JOHHNY B. POLLED: chuck berry's great twenty-eight

greatest american songwriter of the 1950s? yeah, i think so.

almost every choice is an honorable one, but i say "brown eyed handsome man."

― tipsy mothra, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:08 (4 years ago) Permalink

I love this record so much. I went with "Johnny B. Goode" but I could have gone for any of them, even "Havana Moon".

― Euler, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

(point of trivia: ilm appears to have more threads dedicated to chuck eddy than chuck berry.)

― tipsy mothra, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

Thirty Days because it rocks

― caek, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:15 (4 years ago) Permalink

oh man. Brown Eyed Handsome Man vs. Roll over Beethoven vs. Back in the U.S.A.?

― gabbneb, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

"Too Much Monkey Business." Not only is it a fine song, but I can't think of a line of it without thinking about his performance of said lyric. Also, smokin' solo.

― DLee, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:39 (4 years ago) Permalink

CAMPAIGN SHOUTIN' LIKE A SOUTHERN DIPLOMAT

― milo z, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

The venus DeMio was a beautiful lass, she had the world in the palm of her hand
She lost both her arms in wrestling match over a brown eyed handsome man....

Has to be BEHM, although chuck's finest pair are back to back on St. Louis to Liverpool 'Promised Land and You Never Can Tell'

― sonofstan, Monday, 4 August 2008 17:49 (4 years ago) Permalink

"Milo deVenus!" Gotta love it.

This is such an incredible greatest hits album that I really don't know where to begin except by flashing on stuff that's not even on it, like "The Broken Arrow" and "You Never Can Tell." The only thing that's really out of place on this for me is "I Wanna Be Your Driver," which felt like filler to me even as a kid. "Havana Moon" is also a minor track but I like it being in there.

* Best overall sound: "Maybellene"
* Best song specifically about rock and roll: "Reelin' and Rockin'"

POV, single lines as sung by Chuck Berry? The man could paint a picture with incredible verbal economy. I nominate:

1. "Want me to marry, get a home, settle down, write a BOOK!"
2. "Jet-propelled back home from overseas to the USA"
3. "Flyin' cross the desert in a TWA, I saw a woman walkin' cross the sands..."
4. "Meanwhile, I was still thinkin'..."
5. "Audience of seventeen and noticed not a one..."

Not including anything from "Nadine" because it would run the category - I mean, check this:

"Downtown, searchin' for her, lookin' all around
saw her gettin' in a yellow cab headin' uptown
I caught a loaded taxi, paid up everybody's tab
Flipped a twenty-dollar bill and told 'em CATCH THAT YELLOW CAB!"

"Nadine" gets my vote in the poll - but close runners-up in "Maybellene," "Roll Over Beethoven," the underrated "Beautiful Delilah" and "Memphis." I could seriously gush about Chuck Berry all day on here.

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

Maybelline, narrowly over Memphis

― kornrulez6969, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:10 (4 years ago) Permalink

xpost:

yeah god he's a GREAT singer. massive influence on dylan among others, obviously.

― tipsy mothra, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

massive influence on dylan among others, obviously.

huh?

― Mr. Que, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

i've been on a "little queenie" and "let it rock" kick lately.

― will, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:20 (4 years ago) Permalink

huh?

-- Mr. Que

its pretty easy to picture a young dylan nailing 'deep down in lousiana close to new orleans'

― deeznuts, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

Maybellene

― Tape Store, Monday, 4 August 2008 18:49 (4 years ago) Permalink

listen to "too much monkey business" back to back with "subterranean homesick blues," for starters.

― tipsy mothra, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:18 (4 years ago) Permalink

Torn between monkey business and brown eyed handsome man... and most of the rest. I'm abstaining.

― forksclovetofu, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

yeah the dylan connection seems fairly clear

― gabbneb, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

I just learned that his only #1 hit was "My Ding a Ling" which is a perfectly good song, but jeez!

Anyway, Memphis, because corn is delicious.

