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This week’s Song of the Week is Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode.” “Johnny B. Goode is one of the finest and most influential rock ‘n’ roll songs ever recorded. The semi-autobiographical story tells the story of a young guitarist from Louisiana with dreams of becoming a star.

Chuck Berry – “Johnny B. Goode”

Recording date/location

“Johnny B. Goode” was recorded on January 6, 1958 at Chess Records studio, Chicago, Ilinois.

Authorship

Chuck Berry was the sole author of Johnny B. Goode. However, the famous opening riff owes a lot to Carl Hogan’s opening riff on Louis Jordan’s “Ain’t That Just Like a Woman” (1946).

Musicians

The original 1958 recording of Johnny B. Goode featured the following musicians:

• Chuck Berry – Vocals and guitar
• Lafayette Leake – Piano
• Willie Dixon – Bass
• Fred Below – Drums.

Chart performance

“Johnny B. Goode” was released in March 1958, backed with “Around and Around.” The song reached number eight on the Billboard pop chart. This was Chuck Berry’s eleventh single and fifth top ten hit. “Johnny B. Goode” made number one on the R&B charts.

Duets

Chuck Berry has performed some great duets on “Johnny B. Goode.” In 1972 he performed the song with John Lennon on the Mike Douglas Show.

A duet between Chuck and Lennon’s son Julian took place in St Louis in 1986 during Chuck’s 60th birthday concert.

In 1995, another rock legend, Bruce Springsteen, performed the song with Chuck Berry. The event was the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame concert in Cleveland, Ohio.

Covers

This is one of those songs that most rock guitarists learn and there have been covers from some of the biggest names in rock history, including Elvis Presley, Bill Haley and His Comets, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, The Who, Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin.

Elvis Presley – “Johnny B. Goode”

Elvis Presley was a great admirer of Chuck’s songs and had already covered Maybellene (live only in 1955), Memphis (1964) and Too Much Monkey Business (1968) when he incorporated Johnny B. Goode into his live act in 1969. James Burton features on lead guitar.

The Beatles – “Johnny B. Goode”

The Beatles would play Chuck Berry songs as part of their live act and featured “Roll Over Beethoven” on their album “With the Beatles.” They recorded “Johnny B. Goode” for one of their BBC sessions. Other Chuck Berry songs recorded at the BBC sessions were “Carol” and “Too Much Monkey Business” and “Sweet Little Sixteen.” These all feature on the “Live at the BBC” album released in 1994.

The Beach Boys – “Johnny B. Goode”

The Beach Boys featured “Johnny B. Goode” on their live concert album of 1964. Here they are performing the song on Shindig.

Johnny Winter – “Johnny B. Goode”

Johnny Winter recorded “Johnny B. Goode” on his second album, “Second Winter” in 1969. This became a staple of Johnny’s concerts. Here’s a version from 1971 recorded at the Royal Albert Hall in London.

Marty McFly and the Starlighters – “Johnny B. Goode”

One of the most famous movie moments of the 1980s was when Michael J Fox, as time traveller Marty McFly, ripped into Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode” in front of a group of bemused 1950s teenagers. This classic movie moment introduced the song to a whole new generation. The vocals are really provided by Mark Campbell and the guitar work by Tim May. Here’s the full version from the Back to the Future soundtrack.

Look out for next week’s Song of the Week.