Chuck Berry Trivia

1. The groove for "Maybellene" was inspired by what Western swing song recorded in 1938 by Bob Wills and His Texas Playboys?

From Quiz Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: Ida Red

"Ida Red" is a song that dates back to the 19th century, but it was, according to Rolling Stone magazine, the Bob Wills version that inspired Chuck Berry. The song, which describes a man chasing his unfaithful girlfriend in a car, was recorded on May 21, 1955. It was released as a single in July of 1995 and eventually included on "The Anthology" by Chess Records.

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Norfolk, Virginia

"I left my home in Norfolk Virginia..." "The Promised Land" was on Berry's 1964 album "St. Louis to Liverpool". The track was released as a single the following year.

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: St. Louis

Charles Edward Anderson Berry was born in St. Louis, MO. Berry was a bright student who loved poetry, a love that fueled some of the most creative hits in rock and roll music.

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Carol

"Carol" has proven to be a very durable 50's rock number. Tommy Roe took it to the charts in 1964. The Rolling Stones included it on their U.S. premiere LP, "The Rolling Stones", and then performed it live on their 1969 tour. You can hear it on "Get Your Ya-Ya's Out".

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: Maybellene

The great "Maybellene" was his first song, along with "Wee Wee Hours."

From Quiz Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: A mascara box

When performing the song live, Chuck Berry had previously called it "Ida Mae," but producer Leonard Chess thought the name to be too rural. According to Rolling Stone magazine, "Leonard Chess came up with the title, inspired by a Maybelline mascara box lying on the floor at the Chess studio." The spelling was altered slightly (with an e substituted for the i) to avoid legal issues.

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: Chess

The "Johnny B. Goode" single was produced by Leonard and Phil Chess with "Around and Around" on the B-side. Chess Records was known as home to the sound of the electric blues. It began as a small recording studio but grew to seven different locations throughout Chicago. Founded in 1950, Chess Records was the source of many records not only by Chuck Berry, but by blues and jazz greats such as Muddy Waters, Etta James, and Howlin' Wolf.

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: California

"I left my home in Norfolk Virginia California on my mind..." Berry claimed to have written the song while in prison for transporting a girl across state lines "for immoral purposes".

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: Maybelline

On May 21, 1955, Chuck Berry took the old hillbilly standard, "Ida Red", made a few changes to it and the classic "Maybelline" was born. "Maybelline" was recorded on Chess Records at the same time that Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley" was recorded, although the Diddley track was moved to the partner label, Checker Records.

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Nadine

Chuck kept up with the go-go era with "Nadine" in 1964. Incredibly, his 1955 hit, "Maybelline" made a comeback at the same time because you could dance the frug to it. These two hits with names of girls recorded nine years apart go to show the timelessness of Chuck Berry songs.

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: 1955

Though it was of course released in 1958, and a top hit that year.

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: Rock and roll stardom

Rolling Stone magazine says the song "was the first rock & roll hit about rock & roll stardom. It is still the greatest rock & roll song about the democracy of fame in pop music." The magazine also reports that "the essence of Berry's tale," which is about a backwoods, unknown guitar player going to the big city and hitting it big, "is autobiographical." The magazine rated the song number seven on its 2004 list of the "500 Greatest Rock and Roll Songs of All Time" and number one on its 2008 list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time."

From Quiz Lyrics of Chuck Berry

Answer: Roll Over Beethoven

"Roll Over Beethoven" (1956) was a number 29 hit on the Billboard Top 100 and number 2 on the R&B chart. "Wee Wee Hours" was a number ten in 1955 on the R&B chart. In 1959, "Little Queenie" reached number 80 on the Hot 100. And in 1964, "Little Marie" got to number 54 on the Hot 100.

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Greyhound bus

"I straddled that Greyhound And rode on into Raleigh And on across Caroline..." Among those to cover "The Promised Land" were The Band, James Taylor and Elvis Presley, who took it to Number 14 in the US charts and Number Nine in the UK in 1974.

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: Alan Freed

Alan Freed was involved in a huge payola scandal that ended his run as the most successful disc jockeys of his era. Freed received song writing credits, which resulted in payouts, for songs that he played over the radio and at dances. Freed is probably the first person to use the phrase "rock and roll".

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Her name is not mentioned in the song.

She does not have a specific name, just what the song title tells us, "Sweet Little Rock 'n Roller". The hard-driving classic was admirably covered in 1979 by Rod Stewart.

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: October 18, 1926

Sources used to say that he was born January 15, 1926 but it later became clear that October 18, 1926 is the correct date.

