Why Chuck Berry Is The King Of Rock N' Roll

Alrighty, here's a post that should stir up some debate.

The majority of people out there accepts that Elvis Presley is the "King" of Rock N' Roll.

We're all taught this and told this no matter what. It's a givenn, right?

WRONG!

Ya know, Elvis himself due to his religious beliefs even disliked the title because to him the only "King" was Jesus Christ.

By the way, I respect all religions, just sayin' what Elvis' motivations and reasonings were.

Although Elvis was a great performer, from his great voice, dancing swagger, and iconic imagery I just can't abide by him being the "King Of Rock N' Roll".

Why? I'm getting to that.

I believe that the King of Rock N' Roll should be a singer/song writer type of rock musician. Elvis was not a singer/song writer. The majority of Elvis' most recognizable hits were actually covers.

"Blue Swuede Shoes" was originally by Carl Perkins (duh!). "His Latest Flame" was originally by Del Shannon. "Suspicious Minds" was by Mark James. Both "That's Alright Mama" and "My Baby Left Me" were originally by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup. Both "Poke Salad Annie" and "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" were by Tony Joe White.

I could keep going on, but I think you all get my point. I'd reccomend the album "Elvis & The Originals" an MP3 album on Amazon.com's MP3 services. You get 53 songs for $8.99 (when I bought it) that gives you Elvis' version and the originals. Why the extra song? Because it gives you the complete evolution of the song "Hound Dog".

"Hound Dog" was originally a Leiber/Stroller blues tune recorded by Big Mama Thornton. The missing link between hers and Elvis' hit version though is the re-arrangement by Freddie Bell and The Bell Boys.

Here's a link to that album on Amazon:
You can find that here!

My only quips with that album is that some selections are obvious, and that they used the wrong version of "Blue Moon". The original vocal recording of "Blue Moon" was done by Connee Boswell, and is available on Amazon MP3 as well. I have no clue when Glenn Gray did his version of "Blue Moon" but feel free to double check my facts elsewhere online.

Now, as stated, Elvis was a great performer. His renditions of songs elevated many obscure tunes into the spotlight. That's all well and good, but Chuck Berry has an even greater legacy.

Chuck Berry is usually called a "Guitar God", and quite frankly he was the first in a long line resulting in the Guitar God Pantheon. His musical conventions have influenced subgenres ranging from surf rock to punk rock.

Chuck Berry also wrote nearly all of his own songs. His one number one hit from 1972, "My Ding-A-Ling" a live track off the album "The London Sessions" was a cover.

Yet Berry wrote and first recorded songs that are still being covered to this day, songs that have transcended genres, and other accolades no other Rocker has achieved.

Songs such as "Memphis, Tennessee", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Johnny B. Goode", "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", and a few others are nearly immortal in Rock N' Roll and its sub-genres.

"Johnny B. Goode" has been done in country (Buck Owens), reggae (Peter Tosh), heavy metal (Judas Priest), and more. The original version by Chuck Berry however was pout on the Voyager Golden Record (on the Voyager Spacecraft by NASA) as a representation of Rock N' Roll, and only one out of four songs on the record to represent the USA!

Does Elvis have a song in outer space? NO!

Unless you count reverberating radio signals, but no records out there in the final frontier!

You see, Chuck's works were highly regarded and covered by his own contemporaries. My favorite cover of "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is Buddy Holly's version. Even Elvis had a 1970s hit covering Berry's "Promised Land". Lonnie Mack had a hit instrumental cover of "Memphis, Tennessee" which then lead to the famous cover of the song by Johnny Rivers, and most recently a cover by ex-Guns N' Roses member Izzy Stradlin on his solo album "117 Degrees".

Chuck was also a major influence on the bands of the British Invasion, of which the Beatles covered "Roll Over Beethoven" and the Rolling Stones covered Berry's "Come On".

In 1972 on the Mike Douglas show Chuck even did a duet with John Lennon doing "Johnny B. Goode", which was historically reprised after Lennon's death when Chuck and Julian Lennon did "Johnny B. Goode" together in the concert/biographical film "Hail, Hail Rock N' Roll".

Chuck's song "Little Queenie" was a prototypical song that spawned the theme of the "Jukebox Tease" later evident in songs ranging from "I Saw Her Standing There" by the Beatles to "I Love Rock N' Roll" by the Arrows (The Arrows originally did that song in 1977. Joan Jett first covered it with the Sex Pistols as her backing band having limited UK success with that version before recording the mega-hit version with The Black Hearts. Unfortunately Britney Spears also covered the song.). "Little Queenie" is also referenced at the end in British Glam Rock era tunes "Now I'm Here" by Queen and "Bang A Gong (Get It On)" by Marc Bolan and T. Rex.

The influence of Chuck Berry spreads far and wide within the plane of existence we call Rock N' Roll.

Even in the 21st Century his songs still thrive, survive, and are still covered.

I'd also suggest people check out the cover of "Roll Over Beethoven" by Status Quo, for thus far it's the best cover of that song I've ever heard. Definitely much better than the cover by Mountain, though they do a mean cover of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On".

And thus, this is why I believe that Chuck Berry is indeed the King of Rock N' Roll.

Sincerely,
Bob