Chuck Berry-His Complete Chess Recordings 12 Disc(MP3@320){19glide58}[H33T]

Artist: Chuck Berry
Title: Johnny B. Goode - His Complete '50s Chess Recordings
Label: Hip-o Select
Release Date: 2008
Format: MP3 @ 320 K



Chuck Berry's legendary breakthrough 1950s Chess recordings has gotten their first thorough presentation anywhere via a 4-CD, 103-song box set on Chess/Hip-O Select Records. These are the groundbreaking recordings by the first poet laureate of rock and roll that set the tone lyrically and musically for all that came after. To paraphrase John Lennon, if they didn't call it rock'n'roll, they'd call it Chuck Berry music, and this remarkable new set shows why. Digitally remastered from the original Chess masters, the collection features not only such oft-covered classics as “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Rock And Roll Music,” “Memphis,” “Sweet Little Sixteen,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “Carol,” and “Little Queenie,” but it also shows the evolution of the artist and his songs, while presenting a surfeit of rarities, including 16 previously unreleased tracks. With the exception of two live recordings, all of these tracks were recorded at Chess Studios from May 21, 1955, through a massive late July 1959 session, which culminated in the only time Berry played session lead guitar for an artist other than himself: two tracks by a studio group called the Ecuadors. Other rarities on the set, aside from the unreleased tracks, include a pair of live versions of “Maybellene” and “Roll Over Beethoven” Chuck recorded for Alan Freed's 1956 New York “Camel Rock'n'Roll Dance Party” album, several original masters overdubbed for the fake On Stage Chess album, and a number of recordings making their U.S. CD debut.

The unreleased recordings include take 3 of “Sweet Little Sixteen,” which is one of five versions of the song that tells the story of its recording—from its demonstration record to two rejected (and intriguingly different) session takes to the original master to the sped-up master finally released by Chess. There are also unreleased alternate takes at different tempos than those released, some with different lyrics, and one (for “Broken Arrow”) which features Chuck Berry instructing his backup singers in their parts. And, finally, there is a pair of previously unreleased 11 minutes-plus in-studio jams featuring Chuck with pianist Johnnie Johnson, bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Jasper Thomas – a blues called “Long Slow Jam” and a rocker called, suitably, “Long Fast Jam” from 1958. All of this remarkable music is elaborated on by tidbits of studio dialog, complete session by session credits, a a '50s Chuck Berry singles discography, period photos, and comprehensive liner notes by Chuck Berry's discographer/biographer Fred Rothwell, author of Long Distance Information:
Chuck Berry's Recorded Legacy, who also compiled the set with Universal's reissue producer Andy McKaie.

DISC 1:
01. Maybellene
02. Wee Wee Hours
03. Thirty Days (To Come Back Home)
04. Together (We Will Always Be)
05. You Can’t Catch Me
06. Rolli Polli (instrumental)
07. Down Bound Train
08. Berry Pickin’ (instrumental)
09. No Money Down
10. I’ve Changed
11. Drifting Heart
12. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
13. Roll Over Beethoven
14. Too Much Monkey Business
15. Maybellene (live)
16. Roll Over Beethoven (live)
17. Havana Moon
18. Rock And Roll Music (demo)
19. Untitled Instrumental
20. Deep Feeling (instrumental)
21. School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell)
22. Low Feeling (instrumental)
23. La Jaunda (Espanol)
24. Blue Feeling (instrumental)
25. How You’ve Changed
26. Oh Baby Doll

DISC 2:
01. Rock And Roll Music (alternate)
02. Rock And Roll Music
03. 13 Question Method (early version)
04. How High The Moon (instrumental)
05. Sweet Little Sixteen (demo)
06. Sweet Little Sixteen (take 3)
07. Sweet Little Sixteen (take 11)
08. Sweet Little Sixteen (original master)
09. Sweet Little Sixteen (sped up originally released version)
10. Rock At The Philharmonic (instrumental)
11. Guitar Boogie (instrumental)
12. Night Beat (take 3) (instrumental)
13. Night Beat (instrumental)
14. Time Was (slow version, take 4)
15. Time Was (slow version)
16. Reelin’ And Rockin’ (take 1)
17. Reelin’ And Rockin’ (takes 7/8 )
18. Reelin’ And Rockin’
19. Chuckwalk (instrumental)
20. Johnny B. Goode (alt. take 2/3)
21. Johnny B. Goode
22. Around And Around (overdub take 2)
23. Around And Around (overdub take 3)
24. Around And Around
25. Ingo (overdub take 3) (instrumental)
26. Ingo (instrumental)

