Chuck Berry / 2:11
Musicians
Mick Jagger: vocals
Keith Richards: guitar lead, backing vocals
Brian Jones: rhythm guitar, backing vocals
Bill Wyman: bass
Charlie Watts: drums
Recorded
Decca Recording Studios, West Hampstead, London: August 8, 1963
Technical Team
Producer: Andrew Loog Oldham
Sound engineer(s): not identified
After the success of “I Wanna Be Your Man,” which reached number 12 on the British charts, Decca and Andrew Loog Oldham wanted to test the Rolling Stones’ popularity. To this end they had the band record a four-track EP that they named The Rolling Stones. The first number was “Bye Bye Johnny” by Chuck Berry, recorded in 1960 for Berry’s album Rockin’ at the Hops and also released as a single with “Worried Life Blues” as the B-side. “Bye Bye Johnny” is a sequel to the celebrated “Johnny B. Goode,” which tells the story of a country boy and brilliant guitarist whose mother predicts he will be a star. In “Bye Bye Johnny,” the guitarist’s mother is the heroine. She is described putting her son on a Greyhound bus heading west, where he is to make motion pictures in Hollywood. She later receives a letter from Johnny, telling her that he has fallen in love and will return to the Southern states as soon as he has got married…
The Stones’ version is far more dynamic than Chuck Berry’s. Keith launches right in, re-creating the original introduction note for note on his Harmony Meteor. His sound is pretty saturated, resulting no doubt from the Top Boost function on his new Vox AC30 guitar amp. He also plays the solo in the style of his American idol, acquitting himself extremely well. Brian, who had also recently acquired a Vox AC30, plays rhythm on his Gretsch. Unfortunately, he is too loud, impairing the overall balance to some degree. Bill is as nimble as ever on his fretless Dallas Tuxedo and combines with Charlie to form the same rock-solid rhythm section. Mick has no difficulty with the lead vocal and is supported by a highly enthusiastic, although unfortunately totally saturated, backing vocal. It should be said that Oldham, who was in charge of production, had not succeeded in mastering the art during the three months since he assumed the role for “Come On” on May 10. Hence the rather unmethodical ensemble and accelerations in tempo. During the first refrain, between 0:22 and 0:29, the group can be heard suddenly stepping on the gas.