Rock Around the Clock (album)
Encyclopedia
Rock Around the Clock was the third album of rock and roll
music by Bill Haley and His Comets. Released by Decca Records
in December 1955 it was, like the two albums that preceded it, a compilation album
of previously issued singles. Most of album's contents were in fact previously issued by Decca earlier in 1955 on the album, Shake, Rattle and Roll
. Unlike the previous release, which was in the 10-inch format, the new album was a full 12-inch release and included additional tracks from 1955. It was also the first Haley album to make the Billboard
charts, and was one of the very first album releases of the rock and roll genre to do so.
The recording was made in the Decca Records studio located in the Pythian Temple
in New York City
.
The recording was re-issued on 180 Gram vinyl in 2009 by Doxy Music it was manufactured in Europe. Cataloge #DOY613
Single
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
music by Bill Haley and His Comets. Released by Decca Records
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
in December 1955 it was, like the two albums that preceded it, a compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of previously issued singles. Most of album's contents were in fact previously issued by Decca earlier in 1955 on the album, Shake, Rattle and Roll
Shake, Rattle and Roll (album)
Shake, Rattle and Roll is the title of an early rock and roll compilation album issued by Decca Records in 1955, and featuring music by Bill Haley & His Comets...
. Unlike the previous release, which was in the 10-inch format, the new album was a full 12-inch release and included additional tracks from 1955. It was also the first Haley album to make the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
charts, and was one of the very first album releases of the rock and roll genre to do so.
The recording was made in the Decca Records studio located in the Pythian Temple
Pythian Temple (New York City)
The Pythian Temple is an historic Knights of Pythias building at 135 West 70th Street between Columbus Avenue and Broadway in the Lincoln Square neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City. It was built in 1927 to serve as a meeting place for the 120 Pythian lodges of New York City...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
The recording was re-issued on 180 Gram vinyl in 2009 by Doxy Music it was manufactured in Europe. Cataloge #DOY613
Track listing
| Track | Song Title | Written By | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" | James E. Myers James E. Myers James E. Myers was an American songwriter, actor, producer, and raconteur.Myers is best known as the credited co-writer of "Rock Around the Clock" for which he used the pseudonym "Jimmy DeKnight". Myers co-wrote the song with Max C... and Max Freedman |
2:11 |
| 2. | "Shake, Rattle and Roll Shake, Rattle and Roll "Shake, Rattle and Roll" is a prototypical twelve bar blues-form rock and roll song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone under his assumed songwriting name Charles E. Calhoun. It was originally recorded by Big Joe Turner, and most successfully by Bill Haley & His Comets... " |
Jesse Stone Jesse Stone Jesse Stone was an American rhythm and blues musician and songwriter whose influence spanned a wide range of genres... |
2:31 |
| 3. | "A.B.C. Boogie" | Al Russel and Max Spickol | 2:29 |
| 4. | "Thirteen Women" (And Only One Man in Town) | Dickie Thompson | 2:53 |
| 5. | "Razzle-Dazzle" | Charles E. Calhoun | 2:43 |
| 6. | "Two Hound Dogs" | Bill Haley and Frank Pingatore | 2:59 |
| 7. | "Dim, Dim the Lights" (I Want Some Atmosphere) | Beverly Ross and Julius Dixon | 2:31 |
| 8. | "Happy Baby" | Frank Pingatore | 2:36 |
| 9. | "Birth Of The Boogie Birth of the Boogie Birth Of The Boogie is a 1955 song composed by Bill Haley with Billy Williamson and Johnny Grande. The song was released as a Decca single by Bill Haley and His Comets.... " |
Bill Haley, Billy Williamson and Johnny Grande Johnny Grande John A. Grande , better known as Johnny Grande, was a member of Bill Haley's backing band, The Comets.-Life and Career:... |
2:15 |
| 10. | "Mambo Rock" | Bix Reichner, Mildred Phillips and Jimmy Ayre | 2:38 |
| 11. | "Burn That Candle" | Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (songwriter) Winfield Scott was a songwriter who wrote or co-wrote the hit songs "Tweedle Dee" for LaVern Baker and "Return to Sender" for Elvis Presley. "Return to Sender", written for the Presley film Girls! Girls! Girls!, was his biggest hit, selling over 14 million copies in the U.S... |
2:46 |
| 12. | "Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie is a 1952 song composed by Bill Haley and first recorded by The Esquire Boys in 1952. Bill Haley and the Comets recorded the song in 1955 for Decca. The song was featured in the 1956 movie Rock Around the Clock.... " |
Bill Haley | 2:21 |
Personnel
- Bill HaleyBill HaleyBill Haley was one of the first American rock and roll musicians. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and their hit song "Rock Around the Clock".-Early life and career:...
