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==Relevance in race relations==
==Relevance in race relations==
[[Glenn C. Altschuler]] argued that the lyrics of the song "played slyly with racial attitudes and even fears."<ref>Altschuler, Glenn C. (2003). ''All Shook Up: How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America''. Oxford University Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=lMyC2FndXwkC&pg=PA64&dq=%22Brown+Eyed+Handsome+Man%22&ei=iloPSdGsKYPMM-r4ga4H 64].</ref> Martha Bayles noted that "Berry's penchant for bragging about his 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man{{'}}’s appeal for white females outraged a lot of people."<ref>Bayles, Martha (1996). ''Hole in Our Soul: The Loss of Beauty and Meaning in American Popular Music''. University of Chicago Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=pmcaVNZNF-cC&pg=PA149&dq=%22Brown+Eyed+Handsome+Man%22&ei=iloPSdGsKYPMM-r4ga4H pp. 149–150].</ref>
[[Glenn C. Altschuler]] argued that the lyrics of the song "played slyly with racial attitudes and even fears."<ref>Altschuler, Glenn C. (2003). ''All Shook Up: How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America''. Oxford University Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=lMyC2FndXwkC&pg=PA64&dq=%22Brown+Eyed+Handsome+Man%22&ei=iloPSdGsKYPMM-r4ga4H 64].</ref> Martha Bayles noted that "Berry's penchant for bragging about his 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man{{'}}'s appeal for white females outraged a lot of people."<ref>Bayles, Martha (1996). ''Hole in Our Soul: The Loss of Beauty and Meaning in American Popular Music''. University of Chicago Press. [https://books.google.com/books?id=pmcaVNZNF-cC&pg=PA149&dq=%22Brown+Eyed+Handsome+Man%22&ei=iloPSdGsKYPMM-r4ga4H pp. 149–150].</ref>


==Cover versions==
==Cover versions==
The song has been covered by many artists, including [[Buddy Holly]], whose recording was a posthumous hit in the [[United Kingdom]] in 1963, where it peaked at number three, and was released on the album ''[[Reminiscing (Buddy Holly album)|Reminiscing]]'', which reached number two on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref>McAleer, Dave (2004). ''Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts From 1954 to the Present Day''. Hal Leonard. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ejjQUZr2iPcC&pg=RA3-PA84&dq=%22Brown+Eyed+Handsome+Man%22&ei=iloPSdGsKYPMM-r4ga4H p. 84].</ref> [[Johnny Rivers]] also covered the song on his first album, ''[[At the Whisky à Go Go]]'', in 1964, as did [[Nina Simone]] on her 1967 album ''[[High Priestess of Soul]]'' and [[Waylon Jennings]] on a single from his 1970 album ''[[Waylon (album)|Waylon]]''. It was also covered by [[Robert Cray]] on the 1987 live tribute album to Berry, ''[[Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (album)|Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll]]'' and by [[Paul McCartney]] on his 1999 album ''[[Run Devil Run (album)|Run Devil Run]]'' and on a double [[A-side]] single with "[[No Other Baby]]".
The song has been covered by many artists, including [[Buddy Holly]], whose recording was a posthumous hit in the [[United Kingdom]] in 1963, where it peaked at number three, and was released on the album ''[[Reminiscing (Buddy Holly album)|Reminiscing]]'', which reached number two on the [[UK Albums Chart]].<ref>McAleer, Dave (2004). ''Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts From 1954 to the Present Day''. Hal Leonard. [https://books.google.com/books?id=ejjQUZr2iPcC&pg=RA3-PA84&dq=%22Brown+Eyed+Handsome+Man%22&ei=iloPSdGsKYPMM-r4ga4H p. 84].</ref> [[Johnny Rivers]] also covered the song on his first album, ''[[At the Whisky à Go Go]]'', in 1964, as did [[Nina Simone]] on her 1967 album ''[[High Priestess of Soul]]'' and [[Waylon Jennings]] on a single from his 1970 album ''[[Waylon (album)|Waylon]]''. It was also covered by [[Robert Cray]] on the 1987 live tribute album to Berry, ''[[Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll (album)|Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll]]'' and by [[Paul McCartney]] on his 1999 album ''[[Run Devil Run (album)|Run Devil Run]]'' and on a double [[A-side]] single with "[[No Other Baby]]".


