No Money Down by Chuck Berry

Album: After School Session (1955)

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In a review of a Chuck Berry concert published in the British paper New Musical Express in April 1973, Roy Carr referred to the song "No Money Down" as a teenage fantasy. Nothing could be further from the truth. In his critical biography of Berry, John Collis says the song was inspired by an incident in Berry's youth. When he bought his first car - a 1934 V8 Ford, for $10 down and $5 a month - he was too young to sign the hire purchase agreement, so his older sister Thelma did the honors. In his autobiography, Berry says he went through a dozen automobiles in 12 years or less, and the song "got its origin from the salesman's pitch that I usually got when buying my first few cars".
"No Money Down" was released on Chess Records in December 1955 as the A Side of "Down Bound Train." It was also Berry's first UK single, being released there in May 1956. >>>
Suggestion credit:
Alexander - London, England, for above 2

Comments: 3

Michael from Elkton, Md Duane Allman does a killer version of this tune on The 2 CD set "Duane Allman Anthology Volume 2" It's definitely worth a listen.
Andy from Halesowen, West Midlands, United KingdomI love this song, my favourite live band in my area, The Steve Gibbons Band, are big Berry fans, (he even called his daughter Nadine) and Steve does an awesome version of this.

I disagree with your comment "nothing could be further from the truth". Firstly you admit it was inspired by his youth (so teenage fits) and some of the requests he makes are pure fantasy.

Finally, it is interesting to look at his extras list and see which ones you can get in a car now - eg Phone, TV (well DVD players in the back) etc.
Mark from London, EnglandThe UK pub rock band Wolfie Witcher released a cockney version of this on their own label in the 80s.

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