Entries by Morten Reff

[Editor's note: You may have wondered why we had not covered all the new Vinyl albums released during recent years. Read Morten's review below and you'll see why. They aren't any more worth collecting than the hundreds of 'new' CD releases.]

Vinyl is back in business and since 2009 there’s been several Berry albums pressed on 180gr high quality vinyl. But as you will notice from some of my comments, it all depends on the source. The session discography printed on the various album covers are not to be trusted though. Better stick to our Chuck Berry Database which always contains the most recent knowledge about Berry recordings.

AFTER SCHOOL SESSION
Doxy DOY-608 ● Italy, 2009
Same as US LP-1426 from 1957, both tracks and cover. Sound quality is not the best.

AFTER SCHOOL SESSION
Doxy DOX-302 ● Italy, 2009
Same as above, however, this time it includes a bonus CD of the same album, so as the they tell us: You can have the analog and the digital for the price of one.

ST. LOUIS TO LIVERPOOL
Speakers Corner Records [Chess] LP-1488 ● USA, 2010
No bonus tracks. Identical album cover both front and back as the original 1964 US album. However, the sound quality on the stereo tracks are pretty goode but the mono ones are destroyed by el.stereo, would you believe.
Come to think about it, why was the mono tracks included in the first place since there were several stereo versions/songs in the files, like “The Little Girl From Central”, “Big Ben”, “Fraulein”, “Lonely All The Timre” (Crazy Arms), “I’m In The Danger Zone”. The Chess folks did a lot of stupid things when compiling Berry LPs back then.

ONE DOZEN BERRYS
Wax Time 771785 ● Spain, 2012
14 tracks incl. bonus: Brown Eyed Handsome Man / You Can’t Catch Me
New liner-notes and session discography. Besides two small pics, it’s rather imprudent to include a print of the front page of a souvenir programme from a 1959 Australian tour, and use two bonus tracks from 1956. BUT, except for “It Don’t Take But A Few Minutes” the sound quality is pretty goode.

ROCKIN’ AT THE HOPS
Wax Time 771890 ● Spain, 2013
16 tracks, incl. bonus: Our Little Rendezvous / Jaguar And The Thunderbird / County Line / Back In The USA
Stupid really to include two bonus tracks that are almost the same in structure and text, “Jaguar And The Thunderbird” and “County Line“. That’s the way it goes when people who are not familiar with the music are compiling an album. Same front cover as the original US album, but the back cover has extra liner notes, session discography and images from various sources, US posters, UK songbook(!) and a couple of single picture sleeves from Holland (would you believe). The sound quality is pretty goode though.

THE CHESS YEARS
Not Now Music NOT2LP-178 ● UK, 2013
LP 1: Johnny B. Goode / Maybellene / Little Queenie / School Day / Carol / Worried Life Blues+ / No Money Down / Too Much Monkey Business / Roll Over Beethoven / Brown Eyed Handsome Man / Come On / Childhood Sweetheart / Thirty Days / Guitar Boogie (instr) / Jaguar And The Thunderbird / You Can’t Catch Me
LP 2: Memphis, Tennessee / Sweet Little Sixteen / Let It Rock / Almost Grown / Go Go Go / Down The Road A Piece+ / Rip It Up+ / Reelin’ And Rockin’ / Back In The USA / Rock And Roll Music / Sweet Little Rock And Roller / I’m Talking About You / Around And Around / Vacation Time / Too Pooped To Pop+ / Bye Bye Johnny
32 tracks from the greatest period of his Chess years (except for “Rip It Up” that is). Fold-out cover with a few pictures of Berry plus recording years. “Sweet Little Sixteen” is the original speed version. The sound quality is ok.
There is also a 3-CD set out titled “The Best Of The Chess Years” with 73 tracks (CBID page 1986), which is even a better buy unless you are a vinyl freak?

SAN FRANCISCO DUES
Geffen [Universal] GET-54058-LP ● USA, 2013
Same as original Chess LP CH-50008 from 1971, except that “Lonely Schooldays” is the slow version not the rockin’ one. And also the sound on this LP is not any better than the original album. As a matter of fact the ’71 album has a little more debt to it.

AFTER SCHOOL SESSION
Geffen [Universal] Friday Music FRM-1426 ● USA, 2013
15 tracks incl. bonus: You Can’t Catch Me / Thirty Days / Maybellene
Same as original US Chess LP-1426 from 1957, except for the three bonus tracks. Fold-out cover with a standard black&white picture of Berry. The three bonus tracks really fit the concept for this album. AND the sound quality here is quite goode. So if you really need an LP on 180gr. vinyl of this classic album, this is the one to buy.

