At Home in Hespeler

One likes to believe in the freedom of music.

Rush – Spirit of Radio.

I once danced onstage with Chuck Berry. Or, to be more precise, Chuck Berry played Johnny B. Goode while I danced five feet away from him. Not, you understand, go-go dancer style in a knit mini or anything weird like that, just danced. Onstage.  

It was 1987, August 8th to be specific. Berry was doing a two show gig at “Mount Chinguacousy” during the Brampton Flower Festival. The first show is a bit legendary in Chuck Berry circles because he fired his band during School Days. Berry was infamously difficult, but even for him firing the band, onstage, mid-show was notable.

The second show went better, however, and Berry got to the last song without so much as a sour word towards the musicians who had been hired to back him. So while closing out Johnny B. Goode, Berry invited some young ladies to dance onstage. One of them was my then girlfriend. Berry called her onstage, and from the angle he called her, I thought he motioned to me. Sadly, both she and I pointed to ourselves and said, “me?”
and when he nodded yes and said back “yes you”, I took my cue and went. It wasn’t until I read about the spoil sport bastards who crashed the stage when Chuck was calling on some girls to come up in that weeks Brampton Guardian that I realized, no, not me.

So I’m dancing beside a guy with a notorious temper on a night when he’s already fired his band once (i.e. maybe not a good night). Looking back I can consider myself lucky I didn’t get conked with his legendary ES-355.

The band Berry fired that night were hired by the promoter of the show. As was Berry’s practice from fairly early on, he toured without a band, and every town he went to his contract stipulated they hire a band. The band would get no rehearsal time with Berry, no chord charts and no set list prior to show. In the recording of that August night, Berry stops School Days and tells the band, no playing during the breaks. He continues the song and in their enthusiasm, they can’t help themselves but add some pickup notes at the end of each break. At songs end he gives them shit in front of everybody and does five songs without them before they return chastened but apparently much improved.

It seems strange to hire a different band for every show, and it can’t have been easy to be one of Berry’s back up players. Bruce Springsteen did the gig once in his pre-fame days, and writing about it years later noted that Berry played his songs on odd keys like Bb and Eb (while everybody and their brothers band plays Johnny B. Goode in ‘A’, the original is actually in ‘Bb’ for instance). But by the same token, it speaks to how common his songs are to play for local bands that he could always find three or four guys, in every town, who knew so many of his songs.

In Rock and Roll Never Forgets, Bob Seger sings about “all of Chuck’s children are out there, playing his licks.” This is what he’s talking about, so many musicians over the years cut their teeth, earned their money playing Chuck Berry’s songs. And occasionally, if you were lucky, Chuck’s children got to step on stage and actually play with him. Lucky, that is, if he didn’t fire you in front of everybody.

Chuck Berry passed away on March 18 at 90-years old. He was one of the truly great performers, and he left a legacy that may be unmatched in rock and roll. May he rest in peace. And if there’s a rock and roll heaven, NO PLAYING DURING THE BREAK!

for certified professional guitar repair in Cambridge Ontario: Brian Gardiner Guitar Repair

Chuck's Children, Rockin' and Rollin' and Never Forgettin', The Freedom of Music, This Week on my I-Pod Bob Seger, Brampton, Chuck Berry, Flower Festival, Johnny B Goode

… where to start with Chuck Berry? Johnny B Goode, possibly the most played song of the rock era? Perhaps my personal favorite, Memphis Tennessee? Reelin’ and Rockin’? No Particular Place to Go? So many songs, so little blog.

Chuck Berry at the Brampton Flower Festival

How about we talk about the influence: Kieth Richards idolized him, it was, in fact, what separated Richard’s from all the other London bluesers. John Fogerty quoted him in Centerfield (“roundin’ third and headed for home, it’s a brown eyed handsome man…”). Bob Seger and REO Speedwagon ended their 70‘s concerts with Chuck Berry songs. Back to the Future turned the tables, and inspired his new sound.

Truthfully, it is such a formidable career of great songs and great guitar playing, and while it’s safe to say without Chuck Berry there would be no George Thorogood, the broader truth is, without Chuck Berry there would be a lot less of the music that shaped our lives.

But at the end of the day, it is for inspiring the line in Bob Seger’s Rock and Roll Never Forgets, “all of Chuck’s children are out there, playing his licks,” that I offer birthday wishes. Because I am one of Chucks children, and because it would be so cool to be mentioned by name in a Bob Seger song.

Happy 85th birthday Chuck Berry. And don’t forget to keep on rockin’…

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All the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities

James Bond and the Tied Knot:

Daniel Craig and his gal pal Rachel Weisz got married last weekend in New York. The quiet ceremony was attended by one attendant each, and the couples two children from previous relationships.

No word on whether the least likeable Bond rolled the wedding car on route to the honeymoon.

Big winner of 2011, Charlie Sheen will start the fall TV season… dead.

His character on the hit “sitcom” Two and a Half Men, Charlie Harper, will be killed off in the season opener. According to TMZ.com, the show will begin with dark screen for “just a minute or two,” as characters Alan and Jake find out he is dead.

Winning…

Mr. Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon said this week that he and the boss are done having kids.

I (Cannon) do (want more children), Mariah doesn’t. She was like, “That’s it, I’m done! Two at once!

Translation, it turns out having kids was not all about Mariah, and it won’t happen again.

When Nasa sent a spacecraft into the far reaches of space full of artefacts from earth in order to communicate with any aliens who may intercept the craft, among the artefacts where Chuck Berry records. According to Father Guido Sarducci, the craft returned with a note inside: “Send more Chuck Berry.”

