bill haley we’re gonna rock around clock
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Category: Top 40 Music On Compact Disc
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Printed Date: 10 May 2025 at 2:48am
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Topic: bill haley we’re gonna rock around clock
Posted By: edtop40
Subject: bill haley we’re gonna rock around clock
Date Posted: 21 April 2012 at 1:16pm
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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..... ------------- edtop40 |
Replies:
Posted By: Todd Ireland
Date Posted: 22 April 2012 at 12:37am
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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. |
Posted By: edtop40
Date Posted: 22 April 2012 at 8:43am
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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.... ------------- edtop40 |
Posted By: Yah Shure
Date Posted: 22 April 2012 at 8:25pm
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 http://i257.photobucket.com/albums/hh240/YahShure/BillHaley-RockAroundTheClockMCA60025reissuestock.jpg - 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 wrote:Posted By: edtop40
Date Posted: 23 April 2012 at 4:20pm
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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.... ------------- edtop40 |
Posted By: KentT
Date Posted: 25 April 2012 at 7:52am
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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" ------------- I turn up the good and turn down the bad! |
Posted By: Paul C
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 3:12pm
| 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. |
Posted By: TomDiehl1
Date Posted: 04 May 2012 at 8:09pm
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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. ------------- Live in stereo. |
Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 13 October 2021 at 3:38am
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 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V7mVlilRSM ------------- Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD." |
Posted By: thecdguy
Date Posted: 13 October 2021 at 4:16am
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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. ------------- Dan In Philly |
Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 13 October 2021 at 4:45am
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Dan,
I ordered the comp for that reason. The correct 45 however never opened cold. That snare drum opening beat is legendary! ------------- Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD." |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 13 October 2021 at 5:13am
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 |
Posted By: thecdguy
Date Posted: 13 October 2021 at 5:28am
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. ------------- Dan In Philly |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 1:53am
It never charted at all in Billboard in 1954. Peaked at #36 in Cash Box only. |
Posted By: thecdguy
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 4:19am
Paul, the "Pop Memories 1890-1954" book has it charting for 1 week and peaking at #23 the week of May 29, 1954. ------------- Dan In Philly |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 5:32am
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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 |
Posted By: thecdguy
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 5:55am
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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. ------------- Dan In Philly |
Posted By: AndrewChouffi
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 9:19am
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To Dan:
Thanks for doing the research! I kinda thought it was a "fudged" chart entry. Andy |
Posted By: Paul Haney
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 10:29am
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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! |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 11:09am
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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:
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). ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: LunarLaugh
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 2:43pm
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My copy of Razor & Tie's 2CD Heroes of Rock & Roll does
have the count-in. ------------- https://thelunarlaugh.bandcamp.com/ - Listen to The Lunar Laugh! |
Posted By: crapfromthepast
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 3:38pm
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You're absolutely right; my error. I will fix that in the above post. ------------- There's a lot of crap on the radio, but there's only one http://www.crapfromthepast.com" rel="nofollow - Crap From The Past . |
Posted By: eriejwg
Date Posted: 14 October 2021 at 4:15pm
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Luckily, From The Original Master Tapes (1985) is
available on Qobuz. ------------- John Gallagher Erie, PA https://www.johngallagher.com" rel="nofollow - John Gallagher Wedding & Special Event Entertainment / Snapblast Photo Booth |
Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 15 October 2021 at 4:48pm
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For the 45 version I went with Party of the Millennium Disc 1. For me, choosing the Steve Hoffman disc means choosing a non-hit version. The Party of the Millennium runs 208.707. ------------- Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD." |
Posted By: PopArchivist
Date Posted: 09 May 2025 at 8:57pm
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It's come to my attention that the 45 prof indicated that the CD mastering on CD are "lacking presence" and they do not "jump out of the speaker" like the original 45. From the 45 prof directly: "I recall buying MCA’s 1985 ‘from the original master tapes’ CD of the Haley hits and was disappointed that the tracks didn’t jump out of the speaker like the original singles. Of course, they were ‘clean’ with plenty of bass and adequate upper frequencies, but the mid-range seemed to be under-pronounced." I gathered all available cd and digital versions of the song in hopes that maybe we can find one that is close to the 45 dub that the 45 prof provided. While Ron reviewed the single the 45 does not have a countoff so that choice, along with the 45 prof indicating that the mastering isn't a match makes me wonder if the 45 has ever truly been on CD. Since the song is 70 plus years old I don't mind providing a link to the 45 dub if anyone has any thoughts. I post the link for educational and research purposes only: mbf.cc/Qbqqy5 Any thoughts on this much appreciated. Thanks! ------------- Favorite two expressions to live by on this board: "You can't download vinyl" and "Not everything is available on CD." |