BERRY IS ON TOP
Geffen [Universal] Friday Music FRM-1435 ● USA, 2013
Same as original US Chess LP-1435 from 1959. No bonus tracks. Fold-out cover with two pictures of Berry that we have all seen before. Goode sound quality except for “Carol” and “Roll Over Beethoven”.
And using fold-out covers should actually mean to make the most out of it and to full advantage for the buyers.

NEW JUKE BOX HITS
Wax Time 771921 ● Spain, 2014
14 tracks incl. bonus: Come On / Go Go Go
I have a feeling this album was mastered from the Universal box set “You Never Can Tell”. Anyway, besides new liner notes (plus the original) and session discography there are a few images from the US and UK, posters and labels. Inside is also a card which makes it possible to download the album as a free mp3.
Originally this LP should have been out as a stereo album in the States back in 1961, since most of the songs have later turned up in stereo on other releases.

AFTER SCHOOL SESSION
VipVop VIPVOP-006 ● UK, 2014
Red vinyl. Same tracks as US LP-1426 from 1957. Same front cover but different back cover with liner notes by one Max Décharné. Session discography and image of the original US “After School Session” EP and three US silver-top Chess singles. Also includes a bonus CD of the same album. The sound quality has not been improved onto 180gr vinyl.

ONE DOZEN BERRYS
VipVop VIPVOP-007 ● UK, 2014
Red vinyl. Same tracks as US LP-1432 from 1958. However, both front and back cover are completely different. Liner notes again by Max Décharné, images of the original LP labels and Chess 1671 single labels. Not an exact session disco but only who’s playing on the tracks. Also includes a bonus CD of the same album.
It would have been interesting to know what sources have been used to re-master these albums on the VipVop label. Tracks like “Oh Baby Doll”, “Reelin’ And Rockin’” and “Rock And Roll Music” sounds like they have been taken from old rechanneled stereo versions. Although mono there’s too much echo.

CHUCK BERRY…IS ON TOP
VipVop VIPVOP-008 ● UK, 2014
Red vinyl. Same tracks as US LP-1435 from 1959, but different front and back cover. Liner notes again by Max Décharné, info of who plays on the album plus images of four US Chess labels and two UK London. Also includes a bonus CD of the same album. However, the sound is a variation from bad to good. “Anthony Boy” and “Carol” are the worst ones. The liner notes says that it was re-mastered by Patrick Bird (as have all the VipVop LPs) at PSB Music (London) Ltd. Re-mastered from what?

ROCKIN’ AT THE HOPS
VipVop VIPVOP-009 ● UK, 2014
Red vinyl. Same tracks as US LP-1448 from 1960, but completely different front and back cover. Liner notes once again by Max Décharné, and info of who’s playing on the album. Also includes a bonus CD of the same album.
Strange though is the sound quality as some of the tracks like “Worried Life Blues” and “Driftin’ Blues” are pretty goode with some debt in them, but several of the others have a thinner sound. In case you are copying from a bad source it doesn’t help if you use 180gr vinyl. If you don’t have the original master tapes the final results might not be the best.

CHUCK BERRY SINGS THE BLUES
Not Now Music NOTLP-208 ● UK, 2015
Driftin’ Blues+ / No Money Down / How You’ve Changed / Low Feeling (instr) / Deep Feeling (instr) / Sweet Sixteen+ / Blues For Hawaiians (instr) / Worried Life Blues+ / Run Around / In-Go (instr) / Confessin’ The Blues+ / Down Bound Train / Blue Feeling (instr) / I Got To Find My Baby+ / Wee Wee Hours / Together (We’ll Always Be)
Don’t know what to say exactly? It’s a great front cover with a picture I have never seen before, but that must be it, or? Who the hell selected these tracks? “Low Feeling”, give me a break! “Blues For Hawaiians” when you have “Crying Steel”? “Down Bound Train” and “Together…” on a blues compilation when you have i.e. “I Just Want To Make Love To You” and “I Still Got The Blues”. What a waste. And the sound quality is varying. Again it all depends on the source.

AFTER SCHOOL SESSION
Vinyl Lovers 6785413 ● EU, 2015
16 tracks incl. 4 bonus: Maybellene / Rock And Roll Music / Sweet Little Sixteen / Thirty Days
Except for the bonus tracks, same as original US Chess LP-1426 from 1957 but different cover. “Rock And Roll Music” and “Sweet Little Sixteen” shouldn’t be here. The compilers don’t know a bloody thing. Great front cover though. And the sound quality here is actually quite goode.
Printing EU here is something I don’t like but I have been unable to find the exact country of origin. It seems that Vinyl Lovers has a sister label called Lilith based in Russia.