From Quiz Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: DJ Alan Freed

Alan Freed was an influential DJ in the 1950s who promoted country, blues, and R&B music. His career was destroyed when it came to light that he had accepted money from record companies to give their songs airtime. In some cases, he took co-writing credit and royalties, as with "Maybellene." This further created a conflict of interest, because the more he promoted the song, the more royalties he got. Although this practice was not illegal until the government made it so in 1959, at the time, Freed's refusal to admit to it destroyed his career.

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: Louisiana

Johnny B. Goode is from "deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans" where he lived in a cabin "way back up in the woods among the evergreens." Despite the semi-autobiographical nature of this song, Chuck Berry came from St. Louis, Missouri rather than from Louisiana. In 2005, the U.K. popular music magazine Q rated this song 42 on its list of the "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks."

From Quiz Lyrics of Chuck Berry

Answer: Sweet Little Rock & Roller

On Billboard charts in 1958, "Sweet Little Rock & Roller" was number 13 on R&B and number 47 on Hot 100. In 1959, "Almost Grown" got to number three on R&B and number 32 on Hot 100. "Merry Christmas Baby" peaked at number 71 on the Hot 100 in 1958. And "Let It Rock" reached number 64 on the Hot 100 in 1960.

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Birmingham, Alabama

"We had motor trouble that turned into a struggle Halfway across Alabam' Well that hound broke down and left us all stranded In downtown Birmingham..." The British rocker Dave Edmunds had a Number Five hit in Australia hit with the song in 1972. (This was the first version I ever heard).

From Quiz Chuck Berry B. Goode

Answer: Brown Eyed Handsome Man

The first line here always bugged me. In baseball, the correct order is balls then strikes. So a full count like this would be "three two the count." But then Chuck Berry has made a lot more money writing songs than I have.

From Quiz Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Series: Chuck Berry

Answer: Johnnie Johnson

Johnnie Johnson was the bandleader of the small combo that Berry joined in 1954. It didn't take long for Berry to take over and the combo became the Chuck Berry Trio. The band played every St. Louis night club possible. The only band that put up much competition was Ike Turner's Kings of Rhythm. The Chuck Berry Trio soon became the house band at the Cosmopolitan Club, making way for huge popularity. The song "Johnny B. Goode" is written for and about Johnson.

From Quiz Chuck Berry And His Rockin' Girls

Answer: Joan

From the album "Chuck Berry is on Top", Chuck charted in 1959 with "Anthony Boy". Liner notes from the CD of that album indicate that Bo Diddley probably was second guitar on that song. Funny, but very few people talk about vestibules any more.

From Quiz The Great Chuck Berry

Answer: My Ding-A-Ling

Unfortunately it took 17 years before Chuck scored his first and only #1 with "My Ding-A-Ling" in 1972. "Johnny B. Goode" only made it to #8! "Sweet Little Sixteen" held #2 for 3 weeks. "Roll Over Beethoven" made it to a mere #29.

From Quiz Song by Song: "Maybellene"

Answer: A Coupe de Ville

Maybellene drives a Coupe de Ville while the singer tries to catch up to her in his V8 Ford. "As I was motivatin' over the hill I saw Maybellene in a Coupe de Ville A Cadillac arollin' on the open road Nothin' will outrun my V8 Ford." "Maybellene" peaked at number five on the Billboard pop chart and number one on the R&B chart. By the end of 1955, it had sold a million copies. The song has been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and is included on NPR's 1999 list of the "one hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century."

From Quiz Song by Song: "Johnny B. Goode"

Answer: colored boy

Chuck Berry told Rolling Stone magazine in a 1972 interview that Johnny B. Goode, on some level, represents Chuck Berry himself: "That little colored boy could play." However, throughout the song, Chuck Berry changed "colored boy" to "country boy," he told Rolling Stone, "or else it wouldn't get on the radio."

From Quiz Lyrics of Chuck Berry

Answer: School Day (Ring ! Ring! Goes The Bell)

"School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes The Bell" was a megahit for Chuck Berry on the Billboard charts. It was number one on R&B, number five on Best Seller, number six on Juke Box, number 13 on Jockey, and, surprisingly, only number 42 on the Top 100. "Little Star" and "Mad Lad" (both 1960), and "Go-Go-Go" (1961) failed to chart.

From Quiz Anatomy of a Song: "The Promised Land"

Answer: Train

"Right away I brought me a through train ticket Ridin' across Mississippi clean And I was on that midnight flyer out of Birmingham Smoking into New Orleans.." Berry claimed to have used an atlas to plot his journey from East to West.

From Quiz Chuck Berry B. Goode

Answer: Maybellene

"Maybellene" was Chuck's first single and his first hit. Rolling Stone magazine ranked the song #18 on their list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time, between Hendrix' "Purple Haze" and Elvis' "Hound Dog."

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Last Updated Dec 21 2024 5:48 AM

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