Tag Archives: Leonard Chess

Bo Diddley: Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger

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In December 1960, “Checker Records” label released “Bo Diddley Is a Gunslinger”, the fifth Bo Diddley studio album. It was recorded October 1959 – February 1960, and was produced by Leonard Chess, Phil Chess and Bo Diddley.

Personnel:

  • Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) – lead vocals, lead guitar
  • Peggy Jones – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
  • Lafayette Leake, Otis Spann, Billy Stewart– piano
  • Jerome Green – maracas, backing vocals
  • Willie Dixon, Bobby Baskerville – bass
  • Jesse James Johnson – electric bass
  • Billy Downing, Clifton James – drums
  • Gene Barge– tenor saxophone
  • Johnny Carter, Harvey Fuqua, Lily “Bee Bee” Jamieson, Gloria Morgan, Nate Nelson – backing vocals
  • Vartan – art direction

Track listing:

All tracks by Ellas McDaniel, except where noted.

  1. Gunslinger
  2. Ride on Josephine
  3. Doing the Craw-Daddy
  4. Cadillac
  5. Somewhere
  6. Cheyenne
  7. Sixteen Tons – Merle Travis, arranged byEllas McDaniel
  8. Whoa Mule (Shine)
  9. No More Lovin’
  10. Diddling

Chuck Berry: Chuck Berry Is on Top

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In July 1959, “Chess” label released “Chuck Berry Is on Top”, the third Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded 1955–1959, in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry– vocals, guitars
  • Bo Diddley– electric guitar
  • Johnnie Johnson, Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Willie Dixon– double bass
  • George Smith – bass
  • Fred Below, Ebbie Hardy, Jaspar Thomas – drums
  • Jerome Green – maracas
  • The Moonglows– backing vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry.

  1. Almost Grown
  2. Carol
  3. Maybellene
  4. Sweet Little Rock & Roller
  5. Anthony Boy
  6. Johnny B. Goode
  7. Little Queenie
  8. Jo Jo Gunne
  9. Roll Over Beethoven
  10. Around and Around
  11. Hey Pedro
  12. Blues for Hawaiians

Bo Diddley: Go Bo Diddley

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In July 1959, “Checker Records” label released “Go Bo Diddley”, the second Bo Diddley album. It was recorded on March 2, 1955, and in September 1958, and was produced by Leonard Chess, Phil Chess and Bo Diddley. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked it at number 214 on its list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

 Personnel:

  • Bo Diddley (Ellas McDaniel) – vocals, guitar, violin
  • Peggy Jones– guitar, backing vocals
  • Billy Boy Arnold– harmonica
  • Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Otis Spann– piano
  • Jerome Green – co-lead vocals, maracas
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Clifton James – drums
  • Frank Kirkland – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley), except where noted.

  1. Crackin’ Up
  2. I’m Sorry – Ellas McDaniel, Alan Freed, Harvey Fuqua
  3. Bo’s Guitar
  4. Willie and Lillie
  5. You Don’t Love Me (You Don’t Care)
  6. Say Man
  7. The Great Grandfather
  8. Oh Yea
  9. Don’t Let It Go
  10. Little Girl
  11. Dearest Darling
  12. The Clock Strikes Twelve

Chuck Berry: New Juke Box Hits

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In March 1961, “Chess” label released “New Juke Box Hits”, the fifth Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded in 1960, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Philip Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry– vocals, guitars
  • Johnnie Johnson– piano
  • Reggie Boyd – bass
  • Fred Below, Jaspar Thomas – drums
  • Leroy C. Davis – tenor saxophone

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry except where noted.

  1. I’m Talking About You
  2. Diploma for Two
  3. Thirteen Question Method
  4. Away from You
  5. Don’t You Lie to Me – Hudson Whittaker
  6. The Way It Was Before
  7. Little Star
  8. Route 66 – Bobby Troup
  9. Sweet Sixteen – Joe Josea, B. King
  10. Run Around
  11. Stop and Listen
  12. Rip It Up – John Marascalco, Robert Blackwell

Chuck Berry: One Dozen Berrys

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In March 1958, “Chess” label released “One Dozen Berrys”, the second Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded in 1957, at “Sheldon Recording Studios” in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry– vocals, guitars
  • Hubert Sumlin– electric guitar
  • Johnnie Johnson, Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Fred Below, Ebbie Hardy – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry.

  1. Sweet Little Sixteen
  2. Blue Feeling
  3. La Juanda (Espanola)
  4. Rockin’ at the Philharmonic
  5. Oh Baby Doll
  6. Guitar Boogie
  7. Reelin’ and Rockin’
  8. In-Go
  9. Rock and Roll Music
  10. How You’ve Changed
  11. Low Feeling
  12. It Don’t Take but a Few Minutes

Bo Didley: Have Guitar Will Travel

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In January 1960, “Checker” label released “Have Guitar Will Travel”, the third Bo Diddley studio album. It was recorded July 1955 – September 1959, in Chicago, Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess, Phil Chess and Bo Diddley.

