Top 40 Music on Compact Disc: bill haley we’re gonna rock around clock

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edtop40
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Posted: 21 April 2012 at 1:16pm \| IP Logged

the db lists only one entry for the bill haley song "(we're
gonna) rock around the clock", but, the song was originally
released in 1955 as decca 29124 and then re-released in
1974 as mca 60025, do to it's inclusion in the then popular
tv series "happy days".....i'm reviewing bill haley this
afternoon and i have both vinyl 45's....what's interesting
is the original issue as decca 29124 doesn't have the count
of "1, 2" at the beginning while the re-issue mca 60025
does.....don't know how this info s/b incorporated into the
db, but for top 40 purist like us, it should be noted that
the two issuance's of the song on 45 are NOT the same.....

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Todd Ireland
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Posted: 22 April 2012 at 12:37am \| IP Logged

Ed:

I don't want to speak for Pat, but I'm guessing he may not have listed the 1974 re-release of Bill Haley and His Comets' "(We're gonna) Rock Around the Clock" due to its low peak position on other major music chart publications besides Billboard. Still, in my humble opinion I think it warrants mentioning the "with countdown/without countdown" distinction between the two releases.

edtop40
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Posted: 22 April 2012 at 8:43am \| IP Logged

paul haney....i don't know whether it's worth noting, but
the "billboard hot 100 annual" book i have from 1955-2005
says that the 1955 and 1974 releases of "(we're gonna) rock
around the clock" are the same....technically, that's not
correct, but i don't know whether that is worth an
amendment in future additions or not....

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Yah Shure
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Posted: 22 April 2012 at 8:25pm \| IP Logged

edtop40 wrote:

what's interesting is the original issue as Decca 29124 doesn't have the count of "1, 2" at the beginning while the re-issue MCA 60025 does

MCA 60025 may have its own set of variations, not only because it remained in print over several decades and three label designs, but because it had already been a part of the label's 60000-series oldies lineup prior to being promoted as a current in 1974. The reissue which charted in 1974 was on the black-and-silver rainbow label, and my copy does not have the spoken "1-2" count-off. It begins with the drumbeats/"One, two, three o'clock, four o'clock rock..." intro just as the original Decca 29124 did. I don't have the 1974 DJ 45, but remember playing it at the time, and it likewise did not have the spoken "1-2" count-off. I'd never even heard that count-off prior to the track's appearance on MCA's Vintage Music, Vol. 3 CD.

Ed, Decca 29124 was first issued in May of 1954 and it charted in Billboard for one week at number 23 at the end of that month. It would take one calendar year and a jumpstart from its exposure in The Blackboard Jungle before it became a smash hit.

The deadwax on my 60025 reissue is "86163 W-1", with the numeral "2" opposite, which indicated it was pressed by MCA's Pinckneyville, Illinois plant. That "2" also indicated that it was an older stamper from MCA's pre-1973 Decca label, as the "2" was replaced by the "<>-P-<>" symbol in '73 for Pinckneyville pressings.

edtop40
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Posted: 23 April 2012 at 4:20pm \| IP Logged

yah shure....i think you may be on to something here....as
they say in the nfl...."upon further review".....my
commercial 45 issued as mca 60025 is of the blue rainbow
varity....in addition, which i didn't notice at first....it
does say copyright 1980 around the bottom half of the label
near the vinyl......so this clearly wasn't the version
issued in 1974....i will have to track down the black
rainbow version now.....so the 1954 and 1974 release
actually ARE the same....and this 1980 re-reissue is
not.....very puzzling....

