Bill Haley - Rock Around the Clock

music for rockers only...

Rock Around the Clock is a solid CD that offers many of Bill Haley's greatest hits he performed with band called The Comets. I really like the sound quality on this album; and the artwork is very good especially on the front cover!

The track set starts off with "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock." This tune really shows off the best of Bill Haley & His Comets in one big package. They rock; set up a tune for dancing; and they sing better than anything! The guitars work wonders for this number and Bill Haley never sounded better. "Shake, Rattle And Roll" is another huge hit for this group; they harmonize very well and Bill sounds very strong. The musical arrangement is upbeat and catchy; you will want to dance to this one for sure! I really like "Shake, Rattle And Roll."

"Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town)" gets the royal treatment as Bill Haley & His Comets do this one up right; the guitars work well yet again and the modulations between major and minor enhance this number. Bill's excellent diction enhances his performance and overall "Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town)" is an excellent tune that lacks nothing--it's THAT good. Listen also for "Razzle Dazzle;" Bill sings this and the backup vocals complement him wonderfully. "Two Hound Dogs" is equally special; this is one you're bound to like! "Two Hound Dogs" sings of rhythm and blues as two hound dogs; and although I wouldn't have thought so when I hear this number I like it very much.

"Happy Baby" features their excellent vocals squarely in the spotlight; and "Mambo Rock" reflects the Latin dance craze that was a huge phenomenon in the 1950s and early 1960s. "R-O-C-K" makes you want to jump up and dance wherever you are; and "The Saints Rock 'N Roll" is an interesting rendition of "When The Saints Go Marching In"--but with some different lyrics, as you may have guessed.

The CD ends with another incomparable hit for this group, "See You Later, Alligator." "See You Later, Alligator" has a great beat (as do they all) and it makes a robust ending for this fine and nostalgic CD that honors some of the best musicians of the entire twentieth century.

There's no denying that Bill Haley & His Comets were some of the best to perform--ever. This fine CD is a must have for fans of this group; and it also makes a good starter CD for newcomers to this genre of rock and roll oldies.
March 2, 2008

Bill Haley's "Rock Around The Clock" - A Stunning Reissue For One Of ROCK 'n' ROLL's First Superstars And A Must Buy For Fans!

This 2004 Universal CD reissue gives us all 12-tracks of the original US Mono album on Decca BL 8225 released just a week before the Christmas festivities of 1955. It's remastered to gorgeous sound quality from the 1st generation master tapes by Erick Labson of Universal and its bonus tracks are 3-sides of two singles in and around the release of the LP. It's a bit of an omission leaving out "The Mail Boy (On Main Street, USA)", the B-side to "See You Later, Alligator", which would have given us 16 tracks instead of 15 thereby allowing the listener to sequence no less than 8 of his Decca singles (A&B) as follows:

1. (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock/Thirteen Women (And Only One Man In Town) (1954, Decca 29124)
2. Shake, Rattle & Roll/ABC Boogie (1954, Decca 29204)
3. Dim, Dim The Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere)/Happy Baby (1954, Decca 29317)
4. Mambo Rock/Birth Of The Boogie (1955, Decca 29418)
5. Razzle Dazzle/Two Hound Dogs (1955, Decca 29552)
6. Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie/Burn That Candle (1955, Decca 29713)
7. See You Later, Alligator/The Paper Boy (on Main Street, USA) (1956, Decca 29791)
8. R-O-C-K/The Saints Rock 'N' Roll (1956, Decca 29870)

But as you can see, the fifteen songs that are provided are that rarity - all killer and no filler - every last one of them released on 45 because they were ace.

Back to the album. Right from the off, the joy of the band is audible in every song and you can 'feel' why people went nuts for "rock 'n' roll". You can just imagine the new 'teenagers' of the USA - and everywhere else for that matter - sitting down in their local movie theatre, glued to the opening credits of "Blackboard Jungle", when Bill Haley's irresistible and infectious "Rock Around The Clock" comes out of the speakers and literally blew away the cobwebs of a hurting decade after the Second World War. It must have seemed like a cultural atom bomb - and best of all - scared the living crap out of their parents! A sense of sly fun pervades the whole record.

So why then is Haley seen by some as 'Uncle Bill'? Haley was 30 when the album was released, and yet somehow he seemed older - and some felt he was a pretender. Given his good looks, his voice and his sheer animal magnetism, it`s easy to see why Elvis would be adopted as the true "King of Rock'n'Roll" by the teens just a few months later. Elvis was cool; Haley was your Dad! And although Elvis ripped the entire fabric of the known Universe apart in 1956, this extraordinary album is where it all really started for Rock 'n' Roll and Bill Haley should be loved for that. Haley laid the groundwork and Elvis, Little Richard, Gene Vincent, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Holly, The Everly Brothers - they all followed in his footsteps - and all prospered because of him.

You can't help but think that this album and Haley himself are forgotten - and they shouldn't be. A fantastic listen - an important and timely reissue - and surely one of the great debut albums of all time. Start your journey to the dark side here children and swear to your parents, you'll only look at Bill from the waist up!

