Welcome to Morning Open Thread, a daily post with a MOTley crew of hosts who chose the topic for the day's posting. We support our community, invite and share ideas, and encourage thoughtful, respectful dialogue in an open forum.
The diarist gets to sleep in if she wants to, and she can show up long after the post published. That is a feature, not a bug. Other than that, site rulz rule.
Join us, please.
This post is my 400th time hosting Morning Open Thread. You’ve seen critters of all kinds, history, poetry, timelapses, dance, narratives, and music, all a hodgepodge of whatever struck my fancy at the time. Click here for a look back at previous posts.
Bill Haley, of Bill Haley and the Comets, is considered to be the Father of Rock and Roll. This month marks 35 years since his death in 1981 at the age of 55. He was just 30 in 1955 when he introduced the country to rock and roll with the single, “Rock Around the Clock,” which was the theme song for the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle. “Rock Around the Clock” was at the top of the American Billboard chart for weeks, marking the end of the dominance of the jazz and pop era and the beginning of the rock era.
The first of today’s videos is a montage of scenes from Blackboard Jungle, set to “Rock Around the Clock.” A list of cast members is at the link above — see how many you recognize.
The success of “Rock Around the Clock” was quickly followed by the first rock and roll musical films, Rock Around the Clock and Don't Knock the Rock, both released in 1956 to introduce a larger audience to this strange and wild new music that the kids loved. The next two clips are from Rock Around the Clock, starting with “See You Later Alligator.” As an aside, Haley’s kiss curl was intended to distract attention from his left eye, which was blind, and I wonder how many kids sported similar curls as Haley’s popularity grew. (Be assured, the quality of the videos improves after this one.)
The scene continues with “Rock-A-Beatin' Boogie,” featuring Earl Barton and Lisa Gaye. Barton was also the choreographer for the movie.
The second pf the 1956 movies was Don't Knock the Rock, and it included this wonderful dance number, “Rip it Up,” and …
… later Haley steps back while a couple of the Comets let loose in "Calling All Comets."
This new music was also popular in Europe, and Bill Haley and the Comets were the first American rock group to tour there. We wrap up today with “Vive Le Rock ‘n Roll,” featuring the adorable Caterina Valentei, from the 1959 West German film, Here I Am, Here I Stay.
Additional sources — the video descriptions at the various YouTube sites and Wikipedia.
Please post your favorite early Rock and Roll songs in the comments.
☕
Grab your cup and pull up a chair.
What is on your mind this morning?