― Oilyrags, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

listen to "too much monkey business" back to back with "subterranean homesick blues," for starters.

that's like one song!

yeah the dylan connection seems fairly clear

i am curious to hear anyone's thoughts on this, i just don't hear it! i think dylan totally has a rock and roll influence but chuck berry specifically, i don't hear

― Mr. Que, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

when i was at the peak of my chuck berry fandom that fact used to actually depress me (not a good song, btw) xp

you do realize people are talking mostly about vocal intonation/rhythms/flow etc right que, i think its safe to say dylan is somewhat indebted to berry there

― deeznuts, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:33 (4 years ago) Permalink

yeah for another example that "still thinkin'" line quoted above. i mean berry was drawing on blues and jazz singing himself, but he hipped it up in a way that i think has a real direct line to dylan.

― tipsy mothra, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:36 (4 years ago) Permalink

apparently little richard was a bigger influence

http://www.biography.com/broadband/main.do?video=bio-top250-bobdylan-earlyinfluences&category=Musicians

― gabbneb, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:38 (4 years ago) Permalink

little richard i can see

― Mr. Que, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

and i'm not trying to be argumentative or whatever, i've just never even thought that these two dudes were similar in singing style

― Mr. Que, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

i can believe dylan wanted to be little richard. but vocally, richard's a shouter which dylan isn't (most of the time). where chuck berry perfected a kind of cool, amused patter that i hear a lot of in dylan.

(not that chuck berry's greatness rests on his influence on dylan or anyone else.)

― tipsy mothra, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:43 (4 years ago) Permalink

why does little richard make sense? i don't see that as clearly. i guess i too was focused on those two songs as well, but i wasn't thinking about singing style, really.

― gabbneb, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:44 (4 years ago) Permalink

more about writing/attitude

― gabbneb, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:44 (4 years ago) Permalink

It is "Johnny B Goode". Actually one out of very few so-called "classics" from the 50s rock'n'roll era that deserves the tag. In a way, it is just another boring 12 bar song, but the song is composed so effectively that it gives you a feeling of a verse/chorus build, and you forget the harmonic limitations of the song.

Out of the 50s rockers, only Buddy Holly did this better.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

wow apparently Santana covered "Havana Moon", and even named the album after the song. You can see a live clip from 1983 here (it starts at about the 3:25 mark or so). 3 drummers! Carlos Santana characteristically looks like he's giving birth during the solo.

― Euler, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:48 (4 years ago) Permalink

why does little richard make sense? i don't see that as clearly. i guess i too was focused on those two songs as well, but i wasn't thinking about singing style, really.

dylan started out as a piano player, right? i dunno, something about dylan reminds me of little richard's singing (but like tipsy says, without the shouting.)

― Mr. Que, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:49 (4 years ago) Permalink

btw I am lolling that anyone covered "Havana Moon", which is the only thing like a dud on the album, I reckon

― Euler, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:49 (4 years ago) Permalink

wtf Dylan doesn't sound like Little Richard

― Euler, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:50 (4 years ago) Permalink

Paul McCartney sounded a lot like Little Richard when he was at his most boring musically though.

― Geir Hongro, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:51 (4 years ago) Permalink

pretty sure there are plenty of articles and books about how dylan wanted to be little richard growing up back in hibbing

― Mr. Que, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

Santana characteristically looks like he's giving birth during the solo.

lol

― gabbneb, Monday, 4 August 2008 19:54 (4 years ago) Permalink

"Johnny B. Goode" is actually among my least favorites here - I don't know if I've just heard it way way way too many times or if it was just never all that exciting. The "Go, go, go Johnny go" chorus just doesn't have much going on, and in general there's not too much of Chuck's bite and wit in the track. Even the curious sequel song musters more distinctive detail: "She drew out all her money out the Southern Trust / and put her little boy aboard a Greyhound bus" vs "There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood / where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode."

There are a lot of these that are really elevated by the little touches in the lyrics/vocals - like how "Thirty Days" is basically "Maybellene" over again except who cares because you get

"'f I don't get no satisfaction from the JUDGE
'm gonna take it to the EFF BEE EYE and voice m' GRUDGE
'f they don't gimme no consolation
I'm'a take it to the United Nations,
I'm'a see that you be back home in thirty days"

So many more! Pretty much every song in this tracklist makes me flash on some great line or other and some of them are just wall-to-wall inventiveness. "You Can't Catch Me" is maybe not his most exciting composition but again, check out the lingo - "Here come ol' flat top" - "Flyin' on the beam set on flight control" - "Custom made, was a Flight de Ville" - "Rollin' slowly cause of drizzlin' showers" - "Bye bye New Jersey I've be-come airborne"...

