Twang Jr is learning “Johnny B Goode” to play at school at the end of term. We have just spent a very happy half hour watching different bands take it on, ranging from the outer planetary (Hendrix) to the execrable (AC/DC). But my favourite is Johnny Winter from my all time fave live album “And – Live” back when live albums is what they played rather than what proTools did for them in the studio 6 months after the gig. Bum notes? Who cares. Rick Derringer on 2nd guitar. What’s your favourite “Johnny B Goode”?
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Despite being an ex-Wailer, Peter Tosh did produce a fair bit of music that lived up to his surname. But he also did a pretty decent version of JBG.
Pleased to see that there is a live performance out there, which is pretty good too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opGkQ5hH1Mc
My favourite is Jimi’s live version at Berkeley, which is the first Hendrix I ever heard (on the “Hendrix in the West album”)
Frank Marino & Mahogany Rush did a half decent version too. Bit flash but passable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nzna-QPmqM
There guys were not bad.
But I have a soft spot for this version too.
It’s the Back to the Future version which inspired them doing it – their class was doing work on the film from a sort of recent history perspective for fun thing. It is a good version too!
It’s worth quoting Chuck’s razor-sharp lyrics. They leave Sylvia Plath in the dust. Especially the perfect chorus and that first couplet:
Johnny B. Goode
Deep down Louisiana close to New Orleans,
Way back up in the woods among the evergreens
There stood a log cabin made of earth and wood,
Where lived a country boy named of Johnny B. Goode
Who never ever learned to read or write so well,
But he could play the guitar like ringing a bell.
[Chorus:]
Go Go
Go Johnny Go
Go Go
Johnny B. Goode
He use to carry his guitar in a gunny sack
Or sit beneath the trees by the railroad track.
Oh, the engineers used to see him sitting in the shade,
Strumming with the rhythm that the drivers made.
The People passing by, they would stop and say
Oh my that little country boy could play
[Chorus]
His mother told him someday you will be a man,
And you would be the leader of a big old band.
Many people coming from miles around
To hear you play your music when the sun go down
Maybe someday your name will be in lights
Saying Johnny B. Goode tonight.
A general un-tutored cacophony going on behind, John doesn’t know the words, and then decides to do Roadrunner (and he doesn’t know the words to that either).
Recorded at Wessex Studios late 76
Another Live take, from George Thorogood
Johnny Dowd is always capable of finding the blood, mud and unspeakable bodily fluids in any song.
http://youtu.be/NUB00Ynplpk
Great album Twang ESP the slow blues Its my own fault and mean town blues.
Re JBG can’t go past Chuck. Most play it too fast.
The Pirates. I spent many a sweaty evening being deafened by this lot in the late 70’s. Featuring, of course, the late great Mick Green, Wilko’s hero.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rqsh_UKJHa8
(I’m guessing this may not have been what you had in mind……..)
How about: