Chuck Berry – Architect of Rock n’ Roll.
Chuck Berry for Tuesday Lunch – recorded February 6, 1965 for Face au Public program for RTL, Brussels.
With the exception of a scant few examples, there’s not much in the way of early Chuck Berry to dive into (unless new discoveries are made). By the time the 60s rolled around, Chuck Berry was a well-acknowledged household name throughout Europe and his appearances were celebrations of who became the architect of Rock n’ Roll.
1965 was a watershed year for the British Invasion and there wasn’t a single band coming from the UK (or the rest of Europe for that matter) that didn’t include at least one Chuck Berry song on an album or on tour – he captured the spirit and the energy that Rock was known for.
Stories about Chuck Berry are legion; rumors as well as fact. But the important part is the influence he had over an entire genre of music; shaping the way it was performed, using the guitar as a solo instrument rather than a musical accompaniment.
It’s important to be able to hear these examples of how things evolved – it’s part of the continuing story of contemporary culture and all the elements are essential for scrutiny – knowing where things came from gives a good idea of where you can take them. And even though pretty much all that’s been said about Rock Music has been said, what is still uncharted territory is the point of view – that’s always going to be the case – no matter how much sampling – AI or Autotune you toss in.
The more you keep your ears and your mind open, the more you discover, and the better chances you have at making a lasting contribution to the conversation.
But ya gotta do the heavy lifting – and a half-hour’s worth of Chuck Berry is a good place to start.
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