Of all the early breakthrough rock & roll artists, none is more important to the development of the music than Chuck Berry. He is its greatest songwriter, the main shaper of its instrumental voice, one of its greatest guitarists, and one of its greatest performers. Quite simply, without him there would be no Beatles, Rolling Stones, Beach Boys, Bob Dylan, nor a myriad others. There would be no standard “Chuck Berry guitar intro,” the instrument’s clarion call to get the joint rockin’ in any setting. The clippety-clop rhythms of rockabilly would not have been mainstreamed into the now standard 4/4 rock & roll beat. There would be no obsessive wordplay by modern-day tunesmiths; in fact, the whole history (and artistic level) of rock & roll songwriting would have been much poorer without him. Like Brian Wilson said, he wrote “all of the great songs and came up with all the rock & roll beats.” Those who do not claim him as a seminal influence or profess a liking for his music and showmanship show their ignorance of rock’s development as well as his place as the music’s first great creator. Elvis may have fueled rock & roll’s imagery, but Chuck Berry was its heartbeat and original mindset. He was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry to a large family in St. Louis. A bright pupil, Berry developed a love for poetry and hard blues early on, winning a high school talent contest with a guitar-and-vocal rendition of Jay McShann’s big band number, “Confessin’ the Blues.” With some …
Everyone knows Sun Studio and Stax Records, but we start our week in Memphis at Ardent Studios, home base for Big Star and where many famous albums were recorded.
We have added this to our Playlist, thank you…
@FulminCH
yeah no way is that 1963
The REAL KING of Rock and Roll
he does his own thing the band does another
I agree this is not 63 but 73 same year as the bbc sessions
This footage in colour:
watch?v=8tWhx8M0AcA
Shot in Montreux, Switzerland in, erm, 1973.
This footage in colour:
watch?v=8tWhx8M0AcA
Shot in Montreux, Switzerland in, erm, 1973.
@moviemagg yeah, there is no way in hell this is from 1963…..look at his clothes
this film/video can’t possibly be from 1963….this is the early 1970s……I’d bet money on it. Look at the way he is dressed. This is Chuck’s 1970s look
@iditarod9 all music damages the hearing of ppl if it gets to loud, but then again rock is so awsome we gotta play it loud!!!!!!!!!!! HELL YEAH!
@curacao86 ) It’s in the same class as any loud abusive noise that damages the hearing of people! Thats all you have too know!
@iditarod9 You have no idea about real rock n roll!!
@PONYBOY430 What in the fuck are you blabbing about?
SIN CHUCK BERRY NO SERIA POSIBLE EL ROCK N ROLL.
This video SUCKS big time….!
Keith Richards!!!
@gazbo1964 Elvis didn’t do mainly covers he just didn’t write his own material and yes he did a number of covers but for the most part his songs were originals by oftimes some great writers except for a lot of the stuff on the movie soundtrack LPs
hey rearly62, I hear what you are saying about the synopsis but come on, look at the early Elvis stuff and whatever you think ….. show me another artist that had such an impact and career doing mainly covers. And lets not forget that Elvis must have had huge respect for CB to want to cover his music.
This is rare video however it is not 1963. This is from the early 70s!
Now, THAT’S the dude whose wallet should be the one with “BAD MOTHERFUCKER” on it! lol
@PONYBOY430 You are one wierd fuck-up! See a head-doctor.
i wood sample him saying memphis tennessee…is he from tennessee??
@gazbo1964 While this is not his best rendition of Memphis, Tennessee however your comment is utterly banal in comparison with the story of Chuck Berry. i suggest that you read the synopsis.
Have heard this and it isn’t a patch on Elvis doing it
Long distance information, give me Memphis Tennessee
Help me find the party trying to get in touch with me
She could not leave her number, but I know who placed the call
‘Cause my uncle took the message and he wrote it on the wall
Help me, information, get in touch with my Marie
She’s the only one who’d phone me here from Memphis Tennessee
Her home is on the south side, high up on a ridge
Just a half a mile from the Mississippi Bridge
@mitenzouki: They never became very famous but they were very much musicians’ musicians. They sparked the whole power pop movement in Rock, in the ’70s, that is still a major element of music today.
@mitenzouki I only heard of them about 6 months ago. And I can’t understand how they’re not more famous? They should be as well known as Boston. Awesome band.
@mitenzouki
That’s the reason why I clicked on this video…because of Big Star. Alex Chilton sounds like an interesting guy. I only have their first two albums but great band. Alex Chilton and Chris Bell wrote the song “In The Streets”, which later became the theme to That 70′s Show (except covered by Cheap Trick and a few others?)
@Bbfishman It’s in the credits. Air Arizona. It’s a great song, right!?
RIP Isaac Hayes
@mitenzouki They’re sort of like Cheap Trick but with better songs basically.
@PolyphonicPress lol mind giving us the short version… the wikipedia article rubbed me the wrong way for some reason so I didn’t really read it.
@AnimeChick37 He recorded at Sun studios. This doc was about Ardent studios
The outro song is Air Arizona by Maritime.
@PolyphonicPress Really? No one?
What’s he name of the outro song?
Not much mention of ZZ Top? Aww.
woah, they left California???
Why did I have to watch a 30 second ad for the 2012 FIAT before watching the 6 minute ad for the 2012 FIAT?
Thumbs up if you DO know who Big Star is!
AV Club should make 10 minute Videos.
Primal Scream were clearly the drunkest. Only the Irish can outdrink the Scottish.
Love that dickinson photo
Defensive stance is defensive?
>.> You are in Memphis TN and you DON’T talk about Elvis? FOR SHAME!!!!!
im lovin this, finally some good music/musicians, no how good lady gaga is and how much of a pioneer justice beaver is
Did any one else not have any idea who this Big Star band was?
whats the song at the end?
<3
Alex Chilton is a legend