The B-side of Chuck Berry’s ‘Maybellene’ was a 12-bar blues called ‘Wee Wee Hours’ that went on to become a big hit in its own right.
Berry initially pitched this track to Chess Records, which had a history with blues recordings, but they showed more interest in the ground-breaking ‘Maybellene.’
Chuck Berry died last month, prompting the usual flurry of tributes and retrospectives befitting a legendary talent. To my shame, I realized I’m only tangentially familiar with the career of one of music’s great pioneers.
In fact, I’d managed to post 3,208 Songs of the Day without once featuring him.
I’ll remedy that this week by offering up five classic Chuck Berry tunes that helped redefine popular music.
Meet Me In Montauk 