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Strictly Instrumental (album)
Recorded over the span of more than 18 months, ''Strictly Instrumental'' was the ninth rock and roll album by Bill Haley & His Comets, and their final album of new material for Decca Records (although Decca would release previously unissued recordings during the 1960s). Produced by Milt Gabler (the last full album he would produce for Haley), the album collects instrumental recordings made by Haley and the Comets between June 1958 and their final Decca recording sessions in September 1959. (The band subsequently began recording for Warner Bros. Records in January 1960.) As the title of the album suggests, all of the songs on this album were instrumentals, with the exception of some ensemble singing on the track "Chiquita Linda". Bill Haley's involvement in the recordings was a matter of conjecture until research for the Bear Family Records box set ''The Decca Years and More'' in the early 1990s confirmed his presence. Recording session information compiled by music historian Chris ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Doc Watson
Arthel Lane "Doc" Watson (March 3, 1923 – May 29, 2012) was an American guitarist, songwriter, and singer of bluegrass, folk, country, blues, and gospel music. Watson won seven Grammy awards as well as a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award. Watson's fingerstyle and flatpicking skills, as well as his knowledge of traditional American music, were highly regarded. Blind from a young age, he performed publicly both in a dance band and solo, as well as for over 15 years with his son, guitarist Merle Watson, until Merle's death in 1985 in an accident on the family farm. Biography Early life Watson was born in Deep Gap, North Carolina. According to Watson on his three-CD biographical recording ''Legacy'', he got the nickname "Doc" during a live radio broadcast when the announcer remarked that his given name Arthel was odd and he needed an easy nickname. A fan in the crowd shouted "Call him Doc!", presumably in reference to the literary character Sherlock Holmes's companion, Doc ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Al Rex
Albert Floyd Piccirilli (July 13, 1928 – May 24, 2020), also known by his stage name Al Rex, was an American bass player for Bill Haley & His Comets and its predecessor Bill Haley and the Saddlemen. Background He started playing for them in 1949 and became noted for "wild antics" on stage. He formed his own band, Al Rex and the Regaleers in 1960. He left the music industry soon after, although he continued to perform on occasion. He later had a wife and fathered eight children. On May 24, 2020, he died in his Norristown, Pennsylvania home from pneumonia. He was the last surviving of the Comets. Film appearances He appeared as a member of the band in the 1950s films ''Rock Around the Clock'' (1956) and ''Don't Knock the Rock ''Don't Knock the Rock'' is a 1956 American musical film starring Alan Dale and Alan Freed. Directed by Fred F. Sears, the film also features performances by Bill Haley & His Comets, Little Richard, The Treniers, and Dave Appell and the App ...'' (1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Billy Williamson (guitarist)
William Famous Williamson (February 9, 1925 – March 22, 1996) was the American steel guitar player for Bill Haley and His Saddlemen, and its successor group Bill Haley & His Comets, from 1949 to 1963. Life and career A founding member of both the Saddlemen and the Comets, Williamson often acted as the band's emcee and comic relief during live concerts; he also played lead guitar on occasion. He was with the band when they recorded "Rock Around the Clock" in 1954 and appeared with the band when they performed the song on the Milton Berle Show and the Ed Sullivan Show in 1955. Williamson had the distinction of being the only Comet allowed to record lead vocal tracks during Haley's tenure at Decca Records (such as the song "Hide and Seek" on their 1956 album, '' Rock and Roll Stage Show'' and "B.B. Betty" on the 1958 '' Bill Haley's Chicks'' album. He also shared a number of songwriting credits with Haley. His wife, Catherine Cafra, was also credited as co-writer of a number of son ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Franny Beecher
Francis Eugene Beecher (September 29, 1921 – February 24, 2014) was the lead guitarist for Bill Haley & His Comets from 1954 to 1962, and is best remembered for his innovative guitar solos combining elements of country music and jazz. He composed the classics "Blue Comet Blues", "Goofin' Around", "Week End", "The Catwalk", and "Shaky" when he was the lead guitarist for Bill Haley and the Comets. He continued to perform with surviving members of the Comets into 2006. In 2012, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inducted Beecher as a member of the Comets by a special committee, aimed at correcting the previous mistake of not inducting the Comets with Bill Haley. Career By the time Beecher became associated with Bill Haley, he had already had a lengthy career as a guitarist, having performed and recorded with the Benny Goodman Orchestra, which he joined in 1948, at a time Goodman was experimenting with music in the bebop idiom. He also worked with other big bands, with singer and f ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Rhythm Guitar
In music performances, rhythm guitar is a technique and role that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with other instruments from the rhythm section (e.g., drum kit, bass guitar); and to provide all or part of the harmony, i.e. the chords from a song's chord progression, where a chord is a group of notes played together. Therefore, the basic technique of rhythm guitar is to hold down a series of chords with the fretting hand while strumming or fingerpicking rhythmically with the other hand. More developed rhythm techniques include arpeggios, damping, riffs, chord solos, and complex strums. In ensembles or bands playing within the acoustic, country, blues, rock or metal genres (among others), a guitarist playing the rhythm part of a composition plays the role of supporting the melodic lines and improvised solos played on the lead instrument or instruments, be they strings, wind, brass, keyboard or even percus ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
In A Little Spanish Town
"In a Little Spanish Town ('Twas on a Night Like This)" is a popular song published in 1926. The music was written by Mabel Wayne, and the lyrics by Sam M. Lewis & Joe Young. With Jack Fulton's vocals, the song was a 1927 hit for Paul Whiteman & his Orchestra as his recording topped the U.S. charts for eight weeks. The song had continuing popularity for several decades and was covered in later recordings. Virginia O'Brien's recording (a zany version apparently taken from a live radio broadcast) can be found on a 1984 AEI LP, "''Virginia O'Brien Salutes the Great MGM Musicals''." Bing Crosby had sung it early in his career in 1926 on stage and later on radio during his time with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra. In 1955 he recorded it for use on his radio show as a cha-cha with accompaniment from Buddy Cole and His Trio. This proved so popular that Decca Records mastered the radio track and issued it as a single. This charted briefly in 1956 at No. 49 in the USA and No. 22 in the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Mack The Knife
"Mack the Knife" or "The Ballad of Mack the Knife" (german: "Die Moritat von Mackie Messer", italic=no, link=no) is a song composed by Kurt Weill with lyrics by Bertolt Brecht for their 1928 music drama ''The Threepenny Opera'' (german: Die Dreigroschenoper, link=no). The song sings about a knife-wielding criminal of the London underworld from the musical named Macheath, the "Mack the Knife" of the title. The song has become a popular standard recorded by many artists after it was recorded by Louis Armstrong in 1955. The most popular version of the song was by Bobby Darin in 1959, whose recording became a number one hit in the US and UK and earned him two Grammys. Ella Fitzgerald also received a Grammy for her performance of the song in 1961. ''The Threepenny Opera'' A '' Moritat'' is a medieval version of the murder ballad performed by strolling minstrels. In ''The Threepenny Opera'', the singer with his street organ introduces and closes the drama with the tale of the dea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Music! Music! Music!
