Discussion:
First Teen Rock Record to enter UK Charts
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RWC
2021-01-09 23:58:38 UTC
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Controversy (what passes as early white teen rock) abounds perhaps :-)

Week ending October 2, 1954 (first UK Top 20 Chart, previously Top 10)

#16 Crew Cuts - Sh-Boom

it peaked at #12 the following week, its last appearance was
at #18 for November 27.

Meanwhile, Dean Martin was at #10 with "Sway", peaking
two weeks later at #6. Hmmm, I imagine progressive teens would have
liked this record too (along with their parents).

The next time a teen rock record appeared in the UK charts was for the
week ending December 18, 1954:

#13 Bill Haley and his Comets - Shake, Rattle And Roll
#17 Chordettes - Mr Sandman

These two records were still slowly climbing the UK charts when, for the
week ending January 8, 1955, we have:

#17 Bill Haley and his Comets - Rock Around The Clock

the following week it was #18 ** and then dropped out of the UK charts **
Meanwhile, "Shake, Rattle And Roll" got stronger and stronger, peaking at
#4 for w/e January 22, 1955.

"Mr Sandman" (Chordettes) peaked at #11 and finally left the charts after
w/e February 5.

"Shake, Rattle And Roll" was in the UK Top 20 charts up to and including w/e
March 19, 1955 - and there was no teen rock record to replace it.

Can anyone explain why "Shake, Rattle And Roll" was massively more popular
than "Rock Around The Clock" in the UK? (The movie "Blackboard Jungle" had
not yet been released at this time.)


Geoff
Dean F.
2021-01-10 07:04:42 UTC
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Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
Sav...@aol.com
2021-01-10 07:31:24 UTC
Permalink
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
Roger Ford
2021-01-10 09:25:31 UTC
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Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)

Fats didn't make that chart until July 28 1956 with "I'm In Love
Again"

And of course Little Richard never had a release here till 1957


ROGER FORD
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Dean F.
2021-01-11 03:46:06 UTC
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Post by Roger Ford
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)
How many different charts did England have in the '50s?
Sav...@aol.com
2021-01-11 04:36:59 UTC
Permalink
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)
Fats didn't make that chart until July 28 1956 with "I'm In Love
Again"
And of course Little Richard never had a release here till 1957
I show "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard entering the UK chart (The Record Mirror) on August 25, 1956 at #20. It was #19 the next week and then off.
Roger Ford
2021-01-11 05:45:02 UTC
Permalink
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)
Fats didn't make that chart until July 28 1956 with "I'm In Love
Again"
And of course Little Richard never had a release here till 1957
I show "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard entering the UK chart (The Record Mirror) on August 25, 1956 at #20. It was #19 the next week and then off.
That must have been the Boone cover (which entered the NME chart at
#27 on July 28 1956) ---

https://www.45cat.com/record/hld8291

Plainly iimpossible for it to have been LR since his version wasn't
released in UK until January 1957. London HLO 8366 b/w "Tutti Frutti"
aka The Greatest Double Sided Single Of All Time!!!!

https://www.45cat.com/record/hlo8366

Anyway mistakes on both sides I'm afraid since when I said LR "never
had a release hewre till 1957" that is incorrect since I was thinking
of "Long Tall Sally" forgetting that "Rip It Up"/"Ready Teddy" came
first over here in November 1956

https://www.45cat.com/record/hlo8336

The whole very delayed LR release debacle in the UK was caused by
Specialty foolishly not having a distribution agreement here until
1956


ROGER FORD
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Sav...@aol.com
2021-01-11 14:40:01 UTC
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Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)
Fats didn't make that chart until July 28 1956 with "I'm In Love
Again"
And of course Little Richard never had a release here till 1957
I show "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard entering the UK chart (The Record Mirror) on August 25, 1956 at #20. It was #19 the next week and then off.
That must have been the Boone cover (which entered the NME chart at
#27 on July 28 1956) ---
The book I have says it was Little Richard.

Loading Image...
Roger Ford
2021-01-12 12:55:52 UTC
Permalink
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)
Fats didn't make that chart until July 28 1956 with "I'm In Love
Again"
And of course Little Richard never had a release here till 1957
I show "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard entering the UK chart (The Record Mirror) on August 25, 1956 at #20. It was #19 the next week and then off.
That must have been the Boone cover (which entered the NME chart at
#27 on July 28 1956) ---
The book I have says it was Little Richard.
https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533479129l/41049903._SY475_.jpg
As I've already said your source is wrong for the reason I stated.




