Chuck Berry's final album will get a release June 16 through Dualtone Records and, as expected, will go by the title CHUCK.
The rock ‘n’ roll legend's posthumous set, his first new album since 1979's Rock It, will feature guest performances from the likes of Gary Clark Jr., Tom Morello,Nathaniel Rateliff, and the showman's grandson Charles Berry III and is comprised of 10 new recordings, eight of which were written by Berry.
Ahead of its release, Dualtone shared the CHUCK tracklist and the new single "Big Boys," a raw blues-rock number with a “Johnny B. Goode”-esque riff which can be streamed below. Other tracks on the album include "Darlin,'" "Jamaica Moon" and "Lady B. Goode," a so-called "spiritual sequel" to his iconic "Johnny B. Goode" from 1958.
Berry, who died March 18 at the age of 90, recorded and produced the new set in various studios around St. Louis with his longtime hometown backing group, including his children Charles Berry Jr. (guitar) and Ingrid Berry (vocals, harmonica), plus Jimmy Marsala (Berry's bass player for 40 years), Robert Lohr (piano), and Keith Robinson (drums).
The news that Berry would break a four-decade hiatus from releasing studio albums came on Oct. 18, 2016, the Rock and Roll Hall of Famer's 90th birthday.
Chatter on the project had gone quiet, however, until Berry’s family released a statement on Monday morning (March 20) to confirm its existence and to reveal the “great sense of joy and satisfaction" the late guitarist and singer had working on the LP. Friends and family lucky enough to score an early listen have praised its contents. Joe Edwards, the owner of the Blueberry Hill club in St. Louis where Berry performed regularly, said the tracks he heard from it are "sensational." Berry had enlisted Edwards to ensure the album was completed and brought to market, according to a statement issued by Dualtone,
Charles Berry Jr. says working with his father on the recording "has been one of the best experiences of my life." He adds, "I will forever treasure the musical conversations we had, and the time we spent together completing it."
'CHUCK' Track List:
"Wonderful Woman"
"Big Boys"
"You Go To My Head"
"3/4 Time (Enchiladas)"
"Darlin'"
"Lady B. Goode"
"She Still Loves You"
"Jamaica Moon"
"Dutchman"
"Eyes Of Man"
"Wonderful Woman"
"Big Boys"
"You Go To My Head"
"3/4 Time (Enchiladas)"
"Darlin'"
"Lady B. Goode"
"She Still Loves You"
"Jamaica Moon"
"Dutchman"
"Eyes Of Man"
