Steam & Excursion > Why I loved Chuck Berry's music

From Johnny B. Good...

"He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Or sit beneath the tree by the railroad track.
Oh, the engineers would see him sitting in the shade,
Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made.
The people passing by, they would stop and say,
"Oh, my, but that little country boy could play!"  "

Go, Johnny, Go...

W.
 

     I wonder if there is any rock n roll artist who was The Inspiration for more subsequent rock n rollers than any one else?  He pretty much single handedly inspired the British rock invasion of the '60s.
    I'd say Chuck Berry is more the king of rock n roll than Elvis.  
AA 

 

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

He was a rare combination of songwriter, lead guitarist, and lead vocalist, and so talented at all three!

Posted from iPhone

Just a though -
Chuck Berry's lyrics to Johnny B. Goode, "strummin' to the rhythm that the drivers made" can be thought of as a connection between the steam locomotive and rock music.  Is it a coincidence that as the sound of the pounding, insistent beat of the steam locomotive disappeared from most towns in the US, rock music rose?  Perhaps to take its place?  The timing in England was the same, where rock rose in the 60's as steam disappeared.

A minor item.  While Berry often changed words in his live peformances, on the original recording the beginning word of the second phrase is "Go", not "Or" sit beneath the trees ...  This makes more sense.

Yes, the "or" is out of place...
On many typed lyrics, on the web, I've noticed Improper word substitution --- is that copywrite avoidance efforts?

W.

On Roll Over. Beethoven he also changed the lyrics Don't Step on my Blue Suede Shoes to
Dont Step on my New Shiney Shoes.

Not sure why.  There is a Johnny Carson show CB guest appearance on UTube that is worth watching.

Little Richard once said that the beat in his music was taken from the steam engines that pounded by their house when he was a kid.
Chuck had a dark side too.

     Just thought of another thing, Chuck Berry was one of the first songwriter/performers.  Previous to him, this combination was rarely seen.   AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

On the original 1956 recording, he sings "don't you step on my blue suede shoes"

And just think, it would have never happened if Marty Mcfly didn't go back to 1955. . .

LTCerny Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> On the original 1956 recording, he sings "don't
> you step on my blue suede shoes"

That song was originally written by Carl Perkins, who was SERIOUSLY injured in an automobile accident while enroute to a Memphis recording studio (Sam Philips?). Elvis Presley was thus "discovered" and went an to be famous with "Blue Suede Shoes" while Perkins was recovering. 

Another little known fact about Mr. Berry was, when he toured back in the 1950s. 1960s, and 1970s, he generally did NOT tour with a band or group. Pre-arrangements were made with musicians in the area that "new his stuff" and all Chuck would do was show up with his electric guitar, and play the gig. As he became more, and more famous, darned near everybody wanted to be in his "back-up group", so that he ALWAYS sounded the same and played his performances the same over, and over, and over, without missing a lick!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/17 17:43 by HotWater.

Thanks, Hotwater.
i loved growing-up, in Long Branch, back then....
South Amboy, Bay Head, the Beach, the afternoon commuter rush-hours, K4s, Camelbacks....GG1s...we had it ALL.

Thanks again, Chuck Berry and all the great Rock&Roll, NJ groups & steam and music memories..... glad you shared that, JACK.

​W.

A lot of the influence of railroads and trains in popular music and lyrics predates Chuck Berry.  Probably the individual who included as many, if not more,  references to trains in his lyrics was Johnny Mercer.  Check his stuff out.  For example, "Blues in the Night."

"Now the rain's a-fallin'
Hear the train a-callin, "whoo-ee!"
My mama done tol' me
Hear that lonesome whistle blowin' 'cross the trestle, "whoo-ee!"
My mama done tol' me
A-whooee-ah-whooee ol' clickety-clack's
A-echoin' back th' blues in the night"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/17 19:20 by WW.

I was born in 1955 which is generally considered to be the "birth year" for the Rock & Roll music genre. Understandably, I didn't get into music until about the same time the Beatles led the original British invasion in 1964. But growing up as a music nut (very close #2 to railfanning) I eagerly soaked up the history of the music genre I grew up on. When I refer to the 1950s Musicians who gave us Rock & Roll I always say: Chuck Berry, Little Richard & Elvis... in that order. Of course, there were many others who were in on the birth of R&R. But in my mind those 3 are the most prominent in my music education experiences.

Another thought: Is there any wonder that Berry's classic "Johnny B Goode" was included among the recorded Earth Music sent into interstellar space aboard Voyager in 1977...

Lance/199/DJ Sir L



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/17 13:08 by santafe199.

Frisco1522 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Little Richard once said that the beat in his
> music was taken from the steam engines that
> pounded by their house when he was a kid.
> Chuck had a dark side too.

Fats Domino said a very similar thing...without that sound there would have been no such music.