CHUCK BERRY
BRAMALEA, ONTARIO
CHINGUACOUSY PARK
1987-08-07

01. Roll Over Beethoven
02. Sweet Little Sixteen
03. Every Day I Have The Blues
04. School Days
(fires the band, continues solo)
05. Beer Drinkin’ Woman
06. Carol / Little Queenie
07. Nadine
08. Memphis, Tennessee
09. Let It Rock
(band enters)
10. Around And Around
11. Rock And Roll Music
12. Wee Wee Hours
13. Mean Old World
14. Johnny B. Goode

Cassette -> CDRW700 -> EAC -> Soundforge -> FLAC

I have to run but will post this one from the tape trading days. This is the show where he fires the band and carries on solo.

I have 2 Chuck Berry stories, both second hand but absolutely true.

In 1994 he played the House Of Blues right after it opened. My friend tried to take his picture and he hit my friend over the head with his guitar. He tried to pursue legal action but didn’t get much further than filing the police report. I have a tape of the show somewhere.

And someone who used to rent an office where I worked promoted a package tour in the 1980’s where a house band would back all these washups as all they came up and sang their one or two hits. The kind of thing where most of us laughed at the concert listing then but would kill to see now.

He got Chuck Berry for a run of 10 shows.

Chuck Berry wanted $10,000 in cash in a briefcase before taking the stage every night. The first night Ron asked if he could get the briefcase back. No. So he had to go out and buy 10 Samsonite briefcases.

Chuck Berry never used a backing band. It was up to the promoter to find a band who knew Chuck Berry songs. Many famous artists cut their teeth backing Chuck Berry. This was laid out quite eloquently by Bruce Springsteen in the forward to Chuck Berry’s autobiography. It’s one of the best autobiographies I can remember but I gave my copy to the also dearly departed Ken All Nite Rocker and don’t think I got it back

One of my favorite recordings from the tape trading days was one where he didn’t care for the backing band and “fired” them after a few songs and carried on solo.

-ijwthstd on Dime