As fans celebrated the 100th anniversary of Chuck Berry’s birth recently on October 18, Molland, Solem & Miller honored his legacy by releasing a new rendition of “Johnny B. Goode”. Featuring the late Joey Molland of Badfinger, Phil Solem of The Rembrandts, and singer-songwriter and guitarist Jeff Miller, the recording pays tribute to a Rock & Roll pioneer whose influence connects generations of musicians.
Arriving via Minneapolis-based Hygh Tension Records, with distribution by Virgin Music Group, the single offers the first taste of a 12-song Chuck Berry tribute album due out May 14, 2027. Years in the making, the project grew from the trio’s friendship, acoustic performances together, and shared admiration for Berry’s music.
The collaboration began in Minneapolis, where all three musicians were living when local guitar shop Willie’s American Guitars helped bring Molland and Solem together for a benefit performance. Rehearsals revealed an immediate chemistry as the musicians performed songs from their respective catalogs and backed each other onstage.
Miller recalls:
They started playing their hits, backing each other up, and it was just stupendous. It was great, the two talents together.
Miller encouraged the collaboration to continue, and the three eventually took their acoustic performances on the road. Along the way, their shared enthusiasm for Berry’s songwriting and guitar playing sparked the idea for a tribute.
Miller explains:
We all realized we loved Chuck Berry and loved all kinds of different songs of Chuck Berry. We said, ‘Okay, well, let’s do a tribute to him.’
That idea became a long-running recording project, with Molland, Solem, and Miller bringing their own musical personalities to a collection of Berry classics. For Molland, the project also carried a personal connection through his friendship with Berry’s daughter, Ingrid Berry Clay, who was aware of the recordings.
Following Molland’s passing in 2025, the project has taken on added significance, preserving his performances alongside longtime friends and collaborators. His vocals on “Johnny B. Goode” help introduce a tribute rooted in the music that inspired the trio and generations of fellow musicians.
The forthcoming album features interpretations of “Roll Over Beethoven,” “Nadine,” “Carol,” “You Never Can Tell,” “Memphis,” “Little Queenie,” and “Around and Around,” among other Berry favorites. Additional singles will arrive in the months leading up to the album’s May 2027 release.
Miller says:
We are very, very excited to have Hygh Tension Records promoting and bringing this album that we’ve done all this work on to fruition.
More about Molland, Solem & Miller:
Joey Molland was a guitarist and vocalist for Badfinger, the influential British rock group known for classics including “No Matter What,” “Day After Day,” and “Baby Blue.”
Phil Solem is a founding member of The Rembrandts, whose hits include “Just the Way It Is, Baby” and “I’ll Be There for You,” the theme song from Friends.
Jeff Miller is a singer-songwriter and guitarist whose longtime musical partnership with Molland and Solem helped bring the Chuck Berry tribute project to life.
