| Rock Around the Clock | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Compilation album by | ||||
| Released | December 19, 1955 | |||
| Recorded | April 12, 1954–September 23, 1955, Pythian Temple studios, 135 West 70th Street, New York City [1] [2] | |||
| Genre | Rock and roll, rockabilly | |||
| Length | 30:53 | |||
| Label | Decca | |||
| Producer | Milt Gabler, Bill Haley | |||
| Bill Haley and His Comets chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Allmusic |  
[3] |
Rock Around the Clock is 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. All of the album's contents had in fact been 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 first album releases of the rock and roll genre to do so.
Some non-American releases of the album, such as that on the Festival Records label of Australia on FR12-1102, promoted the album as being the soundtrack for the Rock Around the Clock film, owing to six of its tracks being included in the film.
The album was recorded in the Decca Records studio located in the Pythian Temple in New York City. [2] [1]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | " Rock Around the Clock" | James E. Myers, Max C. Freedman | 2:08 |
| 2. | " Shake, Rattle and Roll" | Jesse Stone | 2:31 |
| 3. | "A.B.C. Boogie" | Al Russel, 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, Frank Pingatore | 2:59 |
| Total length: | 15:43 | ||
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7. | "Dim, Dim the Lights (I Want Some Atmosphere)" | Beverly Ross, Julius Dixon | 2:31 |
| 8. | "Happy Baby" | Frank Pingatore | 2:36 |
| 9. | " Birth Of The Boogie" | Haley, Billy Williamson, Johnny Grande | 2:15 |
| 10. | "Mambo Rock" | Bix Reichner, Mildred Phillips and Jimmy Ayre | 2:38 |
| 11. | "Burn That Candle" | Winfield Scott | 2:46 |
| 12. | " Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie" | Haley | 2:21 |
| Total length: | 15:07 30:53 | ||
Personnel
- Bill Haley – rhythm guitar, vocals
- Danny Cedrone – lead guitar on 1-4
- Franny Beecher – lead guitar on 5-12
- Billy Williamson – steel guitar
- Johnny Grande – piano
- Marshall Lytle – double bass on 1-10
- Billy Gussak – drums on 1-8
- Joey Ambrose – tenor saxophone on 1-10
Additional personnel
- Al Rex – double bass on 11, 12
- Cliff Leeman – drums on 9-12
- Rudy Pompilli – tenor saxophone on 11, 12
- Dick Richards - triangle on 3; tom toms on 9; backing vocals on 2, 5, 6 [4] [5] [6] [7]
Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1956 | Billboard 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 |
Re-issue
The recording was re-issued on 180 Gram vinyl in 2009 by Doxy Music it was manufactured in Europe. Catalogue #DOY613
References
- ^ a b Simons, David (2004). Studio Stories - How the Great New York Records Were Made. San Francisco: Backbeat Books. Cf. pp.168-169.
- ^ a b Gray, Christopher (2009-06-18). "An Improbable Cradle of Rock Music". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-09-05.
- ^ Allmusic review
- ^ "Bill Haley Recordings File". The Gardner Family. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ "A.B.C. Boogie". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ "Mambo Rock". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
- ^ "Birth of the Boogie". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
