Bill Haley

[PeterC]

I saw Bill Haley and the Comets in Rochester on a double bill with the Hollies. Bill and the boys played the first half to almost complete silence apart from the cheers from us Comets fans. When the Hollies came on for the second half all the girls in the audience screamed their heads off, so I went home.

What year was this? The Hollies are my favourite ever group!

[Dave McKee]

Yes, the Hollies were one of my favourites too, and I would have liked to have heard them! I think the date was around 1965.

[tchr]

AMAZING!! 27 minutes consert with Haley and his Comets from 30.October 1958 in Brussels, Belgium.
Notice great guitar playing from Franny Beecher who just passed away, and even Haley playing upright bass.
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 5928,d.bGE

[Dirk B.]

Unbelievable!!!!

[PeterC]

Incredible!!!

I managed to save it using this:

http://en.savefrom.net/1-how-to-download-youtube-video/

[martin bates]

Thanks !

Martin

[Dirk B.]

I just got back from the Comets tour start in Wolfsburg - and what should I say? They still rock as hell. During the first part of the show Bill Haley's New Comets performed songs like "Razzle Dazzle", "Rudy's Rock", "Farewell, So Long Goodbye" and "Skinny Minnie" together with Bill Turner and Gina Haley. During the second part of the show the Original Comets Joey Ambrose and Dick Richards took the stage and performed for more than one hour, accompanied by the New Comets with Bill Turner- and on some songs Gina joined them, too.
The setlist included: "Shake, Rattle and Roll", "I Want You To Be My Baby", "Buena Sera", "Birth Of The Boogie (full Version with drum solo by Dick!), Mambo Rock, Rock A Beatin' Boogie, The House Is Rockin', The Saints Rock'n'Roll, Rock The Joint, See You Later, Alligator" and - as encores "Rock around the clock" and "New Orleans". It sounded fresh, vital and it was one of the best R&R shows I've ever seen.

[PeterC]

Thanks Dirk, great review!

[Dirk B.]

Luckily I brought my video cam and filmed most of the show - complete Joey/Dick-part and parts of the New Comets show - 1 hour 43 minutes in great quality!
Here are some pictures:
http://www.wolfsburger-nachrichten.de/f ... =3&index=3

[Ulli]

AMAZING!! 27 minutes consert with Haley and his Comets from 30.October 1958 in Brussels, Belgium.
Notice great guitar playing from Franny Beecher who just passed away, and even Haley playing upright bass.
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 5928,d.bGE

Thank you, really a great find. One of the 1958 shows without riots and with a (too) disciplinated audience (some look like sitting in an opera...) but with great sound quality and some real great music that shows the abilities of this great band. It's only a pity that they didn't play 'Skinny Minnie' which actually was a hit in 1958.

[tchr]

AMAZING!! 27 minutes consert with Haley and his Comets from 30.October 1958 in Brussels, Belgium.
Notice great guitar playing from Franny Beecher who just passed away, and even Haley playing upright bass.
https://www.google.nl/url?sa=t&rct=j&q= ... 5928,d.bGE

Thank you, really a great find. One of the 1958 shows without riots and with a (too) disciplinated audience (some look like sitting in an opera...) but with great sound quality and some real great music that shows the abilities of this great band. It's only a pity that they didn't play 'Skinny Minnie' which actually was a hit in 1958.

Hi Ulli,
The rather "strange" behaviour and age of the of the audience (compared to Berlin 1958!) has its explanation. According to Bill Haley Jr. (yes, the son of Bill!) on the yahoo Bill Haley forum, referring to John Swenson book about Bill Haley, Bill and the band were booked into an unusual show where they performed for a classical music audience. The program was “From Hadyn to Haley” broadcast to sixteen nations throughout Europe. The show opened with an 86-piece symphony orchestra playing classical works by Hayden, Verdi, Strauss, and Handel, as well as modern masters George Gershwin, W.C. Handy, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin.

[Ulli]

[quote="Tore Christensen"
Hi Ulli,
The rather "strange" behaviour and age of the of the audience (compared to Berlin 1958!) has its explanation. According to Bill Haley Jr. (yes, the son of Bill!) on the yahoo Bill Haley forum, referring to John Swenson book about Bill Haley, Bill and the band were booked into an unusual show where they performed for a classical music audience. The program was “From Hadyn to Haley” broadcast to sixteen nations throughout Europe. The show opened with an 86-piece symphony orchestra playing classical works by Hayden, Verdi, Strauss, and Handel, as well as modern masters George Gershwin, W.C. Handy, Jerome Kern and Irving Berlin.[/quote]

Thanks Tore, i didn't know about this. In this case the audience can be called pretty enthusiastic!

[Dirk B.]

A video of the five originals featuring Marshall, Franny and Johnny:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO3CSb2fwxI

[Dirk B.]

Bill's return to the UK 1968:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlHQ0R6NsNk

[tchr]

Blue Suede Shoes from the Besito A Papa movie. Sound and picture out sync unfortunately
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBzi7eznGNk#t=816