"Rock the Joint", also known as "We're Gonna Rock This Joint Tonight", is a 1949

boogie Boogie is a repetitive, swung note or shuffle rhythm,Burrows, Terry (1995). ''Play Country Guitar'', p.42. Dorling Kindersley Limited, London. . "groove" or pattern used in blues which was originally played on the piano in boogie-woogie mus ...

song recorded by various proto-

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm a ...

singers, notably

Jimmy Preston James Alfred Smith Preston (August 18, 1913 – December 17, 1984), was an American R&B bandleader, alto saxophonist, drummer and singer who made an important contribution to early rock and roll. Career Preston was born in Chester, Pennsylvania, ...

and early rock and roll singers, most notably

Bill Haley William John Clifton Haley (; July 6, 1925 – February 9, 1981) was an American rock and roll musician. He is credited by many with first popularizing this form of music in the early 1950s with his group Bill Haley & His Comets and million-sel ...

in 1952. Preston's version has been cited as a contender for being "the

first rock and roll record The origins of rock and roll are complex. Rock and roll emerged as a defined musical style in the United States in the early to mid-1950s. It derived most directly from the rhythm and blues music of the 1940s, which itself developed from earlie ...

", and Haley's is widely considered the first

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and blu ...

record.

Background

The song's authorship is credited to Harry Crafton, Wendell "Don" Keane, and Harry "Doc" Bagby, who were musicians contracted to the Gotham label in New York, owned by Ivin Ballen (although a live version recorded by Haley in 1969 for

Buddah Records Buddah Records (later known as Buddha Records) was an American record label founded in 1967 in New York City. The label was born out of Kama Sutra Records, an MGM Records-distributed label, which remained a key imprint following Buddah's foun ...

was credited to James Bracken). The song was influenced by earlier R&B recordings such as

Wynonie Harris Wynonie Harris (August 24, 1915 – June 14, 1969) was an American blues shouter and rhythm-and-blues singer of upbeat songs, featuring humorous, often ribald lyrics. He had fifteen Top 10 hits between 1946 and 1952. Harris is attributed by ...

' 1948 R&B hit " Good Rockin' Tonight". Ballen passed the song to Jimmy Preston, who had recently had a hit with "Hucklebuck Daddy". The version by Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians was recorded in Philadelphia in May 1949 and was released on the Gotham label, reaching #6 on the national R&B chart later that year. Chris Powell and the Five Blue Flames would cover their version in that same year. Jimmy Cavallo released a version of the Jimmy Preston recording in 1955. Two years later, Bill Haley and the Saddlemen had already achieved some success with their cover of

Jackie Brenston Jackie Brenston (August 24, 1928 or 1930Most published sources and the U.S. Social Security Death Index give 1930 as his year of birth. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and reportedly his gravestone give 1928. – December 15, 1979) ...

's "

Rocket 88 "Rocket 88" (originally stylized as Rocket "88") is a song that was first recorded in Memphis, Tennessee, in March 1951. The recording was credited to " Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats", who were actually Ike Turner and his Kings of Rhythm. T ...

", but were looking for another hit. They were persuaded by their producer,

Essex Records Essex Records was founded in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1951 by David Miller primarily to record contemporary country and western, rhythm and blues as well as jazz and gospel. Jack Howard was the promotion manager. The label had little pop ...

owner Dave Miller, to cover "Rock The Joint" - a song which, like "Rocket 88", had already been successful with R&B audiences. Haley recorded the song in February or March 1952. The exact location is unknown but it is believed the song was recorded in the band's hometown of

Chester, Pennsylvania Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Located within the Philadelphia Metropolitan Area, it is the only city in Delaware County and had a population of 32,605 as of the 2020 census. Incorporated in 1682, Chester i ...

br>
. Haley made up verses of his own to appeal to his country music audience, naming a succession of hillbilly dances (such as the Sugarfoot Rag and Virginia Reel) in place of Preston's hucklebuck and jitterbug, and also used different instrumentation on the track, and more back echo. In particular, Haley's version used a prominent percussive slapped bass played by

Marshall Lytle Marshall Edward Lytle (September 1, 1933 – May 25, 2013) was an American rock and roll bassist, best known for his work with the groups Bill Haley & His Comets and The Jodimars in the 1950s. He played upright slap bass on the iconic 1950s rock ...

in lieu of drums and electric guitar by

Danny Cedrone Donato Joseph "Danny" Cedrone (June 20, 1920 – June 17, 1954) was an American guitarist and bandleader, best known for his work with Bill Haley & His Comets on their epochal "Rock Around the Clock" in 1954. Career Cedrone was born in Jamesvil ...

