CHUCK BERRY HAIL! HAIL! ROCK ‘N’ ROLL is a documentary that entertains and informs on many levels. Sit back and enjoy the music, anecdotes as told by the artists, a great concert with insight into the social and historical aspects of the emergence of Rock ‘N’ Roll. Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock N Roll is an amazing documentary that begins when the director Taylor Hackford asked Keith Richards to be musical director/producer for the film and to put together a solid backup band for Chuck’s 60th birthday concert. Keith, “…wanted to serve Chuck up with a good band, because he hadn’t had one for years.” Keith brought in Johnnie Johnson on piano. Chuck Berry started out with Johnnie in St Louis. Keith also brought in Steve Jordan on drums and other musicians including himself to put together an excellent back up ensemble for Chuck’s concert. The concert is scheduled at the ornate and classic Fox Theater in St Louis, Missouri where Chuck, at age eleven, was denied entrance because of his race.
The concert is only one aspect of this multifaceted study of Chuck Berry, the roots of his music, his life and connection with other musicians of the day including Little Richard and Bo Diddley, who’s interviews are candid and informative. In addition you hear from Jerry Lee Louis, Erick Clapton, Bruce Springsteen and John Lennon (archival footage) who all relate their feelings about Chuck Berry and his music.
Hail! Hail! Rock ‘N” Roll tells the story by interweaving interviews, rehearsals, and the actual concert. Early interviews, archival material, and the rehearsals set the stage for the concert. But even after the concert begins there is time to continue Chuck Berry’s story and the evolution of Rock ‘N’ Roll as it happened in the lives of everyone Chuck Berry influenced with his music. Chuck explains his approach to song writing and why he feels he was successful in his career.
Shot in 1986, Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock N Roll was available on VHS for a time. The new release on DVD is excellent visually and the audio has been re-mastered in 5.1. There is also “The Ultimate Collectors Edition” DVD release that includes four discs. The first is the actual documentary with an intro by Taylor Hackford. The other three discs contain an interesting behind the scenes documentary, additional rehearsal footage and historical documentaries about the history of Rock N Roll featuring the musicians who lived it.
Taylor Hackford manages to get Chuck Berry to talk more than usual, unless it’s a subject Chuck doesn’t what to talk about, like his times in prison and his family life. Mrs. Berry states who she is and how long they’ve been married. Before she can answer another question Chuck stops the interview. It is clear that Chuck Berry likes to be in control and has places he doesn’t want to go.
Keith Richards is interviewed sitting in chair next to a sink with a bottle of his favorite booze sitting in it. He talks about his experience with Chuck Berry both before this gig and how things went working with Chuck for the concert and film. Keith works hard to get the back up band and Chuck on the same page, even though Chuck Berry resists the effort. Keith might have what is called a “love/hate” attitude for the man who once “cold cocked” him the face for tapping him on the shoulder. Keith is proud that he “…didn’t go down from the punch.” There are some scenes during the rehearsals where Keith and Chuck butt heads that are revealing and humorous. These problems persisted even onto the stage of the concert. But Keith Richards prevailed and back up band appeared to give Chuck’s performance a boost. Even so there was, apparently, some over dubbing of Chuck Berry in the final stages of mixing the concert footage for the film. All of the band’s members did an outstanding job including Johnnie Johnson.
In the process of putting the band together Keith brought in Johnnie Johnson on piano. A brilliant blues pianist, Johnson’s career had faded since Chuck disbanded the original band he started out with; a group that was once Johnnie Johnson’s. Keith’s bringing Johnnie into this film and concert helped Johnnie resurrect his career and got him back to performing all over the world for many years before his death. In his book “Life,” Keith writes, “It was fantastic, to say the least, to put Chuck and Johnnie together. What was interesting was the way they reacted off each other. They hadn’t done it for so long. Just by being there, Johnnie reminded Chuck of how it really went, and Chuck had to come up to Johnnie’s mark…”
There is no question of Chuck Berry’s status as a performer and musician, his lyrics and guitar playing are unique and the inspiration for many other artists over the years. The documentary, mainly because of Chuck’s refusal to touch on anything controversial, stays focused on the music, the man and the people he touched. Some of those people including Keith Richards, Eric Clapton, Linda Ronstadt, Etta James, Robert Cray and Julian Lennon perform with Chuck at the concert adding another entertaining dimension to this great documentary. Chuck Berry Hail! Hail! Rock N Roll is a must see, must have for anyone interested in the world of music. You will be humming those classic Chuck Berry songs for days.
J R Martin
TRAILER
Tags: Documentary Film Review, Keith Richards, Music, Taylor Hackford
Great historical look at the early days of Rock “N” Roll.