Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets
Encyclopedia
Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets is the title of an early rock and roll
music compilation album
issued by Essex Records
(ESLP 202) in 1954, and featuring music by the titular group, Bill Haley & His Comets
. The album features recordings made by Haley in 1952 and 1953, including his hits, "Rock the Joint
" and "Crazy Man Crazy". The album is the earliest known LP release of the rock and roll genre, predating similar releases by Elvis Presley
and by Haley himself, as he and his band later went on to Decca Records
and recorded "Rock Around the Clock
".
All the songs on this album were previously released as singles under the Essex banner, including several that were originally released when the band used the name Bill Haley and the Saddlemen. The album does not include any of the tracks Haley and the Comets recorded in 1954 before moving to Decca, nor are any of the tracks from 1951-52 included that Haley recorded for Essex's sister label, Holiday Records
(although later releases of Haley's Essex label work would later include these tracks).
Essex leased this album out to numerous other labels that subsequently issued it under their own brand. This includes Somerset Records, Paragon Records, Reo Records, Transworld, and Quality Records
.
Note: no drums were used on tracks 1, 2, 12. According to the Haley biography Sound and Glory by John W. Haley and John von Hoelle (Dyne-American, 1990), numerous other individuals participated on backing vocals on 7, including record executive Jerry Blaine
.
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 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...
issued by Essex Records
Essex Records
Essex Records was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1951 by David Miller primarily to record contemporary country and western, rhythm and blues as well as jazz and gospel. Jack Howard was the promotion manager. The label had little popular success. They issued a 1954 single called "Oh, Mein...
(ESLP 202) in 1954, and featuring music by the titular group, Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets
Bill Haley & His Comets was an American rock and roll band that was founded in 1952 and continued until Haley's death in 1981. The band, also known by the names Bill Haley and The Comets and Bill Haley's Comets , was the earliest group of white musicians to bring rock and roll to the attention of...
. The album features recordings made by Haley in 1952 and 1953, including his hits, "Rock the Joint
Rock the Joint
"Rock the Joint", also known as "We're Gonna Rock This Joint Tonight", is a boogie song recorded by various proto-rock and roll singers, notably Jimmy Preston and early rock and roll singers, most notably Bill Haley...
" and "Crazy Man Crazy". The album is the earliest known LP release of the rock and roll genre, predating similar releases by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
and by Haley himself, as he and his band later went on to 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....
and recorded "Rock Around the Clock
Rock Around the Clock
"Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954...
".
All the songs on this album were previously released as singles under the Essex banner, including several that were originally released when the band used the name Bill Haley and the Saddlemen. The album does not include any of the tracks Haley and the Comets recorded in 1954 before moving to Decca, nor are any of the tracks from 1951-52 included that Haley recorded for Essex's sister label, Holiday Records
Holiday Records
Holiday Records was an American recording company based out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania which was active in the early 1950s. Owned by Dave Miller, who also owned Essex Records, it is best known for releasing some of the earliest recordings widely identified as rock and roll, most notably "Rocket...
(although later releases of Haley's Essex label work would later include these tracks).
Essex leased this album out to numerous other labels that subsequently issued it under their own brand. This includes Somerset Records, Paragon Records, Reo Records, Transworld, and Quality Records
Quality Records
Quality Records is a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels, and also released recordings by Canadian artists...
.
Track listing
- Rock the JointRock the Joint"Rock the Joint", also known as "We're Gonna Rock This Joint Tonight", is a boogie song recorded by various proto-rock and roll singers, notably Jimmy Preston and early rock and roll singers, most notably Bill Haley...
(Harry Crafton, Wendell Keane, Harry Bagby) - Rockin' Chair on the Moon (Bill Haley, Harry Broomall)
- Farewell, So Long, Goodbye (Bill Haley)
- Real Rock Drive (Bill Haley)
- Fractured (Bill Haley, Marshall Lytle)
- Stop Beatin' Round the Mulberry BushHere We Go Round the Mulberry BushHere We Go Round the Mulberry Bush is a 1967 British film made based on the novel of the same name by Hunter Davies. It was listed to compete at the 1968 Cannes Film Festival, but the festival was cancelled due to the events of May 1968 in France....
(Bickley Reichner, Clay Boland) - Crazy Man Crazy (Bill Haley)
- Pat-a-CakePat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man"Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man", "Pat-a-cake", "patty-cake" or "pattycake" is one of the oldest and most widely known surviving English nursery rhymes...
(Billy Williamson, Bill Haley) - Live it Up (Bill Haley)
- What'cha Gonna Do (Bill Haley)
- I'll Be True (William McLemore)
- Dance with a DollyBuffalo Gals"Buffalo Gals" is a traditional American song, written and published as "Lubly Fan" in 1844 by the blackface minstrel John Hodges, who performed as "Cool White." The song was widely popular throughout the United States...
(Terry Shand, Jimmy Eaton, Mickey Leader)
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 4 6 12 - Art RyersonArt RyersonArt Ryerson was a jazz guitarist who emerged in the 1930s, playing acoustic and electric guitar, as well as the banjo. He played with jazz orchestras and bands in the 1930s and the 1940s...
- 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 3 5 7 8 9 10 11 - 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...
; organ on 11 - 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... - 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 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 - 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 - Dick Richards - backing vocals on 9 11
- Tony Lance baritone saxophoneBaritone saxophoneThe baritone saxophone, often called "bari sax" , is one of the largest and lowest pitched members of the saxophone family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. The baritone is distinguished from smaller sizes of saxophone by the extra loop near its mouthpiece...
on 3 9 11 - Dave MillerDave Miller (producer)Dave Miller was a record producer and the founder of many budget album record companies.-Biography:...
- clapboard on 11, backing vocals on 7http://thegardnerfamily.org/haley/discography/recordings.html
Note: no drums were used on tracks 1, 2, 12. According to the Haley biography Sound and Glory by John W. Haley and John von Hoelle (Dyne-American, 1990), numerous other individuals participated on backing vocals on 7, including record executive Jerry Blaine
Jerry Blaine
Jerry Blaine was a bandleader, label owner, record distributor, and singer who recorded 18 sides for the Master and Bluebird labels in 1937-1938.-Biography:...
.