ONE DOZEN BERRYS
Vinyl Lovers 6785448 ● EU, 2016
14 tracks incl. 2 bonus: Brown Eyed Handsome Man / You Can’t Catch Me
Except for the bonus tracks, same as original US Chess LP-1432 from 1958 but different cover. The two bonus tracks from 1956 are stupid. Sound quality is again quite goode. Contents is the same as the Spanish album from 2012 on Wax Time 771785 (see above).

ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC
Delta Entertainment N 79 022 ● Germany, 2016
Johnny B. Goode / Brown Eyed Handsome Man / Around And Around / Ingo (instr) / Sweet Little Sixteen / Rock And Roll Music / Roll Over Beethoven / Maybellene / Too Much Monkey Business / Wee Wee Hours / Let It Rock / Carol
The most interesting thing about this release is the front cover. Taken from the best photo shoot ever of Berry. The one with the burgundy tuxedo and the original 350T Gibson.
These photos were never used on any original US release, unfortunately. Why is an interesting question. Strange to leave out “School Day” in favour of “Ingo”. And the sound is the same as on most of the other 180gr. vinyl albums above, nothing to brag about.

Now after so many 180 gr. vinyl LPs of the old Chess albums and tracks poppin’ up over and over again with and without bonus tracks I am beginning to be fed up. Except for new (sometimes) clever front covers, the sound is not always the best, bonus tracks often doesn’t fit the concept of the respective albums (the word here is year!), the liner notes are sometimes a little too much and the session discographies are full of mistakes!
Do we need any more of these albums? Maybe enough is enough.

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: Besides covering Chuck Berry and Johnnie Johnson, CBID also has chapter 19 containing a session discography as well as record releases by the Berry-inspired US artist Eddy Clearwater. Here are three CDs and one DVD published after the book:

CDs

SOUL FUNKY

Cleartone 8882951 49358 • USA, 2014

They Call Me The Chief / Hypnotized / Too Old To Get Married / Good Times Are Coming / Came Up The Hard Way – Root To The Fruit / Cool Blues Walk / Please Accept My Love / Find You A Job / Lonesome Town / A Good Leavin’ Alone / Soul Funky / Ending Midnight Groove

If you can’t get a record company interested you release it yourself! That’s the spirit.
Album recorded live 10 January 2014 at SPACE in Evanston, Illinois. Eddy Clearwater (vocals, guitar), Ronnie Baker Brooks (guitar, vocals), Shoji Naito (guitar, harmonica), Thomas Crivellone (guitar and introduction), Johnny Iguana (piano, hammond B3), David Knopf (bass), Stephen Bass (drums). Guest appearance by Billy Branch on “Good Leavin’ Alone”.

SOUL FUNKY – Live At Space

P-Vine PCD-17696 • Japan, 2014

Same as above. This was released in Japan on 12 December 2014.

SESSION WORK and GUEST APPEARANCES

Shoji Naito

NEW COOL OLD SCHOOL

Ogden Records ORCD-380 • USA, 2016

Big Boss Man / I’ll Change My Style / Last Night / Walking By Myself

Eddy is doing the vocals on the above four tracks and playing lead guitar on “Last Night”. The 14 tracks were recorded in Chicago June/July 2015. Shoji was born and raised in Toyota, Japan and moved to Chicago in 1996. Harmonica and guitar player. Co-produced Eddy Clearwater’s “Soul Funky” CD from 2014.

DVDs

JAZZ À JUNAS – Recorded Live In Junas, France

Cleartone 78877 • USA, 2011

Otis’ Groove / They Call Me The Chief / Hypnotized / Find You A Job / Blues For Breakfast / Too Old To Get Married / Nashville Road / A Good Leavin’ Alone / Came Up The Hard Way / I Just Want To Make Love To You / You’re Humbuggin’ Me / Guitar Boogie Jam (instr) / I Wouldn’t Lay My Guitar Down / Midnight Groove / Sen-Sa-Shun (instr)

Recorded live at the Jazz Festival in Junas, France 23 July 2011. It’s an outdoor concert in a small village in the south of France. Interesting release including a 16 page colour photo booklet and liner notes written by Bill Dahl. Featuring Eddy on guitar and vocals, Thomas Crivellone (guitar), Shoji Naito (bass, harmonica), Stephen Bass (drums).
Just one little thing. Bill Dahl writes about the show but without telling the exact date. Why is it so damn difficult to include the recording data? I had to google to find the day he performed at Junas. Very annoying.

