"Maybellene"
Single by Chuck Berry
B-side(s)	"Wee Wee Hours"
Released	July, 1955
Format	7" 45rpm, 10" 78rpm
Recorded	May 21, 1955 at Chess Records, Chicago
Genre	Rock and Roll
Length	2 min 22 s
Label	Chess 1604 (US)
Producer(s)	Leonard Chess
Peak chart positions
#1 (Billboard R&B) #5 (Billboard Rock)
Chuck Berry singles chronology
"Maybellene" (1955) "Thirty Days" (1955)

"Maybellene" is a song by Chuck Berry that tells the story of a hot rod race and a broken romance. It was released in July 1955 as a single on Chess Records of Chicago, Illinois.^[1] It was Berry's first single release, and his first hit. "Maybellene" is considered one of the pioneering rock and roll singles: Rolling Stone magazine said, "Rock & roll guitar starts here."^[2] The record is an early instance of the complete rock and roll package: youthful subject matter, small guitar-driven combo, clear diction, and an atmosphere of unrelenting excitement. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926 in St. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... A gramophone record, (also phonograph record - often simply record) is an analog sound recording medium: a flat disc rotating at a constant angular velocity, with inscribed spiral grooves in which a stylus or needle rides. ... Look up shellac in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Year 1955 (MCMLV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar). ... The Chess Records logo, as featured on this Memphis Slim single. ... Nickname: Motto: “Urbs in Horto” (Latin: “City in a Garden”), “I Will” Location in the Chicago metro area and Illinois Coordinates: , Country United States State Illinois Counties Cook, DuPage Settled 1770s Incorporated March 4, 1837 Government  - Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Area  - City  234. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... A minute is a unit of time equal to 1/60th of an hour and to 60 seconds. ... Look up second in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The Chess Records logo, as featured on this Memphis Slim single. ... Motto: (Out Of Many, One) (traditional) In God We Trust (1956 to date) Anthem: The Star-Spangled Banner Capital Washington D.C. Largest city New York City None at federal level (English de facto) Government Federal constitutional republic  - President George Walker Bush (R)  - Vice President Dick Cheney (R) Independence from... In the music industry, a record producer (or music producer) has many roles, among them controlling the recording sessions, coaching and guiding the musicians, organizing and scheduling production budget and resources, and supervising the recording, mixing and mastering processes. ... Leonard Chess (March 12, 1917 - October 16, 1969) was a record company executive, founder of Chess Records. ... // A record chart, also known as a music chart, is a method of ranking music according to popularity during a given period of time. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926 in St. ... Charles Edward Anderson Chuck Berry (born October 18, 1926 in St. ... T-Bucket hot rod Hot rods are older, often historical, cars. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... See also: 1954 in music, other events of 1955, 1956 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // January 1 - RCA victor announces a marketing plan called Operation TNT. The label drops the list price on LPs from $5. ... A collection of various CD singles In music, a single is a short recording of one or more separate tracks. ... The Chess Records logo, as featured on this Memphis Slim single. ... Flag Seal Nickname: The Windy City Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location Location in Chicagoland and northern Illinois Coordinates , Government Country State Counties United States Illinois Cook, DuPage Mayor Richard M. Daley (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 606. ... Rock and roll (also spelled Rock n Roll, especially in its first decade), also called rock, is a form of popular music, usually featuring vocals (often with vocal harmony), electric guitars and a strong back beat; other instruments, such as the saxophone, are common in some styles. ... This article is about the magazine. ...

In 1955, the song peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard rock charts, and was a #1 R&B hit. Chuck was the first African American to reach the top ten on the Billboard list. In 2004, "Maybellene" was ranked number 18 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.^[3] In 1999, National Public Radio included it in the "NPR 100," the one hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century as chosen by NPR music editors.^[4] See also: 1954 in music, other events of 1955, 1956 in music, 1950s in music and the list of years in music // January 1 - RCA victor announces a marketing plan called Operation TNT. The label drops the list price on LPs from $5. ... It has been suggested that Billboard be merged into this article or section. ... An African American (also Afro-American, Black American, or simply black) is a member of an ethnic group in the United States whose ancestors, usually in predominant part, were indigenous to Africa. ... This article is about the magazine. ... The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time was the cover story of a special issue of Rolling Stone magazine published in November 2004. ... “NPR” redirects here. ...

The title is often misspelled as Maybelline, even on some of Berry's compilation CDs. That spelling is used by a popular cosmetics line. For the Chuck Berry song, see Maybellene. ...

