Roll Over Beethoven

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For the television series, see Roll Over Beethoven (TV series).
For the Beatles cover song, see
Roll Over Beethoven (Beatles song)
.

"Roll Over Beethoven"
Universal Recording Corp. (Chicago)[2]
GenreRock and roll
Length2:23
LabelChess #1626
Songwriter(s)Chuck Berry
Producer(s)Leonard Chess, Phil Chess
Chuck Berry singles chronology
"No Money Down"
(1955) 		"Roll Over Beethoven"
(1956) 		"Too Much Monkey Business"
(1956)

"Roll Over Beethoven" is a 1956 song written by Chuck Berry, originally released on Chess Records, with "Drifting Heart" as the B-side. The lyrics of the song mention rock and roll and the desire for rhythm and blues to be as respected as classical music. The song has been covered by many other artists, including the Beatles and the Electric Light Orchestra. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it number 97 on its list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[3]

Inspiration and lyrics

According to Rolling Stone[4] and Cub Koda of AllMusic,[5] Berry wrote the song in response to his sister Lucy always using the family piano to play classical music when Berry wanted to play popular music. According to biographer Bruce Pegg, the song was "inspired in part by the rivalry between his sister Lucy's classical music training and Berry's own self-taught, rough-and-ready music preference".[6]

In addition to the classical composers Ludwig van Beethoven and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the lyrics mention or allude to several popular artists: "Early in the Mornin'" is the title of a Louis Jordan song; "Blue Suede Shoes" refers to the Carl Perkins song; and "hey diddle diddle", from the nursery rhyme "The Cat and the Fiddle", is an indirect reference to the Chess recording artist Bo Diddley, who was an accomplished violin player. Although the lyrics mention "rocking" and "rolling", the music that the classics are supposed to step aside for is referred to as "rhythm and blues". The lyric "a shot of rhythm and blues" was appropriated as the title of a song recorded by Arthur Alexander and others.

Recording

The song was recorded at Universal Recording Corporation in Chicago, Illinois on April 19, 1956.

The session was produced by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil. The song was released as Chess single 1626.[7]

Release

Berry's version was originally released as a single by Chess Records in May 1956, with "Drifting Heart" as the

B-side.[8]
It peaked at number two on the Billboard R&B chart and number 29 on the pop chart. "Roll Over Beethoven" and three other Berry songs were included on the album
film of the same name
, but only four of the 12 songs on the album were used in the film.

"Roll Over Beethoven" has been released numerous times on compilation albums, including Chuck Berry Twist and The Chess Box.

Legacy

Berry's single was

The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time
". The accompanying review stated that it "became the ultimate rock & roll call to arms, declaring a new era".

Koda calls it a "masterpiece" that helped to define rock and roll.[5]

In 1990, the 1956 recording of the song by Chuck Berry on Chess Records was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.[9]

Cover versions

"Roll Over Beethoven" is one of the most widely

covered songs in popular music – "a staple of rock and roll bands", according to Koda[5] – with notable versions by Jerry Lee Lewis and Linda Gail Lewis(#12Can[10]
), the Beatles, Carl Perkins, and Electric Light Orchestra.

The Beatles

"Roll Over Beethoven"
Song by the Beatles
from the album With the Beatles
Released22 November 1963
Recorded30 July 1963
VenueEMI, London
GenreRock and roll
Length2:48
LabelParlophone
Songwriter(s)Chuck Berry
Producer(s)George Martin

"Roll Over Beethoven" was a favourite of

Please Mister Postman" as the B-side, reaching number 2 on the CHUM Charts.[14] This release reached number 68 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100[15] and number 30 on the Cash Box Singles chart.[16] In Sweden, it peaked at number 11 on the Kvällstoppen Chart.[17] In Australia, it peaked at number one,[18]
with Hold Me Tight as the B-side,[18] as did it in Denmark.[19]

In 1994, the Beatles released a live version of "Roll Over Beethoven" on

Karlaplansstudion in Stockholm was released on Anthology 1
.

Personnel

Electric Light Orchestra

"Roll Over Beethoven"
promo single version)
LabelHarvest
Songwriter(s)Chuck Berry/Ludwig van Beethoven
Producer(s)Jeff Lynne
Electric Light Orchestra singles chronology
"10538 Overture"
(1972) 		"Roll Over Beethoven"
(1973) 		"Showdown"
(1973)
ELO 2 track listing
5 tracks
Side one
  1. "In Old England Town (Boogie No. 2)"
  2. "Momma"
  3. "Roll Over Beethoven"
Side two
  2. "From the Sun to the World (Boogie No. 1)"
  3. "Kuiama"

signature songs and has been used to close the majority of their concerts. It is also the most-performed song by the band.[24] "Roll Over Beethoven" was the second single released by the band, in January 1973, and became their second consecutive top ten hit in the UK. An edited version of the track from ELO 2 was a #42 hit in the United States.[citation needed
]

Genting Arena

Chicago radio superstation WLS, which gave the song much airplay, ranked "Roll Over Beethoven" as the 89th most popular hit of 1973.[25] It reached as high as number 8 (for two weeks) on their surveys of September 1 and 8, 1973.

