Oct 182012
I keep getting distracted from the desire to wish Chuck Berry, one of rock’s few surviving founding fathers, a happy 86th birthday! I know you’re reading, Chuck, I won’t give away your RTH handle.
While Chuck browses today’s content, why don’t you tell him what your favorite Chuck Berry song is? I’ve always had a soft spot for “Almost Grown,” thanks to its appearance on the American Graffiti soundtrack and the change-up to his usual sound it presents.
As for songs Berry wrote but others covered, I’ll take The Rolling Stones’ version of “Around and Around.” The Master could be eclipsed with his own material now and then.
Tough choice…
I’ll go with Too Much Monkey Business for a Chuck original and for a cover, although I’ve not heard it in a long while, I like It Wasn’t Me by a pre-sax version of George Thorogood and the Delaware Destroyers.
(I also like the Dead’s version of Promised Land. I recognize that the Dead did not do very well with Chuck Berry covers, so let’s keep that amongst ourselves.)
Bobby Troup’s birthday is today as well. Here is Chuck doing “Route 66”: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tg2EbJy-9dc
At the moment, “Nadine” is my favorite Chuck Berry song. “campaign shoutin’ like a southern diplomat” is one of the greatest images in rock and roll history.
“one of the greatest images in rock and roll history.”
I was thinking the same thing about “I met a German girl in England who was going to school in France and we danced the Mississippi at an Alpha Kappa dance”
Chuck Berry’s way of fracturing language is always entertaining: in “Brown Eyed Handsome Man” he sings about the “Milo De Venus” and a baseball game where it’s “Two-three the count and nobody on”. Three strikes and you’re out, Chuck!
It’s possible to have a least favorite Chuck Berry song, but not a favorite. There are too many great ones. All the ones mentioned are favorites, along with Let it Rock, Brown Eyed Handsome Man, and Back in the USA.
I just got back from seeing the new Stones movie, so I’ll pick their version of Carol as my fave cover.
As you always remember the first time “No Particular Place To Go” has a place in my heart. So much more adult than the teen pop of the Bobbies & the Frankies & the Fabian. An insight into your 1964 American ways too. Seat belts! In cars!
Johnny Allan’s “Promised Land” never fails to please & Sonic’s Rendevous Band’s “Sweet Little Sixteen” pushes it close.
Best Chuck record: “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man.” Best covers: “Around and Around” by the Stones, “Rock and Roll Music” by the Beatles, and Johnny Rivers’ version of “Memphis,” which is better than the original.
Agreed on Johnny Rivers’ “Memphis.”
Memphis is probably my favorite. The way the story is laid out is pure genius. I never get tired of the big reveal at the end.
Depends on my mood what Chuck Berry song is my fave. Right now its Memphis TN. I really like the rather obscure Chevy Chase version. The one where some middle aged school marm voiced woman as the operator complains she needs more information other than her phone number written on the wall. BTW Chase talks the lyrics. .
‘Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall’
I just remembered the stones version of Little Queenie from get your Yaya’s out. That one is pretty excellent as well
Agreed. The word “botheration” from too much monkey business is an excellent example
I was going to start a band called “Coolerator” based on the line in You Never Can Tell. I found out since there actually was an obscure cooling device called a coolerator back in the day. I had just assumed it was another of Chuck’s wordventions.
Anyway, a quick Google reveals a band with this name appeared live at McLoone’s Boathouse in West Orange, on Friday, July 13.
Always have a soft spot for “You Never Can Tell” myself. As for covers, the Yardbirds’ “Too Much Monkey Business” probably just edges out the Steve Gibbons Band version of “Tulane” for me.
Favorite is “Memphis TN” as well. The song story with a twist ending is a kind of a corny country music style played by an RnB road musician. That’s 50’s Rock and Roll in 2 1/2 minutes flat.
Favorite cover is either the Beatles “Rock and Roll Music” or the Stones “Carol”. Didn’t every 70’s hack band double-live set conclude with a Chuck Berry encore?
I just watched an old Hullabaloo show that Chuck was on last night. It was hosted by Trini Lopez & Chuck was doing “Johnny Be Good” & then did a duet w/Trini on “Memphis, TN”. It was quite a sight to see the Hullabloo dancers do the duckwalk w/Chuck.
My fave rave Chuck songs: “Johnny Be Good”, its sequel “Bye, Bye Johnnie”, “Jo Jo Gunne”, “Back in the USA”
Fave rave Chuck covers: “Bye Bye Johnny”, the Stones, “Back in the USA”, Jonathan Richman, “Promised Land”, Elvis
I have a couple of Johnnie Allan LPs. He’s someone worthy of discovery….
Memphis is also really interesting because it’s one of the few songs I can think of about a parent being separated from a child. “hurry home drops on her cheek” is pure poetry.
Agreed on “Nadine,” and I just made that same point about that 2d verse yesterday on my FBook page. Brilliant
aloha
LD