The song was also performed by the so-called "[[Million Dollar Quartet]]": [[Johnny Cash]], [[Carl Perkins]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], and [[Elvis Presley]] in a jam session on December 4, 1956.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/r15720 ''The Million Dollar Quartet'']. Retrieved April 11, 2012.</ref> Lewis also released a solo version on his 1970 album ''She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye''.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/she-even-woke-me-up-to-say-goodbye-r11656 Jerry Lee Lewis. ''She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye'']. Retrieved April 11, 2012.</ref> Cash recorded it with Perkins on his posthumous 2003 album ''[[Unearthed (Johnny Cash album)|Unearthed]]''. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" was performed in the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical ''[[Million Dollar Quartet (musical)|Million Dollar Quartet]]'', which opened in New York in April 2010,<ref>Zielinski, Peter James. "Photo Coverage: Million Dollar Quartet Opens on Broadway". Posted April 12, 2010. [http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_MDQ_CurtainParty_20000101]</ref> and was included in the album ''Million Dollar Quartet'', recorded by the original Broadway cast, with [[Lance Guest]] as Johnny Cash, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins, [[Levi Kreis]] as Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eddie Clendening as Elvis Presley.<ref>“Song List” and “Performing Credits”. ''Million Dollar Quartet'' (2010). CD booklet. p. 5. New York: Avatar Studios; Chicago: Chicago Recording Company.</ref>
The song was also performed by the so-called "[[Million Dollar Quartet]]": [[Johnny Cash]], [[Carl Perkins]], [[Jerry Lee Lewis]], and [[Elvis Presley]] in a jam session on December 4, 1956.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/r15720 ''The Million Dollar Quartet'']. Retrieved April 11, 2012.</ref> Lewis also released a solo version on his 1970 album ''She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye''.<ref>[http://www.allmusic.com/album/she-even-woke-me-up-to-say-goodbye-r11656 Jerry Lee Lewis. ''She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye'']. Retrieved April 11, 2012.</ref> Cash recorded it with Perkins on his posthumous 2003 album ''[[Unearthed (Johnny Cash album)|Unearthed]]''. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" was performed in the [[Broadway theatre|Broadway]] musical ''[[Million Dollar Quartet (musical)|Million Dollar Quartet]]'', which opened in New York in April 2010,<ref>Zielinski, Peter James. "Photo Coverage: Million Dollar Quartet Opens on Broadway". Posted April 12, 2010. [http://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Photo_Coverage_MDQ_CurtainParty_20000101]</ref> and was included in the album ''Million Dollar Quartet'', recorded by the original Broadway cast, with [[Lance Guest]] as Johnny Cash, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins, [[Levi Kreis]] as Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eddie Clendening as Elvis Presley.<ref>"Song List" and "Performing Credits". ''Million Dollar Quartet'' (2010). CD booklet. p. 5. New York: Avatar Studios; Chicago: Chicago Recording Company.</ref>


==References==
==References==
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{{Paul McCartney}}
{{Paul McCartney}}
{{The Crickets}}
{{The Crickets}}

[[Category:1956 songs]]
[[Category:1956 songs]]
[[Category:Songs written by Chuck Berry]]
[[Category:Songs written by Chuck Berry]]

Revision as of 03:34, 9 September 2018

"Brown Eyed Handsome Man"
Song
A-side"Too Much Monkey Business"
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man"
Song
B-side"Rock-a-Bye Rock"

"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is a rock and roll song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, originally released by Chess Records in September 1956 as the B-side of "Too Much Monkey Business." It was also included on Berry's 1957 debut album, After School Session. The song title was also used as the title of a biography of Berry.[3][4]

