Bill Haley & His Comets with live on-air recordings from Germany.
1.Jingle 2.Rock around the clock 3.Introduction 4.Shake rattle and roll 5.Interview 6.The peppermint twist 7.Interview 8.Honky tonk 9.Jingle & interview 10.Feelin' happy 11.Interview 12.Joey's song 13.Interview 14.See you later alligator 15.Jingle 16.Jingle & interview 17.The saints rock and roll 18.Interview 19.Ja-da 20.Interview 21.Hallelujah I love her so 22.Interview 23.The world is waiting for the sunrise 24.Interview 25.Medley - Malaguena/G'schrichten aus dem wienerwald/La paloma/Ungarische Rhapsodie #5 26.Interview 27.Wolverton mountain 28.Interview 29.Bernie's tune 30.Interview 31.Never on a Sunday 32.Interview & jingle
Bill Haley And His Comets
On their second German tour (1962), Bill Haley & The Comets went into the AFN studio to do two promotional radio shows. That's what you get on this CD, along with a really good booklet.
"Listening to the latest Bill Haley and the Comets release from Hydra Records, you're forgiven if you think you've stumbled onto a Benny Goodman Orchestra recording instead. That's because Hydra has released what might be some of the most unusual series of recordings ever made by the Fathers of Rock and Roll. 'On the Air' marks the first release of two radio programmes Haley made for Armed Forces Radio (AFN) in August and September of 1962, during a hectic tour of German army bases. This was soon before Haley and the Comets took residence at the Star Club in Hamburg, where one of their opening acts was a little-known group called the Beatles. These two programmes showcase the diversity of musical ability in the individual Comets in a way no other recording yet released has ever done. The first half of the CD is straightforward Rock and Roll, with the Comets performing laid back, enjoyable versions of 'Rock Around the Clock' and 'Shake, Rattle and Roll'. They also launch into several songs they never recorded in the studio - guitarist Johnny Kay delivers a rockin' version of 'Peppermint Twist' (remember at this time Latin-Americans considered Haley the King of the Twist, not that Chubby Checker guy), and steel guitarist Billy Williamson gives us a fine rendition of Big Joe Turner's 'Feelin' Happy'. Rounding out this first set are rare live versions of Bill Doggett's 'Honky Tonk', 'Joey's Song', which was one of Haley's last hits for Decca, and a shamefully abbreviated 'See You Later Alligator' which is cut off by the ending credits of the radio show. An interesting trivia note is this first show, recorded in Frankfurt, was produced by Joey Welz, who would later briefly replace Johnny Grande as piano player for the Comets. These might well be the last recordings Grande ever made with Haley before ending his thirteeen-year association with the band; fellow Comets founder Billy Williamson would give up playing rock music about six months later. It is the second AFN show, recorded two weeks later, that is the true revelation on this CD. It opens with a very relaxed performance of 'Saint's Rock and Roll', featuring fine jazz-styled solos by Johnny Kay and sax legend Rudy Pompilli, as well as rare solos by Grande and drummer Dave Holly. The remainder of the show is a somewhat convoluted attempt by Haley to explain the evolution of rock and roll, as well as showcase the fine musicianship of his Comets. If ever there was evidence that the Comets was (and still is) one of the best groups of musicians in the history of Rock and Roll, this is it. Beginning with the Dixieland tune 'Ja-Da', featuring a good vocal by bass and trumpet player Al Rappa, the Comets go through a checklist of different styles. We get rhythm and blues via Williamson's interpretation of the Ray Charles classic 'Hallelujah I Love Her So', an incredible jazz clarinet blowing session by Rudy Pompilli on 'The World is Waiting for the Sunrise' and a remarkable medley of old-world tunes highlighted by Johnny Kay's flying-fingers work on 'Malaguena'. Rounding out this collection: a country tune, 'Wolverton Mountain', sung by a very twangy-sounding Johnny Kay, more jazz work by Rudy Pompilli, and a semi-rocking version of 'Never on Sunday' featuring all the Comets. Haley's only singing vocal is on 'Saints'. Perhaps the most fascinating parts of this CD are the interview snippets between each song. Whether it's the announcer comically trying to list all of Haley's German appearances in under a minute (anyone who thinks Haley was retired by this point is in for an education), or rare recordings of Rudy Pompilli and Billy Williamson discussing the finer points of music, these segments are almost worth the price of admission alone. Chris Gardner's liner notes feature many fascinating titbits of information and trivia that even I didn't know about, and there are some very funny stories to be told about this hectic and bizarre period of Haley's career. Hydra owner Klaus Kettner, by the way, is looking for any good-quality recordings that may exist of Haley and the Comets performing at the Star Club during this time (a low-fidelity private tape has circulated amongst fans for nearly 40 years). If you can help, drop him a line at rockithydra@t-online.de. Be warned that the original source tape used for this CD is far from pristine. As a result, the sound often drops out, or sounds a bit muted - though this in a way adds to the atmosphere in simulating what the original broadcast must have sounded like. Hydra has done a good job cleaning up the sound as best they can. That, and maybe Kay's camp vocal on 'Wolverton Mountain', are the only real negatives I could find with this CD, and that's pretty good. I was amazed at the versatility of the material on this CD, though one can only wish what former Comets such as Franny Beecher and Joey Ambrose might have also contributed to this. But I'm not complaining - there is remarkable work here by all concerned, and this qualifies as a 'must-have' for any serious Haley fan, and I'd even go so far as to recommend this CD to casual or first-time fans as well." RAB HOF
Bill Haley & His Comets with live on-air recordings from Germany.