The Oldies Music Board

You are not logged in. Would you like to login or register?



May 20, 2020 10:37 am  #1


World’s First Unofficial Rock Record Was Meant As A B-Side

You may not know it, but May 20th is a landmark moment in the history of rock and roll. It’s the day 66 years ago when Bill Haley’s “Rock Around The Clock” was released, becoming what legend has it was the very first rock and roll record. (A lot of people dispute that, citing Jackie Brenston’s “Rocket 88” from 1951 as the original R’NR hit.)
 
Still, there’s little doubt that Haley’s iconic tune was an important song in the history of the genre.
 
According to an article in Ultimate Classic Rock, the infamous song was hated by the record company’s owner, because he had a beef with one of its writers. The owner didn’t want Haley to record it and put it out on the B-Side of the 45, which was fronted by a long forgotten ditty called “Thirteen Women.”
 
“I had written the melody and about half of the lyrics, but I was having trouble with the rest of it,” composer James Myers told the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. “Max Freedman, who had written some other songs with me, walked into my office while I was fooling around with it one day and said, ‘That sounds pretty good, can I help you with it?’ I said, ‘Why not?’ When we finished it he said, ‘What are you going to call it?’ I said, 'Rock Around the Clock.' ... When I showed it to Bill Haley he flipped over it, but his record company at that particular time said it would never sell.”
 
So little was thought of the flipside that they recorded it in two takes and put out the finished product.
 
The rest of the story and what happened next, which is pretty interesting, can be found here.

 

May 26, 2020 11:36 am  #2


Re: World’s First Unofficial Rock Record Was Meant As A B-Side

I'll stick with Rocket 88. 

 

May 26, 2020 10:49 pm  #3


Re: World’s First Unofficial Rock Record Was Meant As A B-Side

I was rather intrigued by the reference to Thirteen Women, as I don't ever recall having read about that aspect of the story before. So I looked the song up, and ... let's just say it's not surprising that it wasn't a hit. 
https://www.songfacts.com/facts/bill-haley/thirteen-women

 

May 27, 2020 12:28 pm  #4


Re: World’s First Unofficial Rock Record Was Meant As A B-Side

If you have any interest check this link......make your own judgement about "first"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bill_Moore

 

May 27, 2020 7:24 pm  #5


Re: World’s First Unofficial Rock Record Was Meant As A B-Side

according to the book, "rock of ages: the rolling stone history of rock & roll" most likely recorded in memphis, probably the first r&r song was called "expressman blues" which was cut on may 17, 1930 by sleepy john estes, yank rachell, and hammy nix.

the authors, geoffrey stokes and ken tucker, say it sounds remarkably similar to chuck berry.

Last edited by gopher (May 27, 2020 7:30 pm)

 

May 28, 2020 9:27 am  #6


Re: World’s First Unofficial Rock Record Was Meant As A B-Side

oldandtired wrote:

If you have any interest check this link......make your own judgement about "first"
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_Bill_Moore

Wow, just listened to it on YouTube. The song does indeed rock.
 

 

Board footera

 

Powered by Boardhost. Create a Free Forum