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: An addition to chapter 18 in Volume 2. This chapter covers the session work and records by Chuck Berry's main musical partner Johnnie Johnson, recorded in addition to his work with Berry.

SESSION WORK and GUEST APPEARANCES

Kenny Rice

HOUSE PARTY

CD: Jam Jar Records JJ-002 • USA, 2015

Next Time You See Me

Johnson does not play on other tracks.

A fifteen tracks CD containing songs recorded through four Decades. Problem is that nothing tells us which songs were recorded when and where, a real pity and almost unforgivable. At least it was recorded before April 2005 when Johnny passed away.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: A Chuck Berry single from Walt Disney's Buena Vista Records?

TAIWAN (?)

Little Queenie / Almost Grown (red vinyl)

Buena Vista BV-1061 • late 1960s or early ‘70s

Now this is an interesting mystery. It turned up in January 2017, and after almost 50 years of collecting Berry records I have never seen or heard about it before. That’s really something!
Red colored vinyl. It looks very much like a bootleg and therefore it’s placed here under Taiwan. The US Buena Vista 45s had three digits, this has four and the label is not the common Buena Vista one.
Buena Vista was the product of the Walt Disney Corporation. And Chuck Berry has not once in the 60s or 70s been a part of that company. Why was this done in the first place? Go figure.

Many thanks to reader John for alerting us about this release.

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: Here's an addition to Chapter 5: Chuck Berry On The Radio.

TRANSCRIPTION DISK

Armed Forces Radio & Television Service RL 46-3 ( P-13933/13934) • USA, June 1973

LEE MICHAELS “Live” / CHUCK BERRY’S GOLDEN DECADE VOL. 2

Sweet Little Rock And Roller / Rock At The Philarmonic (instr) / You Never Can Tell / Little Queenie / Let It Rock / Jo Jo Gunne / Carol

This turned up on ebay in November 2016. Never seen it before. The Berry tracks are of course compiled from the 2-LP set Chess [GRT] 2CH-60023 released in February 1973. Lee Michaels is a psychedelic rock keyboard player and the three tracks on his side are taken from the 2-LP set A&M SP-3518 "Live" from 1973.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: A couple of Berry covers released in 2016 plus a few older ones I have gathered lately, to be added to the chapter on Chuck Berry covers in Volume 3

DAVE BURGIN (USA)

Out of the San Francisco blues scene, this blues harp player and singer recorded his first solo album back in 1981. But already in The ‘70s he had joined forces with Roy Rogers and they performed as Rogers & Burgin. During his long career he has toured and recorded with the likes of Jerry Garcia, Amos Garrett, Colin James, Maria Muldaur, k d lang and many more.

No Money Down (5:39) 2016
Thirty Days (3:37) 2016

CD: No Money Down [Burgin Music 295423076] • USA, 2016

"Thirty Days" is quite different than most other versions, a little jazzy, and "No Money Down" is long, solid and tough with a growly voice and hammond B3 which makes it a little unusual. Burgin’s backed by people like Roy Rogers (slide guitar), Volker Strifler and Danny Caron (guitars), Jim Pugh (keyboards), Rob Sudduth (sax), Marvin McFadden (trumpet), Gene Houck (bass) and Kevin Hayes (drums). Not bad to have two Berry songs covered in 2016 by a blues artist and even naming the album after one!!!

SAMMY KERSHAW (USA)

See Volume 3, page 1287 for biographical info.

No Money Down (3:55) 2015

CD: The Blues Got Me [Big Hit Records BHR-00161] • USA, 2016

Very good rendition of this Berry blues classic. It also has a guitar/piano break which I think Berry’s own misses. Think of the lyrics, I mean, Berry was way ahead of his time. And it’s interesting to see that a great country artist again picks a Berry song for an album, this time a blues album were most of the songs are written by him or in collaboration.

EZRA LEE & THE HAVOC BAND (Australia)

A younger rock’n’roll and boogie woogie pianist, born in 1986 as Ezra Lee Matzeniik and now living in Melbourne. He’s learned from the best, like Dr. John and Johnnie Johnson. He’s played various rockabilly festivals and Ezra and his band also backed Wanda Jackson on her Spring 2013 Australian tour. So far he’s released 5 albums.

Let It Rock (2:52) 2015

CD: Boomerang Boogie [Rhtyhm Bomb RBR-5823] • Australia, 2016

Rockin’ Jerry Lee style version.

MEFISTO (Czechoslovakia)

See Volume 3, page 1359 for biographical info. See also Soundalikes and Tributes.

