"Memphis, Tennessee", sometimes shortened to "Memphis", is a song by
Chuck Berry, first released in 1959. In the UK, the song charted at number 6 in 1963; at the same time Decca Records issued a cover version in the UK by
Dave Berry and the Cruisers, which also became a UK Top 20 hit single.
Johnny Rivers's version of the song was a number two US hit in 1964.
Background
In the song the narrator is speaking to a
long-distance operator, trying to find out the number of a girl named Marie, who lives in
Memphis, Tennessee, "on the southside, high upon a ridge, just a half a mile from the
Mississippi bridge".[2] The narrator offers little information to the operator at first, only that he misses Marie and that they were separated by Marie's mother. The final verse reveals that Marie is, in fact, the narrator's six-year-old daughter; her mother, presumably the narrator's ex-wife, "tore apart our happy home" because she "did not agree", as it turned out, with their marriage, not his relationship with Marie, as the listener was misdirected to assume. This song was recorded in St. Louis at Chuck Berry's home, in July 1958.
Chuck Berry – vocals, guitar, guitar overdubs, electric bass
Jasper Thomas – drums
The song was released on Chess in June 1959, Catalogue #1729.[3]
Chuck Berry later composed a sequel, "Little Marie", which appeared in 1964 as a single and on the album St. Louis to Liverpool.[4]
Beatles versions
The Beatles recorded five versions of "Memphis, Tennessee", for
BBC Radio. One version that was recorded on July 30, 1963, for the Pop Go The Beatles radio show was included on Live at the BBC in 1994. Another version that was recorded a few months later on October 5, 1963, for the Saturday Club radio show was included on On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 in 2013.
John Lennon and his wife
Yoko Ono would later perform the song with Berry on an episode of The Mike Douglas Show, aired on February 16, 1972.[6] During the performance, Ono attempted to add her own wailing vocalizations to the song, which visibly startled Berry; eventually, technicians disconnected Ono's microphone for the remainder of the set. This infamous rendition of the song would later become the subject of a skit by
Bill Burr.
In 1963, guitarist
Lonnie Mack recorded a fast-paced instrumental version, which he called "Memphis". It went to number 5 on Billboard's Pop chart and number 4 on Billboard's R&B chart.[7]
In 1964 singer
Johnny Rivers recorded another version of the tune (which he, following Mack, called "Memphis"), copying Mack's pacing and some of his instrumental improvisations, and reinstating the vocal line from Berry's original.[8] This version hit number 2 on Billboard's Pop chart.
In 1981, country singer-songwriter
Fred Knoblock recorded his rendition of "Memphis". It went to number 10 on Billboard's Country chart and number 28 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.
The song has been covered over 200 times by musical artists.[23] The most notable examples include
Bernd Spier who hit number 1 in 1964 in Germany.[24]