― Doctor Casino, Monday, 4 August 2008 20:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

"Marty, that was very interesting music" oh man but the riff on "Johnny B. Goode"! even without the lyric it's epic.

― Euler, Monday, 4 August 2008 20:27 (4 years ago) Permalink

that riff is so great even Phish can't ruin it with a singer losing his voice

nb I was in the 4th row in front of Trey ;)

― gabbneb, Monday, 4 August 2008 20:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR $400:

Chuck Berry told this classical composer to 'roll over'

"Who is Beethoven?"

Correct!

CLASSICAL MUSIC FOR $600:

Chuck Berry told Beethoven to tell this classical composer 'the news'

― Abbott, Monday, 4 August 2008 21:31 (4 years ago) Permalink

...

― deeznuts, Monday, 4 August 2008 21:32 (4 years ago) Permalink

Re: Dylan/ Berry
Sing Nadine in a Dylan voice.

'I shouted to the driver, hey conducter/ you m-u-st, slow down....
Nadi-i-i-ine, a honey is that yew?

and xpost
of course it was the Milo de Venus -much funnier

― sonofstan, Monday, 4 August 2008 22:05 (4 years ago) Permalink

motorvatin

― PappaWheelie V, Monday, 4 August 2008 23:09 (4 years ago) Permalink

Of the top of the head, it's either Reelin' & Rockin', Memphis or Nadine, but I'm gonna listen to the whole thing while I make dinner and then get back to it.

Also: "I'm gon' send out a world wide hoodoo/ that'll be the very thing that'll suit ya" omg and "MOTORVATIN'" OTM!!!

― people explosion, Monday, 4 August 2008 23:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

the version of Maybellene on 'Golden Hits' (late 60's 'compilation' which is really Chuck redoing his hits in what some deem a wan fashion) is super, doesn't seem tweaked too much at first but he flattens some of the verbal inflections in the chorus to nice effect and then the groove on the verses gets locked in hypnotically tight while he's rattling off his shit, all of a sudden it's a new song damn near. the only version for me now.

― tremendoid, Monday, 4 August 2008 23:42 (4 years ago) Permalink

Memphis.

The twist at the end just kills me every time.

Also this:

"Last time I saw Marie she's waving me good-bye
With hurry home drops on her cheek that trickled from her eye"

― Jake Brown, Monday, 4 August 2008 23:45 (4 years ago) Permalink

Other favorites:
"Phone sounds like thunder/ some stupid jerk tryin' to reach another number"
"She's the daughter of a well-respected man/ Who taught her how to judge and understand/ Since she became a rock-roll music fan"/// also love this song for the "She never gets any older" trope which is an important part of the Chuck Berry mythology, wrt The Supernature of Rock & Roll, plus it puts some surreal images in my head

The Dylan/Berry comparison makes a lot of sense to me, too, as a trajectory. They both take a perverse thrill in the tremendous possibilities of a simple couplet, and they were the architects of amalgamating rock'n'roll-fakin' it and rock'n'roll-sincerity, which really caught on much later than either's hey-day. Also, Berry wasn't that great of a singer, at least in proportion to his other talents, and there was little precedent for that when Dylan began his rock+roll career, so I'm certain he was well studied.

These songs have aged a lot better than a lot of the other early ROCKERS because Berry's particular talent, which is, you know, fucking poetry, like that of Leadbelly, Woody Guthrie, Hank Williams and a handful of the other architects popular music. Well, poetry is something that can only die with the language, unlike the energy of Little Richard or the sonic mastery of Buddy Holly, which could be/were outdone in some ways (though they're records still thrill me for those reasons, I could see how they wouldn't really get a jaded punker or prog rocker or hip hop head their rocks).

