Dale Hawkins--Suzie Q (1957)

     In the late 60's, Creedence Clearwater Revival became well known for a late 60's version of a rock and roll style known as swamp rock. A blend of rockabilly and southern blues, one of it's early stars was a guitarist from Louisiana named Dale Hawkins.
     Dale, like many others grew up in that area were influenced by country, blues, and gospel. His father, who left the family before Dale started school, was a traveling musician, and although Dale never remembered his Dad, he began to take up the guitar as well. He left home at the age of 16 he enlisted in the military and served a year and a half. Upon his release, he began a number of different jobs, one of which was at a record shop in Shreveport. It was here that the young musician met Leonard Chess who would become a huge influence in his latter career. Hawkins became one of the few white men to play on the Checker label (Chess' sister label) and soon after being signed wrote Suzie Q with James Burton. The song reached #27 on the charts, but it's influence far surpassed it's initial success as later in the 60's the song was covered by the Rolling Stones, and of course, CCR. It has been listed by Rolling Stone magazine as on of the 500 most influential songs of all time.
     Hawkins continued to record for Chess/Checker for quite a few years after this and had three more hits in the top 100. By 1959 the hits stopped coming, but Dale had a fervent following to those who were into Rockabilly and continued recording and touring until the mid-60's when he had an opportunity to produce others which led him into his next career as a record executive. He was influential in the careers of artists like The Five Americans, Bruce Channel, Harry Nilsson and Michael Nesmith.
     After being treated for prescription drug addiction in the late 70s, he moved to Arkansas where he spent the rest of his life. He passed away from colon cancer in 2010, but not before releasing a series of acclaimed albums, most notably, "Back Down to Louisiana" in 2007.

  

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Wilbert Harrison--Kansas City (1959)

     "Kansas City" was one of earliest songs written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller. Written in 1952, the song was inspired by Big Joe Turner and his songs about the mid western city, and was written specifically for Little Willie Littlefield.   As a pair of 19 year olds, neither one had been to Kansas City before (neither claim to have visited there until 1986!). In fact, the "12th Street and Vine" that was referred to in the song didn't exist at the time, it has since been concocted as a marketing tool by city fathers. The song, which was released as "KC Lovin'", had some success on the west coast, but none on the national charts.
     Wilbert Harrison, born in Charlotte, North Carolina in 1929, had bounced around as a singer of several types of music including calypso. He had heard Littlefield's version several times over the years and wanted to do a version of his own, which he did in 1959 on the Fury label. The song not only became a big hit for Harrison, but it proved to be so popular with other artists that at one point in the spring of 1959 there were FIVE versions of the song on the charts. (Harrison's, Hank Ballard, Rocky Olson, Rockin' Robert and the Rebels, and a re-release of Littlefield's original)
      The song not only became a rock and roll standard at that time, it continued to be a staple for a number of acts including The Beatles, and James Brown. Harrison hit the charts again in 1969 with the song, "Let's Work Together" which cracked the top 40, and continued to tour for much of the rest of his life. He died in 1994 at a nursing home in Spencer, North Carolina at the age of 65. Below we have the original by Littlefield, and the hit by Harrison.

    
     

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Thurston Harris--Little Bitty Pretty One (1957)

     For many, doo-wop was a form of music which was mainly linked to the areas around New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia. One of it's early and important hubs however was in Los Angeles. Most of those groups never had the exposure of their east coast counterparts, but nevertheless was important in the development of the genre.
     Thurston Harris, who was born in Indianapolis, started out like most R&B singers in gospel, but the lure of the secular stylings took him to LA where he helped form what would become The Lamplighters in 1953. He would record with them for three more years with some great records, but nothing which would reach the charts. The Lamplighters would morph into The Tenderfoots, The Sharps, and finally The Rivingtons who would finally score with 1962's, "Papa-Oom-Mow-Mow".
      In the meantime, Harris would sign with Aladdin in 1957 and have the only hit in his career. "Little Bitty Pretty One" was written by Bobby Day that same year. Just a few days after recording it for himself, Aladdin owner chose Harris to record it for his label. Day's version never reached the top 40, but Thurston's made it to number 6 on the pop charts and number 2 on the R&B charts.
     Harris never had another hit, and after recording his last side for Aladdin in 1961 drifted from one label to another until the mid-60's when his hot temper, partying ways, and eventually drug addiction put him in an almost 20 year exile from music while he was essentially homeless, living from one friends house to another. In the early 80's he cleaned up from the drugs (but not the alcohol which would eventually lead to his death in 1990) and became a blues singer.

  

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Bill Haley & the Comets--Rock Around the Clock (1955)

     Growing up, I was always under the impression that "Rock Around the Clock" was the "first" rock and roll song. Time and a broader view of music (and history in general) has shown that rarely does something develop out nothing. Rock and roll developed over a series of years, a mix of rhythm and blues and country that culminated in this song and others becoming the watershed moments. However, Bill Haley DID have a major hand in this development.
     Haley was born in Michigan, but spent much of his childhood near Chester, Pennsylvania. Both of his parents were musicians with his Dad, from Kentucky, playing the guitar and mandolin and his mother, from England, being a pianist. It was his father's influence which won over as the  youngster took up the guitar and soon was playing in western swing bands.
     It was in this genre where Haley began to get notice, as his band, "The Four Aces of Western Swing" began recording in 1948. A year later the group was disbanded and Bill formed, "The Saddlemen". The first singles were Bob Willis' influenced Western Swing, but over the next few years the band took a decidedly bluesy turn with their take on Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats', "Rocket 88'" in late 1951 and then, "Rock This Joint" in 1952. It was this turn in musical style that convinced Haley to change the name of the group, "The Comets".
      Listening to the music by now, it was obvious that the lines between rhythm and blues and country were getting blurred. Listening to the The Comets' first hit, "Crazy, Man Crazy" in 1953 and "Shake Rattle and Roll" in 1954, it was easy to see that this was a new kind of music, even if the public at large had not truly identified it as of yet. We know it now as Rockabilly.
     There is speculation concerning the first recording of "Rock Around the Clock". There are some who suggest it was first recorded in 1953, but the latest and probably best evidence points to early 1954, but still well before it became a hit. The Comets had five top twenty hits on the pop charts before a movie propelled the group and the song into superstardom.
     "Blackboard Jungle", starring Glenn Ford, Sidney Poitier, and Vic Morrow, started and ended the the Comets song. It became a phenomenon in England and was also a hit here in the states. More importantly it linked this new music that had been given a name (courtesy of DJ's like Allen Freed), to juvenile delinquency and began the initial firestorm of protest by parents and those who felt the need to defend moral decency.
      As for Haley and the Comets, "Rock Around the Clock" not only became a number one song, but became the first musical touchstone for a new generation . The big hits didn't last long however as the top twenty hits stopped coming after 1956, although they kept charting songs all the way up to 1960. He was already 30 by the time Elvis appeared on Ed Sullivan, and with influx of younger, (and sexier) personalities, Haley was already seen as old in a young man's game.
     Throughout the 60's he continued to tour around the world as his star never abated in Europe and Latin America. He began to become "rediscovered" in the 70's because of the song's use as the opening theme of ABC's, "Happy Days" in 1974 (the song actually went back into the top 40 for a few weeks). During all of this time, he had problems with alcohol, and this contributed to his death in 1981. The remaining members of The Comets continued to perform until the mid-00's.

       

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