Thursday, March 04, 2010

Holy Crap, It's an Early Clue to the New Direction That Totally Alters Our Conception of the Space/Time Continuum!

From 1953, please enjoy (unknown to all but the most devoted cogniscenti) greaseballs Sonny Dae and the Knights and the original recorded version of the song that started it all -- "Rock Around the Clock."



You know, I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about this sort of stuff, but I must confess, until today I had no idea this record existed, although I think I knew vaguely that somebody had cut the song earlier than Bill Haley. Actually, at least according to Wiki, the familiar Haley version is not technically a cover; the Tin Pan Alley pros who wrote the song apparently had Haley in mind when they penned it, but for whatever reason he was too busy to fit in into his schedule until 1954. And the rest, as they say, is bunk (i.e., history).

In any case, as always, a coveted PowerPop No-Prize will be awarded the first reader who gleans its relevance to the theme of tomorrow's Weekend Listomania.

19 comments:

FD13NYC said...

Pre-rock and roll songs that became rock and roll hits?

Or a list of we did it first songs?

ms. rosa said...

Is it about greaseballs? Because I love the term greaseballs. Greaseballs. See?

Anonymous said...

Songs by bands that sound like they were in "Animal House"?

FD13NYC said...

Hey Ms. Rosa, watch it with the Greaseball remark, eh.

ms. rosa said...

Pardon me, I meant cogniscenti greaseball. :P

John Fowler said...

Songs about partying? Dancing? "Rocking"?

Songs referencing time or clocks?

Songs about some activity that going to happen all night long?

Unknown said...

Lowball songs that unexpectedly reference Buddhist theology? (Seventh Heaven)

steve simels said...

No to almost all, but Mr. Fowler is getting warm.

John Fowler said...

Songs with repeated words? ("rock, rock, rock!")

FD13NYC said...

Rock songs with a certain timing signature?

steve simels said...

No, and no.
:-)

John Fowler said...

Bands whose name is punny? Bands with time-type names?

Sal Nunziato said...

Songs about John Cameron Swayze?

MBowen said...

It's kind of interesting - this, no matter how you slice it, isn't rock and roll, but Bill Haley's version is. Class, discuss.

steve simels said...

Okay, a clue.

Think "rock around the clock" as a metaphor for something else. Not sexual.

The clock is the important thing....
:-)

geor3ge said...

Songs about vigorous circular motion?

Anonymous said...

Songs about time?

ROTP(lumber)

by the way this version sucks!

steve simels said...

Last clue:

It's got something to do with the passage of time.

Unknown said...

you should check out Jim Dawson's book on the back-story of Rock around the Clock. Excellent stuff