– rhythm guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
, vocals - Danny CedroneDanny CedroneDanny Cedrone was an American guitarist and bandleader, best known for his work with Bill Haley & His Comets on their epochal "Rock Around the Clock" in 1954.-Biography:...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure...
on 1 2 3 4 - Franny BeecherFranny BeecherFrancis "Franny" Beecher , also known as Frank Beecher, was lead guitarist for Bill Haley & His Comets from 1954 to 1962, and is best remembered for his innovative guitar solos combining elements of country music and jazz...
– lead guitar on 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 - Billy Williamson – steel guitarSteel guitarSteel guitar is a type of guitar or the method of playing the instrument. Developed in Hawaii in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, a steel guitar is usually positioned horizontally; strings are plucked with one hand, while the other hand changes the pitch of one or more strings with the use...
- Johnny GrandeJohnny GrandeJohn A. Grande , better known as Johnny Grande, was a member of Bill Haley's backing band, The Comets.-Life and Career:...
– pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Marshall LytleMarshall LytleMarshall Lytle , who also goes by the name Tommy Page, is an American rock and roll musician, best known for his work with the groups Bill Haley & His Comets and The Jodimars in the 1950s.-Career:...
– bassDouble bassThe double bass, also called the string bass, upright bass, standup bass or contrabass, is the largest and lowest-pitched bowed string instrument in the modern symphony orchestra, with strings usually tuned to E1, A1, D2 and G2...
on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - Billy GussakBilly GussakWilliam "Billy" Gussak was an American jazz and recording session drummer, best known for being the drummer on the classic 12 April 1954 recording of "Rock Around The Clock" by Bill Haley and His Comets...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
on 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - Joey d'Ambrosio – tenor saxTenor saxophoneThe tenor saxophone is a medium-sized member of the saxophone family, a group of instruments invented by Adolphe Sax in the 1840s. The tenor, with the alto, are the two most common types of saxophones. The tenor is pitched in the key of B, and written as a transposing instrument in the treble...
on 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Additional personnel
- Panama Francis – drums on 2 3
- Al Rex – bass on 11 12
- Cliff LeemanCliff LeemanCliff Leeman was an American jazz drummer.Leeman played percussion with the Portland Symphony at age 13, and toured as a xylophonist on the vaudeville circuit late in the 1920s...
– drums on 11 12 - Rudy PompilliRudy PompilliRudy Pompilli in Chester, Pennsylvania on April 16, 1924 — died February 5, 1976) was an American musician best known for playing tenor saxophone with Bill Haley and His Comets.-Biography:...
– tenor sax on 11 12 - Dick Richards - triangle on 3, tom tomTom tomTom tom and similar names may refer to:In music:* Tom Tom , 2010 alternative rock song* Tom-tom drum, a cylindrical drum with no snare* Tom Tom Club, a New Wave band** Tom Tom Club, an album by Tom Tom Club...
s on 9; backing vocals on 2 5 6 http://thegardnerfamily.org/haley/discography/recordings.html
Charts
Album| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop Albums |
12 |
Single
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1955 | "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" | Billboard Black Singles | 3 |
| 1955 | "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" | Billboard Pop Singles | 1 |
| 1974 | "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" | Billboard Pop Singles | 39 |