WCFL.[27]

Chart performance

Narvel Felts

Hot Country Singles chart in 1982.[37]

Paul Shaffer & The World's Most Dangerous Band

In 1992,

St. Bernard. [38]

References

  1. ^ "The Chuck Berry Database Details For Recording Session: 19. 4. 1956". A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry. Dietmar Rudolph. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  2. ^ "The Chuck Berry Database Details For Recording Session: 19. 4. 1956". A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry. Dietmar Rudolph. Retrieved November 25, 2022.
  3. ^ "500 Greatest Songs of All Time: Chuck Berry, 'Roll over Beethoven' | Rolling Stone | Lists". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on June 4, 2011. Retrieved 2011-06-17.
  4. ^ "Rolling Stone Review of "Roll Over Beethoven"". Rolling Stone. December 11, 2003. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  5. ^ a b c ""AMG Review of Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven"". Retrieved June 17, 2011.
  6. ^ Brown Eyed Handsome Man, p. 58.
  7. ^ Berry, Chuck, Chuck Berry: The Anthology, CD, 088 1120304-2, MCA Records, Chess, 2000, liner notes
  8. ^ Rudolph, Dietmar. "A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry: The Chess Era (1955–1966)". Retrieved March 1, 2007.
  9. ^ https://www.grammy.com/awards/hall-of-fame-award#r
  10. ^ "RPM Top 50 Country Singles - January 31, 1970" (PDF).
  11. ISBN 0-517-57066-1
    .
  12. ^ "Show 5 - Hail, Hail, Rock 'n' Roll: The rock revolution gets underway. [Part 1] : UNT Digital Library". Digital.library.unt.edu. August 17, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  13. ^ Mark Lewisohn (1988). The Beatles Recording Sessions. p. 201.
  14. ^ "CHUM Top 20 Singles - January 20, 1964".
  15. ISBN 978-0898201888
    .
  16. ^ Hoffmann, Frank (1983). The Cash Box Singles Charts, 1950–1981. Metuchen, New Jersey, and London: The Scarecrow Press. p. 34.
  17. ^ "Swedish Charts 1962–March 1966/Kvällstoppen – Listresultaten vecka för vecka > Juni 1964" (PDF) (in Swedish). hitsallertijden.nl. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
  18. ^
    ISBN 9780646512037
    .
  19. ^ "The Beatles - Salgshitlisterne Top 20". Danske Hitlister. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
  20. Live at the BBC (booklet). The Beatles. London: Apple Records. 1994. 31796.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link
    )
  21. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra - Roll Over Beethoven". Jeff Lynne Song Database.
  22. ^ Bruce Eder. "Electric Light Orchestra II - Electric Light Orchestra | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  23. ^ "34 Essential Glam Songs". stereogum.com. January 5, 2017.
  24. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra Tour Statistics | setlist.fm". setlist.fm.
  25. ^ "The WLS Big 89 of 1973". Wlshistory.com.
  26. ^ "wls090873". Users.qwest.net. September 8, 1973. Archived from the original on October 9, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  27. ^ "wcfl730901". Oldiesloon.com. September 1, 1973. Retrieved August 22, 2016.
  28. ISBN 0-646-11917-6
    .
  29. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (July 17, 2013). "Image : RPM Weekly". bac-lac.gc.ca.
  30. ^ Hung, Steffen. "Discografie Electric Light Orchestra". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  31. ^ "charts.de - Electric Light Orchestra". charts.de. Archived from the original on September 12, 2014. Retrieved April 22, 2013.
  32. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra". Official Charts Company. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  33. ^ "Electric Light Orchestra - Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved March 5, 2013.
  34. ^ Hawtin, Steve. "Song artist 171 - Electric Light Orchestra". Tsort.info. Retrieved May 2, 2013.
  35. ^ "Singles chart". www.bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved January 3, 2021.
  36. ISBN 0-89820-142-X
    .
  37. ISBN 978-0-89820-177-2
    .
  38. ^ "YouTube: Paul Shaffer and The World's Most Dangerous Band cover for the film Beethoven from the film soundtrack". YouTube.

External links

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