This year, 2011, marks 40 years since the death of Gene Vincent and 30 since the passing of Bill Haley. As most people will know, both are heroes of mine and I had the pleasure of working with both of them.
I therefore thought it appropriate to put up a few of their tracks to mark the occasion.
The Gene Vincent numbers are “B-I-Bickey Bi Bo Bo Go” which is a silly title but one of my personal favourites of his with the first set of Bluecaps. “Over The Rainbow” was made slightly later and I included this to show he didn’t just rock out all the time. The third is “Pistol Packin’ Mama” which attained his highest UK chart placing. Made at Abbey Road, the arrangement was by Eddie Cochran who was due to duet with Gene, but the car crash on the A4 at Chippenham put paid to that. Georgie Fame was in the backing group.
Bill’s tracks begin with “Crazy Man, Crazy” cut in 1953, just after he’d changed the name of his backing group from The Saddlemen to the Comets. It was his first US top 20 hit and resulted in him and the band being booked into a black club in Chicago. They didn’t believe white men could swing like that.
The second track is “Happy Baby” which is perfect for jiving to. It shows off the guitar playing of Franny Beecher who had replaced Danny Cedrone. Danny died from a fall down stairs shortly after cutting “Rock Around The Clock”
The third of Bill’s comes from the 60s and is titled “Train Of Sin”. He was trying to introduce new stuff into his repertoire, but audiences just wanted “Rock Around The Clock” which re-entered the charts in 1964,68 and 1974.
I feel that both men, in their own way, changed music for the better and even if you don’t like the tracks I’ve picked, you will agree with that statement. Without Bill Haley, it’s doubtful that Rock and Roll would have entered the mainstream and maybe there would have been no Elvis, Buddy Holly (both of whom were inspired to record by seeing Haley) or any of the others who followed.
Finally figured out how to play with the toys? Cool.
Totally agree on Gene Vincent. Have always overlooked Bill Haley: 1. Worthy as it is, RATC was one of those inescapable tunes that I got bludgeoned with, growing-up. Every disco, every office party, usually back-to-back with Chubby Checker’s Twist. So he’s always conjured-up that slightly worrying “watch-out, Granny’s hitting the dance floor” feeling. 2. He just didn’t look like a Rock Star, Eddie & Gene, looked as cool as they sounded; Bill just looked a bit too old, chunky & sweaty, by comparison.
No question that you’re right about his place in the pantheon, so will revisit my prejudices.
Scary! Shoey’s in my head.
I couldn’t have put it better myself, Mitch.
The only thing I have to add is that I have Bill Haley to thank for the early-age start to my own gig-going history: my mother went to see Bill Haley when she was thirteen. I knew this, and used it as a bargaining chip when negotiating my pass for UFO, Motorhead & AC/DC gigs in the late 70s.
Had never heard GV’s version of Over The Rainbow, and was quite moved by it, which is indicative either of Gene’s or the song’s greatness, or both!
Bill’s Train Of Sin is ace – you can hear all sorts of stuff in there: swamp-voodoo, ska, show-tune theatrics.
A big, BIG, thank-you for this lot Mitch, excellent start to my day.
That guitar break on Happy Baby is stupendous.
Have always loved Gene Vincent but – like shoegazer – need a bit of adjustment to Bill Haley.
Liked those tracks a lot. Still liked the Gene Vincent ones best.
I really liked ‘Train of Sin’ (no prejudice here) along with the GV…
I have know idea about proper Rock and Roll – so always love your suggestions on RR.. my Knowledge skips from the Blues and classical we had in the house to the 60′s beat stuff – missing the 50′s and early 60′s completely.
Until I started listening to artists you suggested.. Gene Vincent was just a name in an Ian Dury song.. I had never bothered going back to listen… If lessons had been taught like this at skool I’d have been a grade A* student.
cheers – lovely post.
Thanks for the comments, folks.
Both men had their demons which mainly came from the bottled variety, although contrary to popular belief, Bill Haley died from a brain tumour and not alcoholism.
When I knew Gene, his breakfast consisted of a pint glass, half filled with milk and topped up for the other half with brandy and he was known to get through 6 bottles of Martini at rehearsals. Our lead guitarist at the time has one of those empty bottles that Gene autographed for him.