Roll Over Beethoven (3:15) 1965

CD: Greatest Hits [Supraphon 111629-2 311] • Czechoslovakia, 1993

I have not been able to find any original release for this cover. The album above also includes a version of "Johnny B. Goode" and the tribute/soundalike "I Like Chuck Berry". Just a little on the group name, the various artists LP I have (page 1359) calls the group Mefistos (not Mefisto) but it seems the correct name of the group was actually Mefisto.

I Like Chuck Berry (2:58) (Petr Kaplan) 1966 (instr)

CD: Greatest Hits [Supraphon 111629-2 311] • Czechoslovakia, 1993

A very goode instrumental in the Deep Feeling mode. Interesting to notice that they as early as the mid ‘60s paid tribute to Berry by this unusual instrumental not using the standard Johnny B. riff. I had never heard of this tribute before but thanks to Ari Niskanen in Finland who came across it in 2016(!) I have not been able to find the original release of this, but at least it is available on the above CD compilation.

[Note: The one above is not a cover version. You should file it under TRIBUTES AND SOUNDALIKES.]

STELLA PARTON (USA)

Younger sister of you know who, born in 1949. She also has a long career, although not as spectacular as Dolly, far from it really. She was part of a family gospel album in 1967 but had her first country hit and solo album in 1975. As you may notice she is still active and has so far released over 20 albums.

Johnny B. Goode (2:38) 2015

CD: Last Train To Memphis [Raptor RR-2022] • USA. 2015

Now this was a surprise. Good groove in the rhythm section and a strong guitar player with the Berry riffs intact. The album itself is actually a tribute to the old rock’n’roll music, as most of the songs are covers of well-known classics.

CLIFF RICHARD (UK)

See volume 3, page 1452 for biographical info.

Johnny B. Goode (2:48) 2013
School Day [School Days] (2:51) 2013

CD: The Fabulous Rock’N’Roll Songbook [Rhino (Warner) 2564641187] • UK, 2013

Recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. 14 classic rock’n’roll songs and one original song. Some are very good and some sounds a little hasty. But overall a nice try from Mr. Richard. At the same time it was released a DVD and Blu-Ray with Cliff titled "Still Reelin’ And A-Rockin’", recorded live at the Sydney Opera House (Australia) featuring 2 hours of rock’n’roll hits. Among the many rock’n’roll hits it includes two Berry covers, "Reelin’ And Rockin’" and "Forty Days".

Memphis, Tennessee (2:34) 2016
Roll Over Beethoven (2:50) 2016
Sweet Little Sixteen (3:08) 2016

CD: Just… Fabulous Rock’N’Roll [Sony Music 88985367742 ] • UK, 2016

More Nashville recordings. Produced by the same guy who was responsible for the first one, Steve Mandile. Again I was a little skeptical to this. How could Cliff improve anything on these classics, recorded so many times by so many people? BUT this time it really rocks, thanks to excellent musicians, some are the same as above. And he sings good too. Except for "Memphis" which is in the Johnny Rivers arrangement which I am not so fond of when covered by others, I became attached to the rock’n’roll beat. I love to be surprised and I did.

SHE & HIM (USA)

Country/folk artist M. Ward and actress/singer/songwriter Zooey Deschanel from Portland, Oregon got together in 2008 and released their first album. The CD below is their second Christmas compilation.

Run Rudolph Run (2:52) 2016

CD: Christmas Party [Columbia/Sony Music 8898 5380642] • USA, 2016

Slowed down acoustic version for about two minutes when it starts to rock. Unusual yes, but Ward’s voice is a little boring.

ØYSTEIN SUNDE (Norway)

See Volume 3, page 1541 for biographical info.

Johnny B. Goode [as “Johnny B. Goode På Sjukehjem”] (3:40) 2016

CD: Bestefar [Spinner SRXCD-2028] • Norway, 2016

Norwegian lyrics by Øystein Sunde, title translated: Johnny B. Goode In Nursing-Home. This version has been a highlight of his concerts for several years, and now finally on record. It features guitarist Petter Baarli (from Backstreet Girls) and pianist Reidar Larsen. Larsen is in the Soundalikes section (Vol.4) and Baarli and Backstreet Girls are in both Vol. 3 and Vol. 4.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: Chuck Berry singles on FAST, which is from Belgium indeed.

BELGIUM

Refering to pages 393 & 400, plus 2089 & 2094, because when this Fast label first turned up in the late ‘90s, the labels of 1056 and 1068 proclaimed Made In Holland (that’s why it was placed under Netherlands in Vol.1) which it turned out not to be. Information received after the publication of Vol.1 came from a guy in Belgium who said Fast was actually a Belgian label. As far as we know only 3 releases exists.

