Steel Man For Bill Haley's Comets

Tony Kotula · Post by **Tony Kotula** » 28 Dec 2010 4:50 pm

I just heard Bill Haley's 1951 version of "Rocket 88" originally done by the Delta Kings w/ike turner.
In Haley's version there is a little steel break.
I remember seeing a movie with that band in it..along with a steel man. I believe he is from
Port Huron,Mi. Does anyone remember them? And does anyone know who the steel player was? The lead guitar player was a hot picker too!! thanks...

Tony Kotula · Post by **Tony Kotula** » 28 Dec 2010 5:12 pm

well... this'll be a short thread..i just got this info if anyone is interested...copy and paste this in your browser...or look up Billy Williamson in Wikipedia.com
i alway's enjoyed the comets style of music..

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Will ... guitarist)

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 28 Dec 2010 5:39 pm

Who remembers 'Thirteen Women', the B-side of 'Rock Around The Clock'? That has steel all over it, and some wonderful stuff with great use of the flat-fifth as a tension note.

Although I had no idea it was steel-guitar at the time (I was thirteen myself and in the UK) that 'guitar' part made a big impression on me - it came out just as I was starting to learn to play six-string, and Billy's playing, as well as that of Bobby Gibbons with Tennessee Ernie, was a building-block for me!

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 28 Dec 2010 6:11 pm

Billy's playing fit just as perfectly with Haley as did Scotty Moore fit with Elvis. When you think of the vocalist, you think of the guitar player.

Williamson is all over a bunch of Haley's early records--listen to Rockin' Chair On The Moon, Sundown Boogie, What'cha Gonna Do, etc.

Is that a Gibson Billy is playing here?

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 28 Dec 2010 7:13 pm

Who would have been on early lead in that otherwise awesome pic, Cederone, Franny, nobody?

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 28 Dec 2010 7:15 pm

Ron

I can't see either of them - strange!

Bo Borland · Post by **Bo Borland** » 28 Dec 2010 7:15 pm

For the whole story check out "The Sound & Glory" by Jack Haley , Bill's son.. great read and full of the real story behind Bill H.

Sound and Glory: The Incredible Story of Bill Haley, the Father of Rock 'N' Roll and the Music That Shook the World

edited to correct the actual title..

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 28 Dec 2010 7:16 pm

Thanks, Bo - I'll track that one down. I just love good bios on these important artists.

Ben Rubright · Post by **Ben Rubright** » 28 Dec 2010 7:17 pm

If I remember correctly what Bobbe told me, he was a Comet for at least one performance. I almost think that Lloyd was also...........correct me if I am off base.

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 28 Dec 2010 7:29 pm

The pre-Franny Beecher recordings are typically Danny Cedrone or Art Ryerson on guitar. Bob Scaltrito was on "Green Tree Boogie".

Franny joined immediately after Cedrone died--just a few weeks after "Rock Around The Clock" was cut.

I think Ryerson was just a session guy from NYC and may never have toured with the band? He turns up on a lot of NYC jazz sessions.

That first pic shows 6 pieces, so either the band was an septet or there was no lead on that night.

Here's another pic. This is from the Hofbrau Club in Wildwood, New Jersey, early 1953--within a month or so of cutting "Crazy, Man, Crazy".

I forget the details, but I think Williamson and Haley had a serious falling out--much later on in the 1960s. Haley's career was on the ropes and he got Williamson to take out a second mortgage on his home to finance a comeback attempt by Haley. Williamson is said to have lost his home as a result.

Tony Kotula · Post by **Tony Kotula** » 28 Dec 2010 9:22 pm

I just found out that the Kingsmen were actually some of the comets!!
The more I look back into the Comets...the more I am liking this amazing group.
Bill Haley was a country artist prior to the Comets.
Does anyone have a time machine handy?? LOL...

Tony Kotula · Post by **Tony Kotula** » 28 Dec 2010 9:23 pm

p.s. this is a great thread...thanks to all for the info...wow...

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 29 Dec 2010 12:15 am

Regarding the first photo Mitch posted, Marshall Lytle ( bass player ) told that they actually did quite a few shows without a lead guitar before Franny joined them. Danny Cedrone lead his own group The Esquire Boys and never really joined The Comets as a full time member. Here's their version of Caravan:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqFgUYaY620

Mitch Drumm · Post by **Mitch Drumm** » 29 Dec 2010 1:36 am

Jussi:

Thanks for posting that link. I already had Caravan, but the links at the link led me to other Cedrone stuff.

Wasn't a Danny Cedrone/Esquire Boys CD planned at one time? I never heard about it being released. I'm guessing Tapio would be behind it?