Johnny B. Goode maybe hasn't aged as well in this sense, because its poetry takes place on a different level. It's amazing to me how he took this archetype of the poor uneducated country boy who's amazing talent transcends the pettiness of class and turned it on its head for the Rock'n'Roll era just as the middle classes were puking in their laps over this amazing new energetic type of music that had its roots in greasy juke joints down south. It's an idea that's been fully integrated (no pun intended) now, but it was a remarkable addition to the rock mythology, and it hits me a little deeper than a wow neat-o couplet, even though he was the GOAT of neat-o couplets.

I guess my vote will go for "Nadine" because it was the first CB song I heard as profound with mature ears, having already heard them all as profound with immature ears. Also, I feel like I've lived that song a million times, and I've still never caught Nadine, and that's why the fadeout kills me every time.
Question: which of these two less Berry "Greats" moreso invented the Beatles: "I Wanna Be Your Driver" or "I'm Talking About You"

― people explosion, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 00:56 (4 years ago) Permalink

Jake otm - "hurry-home drops" is one of the most beautiful figures of speech I've ever heard.

― Oilyrags, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 01:26 (4 years ago) Permalink

It also brings up the important and perhaps hithertoo never asked question:

Is Chuck Berry twee?

― Oilyrags, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 01:46 (4 years ago) Permalink

It occurred to me listening to it last night that the thing that makes "Memphis" so great is that he doesn't try to make the twist really play like a twist. Compare to the similar ending of "Save All Your Kisses For Me" by Brotherhood of Man, where it's all winking and grinning... Chuck understands that the story is more sad, not less for the fact that Marie is only six years old - she probably really misses this guy and doesn't understand why he can't come home. Actually, we can be pretty sure that's the case - we know she's trying to get in touch with Chuck, 'cause his uncle (what a great detail) took her message.

Also love how he begins as professionally as he can on the phone with the operator ("Help me find the party that tried to get in touch with me") but gradually reveals the still-raw emotions of the situation ("We were pulled apart because her mom did not agree / tore apart our happy home in Memphis, Tennessee.").

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 16:16 (4 years ago) Permalink

finally bought The Definitive Collection yesterday (these + a few more) and listened to it twice - much as I love all the rest, it's still CAMPAIGN SHOUTIN' LIKE A SOUTHERN DIPLOMAT

Are there any good covers of "Nadine"?

― milo z, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 20:30 (4 years ago) Permalink

I always assumed the line about the 'Southern Diplomat' was a way of avoiding saying 'Southern Democrat' = just like 'country boy' as opposed to 'colored boy'- amirite? or is there a better explanation? because why would the south need diplomats? and why would diplomats shout?

― sonofstan, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 21:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

I always loved the Southern Diplomat, but in the last couple years I've totally come around to the same reading as you, sonofstan - it's VERY easy to make it be Southern Demmycrat, and it works a lot better. Not sure why he would have bothered with the substitution - even in the 50s, surely it would have been pretty innocuous to associate southern politicians with "campaign shoutin'"?

― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 21:24 (4 years ago) Permalink

it just reads like a more evocative version of politician to me (that fits in with the meter/rhyme/whatever it's called, I don't know poetry or lyrics from my ass)

― milo z, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 22:00 (4 years ago) Permalink

Or he deliberately messes up the expression to sound more like the usual CB protagonist - regular, hard working, put upon guy - would sound in the heat of the chase? stumbling over big words, mangling cliches?

― sonofstan, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 22:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

― ILX System, Wednesday, 6 August 2008 23:01 (4 years ago) Permalink

"Memphis" is a fantastic song, even though his recording of it isn't terribly spectacular. So, not that one...

-- Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 14:37 (2 days ago) Link

Explain, please. I love the recording -- slow, soft, steady blues, no Johnny B. guitar solos necessary. Also, Doctor Casino OTM.

― Jake Brown, Thursday, 7 August 2008 00:17 (4 years ago) Permalink

"Memphis" inspired a lot of really great covers, and a lot of them are completely different, but they're all inspired by that odd feeling that only THAT SONG gives you. It's the mode of the tune, I think, what is it? Chuck's version has an odd sort of rhythm, and a straighter beat fits best, I think.

