rsmurphy wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:14 pm

losthighway wrote: Sat Dec 02, 2023 3:00 pm Bill Haley and the Comets invented corporate rock.

I was kind of obsessed with "Rock Around the Clock" for a spell. Still am, actually. I like to put myself in the minds of parents aghast at what they were hearing pouring out of their kids' radios, and it's just a rad party song.

I don't deny it. In terms of an audio recording packing a punch and transmitting energy it was on a bold frontier.

Bill Haley was arguably the first rock and roller to get a massive hit (could go full stop right there) as someone who wasn't part of any scene, but just calculated and studied. I've been obsessing over Andrew Hickey's "History of Rock in 500 Song's podcast. He tells the tale of how the Comets took unpaid gigs in highschool auditoriums just to test what kids responded to. They listened and noted what the popular slang was to use it in lyrics. Fascinating.

losthighway wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:38 pmI've been obsessing over Andrew Hickey's "History of Rock in 500 Song's podcast. He tells the tale of how the Comets took unpaid gigs in highschool auditoriums just to test what kids responded to. They listened and noted what the popular slang was to use it in lyrics. Fascinating.

That's pretty wild, but not necessarily an organic path a band would take. It makes me wonder about the more diy bands of that era as I'd assume a lot of acts were trying to score a hit. Aside from podcasts is there any reading material you could recommend about a 50s underground as it were?

rsmurphy wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 6:07 pm

losthighway wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:38 pmI've been obsessing over Andrew Hickey's "History of Rock in 500 Song's podcast. He tells the tale of how the Comets took unpaid gigs in highschool auditoriums just to test what kids responded to. They listened and noted what the popular slang was to use it in lyrics. Fascinating.

That's pretty wild, but not necessarily an organic path a band would take. It makes me wonder about the more diy bands of that era as I'd assume a lot of acts were trying to score a hit. Aside from podcasts is there any reading material you could recommend about a 50s underground as it were?

No, I'd like to see that guy's sources. He pulls out 30 minutes on some proto rock western swing hybrid from 1948. He put in hours before you even hit Sun Records and Elvis.

losthighway wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 6:28 pm

rsmurphy wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 6:07 pm

losthighway wrote: Sun Dec 03, 2023 5:38 pmI've been obsessing over Andrew Hickey's "History of Rock in 500 Song's podcast. He tells the tale of how the Comets took unpaid gigs in highschool auditoriums just to test what kids responded to. They listened and noted what the popular slang was to use it in lyrics. Fascinating.

That's pretty wild, but not necessarily an organic path a band would take. It makes me wonder about the more diy bands of that era as I'd assume a lot of acts were trying to score a hit. Aside from podcasts is there any reading material you could recommend about a 50s underground as it were?

No, I'd like to see that guy's sources. He pulls out 30 minutes on some proto rock western swing hybrid from 1948. He put in hours before you even hit Sun Records and Elvis.

Also can't help here, but. The record business was already mafia run, so I'm sure many of the labels would have some comps with liner notes. This looks promising...
https://www.amazon.com/Ducktails-Drive- ... 1438492685

That said, there is a reason Haley has been sidelined historically, which is that he was a bit of a novelty act, and to my ears that song was always weak compared to all the legit hillbilly country and R&B coming up around it, and just evaporated when legit crossover of race music and Sun and legitimate stars like Chuck Berry, Elvis, and Little Richard became available. So I get where losthighway is going with this. It's a Jam though, especially that solo is a bit of a statement. It's also cool that the first big rock record was a B-Side.

zorg wrote:Also can't help here, but. The record business was already mafia run

I'm now curious as to how the mafia has ensconced itself, if at all, on streaming platforms. What can't this gang do, my stars.

That said, there is a reason Haley has been sidelined historically, which is that he was a bit of a novelty act, and to my ears that song was always weak compared to all the legit hillbilly country and R&B coming up around it, and just evaporated when legit crossover of race music and Sun and legitimate stars like Chuck Berry, Elvis, and Little Richard became available. So I get where losthighway is going with this. It's a Jam though, especially that solo is a bit of a statement. It's also cool that the first big rock record was a B-Side.

Point taken. My enjoyment of the song shouldn't be understood as an aggressive rebuke of Mssr. highway's OP, I just dig its vibe. "Jailhouse Rock" came out a couple of years later and I fall prey to its charms as well. I love how everything sounds alive and somewhat playfully menacing.

Have they ensconced themselves with streaming platforms, or is it more like this these days?

Since we're having a Bill Haley moment here and because the Mafia came up:

Haley started out as a country artist. He was actually a state yodeling champion (forgot which state). He was signed to Cowboy Records, a mob run imprint, but like all artists on the label he couldn't make any money. The policy of the label was to give the first 1,000 copies away to jukeboxes in mob run bars and restaurants. This was a major chunk of the market for a regional indie label.

losthighway wrote: Mon Dec 04, 2023 11:27 pm Since we're having a Bill Haley moment here and because the Mafia came up:

Haley started out as a country artist. He was actually a state yodeling champion (forgot which state). He was signed to Cowboy Records, a mob run imprint, but like all artists on the label he couldn't make any money. The policy of the label was to give the first 1,000 copies away to jukeboxes in mob run bars and restaurants. This was a major chunk of the market for a regional indie label.

Makes sense that he started in country, as “Rock Around the Clock” is (as Hank Williams Jr pointed out) a naked steal of “Move It on Over.”

Digging the bits of this Kyuss album when the dude isn't singing

“Taste the Biscuit” is becoming the new Rickroll.