ROGER FORD
-----------------------

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Roger Ford
2021-01-13 08:02:13 UTC
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Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)
Fats didn't make that chart until July 28 1956 with "I'm In Love
Again"
And of course Little Richard never had a release here till 1957
I show "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard entering the UK chart (The Record Mirror) on August 25, 1956 at #20. It was #19 the next week and then off.
That must have been the Boone cover (which entered the NME chart at
#27 on July 28 1956) ---
The book I have says it was Little Richard.
https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533479129l/41049903._SY475_.jpg
As I've already said your source is wrong for the reason I stated.
Here are online copies of those old Record Mirror UK charts which
support entirely what I said---that the 1956 "Long Tall Sally" UK
chart entry Bruce mentiioned was NOT by Little Richard---and which
debunk Bruce's argument that it was

https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/whirligigtv/record-mirror-singles-charts-1955-62-t3760-s60.html

Game,set and match methinks :)


ROGER FORD
-----------------------

"Spam Free Zone" - to combat unwanted automatic spamming I have added
an extra "b" in my e-mail address (***@bblueyonder.co.uk) Please
delete same before responding.Thank you!
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Sav...@aol.com
2021-01-13 14:20:06 UTC
Permalink
Post by Roger Ford
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Roger Ford
Post by ***@aol.com
Post by Dean F.
Any idea as to the first rock 'n' roll song by a Black artist to make the UK chart?
"Ain't That A Shame" by Fats Domino on Feb. 4, 1956.
In the NME chart it was "Why Do Fools Fall in Love" by The Teenagers
featuring Frankie Lymon on June 30 1956 entering at #22 (on its way to
#1)
Fats didn't make that chart until July 28 1956 with "I'm In Love
Again"
And of course Little Richard never had a release here till 1957
I show "Long Tall Sally" by Little Richard entering the UK chart (The Record Mirror) on August 25, 1956 at #20. It was #19 the next week and then off.
That must have been the Boone cover (which entered the NME chart at
#27 on July 28 1956) ---
The book I have says it was Little Richard.
https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1533479129l/41049903._SY475_.jpg
As I've already said your source is wrong for the reason I stated.
Here are online copies of those old Record Mirror UK charts which
support entirely what I said---that the 1956 "Long Tall Sally" UK
chart entry Bruce mentiioned was NOT by Little Richard---and which
debunk Bruce's argument that it was
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/whirligigtv/record-mirror-singles-charts-1955-62-t3760-s60.html
The Guinness book confirms it.

Roger Ford
2021-01-10 09:40:44 UTC
Permalink
Post by RWC
Can anyone explain why "Shake, Rattle And Roll" was massively more popular
than "Rock Around The Clock" in the UK? (The movie "Blackboard Jungle" had
not yet been released at this time.)
"Rock Around The Clock" entered the NME chart here on no less than
NINE diifferent occasion---the first being on January 8 1955 where it
was listed for two weeks with a peak of #17

Its most successful chart run came with its second NME entry on
October 15 1955 when it was listed for 17 weeks hitting #1 for 3 weeks
in November/December 1955 and for another 2 weeks in January 1956

ROGER FORD
-----------------------

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RWC
2021-01-10 11:50:14 UTC
Permalink
Post by Roger Ford
Post by RWC
Can anyone explain why "Shake, Rattle And Roll" was massively more popular
than "Rock Around The Clock" in the UK? (The movie "Blackboard Jungle" had
not yet been released at this time.)
"Rock Around The Clock" entered the NME chart here on no less than
NINE diifferent occasion---the first being on January 8 1955 where it
was listed for two weeks with a peak of #17
I should have said, and I meant, why was "Shake, Rattle And Roll" *initially* far
more popular than rock's first anthem.

