"School Days" (also known as "School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)") is a rock-and-roll song written and recorded by Chuck Berry and released by Chess Records as a single in March 1957 and on the LP After School Session two months later (see 1957 in music). It is one of his best-known songs and is often considered a rock-and-roll anthem.
The last verse of the song contains the lyrics "Hail, hail rock and roll / Deliver me from the days of old." Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll became the title of a 1987 concert film and documentary about Berry. Much of the song's musical arrangement was reused by Berry in 1964 in "No Particular Place to Go". The same arrangement was also used for "Big Ben Blues", a very rare recording.
Recording
Berry recorded the song on January 21, 1957, at Universal Recording Studios in Chicago, Illinois. The session(s) were produced by the Chess brothers, Leonard and Phil. Backing Berry were guitarist Hubert Sumlin (known for his work with Howlin' Wolf), bassist Willie Dixon, and drummer Fred Below.
Charts
Berry's record peaked at number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart (his third highest-ranked pop hit) and hit number one on the R&B Best Sellers chart. It was also his first appearance on the UK Singles Chart, reaching number 24.
Cover versions
A 1959 live version by Eddie Cochran was released in 1999 on the album The Town Hall Party Shows.
A 1957 British cover version by Don Lang and His Frantic Five reached number 26 in the UK.
The Australian hard rock band AC/DC recorded a version of "School Days" for their second album, T.N.T. It was originally released only in Australia, but in 1997 it was released internationally on Volts, a compilation of songs sung by Bon Scott, as part of the box set Bonfire.
The song was remade by the British rocker Gary Glitter, who recorded it under the title "School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)" on his album Glitter in 1972.
The song was covered by the Iron City Houserockers for their first album, Love's So Tough, under the title "School Days (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)", but was cut from the final release. The track was released on their compilation album Pumping Iron & Sweating Steel: The Best of the Iron City Houserockers.
The song was covered by Jan & Dean on their 1964 album Dead Man's Curve â€" The New Girl In School, under the title "School Days". Their version was released on a single by Liberty Records in 1966.
The Australian rock-and-roll revival band Ol' 55 recorded a version of "School Days" as an "outro" track on their album Take It Greasy, released in 1976.
"School Days" was covered by the Beach Boys, under the title "School Day (Ring! Ring! Goes the Bell)" on their 1980 album Keepin' the Summer Alive, with Al Jardine on lead vocals.
"School Days" was covered by the blues pianist and vocalist Ann Rabson.
"School Days" was covered and performed by the Rock-Afire Explosion in 1981
Lil Rob remade the song, retitled "Street Dayz", for his album The Album, adding a skit and replacing the school-related lyrics with references to gang life, drugs, and sex.
A version of "School Days" was included on The Simpsons album The Simpsons Sing the Blues, with vocals from Buster Poindexter and the cartoon character Bart Simpson, and featured a lead guitar solo by Joe Walsh.
Elvis Presley's orchestra often played a version of "School Days" in concert in the last years of his life.
An unofficial version of "School Days" was played at the sound check for a Led Zeppelin concert at Chicago Stadium on July 6, 1973.
New Riders of the Purple Sage performed "School Days" live at the Academy of Music in New York City on November 24, 1973.
References
External links
- Analysis of the song on ReasonToRock.com
- Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
