25 – Soundalikes Ɣ Soundalikes by Artist 25 SOUNDALIKES Soundalikes by Artist In this section you will find songs which are built heavily on the Chuck Berry sound and guitar riffs, or strongly resemble one or other of Berry's songs. These 'soundalikes' demonstrate in no small measure Chuck Berry's musical influence. The information presented here was collected over five decades. 85% of the songs listed are in my own collection, but I am also extremely grateful to all the collectors and researchers who have contributed. It would simply have been impossible for me to buy every single record reputed to have some Berry resemblance, just to check it out. To qualify for inclusion, songs generally had to project a strong Berry feel, either in the song itself or in a typical Berry guitar solo, or a riff that is played over and over again (sharp-eyed readers will notice that qui te a few of the Berry tributes listed in Volume 2 (pages 753-781) also appear here). I have excluded songs that only feature bits and pieces of a Berry guitar riff. Some of the selections are inevitably subjective. I have often read in a review that so-and-so is a Berry soundalike, but when I listened to it, I could not recognise any Berry similarity at all – at least, not enough to include it in this survey. I have also included remakes of songs covered by Berry like 'Confessin' The Blues', 'Don't You Lie To Me', 'Down The Road A Piece', 'I Got To Find My Baby' and 'Route 66' if they follow his arrangement. However, for songs like Richard Berry's 'Louie Louie' (based on Berry's 'Havana Moon') and the Beatles' 'Come Together' (based on 'You Can't Catch Me'), I have only listed the origin al recordings; cover versions of these soundalikes are not included. While this survey includes over 900 sounda likes, there are of course many more I am not aware of. If you have any additions to the list below (or, indeed, to any of the other chapters in this book or the Chuck Berry International Directory in general), please write or email me at: Morten Reff Wienerbrødskj. 1 N-1440 DRØBAK Norway [email protected] 1759 25 – Soundalikes Ɣ Soundalikes by Artist ACCELERATORS (UK) Rockabilly band from Scotland consisting of Steve Sm ith (vocals, guitar), Dave Burnette (guitar), Big Al McCubbin (double bass) and Frank Kosiba (drums). Nadine (3:45) (The Accelerators) 2000 CD: Right Behind You Baby [Raucous RAUCD-059] Ɣ UK, 2000 Despite the similar title, this is not Berry 's 'Nadine', but rather a sequel to it: ' Greyhound bus', 'sixteen', 'go, cat, go' and ' Nadine take a drive with me' , all with Berry guitar riffs. Interesting stuff. STEPHEN ACKLES (Norway) See Volume 3, page 1032 for biographical info. Memphis News (1:51) (Stephen Ackles) 1987 MC: Memphis News [Hill MC-001] Ɣ Norway, 1987 CD: Rarities [Fox CDFX-101 1] Norway, 1993 Recorded at Siljan Lydstudio, Skien in June 1987, this sounds like a mixture of Berry and Jerry Lee Lewis. The line-up includes Ackles (piano, vo cals), Paal Flaata (guitar), Jostein Berntsen (guitar), Hans 'Eddie' Uleberg (organ), Carsten Holt (bass) and Bjarte Karlsen (drums). Memphis News (1:52) (Stephen Ackles) 1988 LP: Stephen Ackles & The Memphis News [Hill HRLP-002] Ɣ Norway, 1988 Recorded at Siljan Lydstudio, Skien in spring 1988. On this occasion the musicians were: Stephen Ackles (vocals, piano), Hans Uleberg (guitar), Hans Graasvold (guitar), Morten Rosseland (bass) and Jan Ånnerød (drums). This one sounds even more Berryish, but with a hint of Jerry Lee Lewis, thanks to guitarist Uleberg who plays almost exactly like Lewis's long-serving guitar and fiddle-player, Kenneth Lovelace. See also VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions ART ADAMS (USA) See Volume 3, page 1033 for biographical info. I Wanna Hear It Again (2:48) (Ronald D. Hege) 2004 CD: Rockin' My Way Around [Collector CLCD-4490] Ɣ Netherlands, 2004 Rockabilly tribute written by Ronnie Haig. See also RONNIE HAIG VOLUME 2 > Influence on Other Artists > Lyrics that mention Chuck Berry (page 744) VOLUME 2 > Tributes > Tribute songs (page 767) VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions ARTHUR ADAMS (USA) Blues singer/songwriter/guitarist born in Me don, Tennessee in 1943. A great admirer of B.B. King, he honed his skills in Da llas in the early '60s, later moving to Los Angeles where he became a sessionman and a recording artist in his own right, cutting solo albums for Blue Thumb, A&M, Fantasy and others. Good, Good, Good (3:31) (Arthur Adams) 1999 CD: Back On Track [Blind Pig BPCD-5055] Ɣ USA, 1999 Recorded in Los Angeles, this has a driving beat to it and features a solo that sounds like updated Chuck Berry. Produced