Johnny B. Goode

Written by Berry in 1955, the song is about an illiterate "country boy" from the New Orleans area, who plays a guitar "just like ringing a bell", and who might one day have his "name in lights".[4] Berry acknowledged that the song is partly autobiographical and that the original lyrics referred to Johnny as a "colored boy", but he changed it to "country boy" to ensure radio play.[5] As well as suggesting that the guitar player is good, the title hints at autobiographic elements, because Berry was born at 2520 Goode Avenue, in St. Louis.[4]

The song was initially inspired by Johnnie Johnson, the regular piano player in Berry's band,[6][7] but developed into a song mainly about Berry himself. Johnson played on many recordings by Berry. Some sources state that Lafayette Leake played the piano on this song,[4] but others give the credit to Johnson.[1] The session was produced by Leonard and Phil Chess,[1] and the sound engineer was studio owner Jack Sheldon Wiener.[8]

The opening guitar riff of "Johnny B. Goode" is essentially a note-for-note copy of the opening single-note solo on Louis Jordan's "Ain't That Just Like a Woman" (1946), played by guitarist Carl Hogan.[9] Berry, in accordance with his custom, first recorded the intro and rhythm guitar and later overdubbed the other solo runs.[10]

Berry wrote four more songs involving the character Johnny B. Goode, "Bye Bye Johnny", "Go Go Go", "Johnny B. Blues" and "Lady B. Goode"; and titled an album, and the nearly 19-minute instrumental title track from it, as "Concerto in B. Goode".

Personnel

• Chuck Berry – vocals, guitars
• Lafayette Leake[4] or Johnnie Johnson[1] – piano
• Willie Dixon[4][1] – double bass
• Fred Below[4] or Jasper Thomas[1] – drums

The Voyager Golden Record contains "Johnny B. Goode" among various musical pieces from many cultures.

In The Guardian, Joe Queenan wrote that "Johnny B. Goode" is "probably the first song ever written about how much money a musician could make by playing the guitar", and argued that "no song in the history of rock'n'roll more jubilantly celebrates the downmarket socioeconomic roots of the genre".[16] In Billboard, Jason Lipshutz stated that the song was "the first rock-star origin story", and that it featured "a swagger and showmanship that had not yet invaded radio."[17]

When Chuck Berry was inducted during the first Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on January 23, 1986, he performed "Johnny B. Goode" and "Rock and Roll Music", backed by Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band.[18] The Hall of Fame included these songs and "Maybellene" in their list of the 500 songs that shaped rock and roll.[19] It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999, for its influence as a rock and roll single.[20]

"Johnny B. Goode" has been recorded by a wide variety of artists in different genres. In 1969, country musician Buck Owens's version topped Billboard magazine's Hot Country Sides chart.[21] In 1972, Jimi Hendrix had a posthumous hit with a live version, which peaked at number 35 on the UK Singles Chart.[22] and number 13 on the New Zealand Top 50 in 1986.[23] Peter Tosh's rendition peaked at number 84 on the Billboard Hot 100,[24] number 48 on the UK Singles Chart,[25] number 10 in the Netherlands, and number 29 in New Zealand in 1983.[26] In 1988, Judas Priest's version reached number 64 on the UK Singles Chart.[22]