and CDs appear and some old rarities are discovered. This section presents interesting additions and corrections to CBID.

Today: Chapter 7 in Volume 2 is about "Chuck Berry in the movies". This includes both those movies Berry is shown on screen and those having soundtrack albums featuring one or more Berry recordings. Here's a new one of the latter type:

THE HITMAN’S BODYGUARD
Millennium Media (Colour, 118 min.) • USA, 2017

Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson • Directed by Patrick Hughes

An action comedy featuring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson and Gary Oldman. Other artists on the soundtrack include Lloyd Price, Memphis Slim, Lionel Richie, Bobby Bland, Foreigner, King Harvest, Junior Wells Chicago Blues Band, Atli Örvasson, the latter wrote the music score.

CBID is never complete as new records and CDs appear and some old rarities are discovered. This section presents interesting additions and corrections to CBID.

Today: 31 artists/groups – 44 new cover versions to be added to the chapter on Chuck Berry covers in Volume 3 (+ 1 correction)

BRYAN ADAMS (Canada)

See Volume 3, page 1034 for biographical info.

Rock And Roll Music (2:34) 2014

CD: Tracks Of My Years [Verve (Badman) 96823 7] • USA, 2014

Here Adams has gone back to his roots and recorded songs from the likes of the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, the Beatles, John Fogerty, Eddie Cochran and more. There are three variants of the album, standard edition (11 tracks), De Luxe edition (16 tracks) and a Japanese edition (17 tracks).

ANIMALS (UK)

See Volume 3, pages 1041-42 for biographical info.

Sweet Little Sixteen ( : ) 1966 (live)

LP: Five Animals Don’t Stop No Show [Rhythm & Blues LPR&B-13] • UK, 2017 (RSD)

Recorded live for a BBC radio session in 1966. RSD means that the record was released in time with the internationally celebrated Record Store Day, here in April 2017.

MARCEL BONTEMPI (Germany)

Real name Marcel Sala-Keikel from Kassel. Has been around since the mid ‘90s and in the 2000s released several singles on various labels. In 2015 a CD was released containing many various recordings and demos.

Havana Moon (3:23) 2018

45: Twi-Lite TL-002 • 2018, Germany

Sounds a bit like Carlos Santana’s version from 1983. Although a little more simple arrangement. Bontempi plays all the instruments himself according to the sleeve.

BRAD & BRIAN (USA)

Duo from Vermont, New England. No more information available.

No Money Down (2:49) 1966

LP: Brad & Brian [Allen TR4M-5080/5081] • USA, 1966

Acoustic rousing bluesy version, according to someone who’s heard it. Recorded at Allen Associates by Glenn Allen. The album proclaims that the music is blues, folk, rock and pop by the duo. I think this must have been a local maybe private pressing.

CADILLAC, The (Hungary)

Rock’n’roll revival group from Budapest. Been around since the early ‘90s.

Sweet Little Sixteen (4:09) 1994 (live)

CD: Live ’94 [Bál-Na Produkció ? ] • Hungary, 1994

Roll Over Beethoven (2:33) 1997

CD: The Cadillac’s Showtime [Cadillac & Maximusic Records CAD 59-01] • Hungary, 1997

CASTAWAYS (Philippines)

Sonny Baecher (vocals),Tony Jalandoni (lead guitar), Charlie Meeleib (rhythm guitar), Bobby Juico (bass), Danny Pangan (drums).

Sweet Little Sixteen (2:10) 1970s

45: Silahis Records SRS-077 • Philippines, 1970s

CHICAGO BLUES ALL STARS (USA)

See page 1265 under CLIFTON JAMES
This should actually have been listed under Chicago Blues All Stars and not Clifton James. Don’t know what the people at Laserlight were thinking as the info on the actual “Chicago Blues Band” CD listed under Clifton James in Vol.3 are full of mistakes and wrong info. The band was really called Chicago Blues All Stars and the personnel on the actual recording were as follows: led by Willie Dixon (bass), Lafayette Leake (piano), Lee Jackson (guitar), Walter Horton (harmonica), Clifton James (drums). So it actually should read something like this:

Wee Wee Hours (5:10) (live) 1970

2-CD: Chicago Blues All Stars 1970 [Klondike KL2CD-5084] • USA, 2017

Vocals by Clifton James. Recorded in Germany on 8 November 1970. CD 1 is by this group performing 10 tracks and the rest they are backing Sister Rosetta Tharpe.
CD 2 has more by Rosetta Tharpe and also gospel groups The Patterson Singers and Stars Of Faith, all backed by the band.

