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Johnny B. Goode

Rating:
4.5 / 5

Words & Music: Chuck Berry

Deep down in Louisiana close to New Orleans
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
Stood a log cabin made of earth and wood
Where lived a country boy named Johnny B. Good
Who never learned to read or write so well
But he could play the guitar just like ringing a bell

Go, go, go Johnny go, go, go Johnny, go go
Go Johnny go, go, go Johnny go go
Johnny B. Good

His mama told him "someday you will be a man
And you will be the leader of a big band
Many people coming from miles around
To hear your playing music when the sun goes down
Maybe someday you will be in lights saying Johnny B. Good"

Recordingdate: 1969/08/24, first released on: In Person (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Johnny B. Goode:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)

Others*

(baton)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(organ)
(vocals)
(bells)
(tambourine)
(vibes)
(clarinet)
(clarinet)
(clarinet)
(clarinet)
(flute)
(flute)
(flute)
(french horn)
(horns)
(horns)
(horns)
(oboe)
(sax)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
(whistle)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(cello)
(fiddle)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with Johnny B. Goode.

burninglove92 wrote on December 08, 2008
Fantastic Song, Fantastic Elvis, Fantastic James Burton. Which Ever year of Elvis you decide to listen to i havent heard a bad version. My favourite version is from the impossible dream ftd with elvis' raw energy driven straight in to. Also on tour rehearsals is a fab version. Elvis Rocks
My boy, my boy wrote on August 09, 2009
Pure magic. The 69 version is the most powerful ! With songs like this, what a friend we have in Elvis !!!
Jim Hoff wrote on August 09, 2009
The JBG version from 'Elvis In Person' 1969 in Las Vegas gave back my faith in Elvis after a handfull of years with doubt, pain and humiliation over songs like Old McDonald, Clambake, Harum Holiday aso. THIS is the ultimate live rock song ever ...... everything just clicks perfect in this version! Ladies and gentlemen: The King is Back!
JLpResLey wrote on August 09, 2009
Great rock song! The fantastic version on Elvis in person is my favorite. I also like how the song was used in the introduction of On tour. The later versions are not that good, they were way too short and uninspired vocals by Elvis. But, James Burton always did a great job on this song.
Lennart wrote on August 09, 2009
A great rocker, Elvis at his best and the band is cooking! The rehearsal version from 1970 is also very good and musically so is the version from "On Tour" but Elvis vocals on the latter one is a little weak. Then there are some pretty good versions from 73-74 but no one that tops the one from 69.
sitdown68 wrote on August 09, 2009
a crisp clear version, passionate and powerful. would have liked it to hear some of hose rehearsals from 69. but I guess there ain't no tapes at all...too bad.
derekd wrote on August 09, 2009
Who said Elvis & Rock died when he went into the army. This is Elvis 10 years later showing that when it comes to pure R&r no one does it better. There was more to come too, Burning Love, Promised Land, etc. Rac could / should release a Cd of Elvis's R&r recordings from 1960 onwards. Too name a few, Dirty Dirty Feeling, Memphis Tennessee, I Want You With Me, Guitar Man, Too Much Monkey Business.
NONE000000 wrote on August 09, 2009
Always wished he'd have cut it in the studio. But it's hard to complain too much considering how great the early live recordings of this were.
ger wrote on October 01, 2009
The version he did in rehearsals on That's the Way It Is: Special Edition Disc 3 is the best one he really rocks
dgirl wrote on October 01, 2009
The 1969 live version is the best. All others pale in comparison. That one rocks as hard as anything Elvis ever did. Elvis did great jobs on Chuck Berry songs. Should have an cut an album of Berry's songs.
GeoElvis wrote on September 14, 2010
Love this song!! Elvis sounds great from 69-73 versions, still ticks me off that it was cut from On Tour DVD!! That song made the opening credits so cool! Always loved the way the picture came towards the screen, and after Elvis speaks you know that it tears into Johnny B. Such a shame it's not there anymore!! Also love version from Elvis Lives concert 2001, tha TCB band sounds great and the solos are fantastic especially Ronnies drum solo perfect timing that runs right back into Elvis' vocals. Awesome!! TCB!