In the UK, "Shake, Rattle And Roll" was first released on 78 rpm Brunswick 05338,
the b-side was "A.B.C. Boogie" - and charted 3 weeks before "Rock Around The Clock"
despite having a higher label number?
https://www.discogs.com/Bill-Haley-And-His-Comets-Shake-Rattle-And-Roll-ABC-Boogie/release/1720459#images/6457970

In the UK "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" was first released on 78 rpm Decca
and Brunswick 05317, the b-side was "Thirteen Women"
https://www.discogs.com/Bill-Haley-And-His-Comets-Were-Gonna-Rock-Around-The-Clock-Thirteen-Women/release/2371104#images/5841791
https://www.discogs.com/Bill-Haley-And-His-Comets-Were-Gonna-Rock-Around-The-Clock-Thirteen-Women/release/11270472#images/38152468
Roger Ford
2021-01-10 14:46:56 UTC
Permalink
Post by RWC
Post by Roger Ford
Post by RWC
Can anyone explain why "Shake, Rattle And Roll" was massively more popular
than "Rock Around The Clock" in the UK? (The movie "Blackboard Jungle" had
not yet been released at this time.)
"Rock Around The Clock" entered the NME chart here on no less than
NINE diifferent occasion---the first being on January 8 1955 where it
was listed for two weeks with a peak of #17
I should have said, and I meant, why was "Shake, Rattle And Roll" *initially* far
more popular than rock's first anthem.
In the UK, "Shake, Rattle And Roll" was first released on 78 rpm Brunswick 05338,
the b-side was "A.B.C. Boogie" - and charted 3 weeks before "Rock Around The Clock"
despite having a higher label number?
https://www.discogs.com/Bill-Haley-And-His-Comets-Shake-Rattle-And-Roll-ABC-Boogie/release/1720459#images/6457970
"Shake,Rattle And Roll" has a higher label # simply because it was the
later release of the two.

"(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" came out in the UK in September
1954...."Shake,Rattle And Roll" followed in that October

ROGER FORD
-----------------------

"Spam Free Zone" - to combat unwanted automatic spamming I have added
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RWC
2021-01-10 19:45:40 UTC
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Post by Roger Ford
"(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" came out in the UK in September
1954...."Shake,Rattle And Roll" followed in that October
I guessed that RATC may have been released first, not only because of
the lower label #, but also because RATC came out on an old-fashioned
Decca label (as well as Brunswick) and I couldn't find SRAR on this type
of Decca label.

Wiki: In the US, "(We're Gonna) Rock Around the Clock" was first issued in
May 1954 as a B-side to "Thirteen Women (and Only One Man in Town)."
While the song did make the Cashbox music charts, it was considered a
commercial disappointment. It was not until 1955, when "Rock Around the
Clock" was used under the opening credits of the film Blackboard Jungle,
that the song truly took off.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Around_the_Clock

The Guardian (major upper-mid-brow left-of-center UK newspaper):
What made Rock Around the Clock such a huge success {apart from the movie}?
The lyrics, written by 60-year old Max Freedman, are pretty tame ("Put your glad
rags on, join me hon, we'll have some fun when the clock strikes one") and repetitive.
But then there's the whipcrack snare intro, an announcement – get ready! There
are the massed saxophones, the drums high in the mix, and the repetition of the lyrics
becomes hypnotic, relentless. Finally there's the guitar solo, like manic morse code,
so exciting and impossibly fast. It was played by a trusted session man called Danny
Cedrone, who wouldn't live to see its impact – he died after falling down a flight of
stairs in the summer of 1954.
https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/may/22/bill-haley-rock-around-the-clock-worlds-first-rock-anthem

"Having spent most of their studio time on the A-side {Thirteen Women}, Bill Haley
and his session band had only 40 minutes to arrange “Rock Around the Clock”.
Session guitarist Danny Cedrone just used a guitar solo he’d already used on previous
records for the song. The band ground out the soon-to-be-legendary song in just two takes."

{this seems odd because "Thirteen Women" has a higher 'matrix' number (86164),
suggesting it was recorded after "Rock Around The Clock" (86163)}

Anyway, this recording was not a commercial success when first released
in the U.S. (May 1954) or in the U.K. (Sept 1954)! Perhaps the simple reason
is that it was initially the B-side in both nations and consequently had limited if any
airplay on mainstream radio (in the UK this was the one and only BBC).

The popular, if controversial, teen movie "Blackboard Jungle" was released in the U.S.
on March 25, 1955.
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