ERIC CLAPTON (UK)

See Volume 3, page 1126 for biographical info.

Little Queenie (6:18) 1974 (live)

2-CD: Eric Clapton: Life In 12 bars [Universal 673212-9] • UK, 2018

Previously unreleased. Recorded live at Long Beach Arena, California in July ’74. 32 tracks. Also released as a 4-LP deluxe set. Music on the 2-CD set is taken from a documentary about the life and times of Clapton. Available as DVD and Blue-Ray.

JESSIE CLARK (USA)

Contemporary country/folk artist from Norfolk, Nebraska. Sounds a bit like Anne Murray.

Johnny B. Goode (3:07) 2015

CD: Beautiful Night [Praire Wind Records 888295211000] • USA, 2015

Again interesting to notice the inclusion of Berry’s classic, as the other 11 tracks are not familiar with me at all.

FOX AND THE RAIDERS (USA)

Garage band.

Roll Over Beethoven (2:30) 1965

45: Disaster Records DR-140 • 1965

Record label out of Inidianois, Mississippi

GIBASDRA (Sweden)

It seems like they are a dance band type of thing, however, they look like a rock band.

You Never Can Tell (“Monsieur Pierre”) ( : ) early 1970s

45: California C-5661 (PS) • Sweden, 1970s

I haven’t heard this but the Swedish title is identical to the one by the Streaplers from 1970.

HERMANOS CARRION (Mexico)

Memphis, Tennessee [“Memphis”] (2:18) 1966

EP: La Llorona [Orfeon EP-613] • Mexico, 1966

Singing in Spanish. Arranged as the Johnny Rivers version.

HOLLIES (UK)

See Volume 3, pages 1252-53 for biographical info.

Reelin’ And Rockin’ (2:28) 1963 (live)
Roll Over Beethoven ( : ) 1963 (live)
Too Much Monkey Business (2:02) 1965 (live)

LP: Shake With The Hollies [Rhythm & Blues LPR&B-14] • UK, 2017 (RSD)

The first two covers were recorded live in concert 1963 (not the best of sound), and the last one was recorded live in 1965 for the Shindig! TV show in the US. RSD = Record Store Day, April 2017.

BRIAN JAMES (UK)

Born Brian Robertson in Hammersmith, London in 1955. Regarded as a punk-rock guitarist and also a founding member of bands like The Damned and The Lords Of The New Church. He’s also been involved in other bands and has released several solo projects.

Around And Around (2:31) 2017

45EP: Too Hot To Pop [Easy Action EARS-134] • UK, 2017

First I thought it was something wrong with the pickup but it wasn’t. A crash site for sound. I don’t know who decided to make it like this but it didn’t work at all. Punk rock. The four track vinyl EP also includes “Route 66” with a Berry beat which is ok but nothing more, “Long Tall Shorty” using a little bit of Berry guitar sound, and finally “Living Doll” which I won’t comment.
Brian wrote the liner notes on the back side: When Mr. Chuck Berry died recently I figured it was time to cover one of his songs as a tribute (also check out the title of this EP). Then I thought why stop there? So I settled on an EP of my childhood faves, hope you dig ‘em, they were fun to play. So now you know.

JOHNNY LABORIEL (Mexico)

Memphis, Tennessee [as “Memphis”] (2:33) 1964

EP: Que Hice You de Malo [Orfeon EP-379] • Mexico, 1964

Singing in Spanish. Arranged as the Johnny Rivers version.

LA CRUZ (Mexico)

Roll Over Beethoven (4:10) 1970s

45: Discos Versalles VER-001 • Mexico, 1970s

This turned up on eBay August 2017 but without any reference to year of release. However, because of the length of the song it’s probably modeled after the ELO 1972 version (?)

