ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK

Created on 09/11/2005
Latest update on 07/01/2023

Artist: Sonny Dae & His Knights
Author: Jimmy De Knight/Max Freedman
Label: Arcade
Year: 1953

Obscure western swing band. Very local hit in Philadelphia, released in March '54. Authors are music editor James Myers (alias Jimmy De Knight) and Tin Pan Alley veteran Max Freedman (who wrote Sioux City Sue and Song Of India). Original title in full: (We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock. Lyrics based upon Round The Clock, cut by Wynonie Harris for Aladdin in 1945 with Johnny Otis' All Stars (see there). Not to be confused with Sam Theard's Rock Around The Clock, cut for Hal Singer on Mercury in 1950, although part of those lyrics go: "One for the money, two for the show, three make ready, four let's go, let's rock" and there's a similar "rock around the clock" back chorus as in Sonny Dae's version three years later.

Covers:

1953:

Spade Cooley [instrumental]

1954:

Bill Haley & His Comets [B-side of Thirteen Women; see there and in '55 n°1 US & UK (see footnote)]

1956:

Hermanas Navarro [as El Relojito (Mexico)]

1956:

Jacques Hélian [as Toutes les heures qui sonnent; vocal: Lou Darley]

1957:

Akord Club [as Tak Jak Plyne Feky Proud (Czechoslovakia)]

1957:

Pat Boone

1957:

Spelbrekers

1962:

Llopis [as Al Compás Del Reloj (Cuba)]

1968:

Freddy Cannon

1972:

Bubblerock [alias Jonathan King in a waltz tempo]

1974:

Harry Nilsson [produced by John Lennon]

1978:

Carl Perkins

1979:

Telex

1979:

Edward Tudor-Pole [Eddie Tenpole from Tenpole Tudor on The Sex Pistols' The Great Rock & Roll Swindle]

1983:

Strangers [as D'Eerste Sigaret]

1986:

Normaal [with Zangeres Zonder Naam]

1989:

Jive Bunny & The Mastermixers [in medley Swing The Mood; n°1 UK, NL & B]

2021:

Ringo Starr [with Joe Walsh]

Bill Haley received it through music publisher and coauthor James Myers (who doubled as his manager) and recorded it as B-side of Thirteen Women. This version remained relatively unremarked, but in '55 Haley's song was featured all over in Blackboard Jungle, the controversial film that rocked the nation. Banned for kids in Memphis, censored in Milwaukee, showed with muted opening song in Boston, verboten in Atlanta and withdrawn from the Venice film festival's official program, no better publicity for a film about a teacher (Glenn Ford) unable to handle rebel pupils. That was the feeding ground for the worlds first rock 'n roll n°1.

Contact


If you noticed blunt omissions, mis-interpretations or even out-and-out errors,
please let me know:

Arnold Rypens
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info@originals.be

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