THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

548-Chuck Berry-Maybellene.

1955-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.06. Chuck Berry was amongst the first group of inductees into the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ on January 23rd, 1986. This is what they said, ‘While no individual can be said to have invented Rock and Roll, Chuck Berry comes the closest of any single figure to being the one who put all the essential pieces together. It was his particular genius to graft Country & Western guitar licks onto a Rhythm & Blues chassis in his very first single, ‘Maybellene.’

Chuck Berry (see also best songs 308 and 30) was born Charles Edward Anderson Berry, on October 18th, 1926, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, he died of a heart attack on March 18th, 2017, at the age of 90. Chuck Berry was a significant player in the development of ‘Rock ‘N Roll,’ predominately through his refining and development of ‘Rhythm and Blues,’ but also through his stage persona, and his song lyrics. He was born into a middle-class black family, and showed an interest in music from an early age, giving his first public performance at ‘Sumner High School,’ in St. Louis. It was while still a high school student, that he was convicted of armed robbery and was sent to a reformatory, where he was held from 1944 to 1947. After his release he married in 1948, and got a job at an automobile assembly plant. In 1953, being influenced by the guitar riffs, and showmanship techniques of the ‘Blues’ musician T-Bone Walker, (1910-1975) Berry began performing with the Johnnie Johnson Trio. In 1955 he travelled to Chicago where he met the ‘Blues’ legend Muddy Waters, (1913-1983) (see also best songs 596) who suggested that he contact Leonard Chess, (1917-1969) of ‘Chess Records.’

There are many who cite ‘Maybellene’ as the first real ‘Rock ‘N Roll’ song. Chuck Berry had heard the American traditional song ‘Ida Red’ performed by the American Western swing musician Bob Wills (1905-1975) and his backing band the ‘Texas Cowboys,’ played in the style of ‘Western Swing,’ which is a sub-genre of American ‘Country Music.’ Chuck Berry would play his take on the song in racially integrated clubs, and saw that the music brought people together. Leonard Chess had Chuck Berry audition for him, and it was Berry’s rendition of ‘Ida Red’ that Chess was impressed with. Chess had become aware that now ‘World War II’ was 10 years in the past, there was a whole generation of teenagers with money to spend, and Chess knew exactly how to manipulate the situation. Chess suggested a bigger beat for the song, and added a bass, and a maracas player at the recording session. Chuck Berry re-wrote the lyrics on Chess’ direction, singing about fast cars, and sexuality, which appealed to teenagers. There are conflicting stories as to how the song got it’s title. Chuck Berry has said that ‘Maybellene’ was the name of a cow in a child’s school reading book he had remembered from his childhood school days, but Johnny Johnson, (1924-2005) who played the piano on the track has said that on spotting a ‘Maybelline’ mascara box on the floor of the studio, Leonard Chess said,’ Well hell, let’s name the damn thing ‘Maybellene,’ altering the spelling to avoid a law suit by the cosmetic company who made the product.

‘Maybellene’ was written by Chuck Berry, with the production being by Leonard Chess, and his younger brother Phil Chess, (1921-2016) the song gave Chuck Berry his first hit single, reaching Number 5 on the American Billboard Hot 100 in 1955. ‘Maybellene’ was later added to the soundtrack Album ‘Rock, Rock, Rock!’ after the song featured in the 1956 motion picture of the same name, which was also the first ever Album released on the ‘Chess Records’ label. ‘Maybellene’ did not appear on Chuck Berry’s debut studio Album ‘After School Session,’ from May 1957, but was added as a bonus track on the 2004 reissue. ‘Maybellene’ has at least 70 official known cover versions, including recordings by Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins. The other charting version of the song on the Billboard Hot 100 is by the American artist Johnny Rivers, who took his cover entitled ‘Maybelline’ to Number 12 in 1964. Playing on the Chuck Berry original were, Chuck Berry, (vocals, and guitar) Johnnie Johnson, (piano) Willie Dixon, (1915-1992) (see also best songs 596 and 135) (bass) Jerome Green, (1934-1973) (maracas) and Ebby Hardy (drums.)

‘As I was motivatin’ over the hill, I saw Mabellene in a Coup de Ville. A Cadillac arollin’ on the open road, nothin’ will outrun my V8 Ford. The Cadillac doin’ about ninety-five, she’s bumper to bumper, rollin’ side by side. Maybellene why can’t you be true.’