From Western Swing to Rock
"Rock Around The Clock" was a smash hit around the world in 1955, and its perpetrators - Bill Haley & the Comets - as unlikely a bunch of contenders to be teen idols as you could get. But for a couple of years or so they dominated the charts and conquered the world, establishing themselves as icons of rock'n'roll. And then just as quickly as they had shot to fame, so their star dimmed and vanished. But "Rock Around The Clock" retained its magic touch, charting again in the '60s and the '80s and all told sold around 25 million copies. No teenager himself when the record first charted, Bill Haley was a married man of 30 with over 10 year's worth of experience as a performer in 1955. And therein lay his nemesis, for although he and the Comets played some fabulous music, within a few years the record buying youngsters were seduced by sexier and younger stars. This collection explores Haley's path to the peak of his triumph and subsequent brief domination of the charts.