Background and recording

"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" was written after Berry visited several African-American and Hispanic areas in California. During his time there, he saw a Hispanic man being arrested by a policeman when "some woman came up shouting for the policeman to let him go."[5]

"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" was recorded on April 16, 1956, in Chicago, Illinois. The session was produced by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil. Backing Berry were Johnnie Johnson on piano, L. C. Davis on tenor saxophone, Willie Dixon on bass, and Fred Below on drums.[2]

The song was released in September 1956[1] and reached number 5 on Billboard magazine's R&B Singles chart later that year.[6]

Relevance in race relations

Glenn C. Altschuler argued that the lyrics of the song "played slyly with racial attitudes and even fears."[7] Martha Bayles noted that "Berry's penchant for bragging about his 'Brown Eyed Handsome Man''s appeal for white females outraged a lot of people."[8]

Cover versions

The song has been covered by many artists, including Buddy Holly, whose recording was a posthumous hit in the United Kingdom in 1963, where it peaked at number three, and was released on the album Reminiscing, which reached number two on the UK Albums Chart.[9] Johnny Rivers also covered the song on his first album, At the Whisky à Go Go, in 1964, as did Nina Simone on her 1967 album High Priestess of Soul and Waylon Jennings on a single from his 1970 album Waylon. It was also covered by Robert Cray on the 1987 live tribute album to Berry, Hail! Hail! Rock 'n' Roll and by Paul McCartney on his 1999 album Run Devil Run and on a double A-side single with "No Other Baby".

The song was also performed by the so-called "Million Dollar Quartet": Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley in a jam session on December 4, 1956.[10] Lewis also released a solo version on his 1970 album She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye.[11] Cash recorded it with Perkins on his posthumous 2003 album Unearthed. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" was performed in the Broadway musical Million Dollar Quartet, which opened in New York in April 2010,[12] and was included in the album Million Dollar Quartet, recorded by the original Broadway cast, with Lance Guest as Johnny Cash, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins, Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis, and Eddie Clendening as Elvis Presley.[13]

References

  1. ^ a b c Rudolph, Dietmar. "A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry: The Chess Era (1955–1966)". Retrieved December 4, 2010.
  2. ^ a b c d Gold (CD liner notes). Chuck Berry. United States: Geffen Records/Chess Records. 2005. pp. 20, 27. 0602498805589. {{cite AV media notes}}: Unknown parameter |titlelink= ignored (|title-link= suggested) (help)CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ Pegg, Bruce (2002). Brown Eyed Handsome Man: The Life and Hard Times of Chuck Berry: An Unauthorized Biography. Routledge.
  4. ^ https://commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Most_handsome_man_in_the_world.jpg
  5. ^ "Brown Eyed Handsome Man by Chuck Berry". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on October 16, 2007. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  6. ^ "Chuck Berry: Billboard Singles". Allmusic. Rovi. Retrieved December 3, 2010.
  7. ^ Altschuler, Glenn C. (2003). All Shook Up: How Rock 'n' Roll Changed America. Oxford University Press. 64.
  8. ^ Bayles, Martha (1996). Hole in Our Soul: The Loss of Beauty and Meaning in American Popular Music. University of Chicago Press. pp. 149–150.
  9. ^ McAleer, Dave (2004). Hit Singles: Top 20 Charts From 1954 to the Present Day. Hal Leonard. p. 84.
  10. ^ The Million Dollar Quartet. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  11. ^ Jerry Lee Lewis. She Even Woke Me Up to Say Goodbye. Retrieved April 11, 2012.
  12. ^ Zielinski, Peter James. "Photo Coverage: Million Dollar Quartet Opens on Broadway". Posted April 12, 2010. [1]
  13. ^ "Song List" and "Performing Credits". Million Dollar Quartet (2010). CD booklet. p. 5. New York: Avatar Studios; Chicago: Chicago Recording Company.
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