Glenn Shorrock, Graeme ‘Shirley’ Strachan, John Paul Young, Daryl Braithwaite, Renée Geyer and Frankie J Holden
Single:
This tribute version of Rock Around the Clock was released as a single in 1977. Because of its free distribution, no commercial sales statistics were recorded.
Songwriters:
Max C Freedman, James E Myers (as Jimmy DeKnight)
Record labels of Australian releases:
Festival, labelled in different states as: ANZ/3XY, ANZ/2SM, ANZ/4IP
The B-side of the single contains a narration explaining the project, while the A-side is the song itself. Both sides are here, in that order. The song begins at 3:08:
21 Years of Rock ’n’ Roll — A Tribute to Rock Around the Clock
The first rock and roll record to top the pop charts in both the US and UK, Rock Around the Clock, did so in those countries in 1955. The record by Bill Haley & His Comets was first released in the USA in 1954 but had little impact until featured in the 1955 film Blackboard Jungle. From then it was hailed as “the record that launched the rock ‘n’ roll era”.
Bill Haley’s Rock Around the Clock entered the Australian singles chart on 30 July 1955, then sat at the #1 position from 20 August to 24 September 1955.*
A free 45″ single was released in mid-1977 by 2SM Sydney, 3XY Melbourne and 4IP Brisbane to “celebrate 21 years of rock & roll”. This recording of Rock Around the Clock featured some of the biggest Australian artists of the time: Glenn Shorrock (Little River Band), Graeme ‘Shirley’ Strachan (Skyhooks), John Paul Young, Daryl Braithwaite (Sherbet), Renée Geyer and Frankie J Holden. They were backed, most appropriately, by Frankie’s ’50s retro band Ol’ 55.
The single was distributed at no charge as a 2SM, 3XY and 4IP radio promotion, with commercial funding provided by ANZ.
*Kent Music Report / Australian Chart Book. See About.
Lyrics:
One, two, tree o’clock, four o’clock rock
Five, six, seven o’clock, eight o’clock rock
Nine, ten, eleven o’clock, twelve o’clock rock
We’re gonna rock around the clock tonight
Click for full lyrics
Also on Bang a Gong: the original (We’re Gonna) Rock Around the Clock by Bill Haley & His Comets
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