Let It Rock / Too Pooped To Pop+

Fast 1056 • 1960

Black label with silver print. The A and B sides are switched here as Too Pooped To Pop was the A-side on the original Chess single, however, it really became a double-sider on the Billboard charts.

Bye Bye Johnny / Worried Life Blues+

Fast 1068 • 1960

Black label with silver print. B-side credited to Chuck Berry Music, probably because the original Chess single didn’t have any credit on this track.

Almost Grown / Johnny B. Goode

Fast International 1081 • 1960

This release has blue labels with silver print and has added International. Misspelling of Johnny as "Johny B. Goode". And this label don’t have Made In Holland as printed on the other two.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: two singles I have just got hold of. One is a new release from England and the other is something I have just bought on eBay.

UK

Too Much Monkey Business / Brown Eyed Handsome Man

Mabel’s Record Co. 45-M 103 • 2016

Interesting to see a new vinyl release in 2016 of this classic 1956 Berry single. The only negative thing about this is the small centre hole as the use in jukeboxes will be minimal. The sound quality is goode.

IRAN

Too Much Monkey Business - Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders / (Sibony - Xavier Cuqat / La Paloma - Freddy / Tom Cat - The Rooftop Singers)

Iranian Record Distr.Co. 1493/1494 • 1965

Record label out of Teheran. This is NOT a Chuck Berry record so you probably wonder why this is included here. The thing is that I bought it on eBay for believing it was actually Chuck Berry himself on there. But it turned out not to be. It was a cover version by Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders from 1964. All the four songs are really cover versions, so it’s not Xavier Cugat, Freddy or Rooftop Singers performing either. As you will see there’s nothing on the label saying these are cover versions. The record did cost me around $22.00 so it was an expensive expierence.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: A new set of Berry covers I have gathered lately, to be added to the chapter on Chuck Berry covers in Volume 3. It never ends!

DEBORAH ALLEN (USA)

Singer, songwriter from Memphis, Tennessee, born in 1953. She figured on the country charts for the first time back in 1980, and although she hasn’t had that many hits she’s a prolific songwriter with songs recorded by Tammy Wynette, Rita Coolidge, Fleetwood Mac, Diana Ross, Tanya Tucker, Janie Fricke, Tracey Ullman to name but a few.

Run Rudolph Run (2:54) 2013

CD: Rockin’ Little Christmas [Relativity Entertainment 9532] • USA, 2015

Deborah has a voice for rockin’ tunes and it fits perfectly on this Berry classic. This CD it seems was first released in 2013 on Weblast! Records but no more info available.

ADOLPHUS BELL (USA)

Born 1944 in Luverne, Alabama. A one-man-band who traveled around in the southern states for years playing his ’59 Gibson, harmonica, bass drum and high hat, singing soul, blues and old time r&b/rock’n’roll songs. He died in 2013.

Johnny B. Goode (2:21) 2004

CD: Mississippi Rubberleg [Music Maker Relief Foundation MMCD-175] • USA, 2015

Very simple and honest version, a little unusual really. But the bass drum is a bit annoying in the long run.

BLUE LINE (USA)

no biographical info.

Johnny B. Goode (2:47) 1974

45: Fanfare Studios FM-74062 • USA, 1974

Record label out of El Cajon, California. Record produced by Hal Trimble.

T. GRAHAM BROWN (USA)

Country artist born in Atlanta in 1954 and has a long career, going back to the 1980s when he had a lot of hits on the country charts, including 3 no.1’s and 8 top 10s. "I Tell It Like It Used To Be" from 1985, "Hell And High Water" 1986 and "Don’t Go To Strangers" 1987 have all become classics.

Run Rudolph Run (3:05) 2015

CD: Christmas With T. Graham Brown [Mansion Entertainment 5490] • USA, 2015

ROY CAGLE And SNUFF RIDGE (USA)

See Volume 3, page 1110 for biographical info.

Carol [Oh Caroll] (2:07) 1970s
Memphis, Tennessee [Memphis] (2:16) 1970s
Sweet Little Sixteen (1:53) 1970s
Thirty Days [30 Days] (2:08) 1970s

LP: Roy Cagle And Snuff Ridge [Chris Records SS-312] • USA, 1970s

‘70s country rock. Interesting to notice that out of 12 tracks 4 are Berry’s. The problem I see is that the songs are actually all too short. Why?

EMMYLOU HARRIS & The Hot Band (USA)

See Volume 3, page 1233 for biographical info.

