The Steel Guitar Forum

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CdXlZtWOv3w



Bill Haley had had a long and varying career, running a country music radio station and playing with his Western Swing band, the Four Aces of Western Swing, and then the Saddlemen. He was well known in the profession and used to organise jamborees of C&W stars, etc. But a hit record eluded him until he released Icy Heart, which became an immediate hit.

It was a regular country number, much in the vein of Hank Williams. In fact Hank called him and congratulated him on his hit record. On the basis of the publicity Bill was booked on the Grand Old Opry and was in very high spirits.

Then suddenly, without warning, his manager cancelled the Opry date and booked him on tour.

You see, the B-side was this...



While the parents were enjoying the A-side the kids of the nation had discovered the B-side, and it was soon a major hit of its own, and started a cult.

Bill had to change his image. Away with the Stetson and the Western Wear, away with the acoustic guitar, and the band got a new name as the Comets. Very modern, and it went well with his name Haley. From then on there was no mention of his previous career. He was a teen idol, even though he was well past his teens himself.

...the rest is history.

But he still kept his Western Swing outfit, and unlike later rock-and-rollers his line up included steel guitar, saxaphone, accordion, slap bass and fiddle.

I remember, and liked them a lot.

This being a steel guitar forum, I thought first of "Slowly" Bud Isaacs/Web Pierce.

BF

I have a 78 rpm record of "Bill Haley and the 4 Aces of Western Swing doing "Candy Kisses."

It is more country than western swing. Sounds like the steel player is using an A Major tuning.
Anybody know who that was?

The steel guitar on his rock records was completely different.

Blake:

You likely have Cowboy 1202, with Tennessee Border on the flip side. Recorded in Chester, Pa, 1949 and one of Haley's earlier recordings.

Personnel probably:

Bill Haley (vocal & rhythm guitar); Merle Fritz (steel guitar); Al Constantine (accordion); Barney Barnard (double bass)

The guitarist on "Rock The Joint" was Danny Cedrone, who played nearly the same solo on "Rock Around The Clock" 2 years later--only to die in an accident within 2 months.

deleted

[quote="Mitch Drumm"]Blake:

You likely have Cowboy 1202, with Tennessee Border on the flip side. Recorded in Chester, Pa, 1949 and one of Haley's earlier recordings.

I grew up in Chester Pa I new where the place was and I know where he lived

I will take a picture of his house today and post it

I found this the Recording studio was up on a 2nd floor half way down the block



And he played here I did also in my high school band
TUBA

http://www.boothscorner.com/default.asp?id=3

Bill Ford wrote: This being a steel guitar forum, I thought first of "Slowly" Bud Isaacs/Web Pierce.

BF

Ditto, Bill.

Mitch,
Thanks, that is exactly the record I have.
I really appreciate the additional information.
I lived in Chambersburg, PA in 1949 and that
is where I bought the record.

Jim, also appreciate the picture of the recording studio.
All in all, a very interesting piece of history.

Blake

In 1959, I worked at Seaside Height's New Jersey from Mememorial day to Labor Day. We were down the boardwalk from Bill Haley and the Comets. Ther I go tellin' my age again. Doyle

Any one who grew up in Delaware County, Pa in the 50’s and 60’s say Bill Haley some time in their life, when I was about 6,7,8 I was born 1947 you do the math, we would go the Booth Corners Farmers on summer nights I would get Carmel pop corn and my parents would listen to the Cowboy band and I remember a table guitar My father called it being played there I guess that was Bill Haley’s band.
I went to Chichester High school so did Bill before me and the music teacher always said “ Who do you think you are another Bill Haley “ if you played Guitar. I saw him many times as I got older but in the Comets.

Here is a picture I took Saturday 6/7/2008 when I was going to Booths Corners Farmers market for my lunchmeat for the week yes I still shop there
This is where it started
The side additions are new not there in the 60's
You can Google it on the maps at
3200 Foulk Road 19061
Oh when we young were we told people they were going to put a university on that road.
Can you guess the name. The cross roads are Foulk and Bethel

That green sign says Melody lane



MY SITE
http://www.geocities.com/insp/SUPRO6420.html



Look here also

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Haley

Here is where it mentions BOOTHWYN,PA

http://members.accessbee.com/musicview/ ... 0Haley.htm

AND ALAN DID YOU NOTICE THE NAMES CHESTER,CHICHESTER,BOOTHWYN,AND WE HAVE LINWOOD
A lot of English Towns

DID ANYONE PLAY HERE IN THE OLD DAYS
http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/view.php?id=842
with pictures
http://www.bluegrasswest.com/ideas/sunsetpark.htm

Jim: You might find these views interesting...