Co-composers

In the 1950s, some record companies assigned co-composer credits to disc jockeys and others who helped "break" a record, a form of "payola" via composer royalties. This accounts for disk jockey Alan Freed receiving co-writer credit for "Maybellene". Russ Frato, who had been loaning money to Chess, also received credit. ^[5] The Freed and Frato credits were later withdrawn. It has been suggested that Pay to Play#In Music be merged into this article or section. ... For other meanings of DJ, see DJ (disambiguation). ... This article includes a list of works cited or a list of external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ...

"Ida Red" and "Maybellene"

According to some sources, the song was originally recorded by Bob Wills in 1938 under the title "Ida Red" and was written by Russ Frato. "Ida Red" is a traditional American fiddle tune dating back to the 19th century, and has been recorded numerous times (and in numerous arrangements) from as early as 1924. Wills' 1938 version was substantially more than a fiddle tune. It included piano, steel guitar, and the unprecedented use of drums in a "country" song. It is this 1938 version that is cited as Berry's model for both for his own version of "Ida Red" and the "Maybellene" that was recorded.^[6][7] James Robert (Bob) Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American country musician, songwriter, and big band leader. ...

Piano player Johnnie Johnson says that he and Berry rewrote the song at the suggestion of Leonard Chess: "It was an old fiddle tune called 'Ida Red.' I changed the music and re-arranged it, Chuck re-wrote the words, and the rest, as they say, was history. Leonard Chess asked me to come up to record it live. At that time, somone else already had a song out by the same name, so we had to change our version. We noticed a mascara box in the corner, so we changed the name to 'Maybellene.'"^[8] Johnnie Johnson (July 8, 1924 – April 13, 2005) was a piano player and blues musician whose work as Chuck Berrys piano sideman led to his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. ... Leonard Chess (March 12, 1917 - October 16, 1969) was a record company executive, founder of Chess Records. ...

Cover versions

The All Music Guide lists cover versions by more than 70 performers, including Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Bubba Sparks and Chubby Checker.^[9] The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... In pop music a cover version is a new rendition of a previously recorded song. ... Elvis Aron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), often known simply as Elvis and also called The King of Rock n Roll or simply The King, was an American singer, musician and actor. ... Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) was an American pioneer of rockabilly music, a mix of rhythm and blues and country music that was recorded most notably at Sun Records in Memphis beginning in 1954. ... Bubba Sparxxx (born Warren Anderson Mathis on March 6, 1977, in LaGrange, Georgia) is a Southern rapper. ... Chubby Checker is the stage name of Ernest Evans (born October 3, 1941), an American singer best known for popularizing the dance The Twist with his 1960 song The Twist. He was born in Spring Gulley, South Carolina,[1] and raised in South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and attended South Philadelphia High...

In June 2007 the punk rock group Social Distortion released a cover version of the song as a bonus track on their Greatest Hits album. The track is only available via the Apple Inc iTunes Store Punk rock is an anti-establishment music movement beginning around 1976 (although precursors can be found several years earlier), exemplified and popularised by The Ramones, the Sex Pistols, The Clash and The Damned. ... Social Distortion (sometimes referred to as simply Social D) are an influential punk rock band formed in 1978 by frontman Mike Ness. ... Apple Inc. ... The iTunes Store is an online business run by Apple Inc. ...

Trivia

• Hanoi Rocks guitarist Andy McCoy has told in an interview that Maybellene is his favourite song. He said that especially lyrics of the song are great.

Maybellene was the first Rock song to include all forms of Guitar. Hanoi Rocks is a Finnish rock band formed in 1979, their most successful period came in the early 1980s. ... Andy McCoy, alias Antti Hulkko (born October 11, 1962), is a Finnish musician. ... For other uses, see Rock music (disambiguation). ...

Notes

1. ^ Dietmar Rudolph. A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry: The Chess Era (1955-1966). Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
2. ^ Maybellene. Rolling Stone. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
3. ^ The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
4. ^ NPR 100. National Public Radio (NPR).
5. ^ Palmer, Robert (1995). Rock & Roll: An Unruly History, 137-138. 
6. ^ Bob Wills. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
7. ^ NASHVILLE SKYLINE: Two Country Giants Get Musical Tributes. Country Music Television (CMT). Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
8. ^ Johnnie Johnson. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.
9. ^ "Maybellene". All Music Guide. Retrieved on 2007-03-01.

Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... “NPR” redirects here. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Country Music Television, or CMT as it usually called, is an American country music oriented cable television channel. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... The All Music Guide (AMG) is a metadata database about music owned by All Media Guide. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is now the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... is the 60th day of the year (61st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

• Chuck Berry Collector's Guide - The Chess Era (1955-1966)
• Chuck Berry at Encyclopedia FunTrivia