Telex - Rock Around The Clock (Sonny Dae and His Knights Cover)

From '' Rock Around The Clock '' Label: WEA Records B.V. -- WEAN 18.071 Format: Vinyl, 7", Single Country: Netherlands Released: 1979 Tracklist A Rock Around The Clock B Something To Say Both tracks taken from the L.P. 'Looking For Saint Tropez' (SRK 6072). ------------------------ "Rock Around the Clock" is a 12-bar-blues-based song written by Max C. Freedman and James E. Myers (the latter under the pseudonym "Jimmy De Knight") in 1952. The best-known and most successful rendition was recorded by Bill Haley and His Comets in 1954. Haley's recording nevertheless became an anthem for rebellious Fifties youth and is widely considered to be the song that, more than any other, brought rock and roll into mainstream culture around the world. The song is ranked #158 on the Rolling Stone magazine's list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Although first recorded by Italian-American band Sonny Dae and His Knights, the more famous version by Bill Haley & His Comets is not, strictly speaking, a cover version. Myers claimed the song had been written specifically for Haley but, for various reasons, Haley was unable to record it himself until April 1954. Covers, adaptations, and re-recordings In 1974, Harry Nilsson covered the tune on his album Pussy Cats, produced by John Lennon and with Ringo Starr and Keith Moon on drums. On October 24, 1955, Brazilian singer Nora Ney recorded on a 78rpm. Its B side was "Ciuminho Grande". In 1979, the Belgian group Telex covered the song in an ultra-slow version. It reached number 34 on the UK singles chart. In 1974, David Cassidy recorded the song as part of a medley of rock and roll songs, it's available on the album Cassidy Live! Also in 1979, the song was covered in the Sex Pistols' album and film The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle with Edward Tudor Pole on vocals. The song was recorded in 1979 by disco group Gary's Gang for their album Gangbusters. Children's entertainers Sharon, Lois & Bram sang a version on their 1987 album Stay Tuned. In movies, television, advertising The song was used as the theme song for the first two seasons of the 1970s sitcom Happy Days, which was set in the 1950s. The original Haley recording is in the soundtrack for the film American Graffiti (1973). The song plays a notable role in the 1975 science fiction trilogy The Illuminatus! Trilogy by Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson. It is "performed" in the book by a group called Clark Kent and His Supermen at key points in the story. Another character in the book, George Dorn, is said to have been inspired to become a counter-culture journalist after hearing the song. One of the last commercials for the Zayre chain used the song in a Christmas ad. It aired in the 1980s in the Boston area according to www.TVSeriesFinale.com. This song is featured in the 1986 film The Karate Kid Part II when Daniel Larusso (Ralph Macchio) and his girlfriend Kumiko (Tamlyn Tomita) burn the house down to this in a 50's cafe. The song was featured, on at least three occasions, in the hit TV series "Ballykissangel" - most notably in Series 1 episode 6 "Missing You Already" during the preparation for a Publicans Race between Assumpta Fitzgerald and Brian Quigley. Re-releases In 2006 the German label Hydra Records released The Story of Rock Around the Clock: Bill Haley & Friends Vol. 3 which contains 60 versions of the song—30 by Haley (mostly live performances), and 30 more by a variety of artists including Pat Boone, Chubby Checker, Eddie Cochran, John Lennon, Buddy Knox, Isley Brothers, The Platters, Carl Perkins, and Mae West.