Personnel:

  • Bo Diddley– vocals, guitar
  • Jerome Green – co-lead and backing vocals, maracas
  • Peggy Jones– guitar, backing vocals
  • Jody Williams– guitar
  • Lafayette Leake– piano
  • Lester Davenport– harmonica
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Clifton James – drums
  • Frank Kirkland – drums

Track listing:

All tracks by Ellas McDaniel (Bo Diddley), except where noted.

  1. She’s Alright
  2. Cops and Robbers – Kent Harris
  3. Run Diddley Daddy
  4. Mumblin’ Guitar
  5. I Need You Baby
  6. Say Man, Back Again
  7. Nursery Rhyme
  8. I Love You So
  9. Spanish Guitar
  10. Dancing Girl
  11. Come On Baby

Chuck Berry: Fresh Berry’s

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In November 1965, “Chess” label released “Fresh Berry’s”, the ninth Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded in September 1965, at “Ter Mar Recording Studios”  Chicago,  Illinois, and was produced by Leonard Chess and Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar
  • Mike Bloomfield– guitar
  • Paul Butterfield– harmonica
  • Johnnie Johnson– piano
  • Chuck Bernhard – bass
  • Jaspar Thomas – drums
  • Ron Malo– engineer
  • Don S. Bronstein– cover art

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry except where noted.

  1. It Wasn’t Me
  2. Run Joe – Louis Jordan, Walter Merrick, Joe Willoughby
  3. Everyday We Rock & Roll
  4. One for My Baby (and One More for the Road) – Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer
  5. Welcome Back Pretty Baby
  6. It’s My Own Business
  7. Right Off Rampart Street
  8. Vaya Con Dios – Buddy Pepper, Carl Hoff, Inez James, Larry Russell
  9. Merrily We Rock & Roll
  10. My Mustang Ford
  11. Ain’t That Just Like a Woman – Claude Demetrius, Fleecie Moore
  12. Wee Hour Blues

Chuck Berry: St. Louis to Liverpool

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In November 1964, “Chess” label released “St. Louis to Liverpool”, the seventh  Chuck Berry studio album. It was recorded December 1957 – August 1964, at “Chess Studios” in Chicago, and was produced by Leonard Chess and  Phil Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry – vocals, guitars
  • Matt “Guitar” Murphy– electric guitar
  • Johnnie Johnson, Lafayette Leake, Paul Williams – piano
  • Willie Dixon– bass
  • Odie Payne, Fred Below– drums
  • Ebby Hardy or Jaspar Thomas – drums
  • Leroy C. Davis – tenor saxophone
  • James Robinson – tenor saxophone

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry except where noted.

  1. Little Marie
  2. Our Little Rendezvous
  3. No Particular Place to Go
  4. You Two
  5. Promised Land
  6. You Never Can Tell
  7. Go Bobby Soxer
  8. Things I Used to Do – Eddie Jones
  9. Liverpool Drive
  10. Night Beat
  11. Merry Christmas Baby – Lou Baxter, Johnny Moore
  12. Brenda Lee

Chuck Berry: Chuck Berry in London

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In April 1965, “Chess Records” label released “Chuck Berry in London”, the eighth Chuck Berry studio album. It was produced by Leonard Chess and Philip Chess.

Personnel:

  • Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar
  • Jeff Crivet – guitar
  • Jules Blattner – guitar
  • Peter John Hogman – harmonica
  • Bob Scrivens – piano
  • Louis Cennamo– bass
  • Bill Bixler – bass
  • Howard Jones – drums
  • Chick Kattenhorn – drums
  • Brian Hamilton – tenor saxophone
  • Bill Armstrong – backing vocals
  • Mike Boocock – backing vocals
  • Neil Carter – backing vocals
  • Roger Eagle – backing vocals
  • Roger Fairhurst – backing bocals
  • Rick Green – backing vocals
  • Brian Smith – backing Vocals

Track listing:

All tracks by Chuck Berry except where noted

  1. My Little Love-Light
  2. She Once Was Mine
  3. After It’s Over
  4. I Got a Booking
  5. Night Beat
  6. His Daughter Caroline
  7. You Came a Long Way from St Louis – Bob Russell, John Benson Brooks
  8. Louis Blues – W.C. Handy
  9. Jamaica Farewell – Lord Burgess
  10. Dear Dad
  11. Butterscotch
  12. The Song of My Love
  13. Why Should We End This Way
  14. I Want to Be Your Driver

Muddy Waters: Hoochie Coochie Man

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I'm_Your_Hoochie_Coochie_Man

On January 7, 1954, Muddy Waters recorded “Hoochie Coochie Man”, a blues standard written by Willie Dixon. The song originally titled “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man” became one of Muddy Waters most popular songs and one of the best known blues standards of all time.  In 2004, the song was selected for preservation by the US “Library of Congress’ National Recording Registry”. The song was released in 1954 by “Chess” label as a Ten-inch 78 rpm & seven-inch 45 rpm records (She’s So Pretty as B-side) and was produced by Leonard Chess.