Still Rockin’ Around The Clock: My Life in Rock n’ Roll’s First Super Group, Bill Haley and The Comets and Recording the Song That Made Music History, Rock Around the Clock Paperback –
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HIGHLIGHTED COMMENT
Sharon K. Metzger
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I found this to be an “easy” read, and fascinating as well! It was nice to read a retrospect autobiography that didn’t trash ex-wives or former band mates (unless they deserved it!). It seems the phrase “trust me” was used a lot in the fifties and a lot of guys got the shaft because of it… and Mr. Lytle was one of them. As a songwriter myself, I am acutely aware of what can happen when two write a song but only one wants to take the credit for it and leave the other out of the mix – the result is a financial and personal nightmare that decimates a personal and professional relationship… exactly what happened with Mr. Lytle and Bill Haley. His son (Mr. Haley, Jr.) can claim its personal bad blood on Mr. Lytle’s part, but putting monetary disbursments aside, his dad had an oral contractual arrangement to make good on a song writing credit. And that’s just ONE of the legal points I was able to pick up out of this book! Mr. Lytle was there when all this went down (unlike Haley, Jr. who just has hearsay) and so when in doubt, go with the man who was there and heard and saw it all. It’s a great picture into the life of a man who helped start Rock N Roll and where he is now!
HIGHLIGHTED COMMENT
Jack
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 23, 2010
As the son of Bill Haley I had come to know Marshall Lytle and respect him however, after reading this book, I’ve lost any respect I had for him. The book should be titled “Still Cryin’ Around The Clock. I found several untrue statements throughout the book and it was through his own stupidity fifty-five years ago that he persuaded Joey and Dick to leave the Comets to form their own band and it backfired on them big time. They were replaced with far more talented musicians and it was these musicians who rocked the world with my father and enjoyed great success, while it lasted. It was Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson who along with my father that had worked for years putting together the sound my father was searching for and therefore deserved to be equal partners with my father. Marshall had replaced Al Rex, who was there first, and Marshall wants to cry about not being a equal partner. Was my father supposed to make every member of the group a equal partner? My father, after all, was the leader of the band. Marshall claims they rehearsed Rock Around The Clock in the basement of Melody Manor. Melody Manor wasn’t completed until two years after Rock Around The Clock was recorded. He tells these lies after my father, Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson are no longer around to deny all of his fallacies. It’s been fifty-five years Marshall, get over it. The only good part of the book is the forward by Peter Ford. 194 pages took about two hours to read. Not worth the money and after the first two chapters, it gets very boring. And by the way Marshall, my father didn’t drink tequilla, he drank scotch. One more thing Marshall, you claim my father never took care of you, well, you’re making it on his name now, isn’t that taking care of you?
Jack Haley
Jack Haley
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1 Comment
Boring and full of lies
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 23, 2010
As the son of Bill Haley I had come to know Marshall Lytle and respect him however, after reading this book, I’ve lost any respect I had for him. The book should be titled “Still Cryin’ Around The Clock. I found several untrue statements throughout the book and it was through his own stupidity fifty-five years ago that he persuaded Joey and Dick to leave the Comets to form their own band and it backfired on them big time. They were replaced with far more talented musicians and it was these musicians who rocked the world with my father and enjoyed great success, while it lasted. It was Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson who along with my father that had worked for years putting together the sound my father was searching for and therefore deserved to be equal partners with my father. Marshall had replaced Al Rex, who was there first, and Marshall wants to cry about not being a equal partner. Was my father supposed to make every member of the group a equal partner? My father, after all, was the leader of the band. Marshall claims they rehearsed Rock Around The Clock in the basement of Melody Manor. Melody Manor wasn’t completed until two years after Rock Around The Clock was recorded. He tells these lies after my father, Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson are no longer around to deny all of his fallacies. It’s been fifty-five years Marshall, get over it. The only good part of the book is the forward by Peter Ford. 194 pages took about two hours to read. Not worth the money and after the first two chapters, it gets very boring. And by the way Marshall, my father didn’t drink tequilla, he drank scotch. One more thing Marshall, you claim my father never took care of you, well, you’re making it on his name now, isn’t that taking care of you?
Jack Haley