skankdelvar Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 The frankly 'difficult' old rocker turned 90 today, announcing a 2017 release date for album of new material recorded with the backing band from his club. First new songs for 38 years. More [url="http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/chuck-berry-marks-90th-birthday-with-first-lp-in-38-years-w445376"]here[/url]. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beer of the Bass Posted October 18, 2016 Share Posted October 18, 2016 I had no idea quite how "difficult" he was until this evening when my wife pointed me towards the letter Bob Guccione released a couple of years ago. It's one of those things that can't be un-read. None of which changes the impact his music has had, of course, but I'd have been happier in the dark... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skankdelvar Posted October 19, 2016 Author Share Posted October 19, 2016 Quite so. Mr Keith Richard dines out on the war stories surrounding the making of the motion picture 'Hail Hail Rock'n'Roll' which chronicles his efforts to bring Mr Berry out of semi-retirement. A still from the movie below: [size=3][b]'And another thing!'[/b] : Keef loses it with Chuck in frankly shocking meltdown[/size] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted October 19, 2016 Share Posted October 19, 2016 How's his hotel business doing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 The YT's of recent Chuck Berry gigs are terrible. Approach this album with care. Better still buy a compilation from his 50's - early 60's material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Chuck has n't been truly on form live for quite a while now IMO, but still keeps going. ( Not the only veteran performer who should perhaps contemplate retirement either ,by a long chalk.) As Bruce Springsteen recently remarked though -[b] the[/b] most important writer of the rock n roll generation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu-khag Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 I saw him live about 6 years ago at camp bestival . He had his son and daughter with him in the band. From what I could work it out, he wouldnt wear any in ear monitoring and had the monitors full blast causing all kinds of feedback issues. other than that, he played a solid show with some hired players who had never played with him before. We all enjoyed anyway. I heard the festival organiser mention he still gets paid in cash in hand as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulWarning Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 (edited) I'll believe when I see it, I seem to remember he was due to release a new album about 20 years ago till the studio burnt down destroying all the masters, allegedly. It's still a mystery to me how such a cantankerous, nasty piece of work could make such perfect rock and roll records, but it shows in spite of what he says he's still in love with his music. I saw him about 25 years ago, front row seats and it was one of those shows where I got exactly what I was expecting, right down to the white crimplene flares, marvellous. Edited October 20, 2016 by PaulWarning Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spongebob Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 Chuck Berry was my first gig, I was taken to see him in 1983 at the Margate Winter Gardens! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big_Stu Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 [quote name='Stu-khag' timestamp='1476977878' post='3158961'] I heard the festival organiser mention he still gets paid in cash in hand as well![/quote] .............usually before the gig - or he doesn't go on. And he used to have a clock next to the stage so that he could coincide his last note of the night to the last second he was being paid for. Chuck Berry & Bo Diddley without either RnR wouldn't exist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taunton-hobbit Posted October 20, 2016 Share Posted October 20, 2016 ^^^^^ (allegedly) Aretha Franklin does the same (it's a generation thang ??) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
casapete Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 (edited) Seen Chuck many times. At one of the London Jazz and Blues Festivals at Ally Pally in the 70's, I was fortunate to be stageside. 2 mins before he was due onstage, he arrived with his guitar case in one hand, briefcase (presumably containing the fee) and mac in the other. As he was announced, the band started playing and he took the Gibson 355 out of the case, slung it on and walked onstage. Started playing, despite the guitar being rather out of tune. Took him a couple of songs to sort it, then went on to play a killer set. probably exactly 60 mins long as per the contract etc. Jimmy Marsala has been Chuck's bassist for over 40 years, and often directs the band as well as looking after Mr Berry. At one gig after they began a song, he had the unenviable task of sidling up to Chuck and inform him they'd already played that one a few minutes earlier. Chuck apologised to the audience and went straight into another song in an unrelated key, leaving the pick up band floundering. Happens a lot apparently. I love the Bruce Springsteen story from the 'Hail Hail Rock n Roll'. His band were waiting backstage to play for Chuck, with no word of setlist etc. Bruce finally plucks up the courage& knocks on his dressing room door. When he asked Chuck what songs they were going to be playing, the reply was - "Well son, tonight we'll be doing some Chuck Berry songs"!! We did a couple of Chuck's songs last night at my gig in his honour, and they went down a storm. Edited October 21, 2016 by casapete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted October 21, 2016 Share Posted October 21, 2016 (edited) Little Richard, Jerry Lee and Carl Perkins got the ball rolling but Chuck and Bo made their music the basis for most of what came after. Right from the beginning (1955) Chuck Berry wrote fantastic and almost perfect songs. Like most of the guys back then he was treated very badly by the music business and the white community generally. Last month I was in Atlanta and went to the Civil Rights Museum and various Martin Luther King museums. It is quite upsetting to see what those guys suffered back then, but most didn't let it fester into the stupid behaviour that we've seen from Chuck since the late 60's. Even today, like Mustang Sally, a Chuck Berry guitar intro is an instant floor filler. Edited October 21, 2016 by chris_b Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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