Record #0781: School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell) / My Ding-a-Ling – CHUCK BERRY

Eric 225 (re-issue) USA, 1979
Words & Music by:  Side A – Chuck Berry; Side B – Chuck Berry
Musicians: Chuck Berry (vocals and lead guitar); Side A – Hubert Sumlin (rhythm guitar), Johnnie Johnson (piano), Fred Below (drums), possibly Willie Dixon on bass; Side B – just Chuck Berry and the audience
Recording sessions: Side A - produced by Leonard and Phil Chess at Sheldon Recording Studio (Chess Studios), Chicago, IL, 15. December 1956; Side B – produced by Esmond Edwards at the Lanchester Arts Festival, Locarno Ballroom, Coventry, UK on 3. February 1972
Highest chart positions:  This re-issue didn’t chart

This is a bit odd combination of Berry’s earlier hit singles. “School Day” was a rocking track released back in 1957 (US #3, US R&B #1, UK #24) and “My Ding-a-Ling” was a bit of a quirky piece issued in 1972 (US #1, US R&B #42, Canada #1, UK #1, Norway #7). Strangely enough, the latter was Berry’s only US #1 hit.

The flip is based on the melody of “Little Brown Jug”, a 19^th century drinking song. It was first recorded as “My Ding-a-Ling” by Dave Bartholomew (Fats Domino’s songwriting partner) in New Orleans on 22. January 1952 (King 4544, song credited for Dave Bartholomew & Sam Rhodes).

Don Lang had a minor hit with his cover of “School Day” in the UK in 1957 (UK #26).

List price:  This re-issue is not in the catalog. The median price in Discogs is about 3 euros. The asking prices in eBay are in the range of 5-14 euros.