Which Chuck Berry hit got reshaped into a reggae song?
When remaking a venerable and iconic American rock 'n' roll hit from the late 1950s like 'Johnny B Goode' into a reggae song, it's definitionally necessary to make discernible melodic and rhythmic departures, just as Peter Tosh (Winston McIntosh, 1944-1987) did. However, he largely maintained the lyrics, only changing as needed. Thus when the original begins with 'Deep Down in Loo-zee-ana', Tosh replaced the latter with Jamaica, his native land. Similarly, with Tosh it becomes 'leader of a reggae band' instead of rock 'n' roll. Tosh's remake hit #84 in the 1983 'Billboard' Hot 100.
Tosh was murdered on September 11, 1987, less than a month away from his 43rd birthday, by three intruders who came to his Kingston home basically engaged in armed robbery. They killed two others present and wounded four additional people.
The original was written by Chuck Berry in 1955 and first sung and recorded in 1958. In 'Billboard' it scored #2 in Hot R&B sides and #8 in the general Hot 100. The song opens describing a semi-literate 'country boy' from around New Orleans, who plays a guitar 'just like ringing a bell', and who might one day have his 'name in lights'. Berry acknowledged the song is partly autobiographical, even if the opening Louisiana references were fanciful variations of his life story. Additionally, the title hints at another autobiographical allusion and anecdote, as Berry was born at 2520 Goode Avenue, in St. Louis.
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