, with a lick he duplicated two years later on " Rock Around The Clock". This version of "Rock the Joint" sold 75,000 copies. A 2012 article stated that "The Comets’ beefed-up arrangement of "Rock This Joint" in 1952 was what convinced Haley to move away from his western swing sound towards rock ‘n’ roll". Although Haley's version did not chart when released on

in 1952, it was enough of a hit in Chicago to win him a short residency in a jazz club there - although this was cut short after many of his black audiences walked out. Nevertheless, Haley's version of "Rock The Joint" - three years before "Rock Around The Clock" - was an important milestone in the development of

through the coming together of R&B and country styles. The recording was remade in 1957 by Haley for Decca Records, by which time his band had been renamed Bill Haley & His Comets (it was released by Decca Records under the title "New Rock the Joint" as the original version was still in circulation). He later re-recorded the song for

Sonet Records Sonet Records was a jazz, pop and rock record label operating as an imprint of Universal Music Sweden. It was founded in Sweden in 1956. Sonet Records was established by Sven Lindholm and Gunnar Bergström, who managed the label into the 1980s ...

of Sweden in 1968 and numerous live versions were also recorded by him. One of these, recorded for

in late 1969 for the live concert album '' Bill Haley's Scrapbook'', carries both the alternate title "We're Gonna Rock This Joint Tonight" and an erroneous songwriting credit for

James Bracken James C. Bracken (May 23, 1909 – February 20, 1972) was an American songwriter and the co-founder and co-owner of Vee-Jay Records with his wife Vivian and her brother, Calvin Carter. Life Bracken was born in Oklahoma and grew up in Kansas C ...

. After Haley's death, members of the Comets who had served with Haley between 1951 and the early 1960s reunited and recorded several more versions of the song, such as for the 1994

Hydra Records Hydra generally refers to: * Lernaean Hydra, a many-headed serpent in Greek mythology * ''Hydra'' (genus), a genus of simple freshwater animals belonging to the phylum Cnidaria Hydra or The Hydra may also refer to: Astronomy * Hydra (constel ...

album ''You're Never Too Old to Rock'' and again for the 1999 release on Rollin' Rock Records. ''Still Rockin' Around the Clock''; the latter version acknowledges the song's influence on "Rock Around the Clock" by segueing into the final verse of the latter song. It was also covered and released by

Reverend Horton Heat The Reverend Horton Heat is the stage name of American musician James C. Heath (born 1959) as well as the name of his Dallas, Texas-based psychobilly trio. Heath is a singer, songwriter and guitarist. A ''Prick'' magazine reviewer called Heath ...

in 1996 on his album It's Martini Time.

Cover versions

The 1952 Bill Haley version with a different arrangement and new lyrics was covered by

Ralph Marterie Ralph Marterie (24 December 1914 – 10 October 1978) was an Italian big-band leader born in Acerra (near Naples), Italy. Life and career Marterie first played professionally at age 14 in Chicago. In the 1940s, he played trumpet for various b ...

and Lola Ameche on Mercury Records in 1952.

The Wild Angels ''The Wild Angels'' is a 1966 American outlaw biker film produced and directed by Roger Corman. Made on location in Southern California, ''The Wild Angels'' was the first film to associate actor Peter Fonda with Harley-Davidson motorcycles an ...

recorded the Bill Haley version in 1979. Billy Swan and

have also performed and recorded the Bill Haley version in 1996.

Sources

* Jim Dawson, ''Rock Around the Clock: The Record That Started the Rock Revolution!'' (Backbeat Books, 2005). * John W. Haley and John von Hoelle, ''Sound and Glory'' (Dyne-American, 1990).

References

{{Authority control Songs about rock music Year of song unknown Rhythm and blues songs 1952 singles Rockabilly songs Bill Haley songs The Reverend Horton Heat songs Songwriter unknown