No Particular Place to Go

"No Particular Place to Go"
Single by Chuck Berry
from the album St. Louis to Liverpool
B-side"You Two"
ReleasedMay 1964 (1964-05)[1]
RecordedMarch 25, 1964[2]
StudioChess (Chicago)[3]
GenreRock and roll
Length2:37
LabelChess
Songwriter(s)Chuck Berry
Producer(s)Leonard Chess, Phil Chess[2]
Chuck Berry singles chronology
"Nadine"
(1964) 		"No Particular Place to Go"
(1964) 		"You Never Can Tell"
(1964)
Audio sample

"No Particular Place to Go" is a song by Chuck Berry, released as a single by Chess Records in May 1964[1] and released on the album St. Louis to Liverpool in November 1964 (see 1964 in music).[4]

"No Particular Place to Go" was recorded on March 25, 1964 in Chicago, Illinois[2] and features the same music as Berry's earlier hit "School Days".[1]

Lyrics

The song is a comical four verse story. In the first verse, the narrator is riding in his car as his girlfriend drives, and they kiss. In the second, they start to cuddle, and drive slow. In the third, they decide to park and take a walk, but are unable to release the seat belt. In the last verse, they drive home, defeated by said recalcitrant seat belt.

Recording

The session(s) during which "No Particular Place to Go" was recorded were produced by Leonard and Phil Chess, and backing Berry were pianist Paul Williams, drummer Odie Payne, and bassist Louis Satterfield.

Charts

Chart (1964) Peak
position
Canada (RPM Top Forty-5's)[5] 6
Ireland (IRMA)[6] 7
New Zealand (Listener)[7] 2
UK Singles (OCC)[8] 3
US Billboard Hot 100[9] 10
US Billboard R&B Singles[9] 10

Cover versions

In 1982 George Thorogood & the Destroyers included a version on their album Bad To The Bone. In 1994 it also appeared on their live album Live: Let's Work Together.

References

  1. ^ a b c "Hot Pop Spotlights". Billboard. May 16, 1964. p. 36.
  2. ^ a b c Gold (CD liner). Chuck Berry. United States: Geffen Records/Chess Records. 2005. pp. 24, 27. 0602498805589.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  3. ^ "The Chuck Berry Database: Details For Recording Session: 26. 3. 1964". A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry. Dietmar Rudolph. Retrieved 28 September 2021.
  4. ^ Rudolph, Dietmar. "A Collector's Guide to the Music of Chuck Berry: The Chess Era (1955-1966)". Retrieved December 14, 2010.
  5. ^ "RPM - Item Display: Top Singles - Volume 1, No. 21, July 13, 1964" (.Php). Library and Archives Canada. March 31, 2004.
  6. ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – No Particular Place to Go". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved April 15, 2019.
  7. ^ "Flavour of New Zealand, 6 August 1964". Flavourofnz.co.nz.
  8. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  9. ^ a b "Chuck Berry - Billboard Singles". Allmusic. United States: Rovi Corporation. Retrieved December 14, 2010.