Artist: Chuck Berry
Author: Chuck Berry
Label: Chess
Year: 1955
Covers:
Rolling Stones [and in '72 under Ventilator Blues]
Beatles [in Come Together]
Michael Jackson [as Come Together]
Smokin' Mojo Filters [idem; Noel Gallagher (Oasis), Paul Weller & Paul McCartney]
The Beatles had used striking elements of You Can't Catch Me (both melodic and lyrical) without crediting Chuck. Might have stayed unnoticed if it wasn't for Morris Levy. This mobbed-up rock svengali, founder of Roulette Records, nightclub owner (Birdland in New York) and author of hits as California Sun, secured the copyrights on some Chuck Berry songs and this is one of them. He bluntly sued the Beatles. The lawsuit was settled in court. (Beatles: "Here come ol' flattop, he come groovin' up slowly" - Chuck Berry: "Here come a flat-top, he was groovin' up with me") Restitution came with John Lennon covering Chuck Berry's song on his Rock 'n Roll solo album, along with two extra Morris Levy administred songs. Record mogul Hesh Rabkin from tv-series The Sopranos is modelled on Levy's character.
If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:
Arnold Rypens
Rozenlaan 65
B-2840 Reet (Rumst)