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1988 box set by Chuck Berry

The Chess Box is a compact disc box set compilation by Chuck Berry. It is one in a series of box sets issued by MCA/Chess in the late 1980s (the other sets were by Bo Diddley, Howlin` Wolf, Muddy Waters, Willie Dixon, and Etta James). The Chuck Berry set is the most prominent of these, having won a Grammy Award for Best Historical Album in 1989.[7] Berry`s Chess Box was reissued on vinyl in 1990.[1]

This collection was also issued on audio cassette.[8]

Songs

The songs "I`m Just a Lucky So and So" and "Time Was" were previously unreleased. "Cryin` Steel" was first released as "Surfin` Steel" on Chuck Berry on Stage. "Ramona Say Yes" did not have saxophones.[9]

Another song of interest is "Chuck`s Beat", from the album Two Great Guitars, by Berry and Bo Diddley.

Track listing

All songs written by Chuck Berry except as noted

Disc 1

1. "Maybellene" (2:18)
2. "Wee Wee Hours" (2:02)
3. "Thirty Days" (2:21)
4. "You Can`t Catch Me" (2:42)
5. "No Money Down" (2:56)
6. "Downbound Train" (2:49)
7. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" (2:15)
8. "Drifting Heart" (2:47)
9. "Roll Over Beethoven" (2:22)
10. "Too Much Monkey Business" (2:53)
11. "Havana Moon" (3:06)
12. "School Days" (2:40)
13. "Rock and Roll Music" (2:30)
14. "Oh Baby Doll" (2:36)
15. "I`ve Changed" (3:04)
16. "Reelin` and Rockin`" (3:15)
17. "Rockin` at the Philharmonic" (3:21)
18. "Sweet Little Sixteen" (3:10)
19. "Johnny B. Goode" (2:37)
20. "Time Was" (Gabriel Luna, Miguel Prado, Bob Russell) (1:56)
21. "Around and Around" (2:38)
22. "Beautiful Delilah" (2:13)
23. "House of Blue Lights" (Don Raye, Freddie Slack) (2:24)
24. "Carol" (2:46)

Disc 2

1. "Memphis, Tennessee" (2:10)
2. "Anthony Boy" (1:52)
3. "Jo Jo Gunne" (2:45)
4. "Sweet Little Rock N` Roller" (2:20)
5. "Merry Christmas Baby" (Lou Baxter, Johnny Moore) (3:11)
6. "Run Rudolph Run" (Marvin Brodie, Johnny Marks) (2:43)
7. "Little Queenie" (2:40)
8. "Almost Grown" (2:18)
9. "Back in the U.S.A." (2:27)
10. "Betty Jean" (2:29)
11. "Childhood Sweetheart" (2:42)
12. "Let It Rock" (1:45)
13. "Too Pooped to Pop" (Billie Davis) (2:33)
14. "Bye Bye Johnny" (2:03)
15. "Jaguar and Thunderbird" (1:50)
16. "Down the Road a Piece" (Raye) (2:13)
17. "Confessin` the Blues" (Walter Brown, Jay McShann) (2:07)
18. "Thirteen Question Method" (2:12)
19. "Crying Steel" (2:32)
20. "I`m Just a Lucky So-and-So" (Mack David, Duke Ellington) (2:50)
21. "I`m Talking About You" (1:48)
22. "Come On" (1:48)
23. "Nadine (Is It You?)" (Berry, Alan Freed) (2:35)
24. "Crazy Arms" (Ralph Mooney, Chuck Seals) (2:12)
25. "You Never Can Tell" (2:40)
26. "The Things I Used To Do" (Guitar Slim) (2:40)
27. "Promised Land" (2:20)

Disc 3

1. "No Particular Place to Go" (2:41)
2. "Liverpool Drive" (2:53)
3. "You Two" (2:08)
4. "Chuck`s Beat" (Berry, Bo Diddley) (10:35)
5. "Little Marie" (2:34)
6. "Dear Dad" (1:48)
7. "Sad Day Long Night" (2:42)
8. "It`s My Own Business" (2:10)
9. "It Wasn`t Me" (2:32)
10. "Ramona Say Yes" (2:40)
11. "Viva Viva Rock N` Roll" (2:00)
12. "Tulane" (2:36)
13. "Have Mercy Judge" (2:38)
14. "My Dream" (5:56)
15. "Reelin` and Rockin`", live recording (7:02)
16. "My Ding-a-Ling", live single-edit (4:16)
17. "Johnny B. Goode", live recording (3:13)
18. "A Deuce" (2:32)
19. "Woodpecker" (3:33)
20. "Bio" (4:22)

Personnel

Performers

• Chuck Berry – lead vocals, guitar, piano
• Owen McIntyre – guitar
• Matt "Guitar" Murphy – guitar
• Billy Peek – guitar
• Jimmy Rogers – guitar
• Bo Diddley – guitar
• Stan Bronstein – saxophone
• L.C. Davis – tenor saxophone
• Adam Ippolito – piano
• Johnnie Johnson – piano
• Dave Kafinetti – piano
• Lafayette Leake – piano
• Otis Spann – piano
• Paul Williams – piano
• Jerome Green – maracas
• Chuck Bernard – bass guitar
• Willie Dixon – bass
• Jack "Zocko" Groendal – bass guitar
• Nic Potter – bass guitar
• George "Harmonica" Smith – bass
• Gary VanScyoc – bass guitar
• Fred Below – drums
• Rick Frank – drums
• Eddie Hardy – drums
• Robbie McIntosh – drums
• Bill Metros – drums
• Odie Payne – drums
• Jasper Thomas – drums
• Martha Berry – backing vocals

Production

• Leonard Chess – producer
• Phil Chess – producer
• Chuck Berry – producer
• Esmond Edwards – producer
• Billy Altman – liner notes
• Andy McKaie – reissue production, compilation production
• Greg Fulginiti – mastering
• Doug Schwartz – digital transfer

Charts

Chart performance for The Chess Box