Chuck Berry, Etta James and Sonny Boy Williamson II Join Chess Records Reissue Series
Berry’s album ‘Berry Is On Top,’ James’ classic debut ‘At Last,’ and Williamson II’s posthumous ‘The Real Folk Blues’ will all see reissues via the iconic Chicago imprint.
Three legendary albums from Chicago label Chess Records‘ catalog are receiving special reissues as part of the label’s 75th-anniversary series, celebrating the imprint’s revolutionary impact on American music.
The latest releases include Etta James’ 1960 debut studio album At Last, featuring her signature title track alongside renditions “Stormy Weather,” “A Sunday Kind of Love,” and “I Just Want to Make Love to You.” Released on Chess’s Argo imprint, the record introduced the world to one of the greatest American soul singers in history, and rose to No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 charts upon release.
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Sonny Boy Williamson II‘s The Real Folk Blues, released in 1966 shortly after his death, will also join the collection. It offers an essential overview of the harmonica master’s career, which saw him pen multiple modern blues standards including the oft-covered “Help Me.” The collection features classics including “Bring It On Home,” “One Way Out,” and “That’s All I Want,” with original liner notes by Chess in-house songwriter Willie Dixon.
Rounding out the trio of new reissues is rock pioneer Chuck Berry‘s Berry Is On Top. The 1959 album captures Berry at his peak, compiling rock classics like “Johnny B. Goode,” “Maybellene,” “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Carol,” and “Almost Grown”—songs that helped establish the framework of the genre itself.
Founded in 1950 by brothers Leonard and Phil Chess, Chess Records played an essential role in transforming blues into a popular sound that reached listeners worldwide. Effectively, it laid the groundwork for modern rock-and-roll. The anniversary series previously released Muddy Waters’ The Best of Muddy Waters and Howlin’ Wolf’s Moanin’ in the Moonlight in October, along with compilation releases including The Chess Records Christmas Album and Let’s Play Chess: A Chess Records Anthology. The latter was curated by Grammy-winning producer Steve Jordan.
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