Memphis, Tennessee (song)

"Memphis, Tennessee", sometimes shortened to "Memphis", is a song by Chuck Berry, first released in 1959. In the UK, the song charted at #6 in 1963; at the same time Decca Records issued a cover version in the UK by Dave Berry and the Cruisers, which also became a UK Top 20 hit single. Johnny Rivers's version of the song was a number two US hit in 1964.

In the song the narrator is speaking to a long-distance operator, trying to find out the number of a girl named Marie, who lives in Memphis, Tennessee, "on the southside, high upon a ridge, just a half a mile from the Mississippi bridge." The narrator offers little information to the operator at first, only that he misses Marie and that they were separated by Marie's mother. The final verse reveals that Marie is, in fact, the narrator's six-year-old daughter; her mother, presumably the narrator's ex-wife, left their home and took Marie with her.

Chuck Berry later composed a sequel, "Little Marie", which appeared in 1964 as a single and on the album St. Louis to Liverpool.

Recording

The song was "probably recorded in St. Louis with overdubs in Chicago, September 28, 1958."

• Chuck Berry – vocals and guitar
• Johnnie Johnson – piano
• Willie Dixon – double bass
• Fred Below – drums

The song was released as Chess single 1729.^[1]

Beatles versions

The Beatles recorded five versions of "Memphis, Tennessee" for BBC Radio. One version that was recorded on 30 July 1963 for the Pop Go The Beatles radio show was included on Live at the BBC in 1994. Another version that was recorded a few months later on 5 October 1963 for the Saturday Club radio show was included on On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 in 2013.

The group first performed it for their failed Decca audition on January 1, 1962, with Pete Best on drums.^[2]

Lonnie Mack, Johnny Rivers, and Fred Knoblock versions

In 1963, guitarist Lonnie Mack recorded a fast-paced instrumental version, which he called "Memphis". It went to #5 on Billboard's Pop chart and #4 on Billboard's R&B chart.^[3]

In 1964 singer Johnny Rivers recorded another version of the tune (which he, following Mack, called "Memphis"), copying Mack's pacing and some of his instrumental improvisations, and reinstating the vocal line from Berry's original.^[4] This version hit #2 on Billboard's Pop chart (behind "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys).

In 1981, country singer-songwriter Fred Knoblock recorded his rendition of "Memphis". It went to #10 on Billboard's Country chart and #28 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

Other covers

The song has been covered over 40 times by artists including Hasil Adkins, The Animals (on both their 1964 US debut album The Animals - MGM, and their UK debut album The Animals - Columbia), Paul Anka, Count Basie, John Cale, Riblja Čorba, Don Covay, the Dave Clark Five, Bo Diddley, Faces, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, Fotheringay, Danny Gatton (with Danny and the Fat Boys), Al Green, the Hollies, Jan and Dean, Tom Jones, Toby Keith (live version on 2011 Deluxe Edition of Clancy's Tavern), Sammy Kershaw, Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, Led Zeppelin, Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions (a predecessor of the Grateful Dead),^[5] Eleanor McEvoy (on 2014 release Stuff), Mrs. Miller, Roy Orbison, Buck Owens, Elvis Presley, the Rolling Stones, Del Shannon, Silicon Teens, The Statler Brothers, Izzy Stradlin, Rod Stewart, Gene Summers, George Thorogood, Ernest Tubb, Conway Twitty, the Ventures, the Who (as the High Numbers), Hank Williams Jr., and Faron Young.

In 1964, Bernd Spier covered the song in German.^[6]

References