Classic Pop Icons

Chuck Berry’s “Let It Rock” is Song of the Week on Classic Pop Icons. “Let It Rock” was released on single in January 1960, backed with “Too Pooped to Pop”. It also featured on the album “Rockin’ at the Hops” six months later.

Lyrically, “Let It Rock” is one of Chuck Berry’s most interesting songs. The title suggests it will explore the familiar rock ‘n’ roll/teen themes of many of his best songs, but this is about a man working on the railroad in Mobile, Alabama, who endures long hot days in the sun, before scrambling off the track in the evening to avoid an oncoming train. The lyrical inventiveness for which Chuck Berry is so admired is in full evidence.

The phrase “Let It Rock” does not appear at all in the song, but the final line of the song – “Can’t stop the train, gotta let it roll on” – suggests that the title is a play on words, with “Rock” referring to the movement of the train rather than rock and roll music.

The song comprises three verses, with no chorus and no bridge, but Chuck creates spaces between the verses with his imaginative guitar breaks and Johnnie Johnson’s fine piano work, which manage to evoke the setting of the Alabama railroad perfectly. The verses themselves borrow strongly from the melody of Chuck’s earlier classic “Johnny B. Goode”.

“Let It Rock” b/w “Too Pooped to Pop” was given a positive review as one of Billboard’s Spotlight Singles in their January 11, 1960 issue:

Here’s the original “Let It Rock” single. Apologies for the audio quality of the video.

“Let It Rock” – Chuck Berry

Chuck performed a good extended version of the track during a 1972 show filmed by the BBC:

“Let It Rock” (live) – Chuck Berry

Authorship

“Let it Rock” was written by Chuck Berry.

Recording date/location

“Let it Rock” was recorded on July 27, 1959 at Chess Studios in Chicago, Illinois.

Musicians

The following musicians appeared on “Let It Rock”:

• Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar
• Johnnie Johnson – piano
• Willie Dixon – bass
• Fred Below – drums.

Johnnie Johnson was a pivotal figure in Chuck Berry’s career, giving the young guitarist his break as a live performer as part of the Sir John Trio, and later providing his trademark piano work to many of Chuck’s finest recordings. The pair worked together until 1973 and were reunited in 1986 when Keith Richards put together a band for a gig to celebrate Chuck’s 60th Birthday.

Willie Dixon is regarded as one of the most important figures in the establishment of the Chicago blues sounds. The songwriter, bassist, producer and arranger was responsible for such classic songs as “Hoochie Coochie Man, “My Babe,” “Little Red Rooster,” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You”. He was with Chess Records from 1948 to the early 1960s, during which time he played on many of Chuck’s hits.

Fred Below had played with the innovative Chicago blues band Little Walter and the Four Aces, and was an in-demand session player for artists such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Sonny Boy Williamson. Below featured on most of Chuck’s classic 1950s hits, including “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Brown Eyed Handsome Man,” “Too Much Monkey Business,” “Rock n Roll Music”, “Sweet Little Sixteen”, and “Johnny B. Goode”.

Chart performance

“Let It Rock” peaked at a disappointing number 64 on the Billboard Hot 100 on February 22, 1960. The B-side charted independently and more successfully, peaking at number 42.

The single did much better in the UK, reaching number six on the singles chart.

Other notable versions

“Let It Rock” – The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones’ love affair with Chuck Berry’s music continued in 1971 when they featured a live recording of “Let It Rock” as the B-side of their “Brown Sugar” single in the UK. Chuck was one of the band’s biggest influences and they turned in a solid performance that incorporated the best elements of the classic original.

“Let It Rock” – George Thorogood and the Destroyers

George Thorogood and the Destroyers had already recorded a number of Chuck Berry covers when they turned “Let It Rock” into an in-your-face up-tempo rocker for their 2011 album of Chess covers titled “”2120 South Michigan Ave“. It’s a good recording that will get your feet tapping, but the wall of sound tends to overpower the lyrics so that you don’t find yourself imagining the events that are being sung about in the way that you do when listening to the original.

There will be a new Song of the Week on September 3.

“Let It Rock” is available on a number of Chuck Berry compilations, including “Chuck Berry – The Definitive Collection” and the highly recommended 4-CD box set “Johnny B. Goode – His Complete ’50s Chess Recordings”.

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Chuck Berry – The Definitive Collection (CD)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now
Johnny B. Goode – His Complete ’50s Chess Recordings (4 CDs)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now