Memphis, Tennessee (song)

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]

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.

The group first performed it for their failed Decca audition on January 1, 1962, with Pete Best on drums.[5]

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] The episode was part of a series of five episodes of the show featuring performances from Lennon and Ono. During the performance of "Memphis, Tennessee", Ono attempted to add her own wailing vocalizations to the song, visibly irritating Berry and Lennon; eventually, technicians disconnected Ono's microphone for the remainder of the performance. 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]

"Memphis"
Single by Johnny Rivers
from the album At the Whisky à Go Go
B-side	"It Wouldn't Happen with Me"
Released	May 1964 (1964)
Recorded	January 1964
Venue	Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood
Genre	Rock and roll, rhythm and blues
Length	2:28
Label	Imperial
Songwriter(s)	Chuck Berry
Johnny Rivers singles chronology
"Dream Doll" (1964) "Memphis" (1964) "Oh What a Kiss" (1964)

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]