Buck Owens' version is the classic pop version, IMO. Like Chuck's, but more rhythmic drive, and the harmonies really make it. The Faces' sloppy, fun rock'n'roll version is nice. Hasil Adkins wtf, can't beat that for what it is. Sandy Bull's version, though, is a really grand achievement. Turns it into something new, otherworldly, amazing. Uses the strange mode as a platform for junked out, droning guitar hero bliss, both rock+roll and fringe experi-mentalism. But there's like 1000000000 versions, and I've never heard a bad one.

― people explosion, Thursday, 7 August 2008 03:40 (4 years ago) Permalink

sandy bull's "memphis" really is great. a little commentary (from here):

"Memphis was influenced by Lonnie Mack's version of the song, and the jazz records I was listening to, particularly Bag's Groove," Bull explains. "I'd been messing around with a little tape recorder in the summer of '64, playing electric bass. I was listening to a lot of Chuck Berry and the Supremes, and I couldn't find any rhythm guitars players who were steady enough for my liking. So I put my own rhythm guitar on tape and played to that. Memphis was one of the tunes I liked for that; it was really meditative, and had interesting changes, almost blues but not quite. I was already into the oud by then, and Indian-style music on the guitar, along with standard guitar licks. It just all fell together."

― tipsy mothra, Thursday, 7 August 2008 04:28 (4 years ago) Permalink

But there's like 1000000000 versions, and I've never heard a bad one.

Um - if you ask me, Johnny Rivers's #2 hit version is absolutely atrocious - totally stripped of any pathos, mood, or personality save jovial honky exclamation.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 7 August 2008 12:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

Like, the guy sings it like he's warming up for "Secret Agent Man."

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 7 August 2008 12:53 (4 years ago) Permalink

Doubling back to "Almost Grown" - Chuck's best solo maybe? It just shimmers.

The great thing about this poll/album/career is that any time I try to do a more thorough rundown of songs I'm not that crazy about, I remember some part of them that's just unstoppably good. Like, "Sweet Little Sixteen" I could take or leave...but then I remember the way the drums come thundering back into the chorus after the "...and back in class again" bit.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 7 August 2008 12:59 (4 years ago) Permalink

Wait, now I think the shimmering solo might be on "Sweet Little Rock n Roller" - gotta check when I get home.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 7 August 2008 13:12 (4 years ago) Permalink

I forgot about the Lonnie Mack version! Sandy Bull's comment "almost blues but not quite" is almost too vague to say anything but it's actually perfectly descriptive.

I have not heard Johnny Rivers sing it and hope I won't.

― people explosion, Thursday, 7 August 2008 14:19 (4 years ago) Permalink

It was inescapable in my youth listening to "Fox 97," at the time a 60s pop-rock oldies station - consider yourself lucky.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 7 August 2008 14:21 (4 years ago) Permalink

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

― ILX System, Thursday, 7 August 2008 23:01 (4 years ago) Permalink

I don't like Chuck Berry because he bastardized the blues.

Just kidding. I would've gone for the disquieting "Let It Rock" if the metaphor didn't overwhelm the narrative, e.g. why on earth did they build a teepee right on the tracks? So I chose "Roll Over Beethoven" because you can really hear rock & roll animate the world. Or rather, one very vocal portion thereof.

'cause his uncle (what a great detail) took her message

Gawd yes! How redolent. With just one word, he gives the song a vivid socioeconomic setting.

― Kevin John Bozelka, Thursday, 7 August 2008 23:13 (4 years ago) Permalink

I saw Chuck Berry play last month. He did a short version of Memphis, lasting only a minute or so.

― Alba, Thursday, 7 August 2008 23:48 (4 years ago) Permalink

Blonde hair, good lookin'
tryin' to get me hooked
want me to marry get a home settle down
- write a BOOK!

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 1 July 2010 21:47 (2 years ago) Permalink

Beautiful Delilah
bathin' in the suuun
Audience of seventeen
and noticed not a one
Lo!cal Casanova
who wouldn't be outdonne
Let her steal his heart away
and break it just for fun!

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 23 July 2010 15:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

Seriously, like 3/4 of these songs, after you get done listening to them, you go "Shit, I should've voted for THAT!"