You Never Can Tell [C’est La Vie] (4:14) 1976 (live)

CD: Hot Night In Roslyn (Iconography ICON-046] • USA, 2014

Recorded for live FM Radio Broadcast from My Father’s Place, Roslyn, New York, 14 September ’76. Featuring Albert Lee (guitar), Rodney Crowell (guitar, vocals), Hank DeVito (pedal steel guitar), Glen D. Hardin (piano), Emery Godry Jr. (bass), John Ware (drums). Talking about a hot band !!!

SHARI KANE & DAVE STEELE (USA)

Wife and husband from Ann Arbor, Michigan. Acoustic blues with guitars, mandolin and National steel slide guitar. They both had their own career when they met in 1991, started performing together in 2010 which led to the recording of "Four Hand Blues", a well acclaimed album release in 2011.

Thirteen Question Method (3:07) 2015

CD: Feels Like Home [Kane-Steele 22077] • USA, 2015

Nice to see they included an obscure Berry number as the opening number for their second CD, and it really swings with Dave handlings the lyrics. The album also contains songs from the likes of Robert Johnson, Lonnie Johnsen, Reverend Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt a.o.

DINAH LEE (New Zealand)

Born Diane Marie Jacobs in 1943. Regarded as the most famous and popular Australasian female singer of the ‘60s. She was frequently featured on TV back then and had several records released on the Viking label from New Zealand, the first in 1964. On her early singles she was backed by fellow New Zealanders, Max Merritt & His Meteors (see page 1361). She is still active in 2016.

Johnny B. Goode (3:26) 2011
Johnny B. Goode (4:21) 2011 extended version
Johnny B. Goode (5:01) 2011 extended version

CD: Johnny B. Goode Tonight [TFM Productions] • Australia, 2011

Recorded at studio 301 in Sydney, Australia in late 2010. Actually a straight copy of the Peter Tosh version from 1983. Nothing more nothing less. But not bad to record such a song/version in 2011. And it seems to have been very popular.

MIKE McDONALD (Canada)

Can’t find out anything about this artist at all, except that the album was released in Canada, so I would assume that he’s Canadian. There’s a clip on YouTube of him performing at an outdoor concert in Pender Harbour, British Columbia, Canada.

Johnny B. Goode (4:39) 1983

LP: In The Heart Of Country [Sunshine SSLP-4030] • Canada, 1983

Would you believe, I have never heard this classic performed as a ballad. But it is exactly what it is, a ballad, even the refrain sounds very unusual in this particular arrangement. There is a plain echo on the voice which make it even more weird. No guitar riffs or guitar solo. Piano is the main instrument but just as an accompaniment.

BUCK OWENS (USA)

See Volume 3, page 1402 for biographical info.

Johnny B. Goode (3:22) 1989 (live)
Johnny B. Goode (reprise) (0:51) 1989 (live)
Memphis, Tennessee [‘Memphis’] (2:45) 1989 (live)

2-CD: Live In San Francisco 1989 [Rockbeat B00V4RGZPM] • 2015

This album was recorded in January ’89 at the Victoria Theatre in San Francisco, not long after he had been to the studio and finished his new album encouraged by Dwight Yoakam. Buck decided to try and do a little gigging again and this live album is a good proof that he had lost none of his qualities. He reassembled The Buckaroos consisting of Terry Christofferson (steel guitar), Jim Shaw (keyboards, vocals), Doyle Curtsinger (bass, vocals) and new member Jim McCarty (drums). Plus of course Buck himself on guitar and vocals. Had this album been released at the time it would have been a smash!

SWING CREW (USA)

Check out pages 1364 (Midwesterners) and 1602 (Richard Wiegel) in volume 3 and page 1852 (Midwesterners) in volume 4.

Run Rudolph Run (2:59) 2002
Guitar Boogie [Christmas Boogie] (2:56) (instr) 2002

CD: Season’s Greetings From The Swing Crew [The Swing Crew, no cat no.] • USA, 2003

Acoustic set with Richard Wiegel (The Midwesterners) on vocals and guitars and Dennis Relfsteck on
vocals, upright bass, fiddle and saw(!). However, the most interesting here is that Richard got the idea to use Berry’s instrumental boogie and turn it into a Christmas boogie medley. In the interludes Richard is playing several classic Christmas melodies. Quite unusual but very interesting to listen to. And both songs are credited to Chuck Berry, Isalee Music BMI. Not bad.

TRIP DADDYS (USA)

See volume 3, page 1574 for biographical info.

