Chuck Berry Flashcards
Where was Chuck Berry born
St. Louis
When was Chuck Berry born
1926
How is Chuck Berry related to Elvis?
The opposite: black man with the vocal quality of a white man
What ambitions did Chuck Berry have?
Wanted to be wealthy
How did Chuck Berry form his sound?
Through research. Looked at what artists white audiences liked. Realized the only genre with money in it was pop music.
What artist did Chuck Berry admire
Nat King Cole
What elements did Chuck Berry take from Nat King Cole?
Clear lyrics, with good enunciation which tells a story
What vocal tone did Chuck Berry have?
Twangy tone, similar to C&W
What did Chuck berry do as a kid?
Music competitions
How does Chuck Berry exhibit self conciousness
Actively tries to create a unique space for himself as a black artist
What label did Chuck Berry sign to?
Chess Records - May 1955
What genre did Chess Records make Chuck Berry try?
R&B
How did Chuck berry differentiate himself at Chess
Played a C&W song in more of a pop style
What was Chuck Berry’s first song
Maybellene
How was Maybellene made?
Transformation of a C&W song, “Ida Red”
When was Maybellene released?
July 1955
What genre does Chuck Berry become a star of
Rock n’ Roll
What audience does Chuck Berry target his music to?
Baby Boomers (white teenagers)
What topics does Chuck Berry incorporate into his music
Lyrics related to adolescence: cars, girls, no school, rock n’ roll (rock is a symbol of youth culture)
Why are there few cover versions of Chuck Berry
Guitar playing is central to his songs. (Can’t minimize that element and retain the sound of the song). Berry also avoided offending white parents, attempted to keep a harmless image
What is a major Chuck Berry Hit
Johnny B. Goode
When was Johnny B. Goode released?
1958
What is the form of Johnny B. Goode?
12 Bar blues, with text heavy narrative. Finds the middle ground of white and black culture
What white elements are incorporated into Johnny B. Goode?
Text heavy narrative (lots of info), clear enunciation, country guitar sound (more high end, less base and distortion)
What black elements are incorporated into Johnny B. Goode?
12 Bar blues structure with a 6 chord (boogie woogie). 12 bar blues is played up tempo
What elements are characteristic of Chuck Berry solos?
Based on timbre, articulation and rhythm. Plays the same note on different strings to alter timbre
Why was Chuck Berry influential on future artists
Wrote and played his own songs (one of the first), centralized the guitar in his music - introduces it to a generation