Steve V wrote on September 14, 2010
Listen to 1969 only if you want a good rocking version that he was into. All others are auto-pilot versions.
bajo wrote on December 11, 2010
The "In Person" version is the best imo! I would have liked him to do more verses, still it's the energy of the performance that captures ones attention! Great stuff that one! An "Elvis cuts Chuck Berry" album would have been a dream!
Biffx wrote on August 31, 2011
Fantastic rocker the king at his best. Attempt to sit still when you play this song. Check out the versions on FTDs On Tour and Hello Memphis. Awesome.
Natha wrote on February 20, 2012
One of that rockers that Elvis never failed to deliver that spunk which is his! And with James Burton at his side it is fabulous. Even the worst version rocks your socks off. He did a better job with this one in the latter part of his life (maybe on auto pilot) than Hound Dog (which he obviously got weary of).
marty wrote on February 20, 2012
A classic song by Chuck Berry. The live versions from 1969 are great, just the perfect song it seems for a comeback to live performances. Elvis became less and less interested in rockers in the 70's and it shows with his versions of Johnny B. Goode.
freedom101 wrote on February 21, 2012
Only three versions of this song count, Chuck Berry's Elvis' and Dion's. I never skip Elvis'.
Gorse wrote on November 20, 2012
Yes a classic live rocker performed to perfection by our man, and the best version I have ever heard was his from 1969. This song has so much excitement and drive, and is an absolute gem.
sugartummy wrote on March 29, 2013
The best version of this song is by Elvis. He's even better then Jimi Hendrix. Also listen to Jerry Scheff going bananas on this song. Love it to death.
DerekH wrote on July 09, 2015
What a great r'n'r recording. Now my grandson loves this song too. Great guitar work on this fab recording. 5 star all the way. Wouldn't be out of place on a 50's CD
Pedro Nuno wrote on July 09, 2015
The 1969 version we have in the "In Person" album is the ultimate Rock Song! A master piece. It's tempo, Elvis voice , the outrageous Ronnie Tutt drum intro. Just a unique moment in Rock Music. With it’s fast tempo we have clearly a pre-punk beat. Long Live The KING.
TheMemphisFan wrote on July 09, 2015
Great recordings by Elvis in '69, but for some reason he wasn't interested in singing the 2nd part . . . "He used to carry his guitar in a gunny sack Go sit beneath the tree by the railroad track Oh, the engineers would see him sitting in the shade Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made People passing by they would stop and say Oh my that little country boy could play"
Jim Davidson wrote on July 10, 2015
The Elvis on Tour version lacks energy. The opening video sequence brilliantly captures Elvis' moves while the music sounds as though the Victrola needs to be cranked-up. In general, it's James' time to shine on lead guitar.
ElvisSacramento wrote on July 17, 2015
This is easily one of the very best Rock 'N' Roll songs that's ever been written and Elvis' best renditions of it are definitely all from the year of 1969. Chuck Berry's smash hit and infamous 1958 studio recording of it is surely the very best rendition of this song by far.
Cruiser621 wrote on March 15, 2017
Definitely 5-Star Rating aka the live 1969 version from the double album I received back in 1969 while stationed in England. What a surprise when I first heard that live album. Awesome and Johnny B. Goode is #1.
JerryNodak wrote on May 27, 2020
'69 version from the "Live" portion of the double album is my favorite.
jaques marcello wrote on May 27, 2020
great song 5 stars
DerekH wrote on December 12, 2022
Elvis returns to his r'r roots and boy does he nail it, fab live recording, wonder if a studio version would have better this live recording. 5 star plus
DerekH wrote on December 12, 2022
Elvis returns to his r'r roots and boy does he nail it, fab live recording, wonder if a studio version would have bettered this live recording. 5 star plus
Mystery Train wrote on December 16, 2022
His early takes of this song were good. I'm in my late seventies first saw Elvis live in 56 and I have a helluva lot of his music. But man lemme tell you no one's version of Johnny B. Goode is on the same level as Chuck Berry. Our man obviously recorded many covers and a good number were the best ever done but not all of them. It's almost sacrilegious to rate this better than Chuck's original.
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