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Bill Haley: still rocking around the clock!

 

 

 

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Born: WILLIAM HALEY, 6th July 1925, Highland Park, Detroit, USA.

 

BILL HALEY became a travelling musician and yodeller for country bands, The DOWN HOMERS and The RANGE DRIFTERS,after leaving school in Pennsylvania.

 

In 1948, BILL HALEY was hired as a DJ for the local W-PWA station in Chester, taking up the opportunity to air recordings of his new outfit, The FOUR ACES. He subsequently abandoned them in the early 1950’s, recruiting new backers, The SADDLEMEN, whose reputation was beginning to spread around the hillbilly community

 

 

 


 

 

In 1954 the group shifted stables to ‘Decca’, where they cut ‘THIRTEEN WOMEN’, as a single, although this was to initially flop. The record’s flip side ‘ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK’, began to garner airplay from some of the more non conformist radio stations and their next single ‘SHAKE RATTLE AND ROLL’ BECOME A Top 20 hit (on both! sides of the Atlantic).

 

Due to unprecedented public demand ‘ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK’ was reissued, this landmark track eventually becoming a transatlantic chart topper. It was undeniably the birth of popular Rock n Roll, the youth culture transforming virtually overnight (parents hated its rebellious overtones, their offspring bopping uninhibitedly around USA dancehalls).

 

BILL HALEY was now giving legendary performances up and down the USA dancehalls, although his clean-cut and well dressed appearance disappointed his newfound British following, who were looking for a thinner, unmarried figurehead to portray this hip new sound.

 

The formula was repeated on subsequent 45/78’s throughout the mid/late 50’s, songs such as ‘ROCK-A –BEATIN’ BOOGIE’, ‘ SEE YOU LATER ALIGATOR’, THE SAINTS ROCK’N’ROLL’ and ‘ROCKING THROUGH THE RYE’ dominating the charts prior to the advent of rock n roll as an image industry for fresh faced youngster 9i.e. ELVIS, EDDIE and even CLIFF).

 

The 60’s were virtually a non-starter for BILL HALEY, although his revival concerts of the following decade saw obligatory reissues of ‘ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK’ hit the UK Top 20.

 

Sadly, after a year spent in and out of hospital with a brain tumour, he died of a heart attack at his home in Harlingen, Texas on the 9th February 1981.

 

Songwriters: BILL HALEY adapted songs form obscure origins, writing many himself. Covered ROCK THE JOINT (Jimmy Preston) / ROCKET 88 (hit. Jackie Brenston) / RIP IT UP (Little Richard) / WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN (trad) / ROCKIN’ THROUGH THE RYE (Scot. Trad) / etc.

 

Favourites :

LP : ‘Rock Around the Clock’; first issued June 1956 on London (LAT 8117).

 

 

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What's your favourite Bill Haley songs? - why not send them to me?

 

 

In 1952, BILL HALEY signed to ‘Essex’ and issued the 78, ‘ICY HEART’ / ‘ROCK THE JOINT’, although this was only a minor seller. Renaming the outfit BILL HALEY & HIS COMETS, they hit upon a winning combination of rockability fused with their own interpretation of black R&B, scoring their first US top 20 hit with ‘CRAZY MAN CRAZY’.

 

 

bill haley

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Bill Haley