Happy 74th Birthday Ringo Starr (read more)
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| Charles Elzer Loudermilk (July 7, 1927 – January 26, 2011), known professionally as Charlie Louvin, was an American country music singer and songwriter. He is best known as one of the Louvin Brothers, and was a member of the Grand Ole Opry since 1955. |  |
| Joseph William Perkins (July 7, 1913 – March 21, 2011), known by the stage name Pinetop Perkins, was an American blues musician, specializing in piano music. He played with some of the most influential blues and rock and roll performers in American history, and received numerous honors during his lifetime including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and induction into the Blues Hall of Fame. |  |
| Roger Keith “Syd” Barrett (6 January 1946 – 7 July 2006), was an English singer-songwriter, guitarist and painter, best remembered as a founder member of the band Pink Floyd. He was the lead vocalist, guitarist and primary songwriter during the band’s psychedelic years, providing major musical and stylistic direction in their early work, including their name. He left the group in 1968 amid speculations of mental illness exacerbated by drug use, and was briefly hospitalized. |  |
Bruce Springsteen plays “The Roxy” – LA in 1978 (read more)The Roxy Theatre (often just The Roxy) is a famous nightclub, on the Sunset Strip, in West Hollywood, California. The Roxy is owned by Lou Adler and Adler’s son, Nic, who operates the club.9 songs from Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band’s “Live/1975-85” album were recorded at the Roxy in the mid-late 1970’s. From the July 7 -1978 concert these songs were picked for the album: Adam Raised a Cain, Spirit in the Night, Paradise by the “C, Growin’ Up, It’s Hard to Be a Saint in the City, Backstreets, Rosalita (Come Out Tonight) & Raise Your Hand. |
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Spotify Playlist – July 7 |
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Tag Archives: Syd Barrett
Today: Chuck Berry recorded “Johnny B. Goode” in 1958 – 55 years ago
DeepdowninLouisiana’crossfromNewOrleans,
waybackupinthewoodsamongtheevergreens.
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Goode,
Who never ever learned to read or write so well
But he could play a guitar just like a ringin’ a bell.You can’t copyright guitar licks and maybe that’s good, because if you could, Chuck might have hoarded them as he does his Cadillacs,. Without The Chuck Berry Riff, we’d lose not just the Beach Boys, but essential elements of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Bob Seger, and Bruce Springsteen — to mention only the most obvious examples. In a way, what was at the center of the first wave of the British Invasion could be described as a Chuck Berry revival.
~Dave Marsh (The Heart of Rock and Soul)
Live 1958:
another great live version (much later):
From Wikipedia:
| Released | March 31, 1958 |
|---|---|
| Format | 7″ 45 RPM, 10″ 78 RPM |
| Recorded | January 6, 1958 at Chess Studios, Chicago, Illinois |
| Genre | Rock and roll |
| Length | 2:30 |
| Label | Chess |
| Writer(s) | Chuck Berry |
| Producer | Little “Bongo” Kraus |
“Johnny B. Goode” is a 1958 rock and roll song written and originally performed by Chuck Berry. The song was a major hit among both black and white audiences peaking at #2 on Billboard magazine’s Hot R&B Sides chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song is one of Chuck Berry’s most famous recordings, has been covered by many artists, and has received several honors and accolades. It is also considered to be one of the most recognizable songs in music history.
another version:
Go Go
Go Johnny Go Go (x4)
Johnny B. Goode
Written by Berry in 1955, the song is about a poor country boy who plays a guitar “just like ringing a bell,” and who might one day have his “name in lights.” Berry has acknowledged that the song is partly autobiographical, and originally had “colored boy” in the lyrics, but he changed it to “country boy” to ensure radio play. The title is suggestive that the guitar player is good, and hints at autobiographic elements because Berry was born at 2520 Goode Avenue in St. Louis. The song was initially inspired by Berry’s piano player, Johnnie Johnson, though developed into a song mainly about Berry himself. Though Johnnie Johnson played on many other Chuck Berry songs, it was Lafayette Leake who played piano on this song.
The opening guitar riff on “Johnny B. Goode” is essentially a note-for-note copy of the opening single-note solo on Louis Jordan’s “Ain’t That Just Like a Woman” (1946), played by guitarist Carl Hogan.
Louis Jordan – Ain`t That Just Like A Woman:
Musicians
- Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar
- Lafayette Leake – piano
- Willie Dixon – bass
- Fred Below – drums
Bruce Springsteen & Chuck Berry – Johnny B Goode (Live 1995):
Legacy
- Berry’s recording of the song was included on the Voyager Golden Record, attached to the Voyager spacecraft as representing rock and roll, one of four American songs included among many cultural achievements of humanity.
- When Chuck Berry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986, he performed “Johnny B. Goode” and “Rock and Roll Music,” backed by Bruce Springsteen and theE Street Band. The Hall of Fame included these songs and “Maybellene” in their list of the 500 songs that shaped Rock and Roll.
- It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, for its influence as a rock & roll single.
Accolades
| List | Publisher | Rank | Year of Publication |
|---|---|---|---|
| 500 Greatest Songs of All Time | Rolling Stone | 7 | 2010 |
| 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks | Q | 42 | 2005 |
| 100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time | Rolling Stone | 1 | 2008 |
| Top 3000 Songs | Acclaimed Music | 6 | N/A |
| 500 Songs That Shaped Rock | Rock & Roll Hall of Fame | N/A | 1995 |
| 50 Greatest Guitar Solos | Guitar World | 12 | 2009 |
And Dave Marsh put in on number 2 in his brilliant list of “The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made“..
Album of the day:
The Anthology (2000):
Other January 06:
Continue reading Today: Chuck Berry recorded “Johnny B. Goode” in 1958 – 55 years ago