JIMMY LaFAVE (USA)

Folk singer/songwriter. Born in Wills Point, Texas 1955 but grew up in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Died in Austin, Texas 2017, 61 years of age. A great fan of Woodie Guthrie and a friend of the family, and have contributed on several Woodie Guthrie Folk Festivals. Actually, LaFave had been given 20 copies of lyrics from Guthrie by his daughter Nora Guthrie, for him to set music to. The album below features three of them. LaFave had released many albums since his first “Down Under” in 1979.

Promised Land ( : ) 2016

2-CD: Peace Town [Music Row Records ] • USA, 2018

A 20 track set containing various recordings made during the last year of his life.

ELISE LeGROW (Canada)

Pop singer, songwriter Elise Madeline LeGrow was born in 1987. She is known both as a solo act and as a member of the band Whale Tooth. In April 2012 she released her first self titled EP and later in the year she released a seven track album. The album below would be her first full solo album. You Never Can Tell was available for listeners on iTunes and Spotify from mid 2017.

You Never Can Tell (3:06) 2017
You Can’t Catch Me (medley) (3:01) 2017 (in medley with “You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover”)

CD: Playing Chess [Awesome Music BMG 538337362] • USA, 2018

11 Chess classics. You Never Can Tell is a slow soulful rendition. The reason she did it this way, she says, is because most listeners, including myself, usually miss its lyrical depth. Our slower tempo highlights the poetry. You Can’t Catch Me is taken at a slower speed so that it fits with the Diddley number. Interesting combination.

LUIS LÓPEZ (El Salvador)

Johnny B. Goode [Ya Vas Barrabás, Ya Vas] (2:07) 1982

45: Dicesa DI-04 • El Salvador, 1982

Red vinyl.

TRINI LOPEZ (USA)

See Volume 3, page 1330 for biographical info.

You Never Can Tell (2:27) 2008

CD: Ramblin’ Man [Fuel CD-061731] • USA, 2008

Sorry to say but this sounds pretty dull and uninspiring. The album contains 14 various cover versions of songs ranging from “The Wanderer” and “Lay, Lady, Lay” to “Lady Madonna” and “Sugar Sugar” (yes), and of course remakes of “If I Had A Hammer” and “La Bamba”. Recorded at the Ranch Studio in Los Angeles. This was his 63rd studio album!

TONY MAC (USA)

Johnny B. Goode ( : ) 1960s

45: Jewel Records 806J-0928 • USA, 1960s

Record label out of MT Healthy, Ohio.

OFFENBACH (Canada)

Featuring Gerry Boulet.

Reelin’ And Rockin’ [Chu’ Un Rocker] (5:15) 1977

45: A&M AM-444 • Canada, 1977
LP: Offenbach [A&M SP-9027] • Canada, 1977

PACIFICS (Ireland)

Beat quartet from Dublin.

I’m Talking About You (1:38) 2011

45 EP: Play Favourites [Bachelor BR-51] • Ireland, 2011

Authentic ‘60s beat sound to this, in 2011.

RED ‘HOT^N’ BLUE (Norway)

A bluesy rock band from Bergen. Tim Wright (vocals, guitar, harmonica), Jan Gunnar Bortheim (guitar), Ole Brudvik (bass) and Karsten Olsen (drums).

School Day [“Schooldays”] (2:28) 1989

EP 45: Bring It On Home [Asyl Records UNI-109] • 1989, Norway

A pretty heavy blues-rock version with forceful vocals and driving guitar(s). Recorded at Bergen Lydstudio.

ROLLING STONES (UK)

See volume 3, pages 1475-1477 for biographical info.

Come On (2:02) 1963 (live – Saturday Club,26 October)
Roll Over Beethoven (2:19) 1963 (live – Saturday Club, 26 October)
Memphis, Tennessee (2:22) 1963 (live – Saturday Club, 26 October)
Around And Around (2:45) 1964 (live – Top Gear, 23 July)
Carol (2:31) 1964 (live – Saturday Club, 18 April)
Beautiful Delilah (2:10) 1964 (live – Saturday Club, 18 April)

2-CD: On Air [Polydor (BBC) 670 274-0] • UK, 2017

Finally after so many years we get a very good section of the Rolling Stones live from the BBC. Most of them have been frequently featured on various bootlegs throughout the years (no survey from me there).

