Chuck Berry in the '60s: 1961

1961: New Juke Box Hits - as it says. Maybe Chuck was in the mood for a party after the blues - a going away party? - this is prime juke box dance material. Chuck and his band set fire to the joint with a perfect evening and late night program. These are all 1960-61 recordings, recorded intermediate with the Rockin' At The Hops material, but the mood is way different.

'I'm talking about you' opens proceedings with a hard driving beat and perfect telepathic band performance (stop-start-stops all over the place, and so on). Then two of his most pop creations 'Diploma for two' and '13 question method' - you can tell these are aimed at a younger audience, all innocence (bubbling over with innuendo) and lightness, but really catchy and tasty. After an ok blues shuffle intermezzo 'Away from you', with sugary backing vocals, 'Don't you lie to me' lays down the rock'n'roll law again. A great track covered by the Flamin' Groovies amongst others (hell, I used to cover it sometimes, but no one recognized it in the '00s). And an old-fashioned doo wop ballad 'The way it was before' to close side one.

Side two- late night show. It opens with an unexpected ballad, 'Little star', again those sweetly sung backing vocals, smoothing out the sadness. Man, Elvis could've duetted on this. Side two collects some great uptempo rock'n'roll and blues covers: 'Route 66' (the piano really makes it swing), 'Rip it up', 'Run around'. And two equally great late night, deep blues ballads in 'Sweet 16' (not 'Sweet little 16') and 'Stop and listen' (desperate moaning). At the end of 'Rip it up', just when it hits boiling point, Chuck says, 'Ok', the band falls apart in the fade, and he's out the door.

Great record.

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In october '61 my personal favorite Chuck Berry single was released 'Come on' / 'Go go go'. How did he get those great Hawaiian/slide guitar sounds on 'Come on'? Sounds like one of those Les Paul tape experiments. The overloaded guitar solo. The rhythm with those low saxes zooming in. The piano happily swooshin up and down the keys. Over before the 2 minute mark. It takes a lot of work to sound so effortless. This original is in another ballpark altogether compared to the crude and ineffective Rolling Stones cover.

'Go go go' isn't far behind. 'Now they tell me Stan Kenton's cutting Maybellene' - great line.

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Besides the albums, I'm following the sessions-history on You Never Can Tell. Complete Chess Recordings 1960-66. The 1960-61 sessions take up disc one (of four) and a couple of tracks on disc two. Most of what was recorded ended up on the two albums and the two singles I mentioned. A couple of songs were held over for 1963's On Stage (more later). There are only 2 other recordings from these sessions - 'I'm just a lucky so and so' and 'Adulteen'. They're nice, but not exactly essential.

In february 1962 Chuck Berry started his jail term. He would be released mid-october 1963.