By the way, Bill Haley came from a musical family. His mother was a concert pianist from Lancashire, England. Bill several times visited his aunts, uncles and cousins in England.

Anyone interested in Bill should be sure to buy his biography by his son, John W Haley, and his friend, John von Hoelle.

Shouldn't this be in 'Music' instead of 'Steel Players'

There are a lot of interesting anecdotes in the book, like the day Chuck Berry came running into Bill's tourbus and hid at the back, shortly to be followed by a bunch of rednecks after his hide. They asked if anyone had seen a n*gger in a pink suit, to which Bill replied, in his full Western regalia and Stetson, "Who do you think I am ? A n*ger-loving commie ?" They went away, and Bill probably saved Chuck's life that day.

A little-known fact is that Chuck Berry played steel, in fact there are several steel solos on his early albums. On one occasion Bill's regular steel player was sick and Chuck filled in for him for a gig.

While Bill was on tour in Italy, his manager was buying artwork with Bill's money without his knowledge. Unfortunately, he knew nothing of art and ran up an enormous debt. He ended up borrowing large amounts from the mob, which took up most of Bill's earning for years. Bill ended up as a tax recluse in Central and South America, where for years he was known as the Twist King. In fact, if you look at his discography, the monopoly of his work was in Spanish, mostly not available elsewhere.

not to be confused with that 'other' history changer, 'achey-breaky heart'!

chris ivey wrote:not to be confused with that 'other' history changer, 'achey-breaky heart'!

something died in me that day. I was in the Marines when he one his award for that song,holding up a qtr and saying " call someone who cares", mocking the other country musicians who where still trying to write meaningful songs.

I threw my boots overboard into the Indian ocean as I didnt want to be associated with that trend in country. I miss those boots....

Barry:
I made a post on Aug.3rd, asking about Bill Haley under the "Music" category. As of today there have been 18 replies with a wealth of information.

Yes, he was a fascinating character.

Just FYI, Marshall Lytle, Bill's original bass player who played on Rock Around The Clock passed away about a week ago. I got to meet him few times, wonderful gentleman and really funny guy. The original Comets played for the first time here in Helsinki in 2001, it was their first show of a European tour and they wanted to rehearse. The promoter was an old friend of mine and asked if The Comets can use our rehearsal studio. So there we were on a Friday night sitting on a couch, sippin' beer and watching the Comets play a "private gig" for us It was incredible; the amount of energy, musicianship, humor and swing they put into what was suppose to be just a rehearsal. Next day they played for a sold out theater and simply just blew the roof off the building. Here's a TV clip of their visit here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q_Hhl1t4Dq4
If you look closely you can see Franny Beecher playing my Standel amp

There was a man from Wiesbaden, Hank Kerns, who died a few years ago, who was an authentic Rock'n'Roller. He subbed for Haley's bass player for two weeks in the sixties. He talks about this at 5:50. My friend Knut on the Tele.
RIP Hank Kerns.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tc5rNyiHtWg

Here are some very early Bill Haley and the Saddlemen 78s.
http://98.130.146.204/bill_haley/bill_haley.html

I did a poster for Charlie Gracie and Marshall Lytle
in 2010

If anybody wants a copy of these posters
they are in other colors
I will send a Jpeg
email me
insp@yahoo.com

Jim Mitchell wrote:...email me insp@yahoo.com

email sent.

I've always been a fan of Charlie Gracie. He deserves much more acclaim than he has gotten over the years. He didn't have a string of hits like his peers, such as Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, but over the years he has stuck consistently to his rockabilly sound.

chris ivey wrote:not to be confused with that 'other' history changer, 'achey-breaky heart'!

Funny story about that song... as it was being played everywhere to the point many wanted to see Billy Ray tossed off a building somewhere... my friend Ginger and I sat in a restaurant/bar on the beach in Santa Monica having dinner.

A bit later 2 guys come over to buy us drinks and they join us to talk. The music industry comes up, it's discussed a bit, Achey-Breaky comes over the speakers, the guys cringe, talk about how much they hate the song. Ginger says hate it all you want, but you have to know it's making money hand over fist. They were still dissing it and Billy Ray and she and I started laughing...we got up to go and Ginger tossed some money on the table to cover our drinks ~ said they could hate the song all they wanted, her... well, she was just gonna keep laughing all the way to the bank.

Her daddy was Jack McFadden, Billy Rays manager, promoter.. well his everything.

Still cant stand the song, but every time I here it I laugh.

And yea, it changed country music.... and hairstyles, not necessarily in a good way

I still have the Gracie single" You Butterfly".