Rock Around Le Clock

If you grew up in the 70s then you knew the song "Rock Around The Clock" and could probably sing it verbatim and even sing the guitar solo and the drum hits at the end. Of course, not everyone could sing "See You Later Alligator" or "Happy Baby". But I can. I love Bill Haley and the Comets. Unlike everyone else in my generation, I knew about them long before I ever saw Happy Days. They are credited with starting riots with Rock Around The Clock when it first was featured in the film, "Blackboard Jungle". It's hard to imagine that. It's also hard to imagine that they were a country and western band before jumping on the early rock and roll bandwagon. In 1966, the Comets made a trip to Paris. They would make the same trip again in 1974. Both trips yielded amateur recordings of the concerts. They are compiled into a nice bootleg called "Live In Paris". As an added bonus, you also get three tunes recorded off of Alan Freed's radio show as they were performed in Brooklyn in 1956. Here is "Bill Haley and The Comets: Live In Paris". Enjoy!

Bill Haley and The Comets-Live In Paris

Dartman's Advent Calendar 2010: Day 23

We are getting closer to Christmas Day as we open up Door #23! Today we find a rock and roll Christmas ditty by the great Hank Snow. It tells the story of the great creatures that pull the sleigh. Don't worry it's not Run Rudolf Run. It's "Reindeer Boogie"! Let's have a rockin' good yule with Hank Snow! Enjoy!

Hank Snow - Reindeer Boogie

Leather Tuscadero Live!

Despite her musical ability on bass and her edgy vocals, rock's first lady was never able to become a household name in her native United States. At least not as Suzi Quatro. She did manage to earn fame as Leather Tuscadero, the younger sister of Fonzie's girlfriend, Pinky Tuscadero, on the hit sit-com, Happy Days. It's really too bad that that is how she is remembered here in the states. Back in England, she is a top notch rock and roll legend. She is largely responsible for all the female rockers who have followed in her footsteps, most notably, Joan Jett and the Runaways. She did try to make a dent in the US rock scene. In fact, in 1975 she participated in a live radio broadcast from the Record Plant in Saulsalito, CA. It featured Suzi rockin' her little heart out on a mixture of original tunes she penned with producer, Mike Chapman, and some choice covers including "All Shook Up." For the life of me, I could never fiure out why the US ignored this rock pioneer. We here at the World of Wonder have never ignored her. Here is that FM broadcast from 1975. Here is "Suzi Quatro Live In Saulsalito". Enjoy!

Suzi Quatro-Live In Saulsalito 1975

The Grandson Continues The Tradition

Shelton Hank WIlliams is known to most country fans as Hank III. The grandson of the legendary Hank Williams, Hank III is the rightful heir to the throne of king of country music. Of course, Nashville won't admit it and neither will the country music community. In typical "outlaw" fashion, Hank III has been overlooked by the powerful country music scene because he's very vocal about how pop country isn't really country and that Nashville has become too "pretty and perfect". He signed to country music label, Curb Records, as an answer to a court order that stated he wasn't a "real musician" and therefore couldn't supply child support to a child bore from a one night stand. He continued to fight with the label who wanted him to release the standard pop country that has become the norm. He refused and spent many years in court fighting his own label. During that time he started his own "F*** Curb" campaign which included t-shirts and stickers along with shouts from his band of the slogan while performing. He eventually won the right to release the music he wanted to. His last Curb record, which was released earlier this year, charted at #4 on the country music charts. Apparently, he's winning his fight. Hank spends most of his time on the road playing to packed clubs across the country. His show consists of three different sets; the country set of "outlaw country" featuring his respects to all those that came before him including his Grandfather; the "Hellbilly" set which puts a more harder, psychobilly edge on the music; and the "Assjack" set. A straight hard core death metal set. I prefer the first set above the other two but all three are done well and believe it or not, I actually enjoy it all. I was never a hard core metal fan but for some reason, I really like it when Hank III does it. See what you think when you take a listen to a show from February 27, 2004. Here's "Hank III Live at Ground Zero". Enjoy!

Hank III Live At Ground Zero 2/27/04

ELVIS Month 2010: The Milton Berle Show

Here's Elvis' appearance on "The Milton Berle Show" from June 5, 1956!

Swing, Baby Swing

I just recently started playing with a really cool swing/rockabilly band called The Shiny Lapel Trio. You've probably heard them and never knew it. They've provided the music for two national commercials for Kohl's Department Stores. Anyway, the band is heavily influenced by acts such as Dean Martin, Louis Prima, Elvis, and Brian Setzer. In fact, the guitarist loves Setzer so much that he even plays a Brain Setzer Model Gretsch Guitar. It made me break out some old Setzer as well as some recent stuff. One of the cooler items I have in my collection is a bootleg of a concert The Brian Setzer Orchestra did in 1998. I was thinking that it wasn't that long ago but I now realize that it is over ten years old. My, how time flies! Anyway, this exceptional sounding concert is today's sharity. Here is "The Brian Setzer Orchestra: Boston 98". Enjoy!

The Brian Setzer Orchestra-Boston 98

BONUS:
Here's one of the Kohl's commercials featuring The Shiny Lapel Trio.

Tricks & Treats 09: Halloween Corn

Those of you who have been fans of the blog for many a year know that I am a member of the band, Creamed Corn. For internet junkies in the know, we had a huge hit with a Christmas album we put out about 11 years ago. Last year saw the remaster of that album being released to an overwhelming response! While the Christmas stuff has become the most famous of our albums, we also released a Halloween album the same year we released the Christmas album. It was our first release and we went hog wild with it! First of all, we called it "Satan Loves You". Next, we spent many a night in our studio recording all different sound effects and "sound scapes" that feature everything from chains being dropped into a bucket to all of us chewing gum directly into a microphone. We took a huge mix of material from songs written specifically for the album to songs that had been in our live act from the start. One of the tracks, "Drunken Stupor", goes down in history for being the reason we were asked to never play a club in Madison, CT again! The recording on the album is from that night! Anyway, here it is for you now. Direct from 1998, Creamed Corn and "Satan Loves You". Enjoy!

Creamed Corn-Satan Loves You

Tricks & Treats 09: A Rockin' Hallow's Eve

Post-World War II America saw the horror and sci-fi genres reach their apex. The age of Cold War hysteria and nuclear paranoia inspired tales of invading aliens, gigantic mutations and technological terror. Raised on B-movies and comic books—a world inhabited by Martians and vampires—teenagers soon became the main market for a multitude of novelty rock'n'roll records released to exploit the trend. The selections included Round Robin's Bo Diddleyesque "I'm The Wolfman" and The Swanks' electrifying "Ghost Train". Todays sharity brings you the best of these Blood Curdling Rock and Roll classics. Not to mention Bert Convy's "Monster Hop" (yes, that Bert Convy!) Here is "Blood Curdling Rock N' Roll". Enjoy!

Blood Curdling Rock N' Roll

Elvis' Screen Test

Here's Elvis' original screen test from his first venture into Hollywood.



And now here's Jack White doing a hilarious Elvis impersonation from "Walk Hard:The Dewey Cox Story".