"The Chess Story - 1947 - 1975" by VARIOUS ARTISTS (October 1999 US MCA/Universal/Chess 15-Disc Box Set of Erick Labson Remasters) - A Review by Mark Barry...

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"...You Can Get More For Less…And Should…"

When this Blues, R 'n' B and Soul label retrospective behemoth was released 4 October 1999 by MCA/Universal in the USA - as you can imagine - "The Chess Story 1947-1975" was something of an event.

Initially limited to 10,000 numbered copies (number on the rear) - MCA/Universal 3805962 (Barcode 602438059621) was remastered by tape maestro ERICK LABSON (over 1,200 credits to his name – huge names across the vast Universal archives). This tome to the famous recording label at 2120 South Michigan Avenue was housed in a hard card outer with three colour-coded wood-effect books slid inside alongside a further printed 70-page hardback with 10,000 words – essays by noted R&B and Blues writers. "The Chess Story 1947-1975" certainly looked the hefty part.

Each slide-out hardback book carried 5CDs - 15 in total - offering up 340 tracks dating from 1947 to 1975 across 13 audio discs - Disc 14 and 15 being an interview disc with Phil and Marshall Chess (label founders) and a CD-ROM including visual clips of major Chess artists plus previously unseen footage of Chicago and the Chess Records operation. The 1999 CD-ROM is Interactive (ran on Windows 95/98 and Apple OS-7 operating systems at the time of issue) and has Chart Histories and perhaps more usual to buffs - a Catalogue/Artist Listing of all Chess recordings. 

Many were first time on CD and exclusive to "The Chess Story 1947-1975". Using the same look hardback book sets with a skinny attached-booklet, the original was then broken down into 3 separate 16 November 2001 releases which offered a cheaper option. 1947 to 1956 was on Chess 1126492 (Barcode 0008811269425) – 1957 to 1964 was on Chess 1126952 (Barcode 0008811269524) and 1965 to 1975 was on Chess 1126962 (Barcode 0008811269623). The first two were 5CD sets, the third a 4-Disc set with 3CDs of music and 1 x CD-ROM. 

Ten years down the line and into 2009, however, and time hasn't been to kind to either the original big box or the three liner-note-less reissues.

Back to the original beast - each of the three 'books' has a crappy centred booklet at the top which lists the song and artist, but amazingly for a retrospective of this size, doesn't provide a catalogue number nor which personnel played on what. The 70-page hardback book is nice to look at, but again despite its 10,000 word essays claim, is deceptively slight. It gives us a history of the label by ROBETT PRUTER (of Chicago Soul magazine), a printed version of the interviews on Disc 14 (repeating itself) and a Chess R&B Charts list at the very end. While Pruter's story of Chess is very entertaining, and the music on Disc 1 to 13 simply sensational, precisely because of its cost, you still feel like you've been short changed.

I've reviewed all three November 2001 reissued boxes separately and provided track-by-track catalogue numbers. But reviewing the full box now - something occurs to me.

Good releases - especially between 2007 and 2009 - have made much of the box's exclusivity redundant and its price tag since deletion a bit of an expensive extravagance (300 to 400 sterling or 500 to 600.00 dollars). The now ludicrous cost of acquiring this set coupled with the less than stellar packaging makes me think that you must be able to get better elsewhere. So I set about a trawl to find alternatives and have come up with the following list, which will provide fans with 90% of what's on this 15CD box while throwing in a good 20% more - and all of it for less than half the money...

All of the following are remastered by the best labels and have superb and detailed liner notes:

1. The Very Best Of - FONTELLA BASS (2006 CD, 25 Tracks)

2. Gold - CHUCK BERRY (2005, 2CDs, 50 Tracks, Remasters)

3. Standing Ovation - The Very Best Of - THE DELLS

(2007, 2CDs, 39 Tracks, Remasters)

4. Go Go Power - Complete Chess Singles 1961-1966 -SUGAR PIE DeSANTO

(2009 CD, 26 Tracks)

5. Gold - BO DIDDLEY (2008, 2CDs, 41 Tracks, Remasters)

6. Gold - JOHN LEE HOOKER (2007, 2CDs, 35 Tracks, Hip-O Select Remasters)

7. The Real Folk Blues/More Folk Blues - HOWLIN' WOLF

(2003, 2LP on 1CD, 24 Tracks, US Hip-O Select)

8. Gold - ETTA JAMES (2007, 2CDs, 36 Tracks - Hip-O Select Remasters)

9. The Chess Collection - LAURA LEE (2006 CD, 20 Tracks)

10. Hoochie Coochie Man - Complete Chess Masters Vol.2 - MUDDY WATERS

(2004, 2CD Hip-O Select Book set, 51 Tracks)

11. The Real Folk Blues/More Folk Blues - MUDDY WATERS

(US Hip-O Select)

12. Fathers & Sons - MUDDY WATERS (2001, 2LP set on 1 CD with bonus tracks)

13. The Real Folk Blues/More Folk Blues - SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON

(2003, 2LPs on 1CD, US Hip-O Select)

14. Chess Uptown Soul - VARIOUS (1997, 24 Tracks, UK Kent Compilation)

15. Chess Club Rhythm & Soul - VARIOUS

(1996, 25 Tracks, UK Kent Compilation)

16. Chicago Radio Soul - VARIOUS

(1996, 26 Tracks, Chess Labels, UK Kent Compilation)

17. Chess Chartbusters Vol. 1 to 6 - VARIOUS

(UK Budget-Priced 20 Track Compilations, 120 songs in total)

18. Chess Tearjerkers - VARIOUS (UK Mojo Comp 20 Tracks)

19. Chess Soul Sisters - VARIOUS (UK Mojo Comp, 20 Tracks)

20. Chess Northern Soul - VARIOUS (UK Mojo Comp, 20 Tracks)

21. Chess Blues - VARIOUS (1993, 4CD Box Set, 101 Tracks)

22. Just Keep On Dancing - Chess Northern Soul - VARIOUS

(1996, 24 Tracks, UK Kent Compilation)

There are over 500 tracks on 1 to 22 above and the cost is about £150 including P&P. Universal can't of course be held responsible for retailers trying to chance £350 on a deleted and desirable rarity, but punters should know that the same material - and better - is available elsewhere - and for a fraction of the cost.

Like Atlantic, Motown, Stax and Island Records - Chess is a label worth taking that time and effort for....