PS: A few words on the "ROCK 'N' ROLL 50th ANNIVERSARY EDITION" Series in general:
It should also be noted that this issue is part of the above named series issued in 2004 by Universal. This secondary series title is displayed vertically on the side inlay beneath the see-through tray, but unfortunately, if you try to search the Amazon database for ANY titles in the series, it doesn't recognize the 'name' at all. For those interested in a visual, I've placed a full list of all seven titles in Listmania called "Rock 'N' Roll 50th Anniversary Edition Series". Other goodies in the series include "Buddy Holly" ('58) by Buddy Holly, Chuck Berry's "After School Session" ('58) and "St. Louis To Liverpool" ('64), Bo Diddley's "Bo Diddley Is A Gunslinger" ('60), and the "Rock, Rock, Rock!" soundtrack from 1956 featuring Chuck Berry, The Moonglows and The Flamingos. I can't recommend these titles enough - each album remastered to beautiful sound quality, colour artwork lovingly restored and each bolstered up with 3 or 4 relevant single releases from the time (some previously unreleased). Fans of Haley, Holly, The Crickets, Berry, Diddley and Rock'n'Roll in general should quickly acquire all of these exemplary CDs. They make for the best basis of a collection in a minefield of lesser compilations. Enjoy! November 25, 2007

Just like the olden days

This has really brought back the memories of childhood. This was the first rock album (vinyl of course)ever in our house, and even my parents learned to jitterbug. The album was so badly scratched you couldn't even hear it anymore, so to be able to hear the old "Two Hound Dogs", and "Burn that Candle" and the rest has been great! Clear sound and worth dancing to....if you love early rock, this is for you. March 8, 2007

"Rock Around The Clock" More Than a Great Album - It's an album of Rock n Roll History

Rock Around The Clock - the album, should be just as significant in music history as James Brown's Please Please Please album, a not only great sounding album but an album demonstrating the roots of Brown.

I do however have a special interest in both albums. My father co-wrote Dim Dim The Lights featured on the Rock Around The Clock album. My father knew Haley and Alan Freed so what I am about to say not only gives this album its deserved kudos, it also sets the record straight via primary source information about the history of some of the songs on the album.

Haley first recorded Rock Around The Clock in April of 1954. It didn't do that great, coming in at #33 and only staying on Billboard's Popular chart for one week.

Freed had met Haley in 1953. He showed great interest in Haley, even having him on his radio show out in Cleveland Ohio. What interested Freed about Haley, like Elvis interested Sam Phillips, was that he was looking for a white artist to take R&B to the mainstream and thought Haley could be that vehicle. Freed wasn't naive. He knew he had to do it in this racist world using a white music act. However, he was not willing to do it at the expense of legitimacy. Haley would first have to get the stamp of approval not by white music critics or a white music audience. Haley would have to get his stamp of approval by the Black music audience. This is why, other than a featured guest spot,you don't hear Haley songs until Dim Dim The Lights on Freed's radio shows.

Haley than scored a #7 pop hit doing a cover of Joe Turner's "Shake Rattle and Roll." He recorded his version somewhere in July of 54. Even that song was not played on a Freed show, although maybe Freed wanted to play it.

However, after Haley recorded Dim Dim The Lights in the month of November 54, Freed noticed that it was getting a lot of airplay on R&B stations. Freed started playing the song when Dim Dim The Lights became the first R&B song recorded by a white artist to not only get on the R&B charts but land in its Top Ten. Freed was on WINS New York by then playing an authentic R&B program. Dim Dim was also a Top Ten Pop hit on the Variety Charts, which was a more prestigious chart than Billboard or Cash Box back then, making Dim Dim The Lights the first record by a white act to be on two charts - top ten at that.

Everyone started playing and buying the three Haley songs that were lingering out there, which included left over Rock Around The Clock 45's still hanging around record stores from 54 and juke boxes. That's why one might see Rock Around The Clock getting significant juke box play around January of 55, which was clearly off the heels and success of Dim Dim The Lights.

This would explain why the producer of the movie "The Blackboard Jungle" starring Glen Ford heard his little preteen daughter playing Rock Around The Clock in January of 55 on her record player. He liked the response his daughter was giving the record so he decided to use it in the movie's soundtrack.

The success of the movie and its soundttrack told Decca Records to re-release Rock Around The Clock as a single in July of 55. That's why this album gets to us in 56.

While there is no question that Rock Around The Clock became the anthem of the R&B genre under the now agreed term Rock n' Roll with its first Rock n' Roll Icon, Bill Haley, rather than Rhythm and Blues and historically is considered the first international R&B/RR record, Dim Dim The Lights no doubt led the way and as Alan Freed said, "...is the grand daddy song of Rock n Roll."

There is room for little doubt that when Haley put an original thumb print on an R&B song he clearly performed a song in the Rhythm and Blues' spirit. That he didn't do with Shake Rattle and Roll. Maybe because he leaned away from the genre due to a command R&B performance by Joe Turner. But when he recorded Rock Around The Clock it was original and in the true R&B vain. It just had to wait for a stamp of approval. That came after he decided to record Dim Dim The Lights. My father told me that Haley did follow his demo that was given to him.

So when listening to this great album you will see Haley at his finest R&B performance level with most of the songs. Pay close attention to Thirteen Women. It has a Cab Calloway Band feeling to hit.
January 19, 2006

THE FIRST GREAT ALBUM OF THE ROCK 'N' ROLL ERA

Before Elvis checked into the heartbreak hotel, before Chuck Berry caught Maybellene on the top of the hill, before Carl Perkins put on his blue suede shoes, Bill Haley and his Comets were rockin' around the clock. What do you get with this c.d.? Guitar work that would sound right at home with todays modern jump blues, some of the earliest rockabilly ever recorded, birth of the boogie, and the first great album of the rock'n'roll era! He may have looked like a square, but hey, Bill Haley was one hip cat.
See you later, alligator
Thanks,
Tom September 21, 2005

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