St. Louis to Liverpool

St. Louis to Liverpool is the seventh studio album and tenth album overall by rock and roll artist Chuck Berry, released in 1964 on Chess Records, catalogue number 1488. It peaked at number 124 on the Billboard album chart, the first of Berry's studio albums to appear on the chart.[2] Music critic Dave Marsh named it "one of the greatest rock & roll records ever made".[3]

St. Louis to Liverpool
Studio album by
Chuck Berry
ReleasedNovember 1964
RecordedDecember 1957 – August 1964
StudioChess Studios, Chicago
GenreRock and roll
Length31:34
LabelChess
ProducerLeonard Chess, Phil Chess
Chuck Berry chronology
Two Great Guitars
(1964)		 St. Louis to Liverpool
(1964)		 Chuck Berry in London
(1965)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic [1]

Background

On October 18, 1963, Berry was released from prison after having spent 20 months incarcerated owing to conviction on a charge under the Mann Act.[4] During his time in prison, emerging rock groups had found inspiration in his work. The Beach Boys had based their number 3 hit single "Surfin' U.S.A." on his "Sweet Little Sixteen"; the Beatles had included "Roll Over Beethoven" on their second American album;[5] the debut single in the United Kingdom by the Rolling Stones was their cover of "Come On," and they had included "Carol" on their first American album, England's Newest Hitmakers.[6]

Wishing to capitalize on his popularity during the British Invasion, Berry and Chess Records fashioned this album to appeal to young buyers. St. Louis to Liverpool includes four of the five charting singles he enjoyed in 1964, the final year he would have multiple records appearing on the Billboard Hot 100: "No Particular Place to Go," "You Never Can Tell," "Promised Land," and "Little Marie," a sequel to "Memphis, Tennessee." The additional eight tracks included the four b-sides of those singles; "Our Little Rendezvous," a b-side from 1960; a previously unreleased alternate take of his 1958 Christmas single "Merry Christmas Baby"; an instrumental outtake from a 1950s session; and "Liverpool Drive," a recent instrumental.

On April 13, 2004, the Chronicles division of the Universal Music Group remastered the album for compact disc with three bonus tracks as part of its 50th anniversary commemorative of Chess Records, including "O'Rangutang," the flip side of the fifth of his 1964 charting singles "Nadine (Is It You?)," and a track that had appeared on the 1990 rarities album Missing Berries. In 2008, Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab reissued the album with Chuck Berry Is on Top on an Ultradisc II Gold compact disc.

Track listing

All songs written by Chuck Berry except as noted.

Side one
No.TitleLength
1."Little Marie"2:37
2."Our Little Rendezvous"2:03
3."No Particular Place to Go"2:44
4."You Two"2:11
5."Promised Land"2:24
6."You Never Can Tell"2:43
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Go Bobby Soxer" 2:59
2."Things I Used to Do"Eddie Jones2:42
3."Liverpool Drive" (instrumental) 2:56
4."Night Beat" (instrumental) 2:46
5."Merry Christmas Baby"Lou Baxter, Johnny Moore3:14
6."Brenda Lee" 2:15

2004 reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Fraulein"Lawton Williams2:51
14."O'Rangutang" (instrumental) 3:02
15."The Little Girl from Central" (early version of "Sweet Little Sixteen") 2:39

Personnel

Musicians

Technical

Charts

Album
Year Chart Position
1965 Billboard Pop Albums 124[2]

Single
Year Single Chart Position[7]
1964 "Little Marie" Billboard Hot 100 54
1964 "No Particular Place to Go" Billboard Hot 100 10
1964 "You Never Can Tell" Billboard Hot 100 14
1965 "Promised Land" Billboard Hot 100 41

References
  1. St. Louis to Liverpool at AllMusic
  2. "Billboard 200 - Chuck Berry". Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  3. Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (Editors). The Rolling Stone Record Guide, 1st edition, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1979, p. 33.
  4. Scoppa, Bud (2004). Liner notes for St. Louis to Liverpool. Universal Chronicles B0001687-02.
  5. "AllMusic Review - The Beatles' Second Album". Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  6. "AllMusic Review - Rolling Stones - England's Newest Hitmakers". Retrieved October 28, 2017.
  7. "Billboard Hot 100 - Chuck Berry". Retrieved October 28, 2017.
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