@DsD Coincidentally, I was almost 13 when I went to my first live gig. It was February 1960 at the Granada, Woolwich and the show was the Gene Vincent/Eddie Cochran tour.
I meant to add, I have virtually every track Gene Vincent recorded (including out-takes) and several by Bill Haley. If you ever want to hear anything, let me have your email address (if I don’t already have it) and I’ll email an Mp3 version to you.
Just the ticket! really enjoyed those Mitch, especially that first Gene Vincent track, thanks.
Great photo of him too….pure unadulterated cool!
Cheers, Panther. I hope things are ok with you at the moment
Yay, a Mitch post. I loved these. My favs were Over the Rainbow (which I’ve been loving on my CD!) and Train of Sin. I, too love the picture of Gene Vincent.
Thansk for posting, Mitch! Definitely added some pep to my very slow brain this morning.
Mitch: Funny that you post this right now, I’m in the middle of clarifying in my own mind the evolution of pop music from WW2 ’til the Beatles; I’ve wondered if there’s a post in there somewhere.
When you consider what was passing for pop in UK 1946 and the sophistication of what the Beatles were releasing about 20 years later it’s just mind boggling, music took several huge jumps in that period and I remember well Bill Haley and the effect he had, whatever you think of his music it changed everything back then. If you think that screaming teenage girls were a Beatles phenomena you should check what was happening when Bill Haley and the Comets toured UK in the 50′s.
I agree with you. As you know, I’m not keen on the Beatles, but yes, compared to people like Ronnie Ronalde and Lita Roza et al they certainly were different.
I personally think that Buddy Holly & The Crickets were very influential, particularly on the Beatles, in that they wrote most of their own stuff, set the template of vocals,lead bass drums, ditched the stand-up bass as soon as they could and Beatles and Crickets are both insects!
Re screaming girls; my Dad won “News Picture Of The Year” in 1951 with his photo of police good naturedly holding back crowds of “bobby-soxers” who had come out to scream at Frank Sinatra.
For a good read on pre-Beatles pop and rock, I suggest “The Restless Generation” by Pete Frame. Bluepeter bought a copy at my suggestion and seems to have enjoyed it (I’m not on commission, by the way!)
Meant to add, the photo my Dad took was more or less replicated by someone in 64, but this time this objects of idolatry were The Beatles.
Great songs. My mate had an old Bill Haley record from his dad and we used to sit listening to it when I was about 11. It sounded so different to the stuff that was around at the time ( 69-70). He grew up to be a part time “greaser” ( He’s now a full time copper !) and I developed a love for the old rock and roll sound.
I recall being glued to the radio when a DJ ( Emperor Rosko ?) did a series on the 1950s.
Even as a “punk” I still listened to Eddie Cochran and Buddy Holly ( secretly, in darkened rooms) but have a special fondness for Gene.
The second guitar solo in Bluejean bop is one of my all time favourite bits of guitar playing, one of the one’s I aspired to copying.
Alas I never could get me fingers round soloing properly.
That guitar on the Gene Vincent songs is, in the words of the hymn, “Bright and Beautiful”. I’m encouraged hugely by how much my children like Rock Around The Clock and Be-Bop-A-Lula, I’ll try playing them these.
Bill Haley almost sounds to subtle for his own good seen through the prism of, say, Gene Vincent, Little Richard. On Rock Around The Clock, the drummer uses brushes for goodness sake, with a rim-shot thing on the 4th beat of every bar. It really swings though, and it paved the way for things to get much much wilder, for which we must all toast his memory !
Severin: You recently mentioned reading the book about Henrietta Lacks, there’s a very good interview with the author at: http://www.npr.org/2011/03/18/134622044/tracing-the-immortal-cells-of-henrietta-lacks
Also HBO are producing the film.
I dont think the likes of Haley and Vincent will ever be bettered. Thanks for posting Mitch – most enjoyable!
I’m trying to get the name of the black group that recorded Pistol Packin Mama in the 50′s Thanks
Hi Ron,
I’m trying to find out for you who the black group was. I have the original by the composer, Al Dexter and also Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters cut a version.
I do know the Mills Brothers recorded it, but I’m sure you are aware that there were thousands of what, since 1969 has been known as doo-wop groups on big and small labels, so it may take me awhile!
I can remember the song started off with a gun shot and a ricocet’ Ron just wondering where I could get a copy.