Maybellene (2:02) 2003

CD: Doublewide [Trip Daddys 37126] • USA, 2003

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: Another of these Canadian re-issues on Chess Golden Treasures:

CANADA

Nadine / O’Rangutang (instr)

Chess Golden Treasures [Quality] CHGT-323X • 1981

Here is another "new" single from Canada which we didn’t have before. See pages 273 and 1993 for other records from this series.

[Update: Reader Thierry Chanu provided us with two more images extending this post of September 2015.]

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: After we have seen that there were three different versions of the cover of Chess LP-1480 Chuck Berry On Stage it is time to explain that the same variants (initial print, sticker, and final print) can also be found with Chess LP-1485 Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits.

USA

CHUCK BERRY'S GREATEST HITS

Chess LP-1485 • April 1964

This is another of those Berry LPs that has come out with countless of label variants, 8 to be exact, and three different front covers, four if you count the el.stereo one numbered LPS-1485. The first cover didn’t have the titles in black on a yellow sticker or printed in yellow in the bottom right-hand corner (see images). And it’s not easy to tell for sure which label was the first, but I would guess it was the old black label with the vertical silver Chess logo (again see all the various images).

And it was also the first occasion that “Maybellene” was spelt with an ‘i’. And take notice of the different spelling, Featuring the original hits on the sticker, contra the later printed version Featuring the hits.

Here are the four covers of Chess LP-1485. As with all images on this site you can enlarge it by clicking.

And here's a selection of labels I have found with this Greatest Hits album.

Reader Thierry Chanu added two more images: Here's another minor variant of the label plus the original DJ COPY label. As with the On Stage album, the very first records produced and sent to Deejays came in the non-sticker sleeve and had the multi-color label.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: a silver label of Fresh Berry's plus another Canadian re-issue

USA

FRESH BERRY'S

Chess LP-1498 (mono) LPS-1498 (stereo) ? November 1965

A couple of weeks ago I bought a copy of this well-known album having a label I have never seen. It’s a silver Chess label. I have not seen any other Berry LPs on Chess with this kind of label colour. The copy I got is the mono issue. The question is, was it also available as a stereo issue?

CANADA

Roll Over Beethoven / Maybellene

Quality Gold Collection GC-382X ? 1986

Refering to page 1993 regarding especially the year of release, as the label on the above single also says 1982.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: A high-quality re-issue of a French EP.

FRANCE

CHUCK BERRY

Cameleon CAME-20 ? 2015

Rock And Roll Music / Roll Over Beethoven / Blue Feeling (instr) / Drifting Heart

A reissue and a true copy of the rare EP from France in 1958, London RE-U-10.004 (page 298). It’s been popular now to reissue original LPs as we have got many from the old US Chess catalog. It’s interesting to notice that they also have done it in France with this EP. Because to find a copy of this London EP today is as difficult as to search for a needle in the haystack, and the price will be skyhigh, we’re talking at least 1000,- Euro or up.

Here's the cover and label of the original EP so you don't confuse the two.

CBID is the Chuck Berry International Directory, a 2.200 page pile of Chuck Berry records information published in four volumes between 2008 and 2013. For details see the bibliography section of this site.

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

Today: After we have seen that there were three different versions of the cover of Chess LP-1480 Chuck Berry On Stage it is time to explain that the same variants (initial print, sticker, and final print) can also be found with Chess LP-1485 Chuck Berry's Greatest Hits.

USA

CHUCK BERRY'S GREATEST HITS

Chess LP-1485 ? April 1964

This is another of those Berry LPs that has come out with countless of label variants, 8 to be exact, and three different front covers, four if you count the el.stereo one numbered LPS-1485. The first cover didn’t have the titles in black on a yellow sticker or printed in yellow in the bottom right-hand corner (see images). And it’s not easy to tell for sure which label was the first, but I would guess it was the old black label with the vertical silver Chess logo (again see all the various images).

And it was also the first occasion that “Maybellene” was spelt with an ‘i’. And take notice of the different spelling, Featuring the original hits on the sticker, contra the later printed version Featuring the hits.

here are the four covers of Chess LP-1485. As with all images on this site you can enlarge it by clicking.

And here's a selection of labels I have found with this Greatest Hits album.

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: As already discussed in some blog posts here, the initial release of Chess LP-1480 was missing from the book - and all other discographies.

USA

CHUCK BERRY ON STAGE

Chess LP-1480 • August 1963

As mentioned on pages 60-61 I said that the original pressing of this LP had a sticker on the front cover. It goes to show that actually the original very first issue of this album didn’t have the sticker but came with no titles printed on top. Also the label was the black label with the fancy gold Chess logo across the top (image page 60) and no song titles mentioned. So now finally we have the complete picture of this LP.