DISC 3:
01. It Don’t Take But A Few Minutes
02. Blues For Hawaiians (instrumental)
03. Beautiful Delilah (alternate takes 15/16)
04. Beautiful Delilah (take 6)
05. 21 Blues
06. 21
07. 21 (take 14)
08. Vacation Time
09. Oh Yeah
10. Hey Pedro
11. Time Was (fast version)
12. House Of Blue Lights
13. Carol
14. Jo Jo Gunne
15. Memphis Tennessee
16. Anthony Boy
17. Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller (alternate take 5)
18. Sweet Little Rock ‘n’ Roller (take 11A)
19. Long Fast Jam (instrumental)
20. Long Slow Jam (instrumental)
21. Merry Christmas Baby
22. Merry Christmas Baby (alternate)
23. Run Rudolph Run

DISC 4:
01. Little Queenie (take 8 )
02. Little Queenie
03. That’s My Desire
04. Do You Love Me (alternate)
05. Do You Love Me
06. Almost Grown (take 14)
07. Almost Grown (take 28 )
08. Almost Grown
09. Back In The U.S.A.
10. Blue On Blue (alternate a/k/a Upchuck) (instrumental)
11. Blue On Blue (instrumental)
12. Betty Jean (alternate take 14)
13. Betty Jean (alternate take 17)
14. Betty Jean
15. County Line
16. Childhood Sweetheart (alternate)
17. Childhood Sweetheart
18. One O’Clock Jump (instrumental)
19. I Just Want To Make Love To You (take 3)
20. I Just Want To Make Love To You
21. Broken Arrow (take 21)
22. Broken Arrow
23. Let It Rock (alternate mix)
24. Let It Rock
25. Too Pooped To Pop (take 4A)
26. Too Pooped To Pop
27. Ecuadors - Say You’ll Be Mine
28. Ecuadors - Let Me Sleep Woman


Artist: Chuck Berry
Title: You Never Can Tell - His Complete Chess Recordings 1960-1966
Label: Hip-o Select
Release Date: 2009
Format: MP3 @ 320 K



Unlike his fellow original rock & rollers like Elvis, Little Richard, and Jerry Lee Lewis from the Class of '56, Chuck Berry remained quite vibrant in the '60s and even recorded some of his best songs: "You Never Can Tell," "No Particular Place To Go", and "Nadine" in the decade of Beatlemania. Including all of these classics and more, YOU NEVER CAN TELL: THE COMPLETE CHESS RECORDINGS 1960-1966 thoroughly covers this era over four discs and 108 tracks, 18 of which were previously unreleased. Capturing many different sides of the rock-&-roll giant, including his blues phase, great instrumental versions of favorites like "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," and 45 minutes of a 1963 live show in Michigan, the box is a must-own for serious Berry devotees and an in-depth rendering of one of the greats in his last essential era.

DISC 1:
01. Drifting Blues
02. I Got To Find My Baby
03. I Got To Find My Baby (stereo)
04. Don't You Lie To Me
05. Worried Life Blues
06. Our Little Rendezvous
07. Bye Bye Johnny
08. Bye Bye Johnny (stereo)
09. Run Around
10. Run Around (stereo)
11. Jaguar And Thunderbird
12. Diploma For Two
13. Little Star
14. The Way It Was Before
15. Away From You
16. Down The Road Apiece
17. Down The Road Apiece (stereo)
18. Confessin' The Blues
19. Sweet Sixteen
20. Thirteen Question Method
21. Stop And Listen
22. I Still Got The Blues
23. I'm Just A Lucky So And So
24. Mad Lad
25. Surfin' Steel (Cryin' Steel)
26. Route 66 (take 10)
27. Route 66 (take 11)
28. I'm Talking About You
29. Rip It Up
30. Come On
31. Come On (stereo)
32. Adulteen
33. The Man And The Donkey

DISC 2:
01. Go Go Go (alt.)
02. Go Go Go
03. Trick Or Treat
04. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (instr.)
05. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
06. Brown Eyed Handsome Man (stereo)
07. All Aboard
08. Guitar Boogie (live)
09. Let It Rock (live)
10. Almost Grown (live)
11. Chuck Berry dialog (live)
12. Johhny B. Goode (live)
13. Introduction Instrumental (live)
14. Sweet Little Sixteen (live)
15. Wee Wee Hours (live)
16. Chuck Berry dialog (live)
17. Maybellene (live)
18. Goodnight Sweetheart/Johnny B.Goode/Let It Rock/School Day (live)
19. Nadine (Is It You)
20. You Never Can Tell
21. The Little Girl From Central
22. (The) Things I Used To Do
23. I'm In The Danger Zone

DISC 3:
01. Fraulein
02. Lonely All The Time (Crazy Arms)
03. O Rangutang
04. Big Ben (Blues)
05. Promised Land
06. Brenda Lee
07. No Particular Place To Go
08. You Two
09. Liverpool Drive
10. Chuck's Beat
11. Bo's Beat
12. Little Marie
13. Go Bobby Soxer
14. Lonely School Days
15. His Daughter Caroline
16. Dear Dad
17. Want To Be Your Driver
18. Spending Christmas
19. The Song Of My Love
20. Butterscotch
21. After It's Over
22. Why Should We End This Way