Bye Bye Johnny (2:08) 1964 (live – Saturday Club, 8 February)
Carol (2:40) 1964 (live – The Joe Loss Pop Show, 17 July)

10” LP: The Rolling Stones Play Chuck Berry [Reel To Reel STONES-01] • UK, 2017

Sorry, this is probably a bootleg, but I just had to include it. The 10” vinyl contains 8 tracks. In addition to the two songs above it includes the following from the above 2-CD set: Come On, Roll Over Beethoven, Memphis Tennessee, Beautiful Delilah, Around And Around. Plus a cover version of Don’t You Lie To Me from Saturday Club, 8 February 1964. The front cover has a picture of Mick Jagger and Chuck Berry’s faces, which also decorates each label, side one and two respectively.
A limited edition of only 1000, mine is # 281.

CHRIS SMITHER (USA)

See Volume 3, page 1514 for biographical info.

Maybellene (2:56) 2017

CD: Call Me Lucky [Signature SIGCD-2093] • USA, 2018

A slower almost acoustic version in the traditionally Smither way.

STARGAZERS (UK)

See Volume 3, page 1530 for biographical info.

Roll Over Beethoven (2:30) 2018 (live)

CD: Rock That Swing [Part Records 3720] • Germany, 2018

Recorded live February 2018 in Munich, Germany during a boogie and swing festival. 11 bands from Germany, UK, Italy, France and Sweden.

STONE SOUP (USA)

Folk group from Upstate NY. John Bagale, Kira Kim-Fredell, Leila Núnez-Fredell, Peter Kim-Fredell. They also released an album in 2000 titled just “Stone Soup”.

Maybellene (3:59) 2018

CD: Big Wheel Turn [Unified Field Prod. 79857651332 0] • USA, 2018

A slow bluesy folk version, really effective.

THOMAS LAVELLE FOUR (UK)

You Never Can Tell (2:49) 2015

45: Rollin Records RR45-049 • UK

The Berry classic done the Jerry Lee Lewis way.

GEORGE THOROGOOD (USA)

See volume 3, page 1558 for biographical info, and a lot of other Berry covers.

It Wasn’t Me (7:32) 1980 (live)
No Particular Place To Go (6:04) 1980 (live)
Reelin’ And Rockin’ (7:25) 1980 (live)

2-CD: Live At Rockpalast – Dortmund 1980 [MIG 90722] • Germany, 2017

Now here we have Mr. Thorogood in full blast! I remember back in the early ‘80s that I watched this show on TV and it was quite different from what I have seen before. Playing guitar like a ringin’ a bell and walking down from the stage and mingle with the audience still playing all the way. What a revelation. On this set he plays four Elmore James classics (among others a fabulous version of “Madison Blues”), a little John Lee Hooker, Muddy Waters, Bo Diddley and more.
Recorded at Westfalenhalle in Dortmund, Germany, 26 November ’80.

WILD ANGELS (UK)

See Volume 3, page 1603 for biographical info.

Promised Land ( : ) 2016
Reelin’ And Rockin’ ( : ) 2016

CD: Leathers, Studs ‘n’ Stripes [Crazy Times CTR-CD 119] • UK, 2017

Billed as The Legendary Wild Angels on the cover. Rob Davies (lead/rhythm guitar, vocals), Freddie Piretta (piano, accordion), Mitch Mitchell (bass, vocals), Bob Burgos (drums, vocals). Rob Davies is singing on the two Berry covers. Goode Rock’n’Roll music.

CBID is never complete as new records and CDs appear and some old rarities are discovered. This section presents interesting additions and corrections to CBID.

Today: as single proudly claiming that you cannot hear Chuck Berry on it.

USA (?)

SIX WHOLE MINUTES OF GOLDEN SILENCE!
Vacuum Records • 1959

Part I: Golden Silence / Part II: Quiet! (Please?)