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 23 July 2010 15:59 (2 years ago) Permalink

none for Around and Around.... shame

― Dr X O'Skeleton, Sunday, 25 July 2010 17:04 (2 years ago) Permalink

I love the way he spits out "Twelve o CLOCK!" in the verse about the police busting in. Great drumming on that one, too.

― Doctor Casino, Sunday, 25 July 2010 17:15 (2 years ago) Permalink

none for Around and Around.... shame

yep and!

15. Carol 0
19. Little Queenie 0
22. Let It Rock 0

:(

― TN's only candidate for Governor with a handgun carry permit, so... → (will), Sunday, 25 July 2010 17:41 (2 years ago) Permalink

"Memphis" is a fantastic song, even though his recording of it isn't terribly spectacular. So, not that one...

-- Myonga Vön Bontee, Tuesday, 5 August 2008 14:37 (2 days ago) Link

Explain, please. I love the recording -- slow, soft, steady blues, no Johnny B. guitar solos necessary. Also, Doctor Casino OTM.

― Jake Brown, Wednesday, August 6, 2008 8:17 PM

I've reevaluated, and you're right, I take it back! It was the cardboard-box drums that made the thing sound like a demo (plus a lingering fondness for Jan & Dean's cover, first version of the song I'd known). I've since come to love those drums for their own ramshackle sake.

(Is there a statute of limitations wrt replying to years-old direct questions that you completely missed first time around?)

― honorary mayor of Malibu, California (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 3 March 2011 07:31 (2 years ago) Permalink

No! This is the great thing about ILX.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 3 March 2011 15:12 (2 years ago) Permalink

Her home is on the south side,
High up on a ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge....

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 5 October 2012 18:27 (7 months ago) Permalink

Songs where it's fun to say HOOS in place of the actual lyrics

― Cosmic Fopp (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 6 October 2012 02:47 (7 months ago) Permalink

chuck playing 'johnny b. goode' on the mike douglas show with john and (on tambourine?) yoko. it's adorable how thrilled john looks to be there.

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, 18 October 2012 01:59 (7 months ago) Permalink

awwwwwwwwwwwwwww that is pretty great for exactly that reason. Makes me think of that thing of how - and maybe this is just me misremembering Hail! Hail! Rock n Roll, but wasn't Chuck's cost-cutting touring practice, for ages and ages, to just pull into town and scoop up whatever local musicians were available, on the grounds that any musician with a pulse could play his entire catalogue by heart? There must be thousands of people out there who made an okay living playing whatever gigs and teaching guitar lessons and tending bar on the side, and whatever else happened in their life they can still tell the story that they backed up Chuck Berry once. Hard to imagine Lennon not thinking of it as a life highlight.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 18 October 2012 03:27 (7 months ago) Permalink

god damn though - dude STILL plays one show a month at that club in st. louis. Thirty-five dollars a head. Any ilxors ever gone? I'm starting to feel like I should coordinate some kind of big cross-country road trip soon just to say I saw the guy once.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 18 October 2012 03:32 (7 months ago) Permalink

holy shit I didn't know he gigged regularly like that in STL. I live pretty close by American standards, maybe I'll arrange a trip to see him. still shocks me that he's alive & all those other rockers afterward are long dead; same with Little Richard. like these giants are still in our midst & we care about such trivialities by comparison.

― Euler, Thursday, 18 October 2012 13:21 (7 months ago) Permalink

It's like when I was last in NY, I walked past a gig board that had "Les Paul, Live" and I was like "Wow, he still goin?", and yeah about 3 months later he died.

Not that long ago, I saw a LPaul live gig on SkyArts, a celeb guest version of what I would have seen, doubtless, and I enjoyed it but the kids would have, um, been refused entry actually. But yeah. or something.

― Mark G, Thursday, 18 October 2012 13:40 (7 months ago) Permalink

Will Chuck someday become the first of the original rock n rollers to die of natural causes?

― Faster than food (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, 18 October 2012 13:42 (7 months ago) Permalink

but wasn't Chuck's cost-cutting touring practice, for ages and ages, to just pull into town and scoop up whatever local musicians were available, on the grounds that any musician with a pulse could play his entire catalogue by heart?

iirc, all he says to his musicians is, "When I put my foot down, start. When I put it down again, stop."

