Songs Of The 50s

I watched the show from the basement bath tub. Yeah, just open the bath room door and and there was a direct view to the basement TV. The next week, Dorsey was almost breathless in explaining the reaction to Elvis and so he presented him again that week as well as several other appearances.

 

"Rock Around the Clock" preceded "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" by several months in '54 but spent only a week or two on the national charts, while "Shake..." lasted 27 weeks and got as high as #7. "Shake... " was the first R&R mainstream song I remember.

However, "Rock ..." was released the following spring, spent an incredible eight weeks at #1 and sold 20 million copies. It is regarded by many as the seminal hit of R&R.

 

Instrumentals like Skokkian (sp) and Joey's Song.

 

Yes, I can't remember them all I believe Mack the knife was another one. I played that album often.

 

I remember having discussions a lot of my friends felt this was the first rock and roll song I disagreed of course.

 

1957 young love by Sonny James. This song had more than one hit version. It was also a hit by tab Hunter. For me there's only one version and that's Sonny James.

 

Quite a few people nominate "The Fat Man" from the late 1940s by Fats Domino.

 

There's a non-instrumental song on Decca called "Mary Mary Lou" (Some pressings misspelled it "Merry Merry Lou") by the Sparks that is a great rocker, Fall '57. Haley also did it but not nearly as well.

Anyway, I always thought that the Sparks were actually the Comets minus Haley. If you know, please confirm or deny. Flip side of the Sparks version is an instrumental "Ol' Man River" and the sax sounds a lot like Rudy.

 

I have to find a copy listen to it. No I don't know if they are the Comet. You're a great reference for me thanks. I used to remember a lot about the 50s music I seem to be forgetting names, song title.

 

I know there were others that go back have the sound of rock and roll, however the first one to open the doors of Rock I still think was Bill Haley & the Comets.

 

Lots of folks agree. And another that gets a big share of votes is "60 Minute Man" by he Dominoes.

It's an interesting topic.

 

It really is, especially for those who lived through it.

What I found about the Sparks.

Hello Mary Lou" is similar to an earlier song, "Merry, Merry Lou", written by Cayet Mangiaracina and recorded by his band, the Sparks, in 1957 on a
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The Comets left Haley over money and formed Jorimars.

 

Cayet would go on to become a priest.