Artist:Chuck Berry
Song:Maybelline
Album:The Chess Box
Obviously Chuck Berry is one of the most important figures in the history of pop music. Maybelline was his first chart hit in 1956. Berry had been playing clubs in St. Louis in 1954 when he went to Chicago. A short conversation with his idol Muddy Waters encouraged Berry to Approach Chess Records. He sent his demo to Leonard Chess and Chess liked a little hillbilly song called Ida Red. He brought Berry in to the recording studio in May 1955. Berry thought he was a bluesman but Chess liked his lighter songs. The title of Ida Red was changed to Maybelline. Chess cut a deal with Cleveland DJ Alan Freed to get the song airplay and the first chart hit by a black rock & roll singer was born. Of course a lot of people didn't know he was black and the song was as much a country song as it was a rock song. The song appeared on an album of songs from the movie Rock, Rock, Rock and didn't appear on a Chuck Berry LP until 1959. This 3CD Chess Box is one of many Chuck Berry comps. The best single CD comp is probably the 2006 The Definitive Collection. Here's Chuck Berry performing Maybelline and two other songs on a French TV show.
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