Re: Chuck Berry ~ Appreciation Thread As I said on my previous post I would buy albums by anyone if they covered a Chuck Berry Tune (even 38 Special's debut because they covered "Around & Around") but it also worked the opposite too. I picked up the 'Move it on Over' album by George Thorogood back in the late 70's & my favorite song on the album was 'It Wasn't Me'. I seen Berry wrote it so I had to search for Chuck's version. Another song I discovered like that was 'Tulane' by Joan Jett off of her 'I Hate Myself for Loving You' album. I loved the song but for years never paid too much attention to the lyrics. On Berry's version you can really make out the lyrics & it is a great story about 2 drug dealers (Johnny & his girl Tulane) who opened a novelty shop. One day the narcs busted the 2 in the shop but Tulane escaped & apparently sold the stuff & paid off the Judge. Unfortunately, on another tune titled 'Have Mercy Judge' Johnny gets busted again & sent away . Meanwhile he wants Tulane to go on with her life despite their love because as he puts it "She's too Alive to live alone"
Re: Chuck Berry ~ Appreciation Thread I made up a list of Chuck Berry tunes that have that similar guitar riff intro which is legendary. ("Down the Road Appiece" was close but was a little off) Johnny B. Goode Jo Jo Gunne Sweet Little Rock & Roller Run Rudolph Run Little Queenie Back in the USA Let it Rock Bye Bye Johnny Promised Land Dear Dad It Wasn't Me Tulane Reelin & a Rockin (Live Versions) Roll Over Beethoven Carol House of Blue Lights I Will Not Let You Go London Berry Blues Guitar Boogie Go Bobby Soxer St. Louis Blues Shake Rattle & Roll My Mustang Ford Ain't That Just Like a Woman
Re: Chuck Berry ~ Appreciation Thread I don't know the song 'Tulane' but when I saw 'Tulane' my first thought was Chuck Berry wrote a song about Tulane University? How cool .... Go green wave .... (they have decent basketball teams but almost always suck in football) Chuck Berry's 'Tulane' not the university ... Here's Joan's version
Like most of my favourite 50s musos, i can lay the discovery thereof at my uncles feet, he was a mad Chuck Berry fan and his fave tune is now my fave tune is LET IT ROCK and a while back I found a Live at the BBC gig that played on ABC sydney back in the day ...here it is
A quote from Keith Richards regarding Chuck Berry- "I stole every guitar lick." With that in mind you could have at least shown up at Chuck's funeral and carried the casket you mutha Keith.
The fact that Richards among others(Led Zeppelin)had to "steal" or alter so many guitar licks in order to keep their R7B futures intact is exactly why I go with the Beatles as my favorite group.There's only so much you can do with usual three chord-bridge blues-rock.Variations on the theme have been done to death while the Fabs' were much more willing to expand on more original compositional form.This is why McCartney has been compared so many times to the great classical composers.And quite justifiably........................
I like the clip of Chuck doin' "Sweet Little Sixteen" with John Lennon on the Mike Douglas Show in 1972.The rock world's equivalent of a meeting of a pair Greek Gods atop Mount Olympus!
This is the LP that Mick was carrying when Keith bumped into him on Dartford Station..i have the PYE version on heavy vinyl...it's loud! Saw him twice in Nottm and was lucky enough to dance on stage both times..the 2nd time with his Daughter. Maybe another post...i'll explain the chat we had after the gig.