Edited by edtop40 on 26 April 2012 at 8:16am

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KentT
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Posted: 25 April 2012 at 7:52am \| IP Logged

I own the MCA 60025 single in original black rainbow label and blue rainbow last label. The Black Rainbow I have has "Rock Around The Clock" from a new MCA Stamper, "Thirteen Women" is an old Decca stamper. And has bass to die for. And "Rock Around The Clock" has no 1-2 countoff. My Blue Rainbow issue has MCA stampers on both sides, and 1-2 on "Rock Around The Clock"

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Paul C
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Posted: 04 May 2012 at 3:12pm \| IP Logged

The first appearance of the countoff that I'm aware of was on the 1985 Steve Hoffman mastered CD From The Original Master Tapes. Ed's copy of MCA 60025 was likely pressed after this date. My copy of 60025, which I purchased in the early 1980s, also has the light blue 'rainbow' label but does not have the countoff. It's surprising that MCA would have bothered to remaster the re-issue 45 some time after 1985 but apparently they did.

TomDiehl1
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Posted: 04 May 2012 at 8:09pm \| IP Logged

Not relating to the 45 at all, but when the song was used in an episode of Quantum Leap (the Good Morning, Peoria episode when Sam leaps into a DJ in Peoria, Illinois in 1959), the song gets put on the air and one hears a fade-in of the countoff before the song starts, which I found a bit funny.

As for the MCA issues of the 45, I have a blue rainbow label copy which does not have the countoff.

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PopArchivist
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Posted: 13 October 2021 at 3:38am \| IP Logged

KentT wrote:

"Rock Around The Clock" has no 1-2 countoff.

The correct 45 version does not contain the 1-2 countoff. Numerous versions on CD are either missing the opening drum beat, a rerecording or they have the 1,2 countoff. If you notice any of that then you have a non-hit version.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V7mVlilRSM

Edited by PopArchivist on 13 October 2021 at 3:40am

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thecdguy
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Posted: 13 October 2021 at 4:16am \| IP Logged

The compilation, "American Heartbeat 1955" doesn't have the count-off or drumbeat, but starts cold with Bill Haley singing, "One, two, three o'clock,
four o'clock rock". That's the only time I've ever heard the song open cold with vocals.

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Dan In Philly

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Posted: 13 October 2021 at 4:45am \| IP Logged

Dan,

I ordered the comp for that reason. The correct 45 however never opened cold. That snare drum opening beat is legendary!

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AndrewChouffi
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Posted: 13 October 2021 at 5:13am \| IP Logged

Yah Shure wrote:

Ed, Decca 29124 was first issued in May
of 1954 and it
charted in Billboard for one week at number 23 at the end
of that month. It would take one calendar year and a
jumpstart from its exposure in The Blackboard
Jungle before it became a smash hit.

Could someone please tell me what Billboard chart "Rock
Around The Clock" entered in 1954?

It did chart for a couple of weeks in Cashbox in '54.

Thanks!

Andy

Edited by AndrewChouffi on 13 October 2021 at 5:14am

thecdguy
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Posted: 13 October 2021 at 5:28am \| IP Logged

Quote:

Could someone please tell me what Billboard chart "Rock
Around The Clock" entered in 1954?

It did chart for a couple of weeks in Cashbox in '54.

I'd like to know that myself. I'm guessing either the "Best Sellers In Stores" chart or "Most Played In Jukeboxes" chart. I don't think it would've made the
"Most Played By Jockeys" chart, as I think many people at the time thought it sounded too hard for radio.

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Paul Haney
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Posted: 14 October 2021 at 1:53am \| IP Logged

AndrewChouffi wrote:

Could someone please tell me what
Billboard chart "Rock Around The Clock" entered in 1954?

It never charted at all in Billboard in 1954. Peaked at
#36 in Cash Box only.

thecdguy
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Posted: 14 October 2021 at 4:19am \| IP Logged

Paul Haney wrote:

AndrewChouffi wrote:

Could someone
please tell me what
Billboard chart "Rock Around The Clock" entered in 1954?

It never charted at all in Billboard in 1954. Peaked at
#36 in Cash Box only.

Paul, the "Pop Memories 1890-1954" book has it charting
for 1 week and peaking at #23 the week of May 29, 1954.

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AndrewChouffi
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Posted: 14 October 2021 at 5:32am \| IP Logged

Yes, I own both versions of 'Pop Memories'.

That original 1890-1954 book has quite a few undocumented
chart positions in it.

