Rock Around the Clock
Come to think of it, why isn't "Rock Around the Clock" in the top 20 oldies of all time? After all, with its use in "Blackboard Jungle" isn't it the song that launched the rock and roll era? Aside from the fact that the song is a total blast, it deserves to be all the way at the top for the influence it had.
Comments
The three songs that launched the rock and roll era, which was then called rhythm and blues, were:
1. Bill Haley and the Comets, Rock Around the Clock;
2. The Crewcuts, Sh-Boom;
3. The Penguins, Earth Angel.
A DJ called Moondoggie, aka Alan Freed, played them in NYC in either '53 or '54. This is from memory, but I think it's accurate.
And we proto-teenyboppers danced our little behinds off.
Posted by: Mom | November 28, 2004 07:44 PM
No johnny Burnett trio?
Posted by: Rick DeMent | November 30, 2004 07:17 AM
Just Googled them. They were rockabilly, not r'n'r -- the difference being that they didn't have any nationwide hits. And they sure didn't have the hard edge of the Bill Haley and the Comets. I sampled some of their songs, and the only one I liked was Setting the Woods on Fire, which was a cover of Hank Williams. And I loved Hank Williams. Still do. Most of his songs are on my iPod.
Posted by: Mom | November 30, 2004 10:45 AM
Mom,
Actually the JBT was pretty influentual with bands like Aerosmith, Led Zepplin, Yardbirds, Foghat, and all of those blusy hard rock acts, coverd JBT songs like "Train keep A'Rollen" and "Honey Hush".
Posted by: Rick DeMent | November 30, 2004 05:56 PM
My DH is a graphic artist, and all artists know who are tops in their fields, even if the public [me] never heard of them [JBT]. So clearly this is one of those cases. The musicians knew, even if I didn't.
Hmmm... did that Mom have a ring of Mo-om/long pause about it? ;)
Posted by: Mom | November 30, 2004 07:32 PM