by Arthur Adams. HASIL ADKINS (USA) See Volume 3, page 1034 for biographical info. W.P.A. (3:04) (Hasil Adkins) 1985 LP: He Said [Big Beat LP-34] Ɣ UK, 1985 Based on 'Johnny B. Goode'. See also VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions 1762 25 – Soundalikes Ɣ Soundalikes by Artist AD-LIBS (West Germany) See Volume 3, page 1034 for biographical info. Route 66 (2:40) (Bobby Troup) 1966 Various Artists EP: Route 66 [CBS S-0069] Ɣ West Germany, 1966 Various Artists LP: Beat Party In Stereo (Volume 2) [CBS S-52328] Ɣ West Germany, 1966 The EP also includes one song by the Raves. See also VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions ÅGE ALEKSANDERSEN (Norway) See Volume 3, page 1036 for biographical info. Sommer (3:48) (Åge Aleksandersen) 2000 CD: Gamle Ørn [Norske Gram EKGCD-192] Ɣ Norway, 2000 This was a surprise in 2000, even though I knew that Åge was a great Berry admirer. Not only do the lyrics sound like Berry's 'I'm Just A Name', the guitar solo (played here on a Fender Telecaster by Andreas Aase) is also pure Berry. It again goes to show that, if you wanna play rock'n'roll guitar, you end up playing like Chuck Berr y. The song got a lot of radio play, and when Åge and the band performed it on TV the guitarist even did the Berry walk! See also VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions JOHNNIE ALLAN (USA) See Volume 3, page 1036 for biographical info. Homebound Train (2:20) (John A. Guillot) 1983 LP: Thanks For The Memories [Jin LP-9026] Ɣ USA, 1983 CD: Promised Land [Ace CDCHD-380] Ɣ UK 1992 Based on 'Let It Rock'. Regarding credits , his real name is John Allen Guillott. Oldie Goldie Days Of Old (3:13) (Johnnie Allan) 1996 CD: The Ultimate Louisiana Expierence [Jin LP-9052] Ɣ USA, 1996 Here the swamp pop legend is backed by s uper Cajun musicians like Rufus Thibodeaux and Steve Riley, among others. The song is a tribute to the ones who started it all: 'I still dig the '50s rock'n'roll' , 'I wanna hear Diddley, Domino, Chuck and all the rest that I love so' , ' Maybellene, just a dream' , 'Buddy should have lived', etc. This features a more authentic Louisiana arrangement than the later version by Andy Lee Lang. See also ANDY LEE LANG VOLUME 2 > Influence on Other Artists > Album titles based on Chuck Berry lyrics (page 733) VOLUME 2 > Influence on Other Artists > Lyrics that mention Chuck Berry (pages 745, 746) VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions ALLIGATORS (France) See Volume 3, page 1037 for biographical info. Rockin' Star ( : ) (J. Astrüc-A. Chenneviere) 1982 (live) CD: Rockabillygator [Big Beat BBR-00033] Ɣ France, 1995 A solid rocker in the Berry mould from the French TV show Bop'n'Roll Party , transmitted in January 1982. They also did a version of 'Route 66', but I haven't heard it, so it's not included in this list. This CD is a 22-track reissue of a 10- track LP (from 1979) which did not include this cut. See also VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions 1763 25 – Soundalikes Ɣ Soundalikes by Artist ALL STARS (UK) Features Jimmy Page (guitar), Jeff Beck (guitar), Nicky Hopkins (piano), Cliff Barton (bass) and Carlo Little (drums). Berry clearly must have had a huge influence on both Jimmy Page and Jeff Beck in their early years. Chuckles (2:21) (Jimmy Page) 1968 (instr) Various Artists LP: Blues Anytime (Volume 3) [Immediate IMLP-019] Ɣ UK, 1968 Various Artists LP: Best Of The British Blues (Volume 3) [Immediate 048-90677] Ɣ West Germany 1970 This has 'Chuck Berry' written all over it: an uptempo instrumental where Jimmy Page plays all those riffs he's listened to a thousand times. The backing sounds like that provided for Berry by the Steve Miller Band at the Fillmore Auditorium in 1967. Because of the title this song is also listed in the Tributes section (Volume 2 , page 764). Steelin' (2:38) (Jimmy Page) 1968 (instr) Various Artists LP: Blues Anytime (Volume 3) [Immediate IMLP-019] Ɣ UK, 1968 Various Artists LP: Best Of The British Blues (Volume 3) [Immediate 048-90677] Ɣ West Germany 1970 Jeff Beck plays nice slide guitar figures on this instrumental inspired by Berry's 'Deep Feeling' (though it also includes elements of 'Blue Feeling' and 'Blues For Hawaiians'). And it's interesting to note that pianist Nicky Hopkins had clearly been listening to Johnnie J ohnson! Like 'Jeff's Boogie' (see YARDBIRDS), this should really have been credited to Berry. As on the cut above, the over-prominent bass makes it sound a little messy and also runs a little too fast sometimes. See also VOLUME 3 > Cover Versions (YARDBIRDS) KID ANDERSEN (Norway) See Volume 3, page 1040 for biographical info.