"
Chuck Berry was another massive influence," reflected Paul McCartney. "We'd go up to John's bedroom with his little record player and listen to Chuck Berry records, trying to learn them." This influenced Lennon's guitar style, as McCartney continues; "John did play some Chuck Berry-style solos, but he gave over the solo chair to George and became known as rhythm guitarist."
"I learned the solos on 'Johnny B. Goode' and 'Carol'," John relates. "In those days I was very much influenced by Chuck Berry...(He) is one of the all-time great poets; a rock poet, you could call him. He was well advanced of his time, lyric-wise. We all owe a lot to him, including Dylan. I've loved everything he's done, ever. He was in a different class from the other performers. He was in the tradition of the great blues artists but he really wrote his own stuff - I know (Little) Richard did, but Berry
really wrote stuff. The lyrics were fantastic, even though we didn't know what he was saying half the time."
So was the influence Chuck Berry had on The Beatles. It was a no-brainer that they would choose to cover another Chuck Berry anthem when given the opportunity. That opportunity came with the recording sessions for their fourth British album "Beatles For Sale." Having already recorded one album in 1964, they had an obligation to complete a second album that year in time for the Christmas season. Not being able to compose enough material in that short of notice to fill an entire album, they were happy to record their renditions of some of their favorites. "Rock And Roll Music" fit the bill perfectly.
Chuck Berry became known for composing lyrics that were relevant and entertaining to young white audiences while not alienating black audiences. This formula resulted in nine chart hits between 1955 and 1960, one of which was "Rock And Roll Music" (#8 on the Billboard pop charts). Written approximately in April of 1957, he was singing the praises of the newly-christened popular music of the young generation. While Berry still depicted "
rhythm and blues" as the music style-of-choice in his 1956 classic "
Roll Over Beethoven," the emergence of "
rock and roll" on the scene was due its own anthem. Chuck Berry satisfied that need.
Chuck Berry became famous for his examination of the experience of the younger generation, black or white, which resulted in many of his most successful hits, including "School Day," "Sweet Little Sixteen" and "Almost Grown." With "Rock And Roll Music," Berry strove to epitomize the motivating force behind the youth of that generation. Being one of the catalysts of this genre, he was well equipped to emphasize its features, such as the "
back beat," as well as mention the drive of the saxophone and piano in this type of music.
These lyrics didn't go unnoticed by John Lennon. "In the Fifties, when people were virtually singing about nothing, Chuck Berry was writing social-comment songs, with incredible metre to the lyrics," John stated in 1972. "When I hear rock, good rock, of the caliber of Chuck Berry, I just fall apart and I have no other interest in life. The world could be ending if rock'n'roll is playing. It's a disease of mine."