I still wonder if there was an actual Billboard chart, no
matter how fleeting, where it did chart at #23, or if it
was a totally "fudged" chart position?

Andy

thecdguy
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Posted: 14 October 2021 at 5:55am \| IP Logged

I checked the World Radio History site that has scans of the issues of Billboard & other trade publications. It does have the issue for May 29, 1954
and "Rock Around The Clock" is not on any of the Pop Charts that week.

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AndrewChouffi
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Posted: 14 October 2021 at 9:19am \| IP Logged

To Dan:

Thanks for doing the research! I kinda thought it was a
"fudged" chart entry.

Andy

Paul Haney
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Posted: 14 October 2021 at 10:29am \| IP Logged

Yes, there are some other sources used in that original Pop Memories book. That's the main reason we did the Pop
Hits 1940-54 book and based it solely on the Billboard charts. Obviously, "Rock Around The Clock" is NOT listed in
that book!

crapfromthepast
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Posted: 14 October 2021 at 11:09am \| IP Logged

The 1954 hit started with two snare hits, then the word "one". Iconic, to put it mildly. The source tape apparently included a count-off before the snare hits, which was not present on anything released in 1954. There's only one hit version of the song, and it's in mono. There are a handful of live or rerecordings out there, and a few electronically-rechanneled-for-stereo versions. Those are easily avoided. Everything on major labels, including everything I list below, is the hit version and in proper mono.

The first CD to include "Rock Around The Clock" was most likely MCA's Bill Haley collection From The Original Master Tapes (1985). Steve Hoffman mastered this disc, and it sounds superb. Excellent dynamic range, nice EQ, no added noise reduction, and very low-generation source tapes. I believe it was a conscious decision to leave in the count-off at the beginning of the song; it was on the tape, and it's pretty neat to hear even though the song wasn't released that way in 1954.

The following CDs all use the same analog transfer as From The Original Master Tapes:

Rhino's Billboard Top Rock 'N' Roll Hits 1955 (1988) - differently-EQ'd digital clone
Time-Life's Rock 'N' Roll Era Vol. 8 1954-1955 (1988) - cuts off count-off and first two snare hits to start with vocals; also has a slight DC offset to the waveform; avoid
Warner Special Products' 2-CD Bop (1989) - cuts off count-off and first two snare hits to start with vocals; avoid
Rhino's promo Billboard Top Rock 'N' Roll Hits 1955-1974 Sampler (Rhino PRO2 90025, 1989)
Sessions/RCA's multi-disc Those Fabulous '50s (1989)
RCA Special Products' Keep On Dancing (1991) - cuts off count-off
Sony's multi-disc 35 Years Of Rock And Roll (1992) - cuts off count-off and first two snare hits to start with vocals; avoid
Time-Life's History Of Rock 'N' Roll Vol. 3 Rock 'N' Roll Classics 1954-1956 (1993) - cuts off count-off
Razor & Tie's 2-CD Heroes Of Rock And Roll (1995)
Rhino's promo Billboard Sampler (Rhino PRCD 7135, 1995)

There's a new analog transfer (also done by Steve Hoffman) for MCA's Vintage Music Vols. 3 And 4 (1986). The same analog transfer is used on:

JCI's Only Rock And Roll 1955-1959 (1994)

The following discs all use different analog transfers, none of which are based on any of the masterings above, and none of which improve on any of the above:

JCI's Party Time Fifties (1988)
MCA's 2-CD The Decca Rock 'N' Roll Collection (1994)
K-Tel's 2-CD Party Of The Millennium (1998) - seems to have added noise reduction; avoid
Rhino's box Loud Fast And Out Of Control (1999)

My recommendation

This was mastered perfectly the first time around, and nothing that came afterward improved on it.

If you want a Bill Haley collection, go with MCA's From The Original Master Tapes (1985).
If you want a compilation, go with Rhino's Billboard Top Rock 'N' Roll Hits 1955 (1988).

Edited by crapfromthepast on 14 October 2021 at 3:39pm

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