― 5-Hour Enmity (Tarfumes The Escape Goat), Thursday, 18 October 2012 13:46 (7 months ago) Permalink

chuck playing 'johnny b. goode' on the mike douglas show with john and (on tambourine?) yoko. it's adorable how thrilled john looks to be there.

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Wednesday, October 17, 2012 6:59 PM (Yesterday)

I love ILM! That is a conga drum that Yoko's playing.

― Jersey Al (Albert R. Broccoli), Thursday, 18 October 2012 15:54 (7 months ago) Permalink

Will Chuck someday become the first of the original rock n rollers to die of natural causes?

― Faster than food (Myonga Vön Bontee), Thursday, October 18, 2012 9:42 AM (2 hours ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Bo Diddley beat him to it

― mizzell, Thursday, 18 October 2012 16:04 (7 months ago) Permalink

no vote for school days! one of my fav tracks

― flopson, Thursday, 18 October 2012 16:32 (7 months ago) Permalink

Turned 85 today.

― Jazzbo, Thursday, 18 October 2012 16:48 (7 months ago) Permalink

Saw him twice. The first time was in Rhode Island, at a free concert in the parking lot of a shopping mall. Saw him get off a helicopter and meet the band right before hitting the stage. Also stopped the show for a few minutes because he spotted a video camera in the crowd. "Chuck Berry will play no until that camera is gone."

― Jazzbo, Thursday, 18 October 2012 16:51 (7 months ago) Permalink

I've got him down as turning 86. Showed this to the class today:

― clemenza, Thursday, 18 October 2012 18:31 (7 months ago) Permalink

no vote for school days! one of my fav tracks

― flopson, Thursday, 18 October 2012

one of mine too "RING ring goes the bell" "DROP the coin right into the slot" "HAIL hail rock n roll"! it's probably hurt by its similarity to "no particular place to go" which is a great song and has an evocation of cars & girls & aimlessness youth culture which probably feels more authentic than the high school and juke spot one. i might be the vote for "almost grown" if i was here then, which is also along the latter lines. "memphis" is a fine song and performance but its winning puts me vaguely mind of noz and tim f. musings about innovation "transcending" a genre being prized above innovation within a genre or something

― zvookster, Thursday, 18 October 2012 18:45 (7 months ago) Permalink

still shocks me that he's alive & all those other rockers afterward are long dead; same with Little Richard. like these giants are still in our midst & we care about such trivialities by comparison.

this amazes me every time i think about it. jerry lee lewis too!

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, 18 October 2012 18:49 (7 months ago) Permalink

i've always wanted to see him live too -- i mean, i have a hard time imagining little richard can put on anything resembling his old act anymore, but chuck can probably still kick anyone's ass when he feels like it.

― (The Other) J.D. (J.D.), Thursday, 18 October 2012 18:55 (7 months ago) Permalink

FWIW, I am a huge fan of working within a genre and if I voted for "Memphis" it was just because it really gets me sometimes and I think it's just a fantastic performance. I would just as happily vote for "Nadine" (which I may have in fact done?) for being the apex of Chuck-as-Chuck, the propulsive, inventive, urgent rock-and-roll storyteller.

― Doctor Casino, Thursday, 18 October 2012 19:26 (7 months ago) Permalink

FWIW, I am a huge fan of working within a genre and if I voted for "Memphis" it was just because it really gets me sometimes and I think it's just a fantastic performance

yeah obv i accept this totally

― zvookster, Thursday, 18 October 2012 21:39 (7 months ago) Permalink

I've got him down as turning 86.
I stand corrected.

― Jazzbo, Thursday, 18 October 2012 23:52 (7 months ago) Permalink

― 誤訳侮辱, Friday, 29 March 2013 00:56 (1 month ago) Permalink

That's awesome! What a showman. Love the naughtier work-through of the lyrics. And the Coca-Cola bit is something else.

― Doctor Casino, Friday, 29 March 2013 18:34 (1 month ago) Permalink