Not featuring the following artists: Elvis Presley, Frankie Avalon, Ricky Nelson, Little Anthony, Duane Eddy, Lydia E. Pinkham, Chuck Berry. Spike Jones couldn’t join us either…
As it’s printed on the label: (Any Speed) You don’t even need a record player.
Now this is a very special record indeed. There’s no music at all, just as it says, 3 minutes of silence on each side. And you can actually play it as it has grooves. BUT there’s no sound.
Who came up with this crazy idea is anybody’s guess. The cover is as thick as an EP cover. And you can enjoy(?) reading what’s not on the record, especially on the back (see picture).
I have tried to check it out on the net but there’s nothing to find, and if you search for Vacuum Record you’ll end up with a vinyl record cleaner system.
The EP cover looks like it was made in 1959 but the record itself looks newer, so…

And who’s Lydia E. Pinkham? Well, Lydia Estes Pinkham (1819-1883) was the concocter of a herbal alcoholic “women’s tonic” meant to relieve menstrual and menopausal pains. One could refer to the Scaffold and their “Lilly The Pink” in 1968 but that was long after the record mentioned was out(?) However, the song above was based on an old US American folk song titled “The Ballad Of Lydia Pinkham” known to exist around 1914.

CBID is never complete as new records and CDs appear and some old rarities are discovered. This section presents interesting additions and corrections to CBID.

Today: Page 1861 in Volume 4 has a brief discography for Billy Peek, a guitarist who played with Berry and recorded several Berry covers and soundalikes. Here's an addition to the Billy Peek discography:

Single

The Hammer / Sweet Home Chicago

Rivertown RT-005 • USA, 1987

On page 1861 there’s a Billy Peek discography which says that this single came out in 1992. Well, it didn’t. The album “The Answer” that the two songs are featured on was released in 1992. However, there’s no year of release printed on the single in question, so I figured that it also came out in ’92. But now when this PS turned up it’s printed 1987 on the back. So the actual album that came out in ’92 featured various songs probably recorded between 1987-1992. It seems like «The Hammer» was the actual plug-side. I had it the other way around in the book. As you can see on the attached labels nothing is mentioned about any A or B-side.

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: The re-issue of the Great 28 album comes in a box with three bonus records.

USA

THE GREAT TWENTY-EIGHT – SUPER DELUXE [4-LP]
Chess Geffen (Universal) B0027213-01 • USA, 2017

THE GREAT TWENTY EIGHT (2-LP)
Chess Geffen B0026758-01

Reissue of the original 1982 album set Chess CH-8201 (see page 86).

MORE GREAT CHUCK BERRY
Chess Geffen B0027213-01 LP01

Wee Wee Hours / No Money Down / Drifting Heart / La Juanda (Espanol) / Blue Feeling (instr) / Vacation Time+ / Joe Joe Gunne / Too Pooped To Pop+ / Our Little rendezvous / You Never Can Tell / Promised Land / Little Marie / Dear Dad / My Ding-A-Ling (live, single edit)

OH YEAH! LIVE IN DETROIT
Chess Geffen LP-1427

Guitar Boogie* (instr) / Let It Rock / Almost Grown / Chuck Berry dialogue 1 / Too Much Monkey Business* / Johnny B. Goode / Introduction – instrumental / Sweet Little Sixteen / Wee Wee Hours / Chuck Berry dialogue 2 / Maybellene / Medley: Goodnite Sweetheart Goodnite +-Johnny B. Goode-Let It Rock-School Day

BERRY CHRISTMAS
Chess Geffen B0027213-01 EP01 (10”) (red vinyl)

Run Rudolph Run / Merry Christmas Baby+ / Spending Christmas / Christmas

Addition by Arne Wolfswinkel: The box version sold by uDiscover is a limited edition of 500 copies where the four LPs are made of blue Vinyl.

Addition by Dietmar Rudolph: Since the booklet finally tells the name of the five musicians who backed Berry in Detroit, we have updated the database accordingly. The band consisted of:
Joe Hunter (piano)
Henry "Hank" Cosby (tenor saxophone)
Thomas "Beans" Bowles (baritone saxophone)
James Jamerson (bass)
William "Benny / Papa Zita" Benjamin (drums)