"Music! Music! Music! (Put Another Nickel In)" is a popular song written by Stephen Weiss and Bernie Baum and published in 1950. Background The first recording of the song was by Etienne Paree with Eddie "Piano" Miller, released by Rainbow Records in 1949 in the United States, titled "Put Another Nickel In - Music, Music, Music (The Nickelodeon Song)". The biggest-selling version of the song was recorded by Teresa Brewer with the Dixieland All Stars on 20 December 1949, and released on December 26 by London Records as catalog number 604. New York morning radio host Gene Rayburn lobbied for Teresa Brewer to record it, he and Dee Finch played it regularly on WNEW, and it became a number 1 hit and a million-seller in 1950. It became Brewer's signature song and earned her the nickname "Miss Music". It was released as the B side to "Copenhagen" but eclipsed "Copenhagen" as a hit. It was also recorded by many artists on various labels and other hit versions in 1950 were by Carmen Ca ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The Meanest Girl In Town
" The Meanest Girl in Town", also known as "Yeah, She's Evil!" is a rock and roll song written by Joy Byers, which was recorded in June 1964 by both Elvis Presley, as "The Meanest Girl in Town" for the soundtrack to the 1965 film release ''Girl Happy'', and by Bill Haley & His Comets as "Yeah, She's Evil!" for a Decca Records single release. Haley's recording was released during the summer of 1964, predating Presley's release (on the soundtrack to ''Girl Happy''), although Presley actually recorded his version several days before Haley: on June 10, 1964, for Presley, versus June 16, 1964 for Bill Haley & His Comets. Haley's recording (as the B-side to a version of Jim Lowe's "Green Door") was a one-off attempt at reestablishing his relationship with Decca, with whom his previous contract had ended in the fall of 1959. The single did not, however, make the U.S. charts. Presley's rendition was not released in the U.S. on a single, but the ''Girl Happy'' soundtrack album was a Top 10 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Green Door
"The Green Door" (or "Green Door") is a 1956 popular song, with music composed by Bob "Hutch" Davie and lyrics by Marvin J. Moore. It was first recorded by Jim Lowe which reached number one on the US chart in 1956. The song has been covered by a number of artists, including a version by Shakin' Stevens in 1981. Jim Lowe version The song was first recorded by Jim Lowe, whose version reached number one on the US pop chart. The lyrics describe the allure of a mysterious private club with a green door, behind which "a happy crowd" play piano, smoke and "laugh a lot", and inside which the singer is not allowed. "Green Door" was backed by the orchestra of songwriter Davie, with Davie also playing piano, and by the vocal group the High Fives. The track was arranged by Davie, who added thumbtacks to the hammers of his piano and sped up the tape to give a honky-tonk sound. Released by Dot Records, the single reached #1 on the Billboard charts for one week on November 17, 1956, re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Skokiaan
"Skokiaan" is a popular music, popular Melody, tune originally written by Zimbabwean musician August Msarurgwa, August Musarurwa (d. 1968, usually identified as August Msarurgwa on record labels) in the Tsaba-tsaba big band-style that succeeded Marabi. Skokiaan (Chikokiyana in Shona language, Shona)''Kutema Musasa'' by Musekiwa Chingodza. ''Dandemutande Catalog'', Track 2. Retrieved 5 February 2008. refers to an illegal self-made alcoholic beverage typically brewed over one day that may contain ingredients such as maize meal, water and yeast, to speed up the fermentation process.Saungweme T, Khumalo H, Mvundura E, et al. 1999. Iro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kent Music Report
The Kent Music Report was a weekly record chart of Australian music singles and albums which was compiled by music enthusiast David Kent from May 1974 through to January 1999. The chart was re-branded the Australian Music Report (AMR) in July 1987. From June 1988, the Australian Recording Industry Association, which had been using the top 50 portion of the report under licence since mid-1983, chose to produce their own listing as the ARIA Charts. Before the Kent Report, ''Go-Set'' magazine published weekly Top-40 Singles from 1966, and Album charts from 1970 until the magazine's demise in August 1974. David Kent later published Australian charts from 1940 to 1973 in a retrospective fashion, using state by state chart data obtained from various Australian radio stations. Background Kent had spent a number of years previously working in the music industry at both EMI and Phonogram records and had developed the report initially as a hobby. The Kent Music Report was first release ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