The city of St. Louis understands the sentiment, and this week voted to erect an 8-foot statue of the rock and roll legend. The statue will be built on a new public bikeway near Blueberry Hill, the club where Berry has played a regular gig over the past 15 years.

The statue has it’s detractors, notably 86-year old Elsie Glickbert, who notes that 84-year old Berry is a convicted felon. Berry was convicted in 1962 of “transporting a woman across state lines for immoral purposes.”

Hard to understand why, 15 years after Bill Clinton, people aren’t more concerned about those 60’s era “immoral purposes” convictions.

Time to shave, trim the unwanted hairlettes and suck in the gut: Téa Leoni is back on the market. Leoni and her husband of 14 years, Californication’s David Duchovny, have separated for the second time in three years.

The couple separated for a year in 2008 after Duchovny “underwent treatment for sex issues,” i.e. was found to be a serial philanderer. They reunited a year later

No word on what caused this years split, but one can’t help but wildly speculate that the words “pecker,” and “pants” where used during the decisive argument.

Free at last, free at last… Lindsay Lohan is free at last.

Lindsay Lohan, felonious actress, was released from home detention after serving 35 days in house arrest for stealing a $2,500 necklace.

Her monitoring equipment was removed Wednesday morning, freeing Lohan from her days spent painting. No word on what she did after being released, we just hope it had nothing to do with either her probationary restriction against drugs and alcohol or David Duchovny.

Fluffernutter Californication, Charlie Sheen, Chuck Berry, Daniel Craig, David Duchovny, James Bond, Lindsay Lohan, Mariah Carey, Nick Cannon, Rachel Weisz, St. Louis, Téa Leoni, Two and a Half Men

When Led Zeppelin released a jam with piano player Ian Stewart, Boogie With Stu, they gave a writing credit to Mrs. Valens. The reason was because they had heard the Valens family had received no royalties from Ritchie Valens songs after his death. No good deed going unpunished, the estate of the late Valens sued Zeppelin for plagiarism. Considering Valens ooh my head is a rip of Little Richard’s Ooh My Soul…

Love Chuck Berry drumming on the table. And speaking of Chuck Berry, Bob Seger is hitting the road with a small tour: just another one of Chuck’s children playing his licks.

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All the fluffy news about those nutty celebrities

Shania Twain, country superstar, modern day Helen of Troy and single for about ten minutes, married her former best friend’s ex-husband, Frederic Nicolas Thiebaud. Don’t feel bad for the ex-friend however, as she struck first stealing Twain’s husband, Mutt “the dumbest man on earth” Lange.

Twain and Thiebaud were married in Rincon, Peurto Rico on New Years Day. Thiebaud now holds the record for having the best hangover in history.

Chuck Berry doesn’t drink or do drugs, but being 84 has got to feel like being hung over more often than it doesn’t. New Years day was a does day, as Berry fell ill during a show in Chicago.

He appeared tired and struggled through an hour of the show before stopping. Fortunately, he came back half an hour later to tell the audience he was OK. Berry’s representatives say he is fine and he is returning to his home in St. Louis.

Here at Fluffernutter world headquarters, we’re mentioning the true legend Chuck Berry when we pull out our prayer mat and bow towards Mecca.

Fluffernutter Review in Brief – The Kings Speech: g-g-g-g-g-Great mm-mm-mMoovie. LllllLook for an o-o-o-o-Oscar for c-c-c-c-c-Colin ffffFirth.

Jan 1, 2011: 1 1 11: The day all the cuties got married.

Serial cutie #2, Valerie Bertinelli married her second husband, Tom Vitale in California on New Years day. Bertinelli’s first husband, oh lets call him “Mutt Lange II” since “Eddie Van Halen” is already taken, was on hand, as was his bassist, and son with Bertinelli, Wolfgang.

The happy couple have been dating since 2003.

Fluffernutter Review in Brief – True Grit: Very true to the story, and very gritty.

David Arquette had, to borrow a phrase, one hell of a New Years hangover. How so? He spent New Years Eve partying very hard indeed, then checked himself into rehab the next day.

I’ve had some hangovers in my time, swore off booze, uttered the phrase, “wish I was dead.” But I have never wasted a good hangover checking myself into rehab. That’s a hangover.

So you had the big New Years Party. You were da’ man! David Arquette left you a message: “I never seen anybody so wasted!” he says.

You groan, roll over, wipe the eyeball boogers from your face and notice for the first time, your not alone: Meg Ryan is in bed with you. Yea well, some guys have all the luck:

John Mellencamp and his wife announced last week they are splitting up. Done. No more. This week the word hit’s the interwebs – do you need more proof – that Cougar is dating the ultimate cougar, Meg Ryan.

Don’t know if he has all the luck, but John Cougar Mellencamp certainly has gotten more than his fair share of it.

Gerry Rafferty (1947-2011).

Saddened to hear the news that Stuck in the Middle writer and Baker Street ingénue Gerry Rafferty has died, aged 63, after a long illness.

While Rafferty is best known for the sublime Baker Street, and never forget Right Down the Line, which most obits have done, the most interesting Trivia Pursuit question about Rafferty is that he played in a folk duo with fellow Scot Billy Connolly. The Humblebums recorded three albums, two of the them with Rafferty, before splitting in 1970.

Baker Street is one of the rock eras works of genius. Agorgeous, layered textured song about life on London’s famous Baker Street in the swinging 60’s (where Rafferty busked), it features possibly rocks most famous sax line and a great guitar solo.

Rafferty is survived by his daughter. May he Rest in Peace.

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