Chuck Berry's "The Great 28" - Why is "You Never Can Tell" Missing?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by ZenArcher, Dec 18, 2007.

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  1. ZenArcher

    ZenArcher Senior Member Thread Starter

    Location:
    Durham, NC
    This disc finds a home in my player pretty often, but I've always wondered why "You Never Can Tell" wasn't included. Was it not a hit at the time, or was it not a Chess recording? Or just one of those things?

    What a great song, love those lyrics!
     
  2. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    I have it on another Chess Chuck berry comp CD.
     
  3. I've always wondered at why this collection had 28 and thought that it either 1) had to do with publishing/rights issues, 2) how many songs could fit without jeopardizing the sound quality (for the LPs) or available space (CD), or 3) "The Great 29" doesn't rhyme.
     
  4. Lord Hawthorne

    Lord Hawthorne Currently Untitled

    Location:
    Portland, Oregon
    Which is why I called my CDR with the "YNCT" added "the Fine 29".
     
  5. Rocker

    Rocker Senior Member

    Location:
    Ontario, Canada
    I've always wondered this too, although it's not really a big deal anyway, because I've already got YNCT on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack. :)
     
  6. brainwashed

    brainwashed Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    I think it's just one of those things. Any label-selected compilation album is bound to be a bit hit and miss. Even the 2-CD Anthology set has a few tracks missing from it that I would have selected. On The Great 28, one could easily question the exclusion of Promised land, No Money Down, You Never Can tell, Wee Wee Hours (b-side to Maybelline that charted at #10) and Too Pooped To Pop (charted higher than it's b-side Let it Rock which is on the CD). And just as easily wonder why I Want To be Your Driver and Havana Moon are included at all. But it remains one of the best single-CD compilations of the CD era for sure. What I wouldn't give to hear a Steve-mastered version. Ron
     
  7. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    or:
    "C'est la vie", say the old folks,
    it goes to show you never can tell
    :)
     
  8. brainwashed

    brainwashed Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    God, I almost wrote that and figured someone would laugh or roll their eyes... it made me smile to see you posted it. Thanks! Ron
     
  9. stereoptic

    stereoptic Anaglyphic GORT Staff

    Location:
    NY
    :laugh: like minds....
     
  10. Hank

    Hank Senior Member

    Location:
    Massachusetts
    "You Never Can Tell" also shows up as a stereo remix by SH on Chuck Berry's Rock'N'Roll Rarities. Nice :thumbsup:.
     
  11. Hard Panner

    Hard Panner Baroque Popsike & Fuzz

    What!?!? I Want To be Your Driver is a great song! One of my favorites. Though, it does owe a lot to Memphis Minnie's "Me and My Chauffeur". But, if it wasn't for Chuck's IWTBYD being on the Great 28, I wouldn't have discovered Memphis Minnie way back when.

    :thumbsup:

    I love the first two Rarities albums!
     
  12. The Wanderer

    The Wanderer Seeker of Truth

    Location:
    NYC
    It was towards the end of his chart records, not a big hit for him, a different sound and of course before "Pulp Fiction".
     
  13. reechie

    reechie Senior Member

    Location:
    Baltimore
    Just be glad "My Ding A Ling" ISN'T on it either! :D
     
  14. zen

    zen Senior Member

    The Great 28 is not perfect. It shouldn't have included Around And Around (bad sound quality), Bye Bye Johnny (awful chorus groove), I'm Talking 'Bout You (kind of dull) and Come On (pretty weak), and it was also missing a number of "great" songs (see post #6). Perhaps I've been spoiled on the Rolling Stones' remakes, but I do believe the collection could have been even better.
     
  15. Dinsdale

    Dinsdale Dixie Fried

    Location:
    South Carolina
    I love those songs...so far in what's been mentioned above, I could only do without Havana Moon. Just goes to show you never can tell and it's hard to summarize Chuck in 28. I have the Chess Box. I couldn't do without You Never Can Tell.
     
  16. brainwashed

    brainwashed Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Boston, MA
    I like the song just fine, but I LOVE No Money Down, Promised Land, You Never Can Tell, Wee Wee Hours and maybe 20 other songs more. Probably helps that my band has been doing these songs for the past 30 years too :) The stereo remix of You Never Can Tell on Steve's Rarities album is amazing. Ron
     
  17. Evan L

    Evan L Beatologist

    Location:
    Vermont
    Pretty bad sound quality on this, considering itr was compiled from production masters. But then, if it had been issued today, the sound would undoubtedly have been brickwalled to death.

    Great song selection, though--hard to beat.

    Evan
     
  18. Steve E.

    Steve E. Doc Wurly and Chief Lathe Troll

    Location:
    Brooklyn, NY, USA
    I think "YNCT" became much better known after "Pulp Fiction."

    Decent as it is, I do think "I Wanna Be your Driver" was a very strange choice for an essential Chuck collection, given the other songs mentioned here that were left out.

    But come on, people, "Havana Moon"? That's one of his biggies.
     
  19. Al Kuenster

    Al Kuenster Senior Member

    Location:
    Las Vegas, NV - US
    "Nadine" I love that song!
     
  20. John B Good

    John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    Both Nadine and YKCT made me delirious with sing-along-joy when I was a kid.

    I sort of preferred them to NO PARTICULAR PLACE TO GO.
     
  21. JA Fant

    JA Fant Well-Known Member

    This sort of thing almost, always comes down to publishing/rights issues.
     
  22. Captain Groovy

    Captain Groovy Senior Member

    Location:
    Freedonia, USA
    To answer question 1 - I doubt that's it, because Chuck is one of those rare cases (smart on his part!) where he owns his own publishing...

    Jeff
     
  23. Captain Groovy

    Captain Groovy Senior Member

    Location:
    Freedonia, USA
    Is anyone here lucky enough to have "More Rarities" by SH and/or "The London Sessions" CD? Both OOP. Rrrr.

    Jeff
     
  24. John B Good

    John B Good Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    NS, Canada
    I just looked in my book of Top 40 hits, and YKCT placed at number 14.

    Coincidently, he only had 14 top 40 hits.

    Probly the reason for leaving it off The Great 28 is that you would be forced to buy another cd to get it :)
     
  25. Hard Panner

    Hard Panner Baroque Popsike & Fuzz

    I've got 'More Rarities' on vinyl and CD (same goes for 'Rarities' 1). I've got 'London Sessions' on CD.
     
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