DISC 4:
01. You Came A Long Way From St. Louis
02. She Once Was Mine.
03. Jamaica Farewell
04. My Little Love Light
05. I Got A Booking
06. St. Louis Blues
07. Shake, Rattle & Roll (take 23)
08. Wee Wee Hours (instr.)
09. Honey Hush (take 3)
10. Run Joe
11. It's My Own Business
12. One For My Baby (And One More For The Road)
13. Every Day We Rock And Roll
14. My Mustang Ford (instr.)
15. My Mustang Ford
16. My Mustang Ford (stereo)
17. Merrily We Rock And Roll
18. Vaya Con Dios
19. Wee Hour Blues
20. It Wasn't Me
21. It Wasn't Me (stereo)
22. Ain't That Just Like A Woman
23. Right Off Rampart Street
24. Welcome Back Pretty Baby
25. Sad Day, Long Night (instr.)
26. Ramona Say Yes
27. Ramona Say Yes (alt. mix)
28. Viva Viva Rock 'n' Roll
29. His Daughter Caroline (fast vers.)
30. Lonely School Days (fast vers.)


Artist: Chuck Berry
Title: Have Mercy - His Complete Chess Recordings 1969-1974
Label: Hip-o Select
Release Date: 2010
Format: MP3 @ 320 K



Fulfilling Phil Chess's prophecy, Chuck Berry returned to Chess Records in 1969 after a three year stay with Mercury Records. And it was like he never left, as his very first session produced a great two-sided single, "Tulane" b/w "Have Mercy Judge." The record didn't chart, but it was obvious that Chuck was truly "back home" (as his first album back on Chess was called) and already producing high quality "Chess" recordings once again. This third and last 4 CD set of Chuck Berry's Chess recordings collects every available master and alternate from "Tulane" till the label shuttered its doors to recording new music. The 71 tracks here include his only #1 ("My Ding-A-Ling (live)"), plus 22 previously unreleased recordings, ranging from cool in-studio jams/instrumentals ("Turn On The House Lights," "Rockin'") to 4 additional live recordings from the smoking concert that produced the live side of The London Chuck Berry Sessions; from an intimate, small group session in October of 1972 which produced two throwback "Chuck blues" tracks, "Blues #1" and "Annie Lou," to Chuck's renditions of "Jambalaya" and "Dust My Broom." There's also a live version of "South Of The Border" only previously released as a "B" side in the U.K. and the hot concert London Sessions per formance of "Roll `Em Pete," also originally only released in edited form as a "B" side with a different rhythm section dubbed in - this set has both the complete original and single versions. As with the two earlier volumes, Have Mercy includes liner notes by Berry biographer (and the set's co-compiler) Fred Rothwell, great period photos and graphics, as well as complete sessionby - session credits.

DISC 1:
01. Tulane
02. Have Mercy Judge
03. Untitled Instrumental
04. My Ding-A-Ling
05. Gun (instrumental - fast)
06. Gun (instrumental - slow)
07. Gun (instrumental)
08. That’s None Of Your Business
09. Instrumental
10. Christmas
11. I’m A Rocker
12. Flyin’ Home (instrumental)
13. Fish & Chips
14. Some People
15. My Pad (poem)
16. Oh Louisiana
17. Festival
18. Let’s Do Our Thing Together
19. Your Lick
20. Bound To Lose

DISC 2:
01. Bordeaux In My Pirough
02. San Francisco Dues
03. My Dream (poem)
04. Sweet Little Sixteen (live)
05. Roll ’Em Pete (live)
06. It Hurts Me Too (live)
07. Around And Around (live)
80. Promised Land (live)
09. Reelin’ And Rockin’ (live)
10. My Ding-A-Ling (live)
11. Johnny B. Goode (live)
12. Roll ‘Em Pete (live single edit)
13. My Ding-A-Ling (live single edit)
14. Let’s Boogie
15. Mean Old World

DISC 3:
01. I Love You
02. I Will Not Let You Go
03. London Berry Blues
04. South Of The Border (live)
05. Blues #1
06. Annie Lou
07. Rain Eyes
08. Me And My Country
08. Sue Answer
09. Got It And Gone
10. A Deuce
11. Talkin’ About My Buddy
12. Hello Little Girl, Goodbye
13. One Sixty Nine AM
14. Aimlessly Driftin’
15. Woodpecker
16. Bio

DISC 4:
01. Roll Away
02. I’m Just A Name
03. Too Late
04. Turn On The Houselights
05. Heel Sneakers
06. Jambalaya
07. The Song Of My Love
08. South Of The Border
09. Swanee River
10. You Are My Sunshine
11. Johnny B. Blues
12. Dust My Broom
13. Don’t You Lie To Me
14. My Babe
15. Here Today
16. I Just Want To Make Love To You
17. Rockin’
18. Shake, Rattle And Roll
19. Baby, What You Want Me To Do