Noddy Holder on Chuck Berry
Great Lives
BBC
4.2 • 1.3K Ratings
🗓️ 20 December 2022
⏱️ 28 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In 1972 Chucky Berry was onstage in Coventry. Seeking some audience participation Chuck launched into a cover of an unusual novelty record called 'My Ding-a-Ling'.
One of the men who can be heard in the crowd singing about their "Ding-a-Ling' was Noddy Holder whose band Slade were supporting Berry on his UK tour. This track became Berry's only UK number one and by default, one of Noddy's seven. Paul Gambaccini also saw Berry live in the 1970s and remembers him playing hits like 'Johnny B. Goode' and 'Maybellene', but never performing for a minute longer than the agreed contracted length of his set.
Paul and Noddy join Matthew Parris to discuss the life of this influential pioneer who along with Jerry Lee Lewis and Little Richard is said to have invented rock n roll. They talk about Berry's musical influences, his rise to stardom, his shrewd approach to business and some of the darker moments that blight Berry's legacy.
Produced by Toby Field for BBC Audio, Bristol.
Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself. |
| 0:03.7 | My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a Load of Sport Podcasts. |
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| 0:12.2 | pundits and the biggest sport stars. |
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| 0:28.8 | dedicated sports fans across the UK. |
| 0:31.2 | So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more. |
| 0:44.0 | It's 1972 and Chuck Berry's onstage in Coventry. |
| 0:59.7 | Chuck Berry's alma mater, as he calls it, isn't Maybelline or Johnny B. Good or any of those |
| 1:06.9 | huge rock and roll numbers. |
| 1:08.9 | It's a cover of a slightly unusual novelty record and Berry is keen to get the audience involved. |
| 1:29.6 | John Lennon once said that if you were to try and rename rock and roll, |
| 1:34.3 | you might call it Chuck Berry. |
| 1:36.3 | And one of the men who was there listening to Berry singing about his ding-a-ling |
| 1:41.5 | is with me today. |
| 1:42.8 | Noddy Holter, Noddy, what do you remember about that night? |
| 1:47.2 | That night was fantastic. There was a few acts on that bill. |
| 1:51.2 | Billy Preston was on that bill. Roy Young band was on that bill. |
| 1:55.3 | Slade, my band were on that bill. |
... |
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