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 29 Dec 2010 2:29 am

Mitch, you can find info of the cd here:
http://www.rockabillyhall.com/Extra.html#cedronecd

Have to admit that I don't have the cd ( yet ) , have to check if Goofin' Records carries it or could order it for me. And you're right, Tapio was involved with it somehow. My guess is that he provided some tracks from the original 78's, that guy's knowledge and record collection is simply mind blowing!

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 29 Dec 2010 6:39 am

Roger Rettig wrote:Who remembers 'Thirteen Women', the B-side of 'Rock Around The Clock'? That has steel all over it, and some wonderful stuff with great use of the flat-fifth as a tension note.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zxz7-O0x ... re=related

Roger Rettig · Post by **Roger Rettig** » 29 Dec 2010 6:47 am

Listening again after so long (thanks, Mike) it seems that steel and guitar are sharing fills (there's a distinct tonal difference between them, of course), the guitar-player (presumably Danny Cedrone as it's him on the A-side) doing that 'tumbling' fill on the 4-minor.

Guitar has the solo, too - without hearing this to refresh my memory I'd have sworn the steel had that break!

BH wasn't the world's greatest singer, was he?

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 29 Dec 2010 8:00 am

I remember having a 45rpm record when I was a kid of Bill Haley and the Saddlemen, I don't remember what the songs were though. I always admired the way Frank Beecher (Franny) played guitar. He had a great style and was very bright and bubbly in his leads.........JH in Va.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 29 Dec 2010 1:08 pm

Tony Kotula wrote:Bill Haley. Does anyone have a time machine handy?? LOL...

Catch them in the present http://www.billhaley.co.uk/comets2.htm

Mike Perlowin RIP · Post by **Mike Perlowin RIP** » 29 Dec 2010 1:21 pm

Ron Whitfield wrote:Catch them in the present http://www.billhaley.co.uk/comets2.htm

From the web site: "And then we come to "The Flying Fingers of Franny Beecher", as bass player Marshall Lytle describes the Comets lead guitarist supreme. His self-penned "Steel Guitar Rag" is a perfect showcase for his remarkable talents."

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 30 Dec 2010 12:10 am

Ron Whitfield wrote:
Tony Kotula wrote:Bill Haley. Does anyone have a time machine handy?? LOL...
Catch them in the present http://www.billhaley.co.uk/comets2.htm

Sadly, that line up is no more. Franny retired several years ago, Johnny Grande passed away in 2006, Marshall retired last year. Joey D'Ambrosio and Dick Richards were the only members of the line up when I saw them last May in Spain. Fortunately I had a chance to see them several times with the original line up, first one being in Helsinki in the beginning of Millenium. The show was on Saturday and it was their first of the European tour so they wanted to rehearse on Friday. The promoter was a good friend of mine and asked if The Comets could use our rehearsal studio. I thought about it for a nano second and said sure, why not

So there we were on a Friday night, sitting on a couch, sippin' beer and watching Bill Haley's original Comets play a private show for us.

Something I'll never forget!!

Jerry Hayes R.I.P. · Post by **Jerry Hayes R.I.P.** » 30 Dec 2010 10:43 am

A few years back I was working with an Elvis Impersonater and we were doing an oldies show in Ocean City, Maryland. On the show was a group billed as "Bill Haley's Comets". None of them were the originals, however they did a pretty decent job of doing his old hits. Supposedly the drummer was the only one who'd ever worked with Bill Haley but it was long after Haley'd had any hits. I don't remember the drummer's name but he was heavy set and pretty tall. What sucked though was the guitar player was playing a Stratocaster and they had an electric bass..........JH in Va.

Ron Whitfield · Post by **Ron Whitfield** » 30 Dec 2010 11:57 am

Jussi Huhtakangas wrote:Sadly, that line up is no more. Franny retired several years ago, Johnny Grande passed away in 2006, Marshall retired last year. Joey D'Ambrosio and Dick Richards were the only members of the line up when I saw them last May in Spain.
So there we were on a Friday night, sitting on a couch, sippin' beer and watching Bill Haley's original Comets play a private show for us. Something I'll never forget!!

I'm not surprised they've called it, Jussi, but what true greats these guys are right to the end, just the best.

Jussi Huhtakangas · Post by **Jussi Huhtakangas** » 30 Dec 2010 1:41 pm

Yeah Ron, and what a nice bunch of guys they were too; of course I cornered Franny being a life long fan of his, he asked me if I had a day job. I said yes and he said "good, keep it"

, then he went on telling how he went to work for this factory making Halloween masks ( after quitting the Comets ) and very thoroughly explained how the masks were done. It was unreal, here visiting my home town was a guy who made rock'n'roll history and who's guitar playing I had been marveling since I was 15 and he's telling me about how to mold funny masks

Tony Glassman · Post by **Tony Glassman** » 30 Dec 2010 4:55 pm

I remember hearing that Curly Chalker played steel for Bill Haley & the Comets..........any truth to that?

The Steel Guitar Forum