Memphis, Tennessee (song)


"Memphis, Tennessee", sometimes shortened to "Memphis", is a song by Chuck Berry, first released in 1959. In the UK, the song charted at #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' version of the song was a number two US hit in 1964.
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." 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.
Chuck Berry later composed a sequel, "Little Marie", which appeared in 1964 as a single and on the album St. Louis to Liverpool.

Recording

The song was "probably recorded in St. Louis with overdubs in Chicago, September 28, 1958."
The song was released as Chess single 1729.

Beatles versions

recorded five versions of "Memphis, Tennessee" for BBC Radio. One version that was recorded on 30 July 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 5 October 1963 for the Saturday Club radio show was included on On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2 in 2013.
The group first performed it for their failed Decca audition on January 1, 1962, with Pete Best on drums.

Personnel

In 1963, guitarist Lonnie Mack recorded a fast-paced instrumental version, which he called "Memphis". It went to #5 on Billboard's Pop chart and #4 on Billboard's R&B chart.
In 1964 singer Johnny Rivers recorded another version of the tune, copying Mack's pacing and some of his instrumental improvisations, and reinstating the vocal line from Berry's original. This version hit #2 on Billboard's Pop chart.
In 1981, country singer-songwriter Fred Knoblock recorded his rendition of "Memphis". It went to #10 on Billboard's Country chart and #28 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart.

Chart history

Weekly charts

;Chuck Berry
Chart Peak
position
-
UK6

;Dave Berry & the Cruisers
Chart Peak
position
-
UK19

;Lonnie Mack
Chart Peak
position
New Zealand 5
US Billboard Hot 1005
US Billboard R&B4
US Cash Box Top 1005

;Johnny Rivers
Chart Peak
position
Australia47
Canada RPM Top Singles1
Germany1
New Zealand 6
US Billboard Hot 1002
US Cash Box Top 1002

;Fred Knoblock
Chart Peak
position
Canada RPM Country12
US Billboard Hot 100102
US Billboard Adult Contemporary28
US Billboard Country10

Year-end charts

Chart Rank
UK74
US Billboard Hot 10041
US Cash Box57

Other covers

The song has been covered over 40 times by artists including Hasil Adkins, The Animals, Paul Anka, Count Basie, George Benson, John Cale, Riblja Čorba, Don Covay, the Dave Clark Five, Bo Diddley, Faces, Lester Flatt & Earl Scruggs, Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, Fotheringay, Danny Gatton, Al Green, the Hollies, Jan and Dean, Tom Jones, Sammy Kershaw, Jim Kweskin & the Jug Band, Jerry Lee Lewis, Led Zeppelin, Mother McCree's Uptown Jug Champions, Eleanor McEvoy, Mrs. Miller, Roy Orbison, Buck Owens, the Rolling Stones, Del Shannon, Silicon Teens, The Statler Brothers, Izzy Stradlin, Rod Stewart, Gene Summers, George Thorogood, Ernest Tubb, Conway Twitty, the Ventures, the Who, Hank Williams Jr., Faron Young, Elvis Presley, and Bernd Spier.