Bill Haley and His Comets (1960 album)


Bill Haley and His Comets is the title of the tenth album of rock and roll recordings by Bill Haley & His Comets. Released in April 1960, it was the band's first album release for Warner Bros. Records, following their departure from Decca Records at the end of 1959. The recordings were produced by George Avakian, who succeeded Haley's Decca producer, Milt Gabler.
One of two albums released during a four-month period, this first album consisted of cover versions of popular rock and roll hits of the 1950s, including re-recordings of Haley's own hits "Rock Around the Clock", "Crazy Man Crazy" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll". The latter song underwent a substantial rearrangement in order to modernize its sound, while the arrangements for the former two were left virtually unchanged from their originals, the major difference being the new versions were recorded in stereo. The album produced no chart hits.
In 1963, Decca Records released an album under its Vocalion Records subsidiary called Bill Haley and the Comets; this was a different selection of recordings.

Track listing

Side 1

  1. Crazy Man Crazy
  2. Kansas City
  3. Love Letters in the Sand
  4. Shake, Rattle and Roll
  5. I'm in Love Again
  6. Stagger Lee

    Side 2

  7. Rock Around the Clock
  8. I Almost Lost My Mind
  9. Blue Suede Shoes
  10. My Special Angel
  11. Blueberry Hill
  12. Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin On

    Personnel

Tracks from this album later appeared on a number of compilation releases, including the 1970 Warner Bros. release Rock 'n' Roll Revival. In 1999, it was incorporated into the Bear Family Records CD box set, The Warner Brothers Years and More.