Haley was blinded in his left eye as a child due to a botched operation. According to biographer John Swenson, Haley later adopted his distinctive spit-curl hairstyle to distract attention from his blind eye. The spit-curl caught on as a 50's style signature, although Haley and others had worn the hairstyle much earlier.
In 1946, Haley joined his first professional group, a Pennsylvania-based western swing band called The Down Homers run by Kenny Roberts. It has often been reported in musical reference works that Haley's first professional recordings were made with the Down Homers on a pair of singles released in 1946 by Vogue Records. This was later debunked by Roberts and others, stating Haley had already left the group by the time the singles were made. In the early 2000s, however, a set of 1946 radio recordings by the Down Homers were discovered and Haley is definitely present as he is identified by name and sings a solo number "She Taught Me to Yodel"; these recordings were commercially released for the first time in 2006.
After gaining experience with the Down Homers, Haley set out on his own, forming several groups such as the Range Drifters and the Four Aces of Western Swing. With the Four Aces, he made a number of regionally successful country music singles in the late 1940s for Cowboy Records while working as a touring musician and later a radio DJ at WPWA. (Many of Haley's early recordings from this period would not be released until after his death.) After disbanding the Four Aces and briefly trying a solo career using the names Jack Haley and Johnny Clifton (as chronicled in the biography Sound and Glory), Haley formed a new group called The Saddlemen in either 1949 or 1950 (sources vary as to the exact year); this new group recorded for several labels, including one single for Atlantic Records, Haley's first exposure to a major national record company. In 1951, Haley was signed to Dave Miller's Philadelphia-based Holiday Records and began to change musical styles, recording cover versions of "Rocket "88"" (previously recorded by Jackie Brenston and His Delta Cats), and in, 1952, "Rock the Joint", previously recorded by several bands including Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians. (By the time of "Rock the Joint", Haley had graduated from Holiday Records to Miller's larger Essex label.) The relative success of these recordings (both sold in the 75,000-100,000 copy range in the Pennsylvania-New England region) convinced Haley that his new and as-yet officially unnamed hybrid of country and rhythm and blues could be a commercial success.and some of his family lives in oklahoma and there is a road named after his family.
Mambo Rock
Bill Haley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
There's an island in the Caribbean Sea
Where the natives dance and rock with plea
The mambo dance in a different way
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
Where the waves roll up on the golden sand
Grab your chick right by the hand
You can clap and stamp your feet
To that crazy rockin' mambo beat
Oh, hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
Through the red hot day and the cool-cool night
When the mambo moon is shining bright
They love to dance around the clock
To that crazy rockin' mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Hey mambo, mambo rock
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
The lyrics to Bill Haley's song "Mambo Rock" describe the infectious dance style of mambo, originating from an island in the Caribbean Sea where the locals would dance all day to the crazy mambo rock. Bill Haley's proclamation that "everybody's doing it" emphasizes the popularity of the dance across different cultures and regions. The lyrics paint a picture of golden sands and rolling waves where one can grab their partner and dance to the rhythm of the mambo. The energy and excitement of the dance is further emphasized as the lyrics mention the red hot day and cool-cool night when the mambo moon is shining bright.
The song taps into the popularity of mambo, a rhythmically complex dance style that originated in Cuba in the 1940s and gained popularity in the United States in the 1950s. The song was released in 1954 at the height of the mambo craze, and its upbeat tempo and simple, catchy lyrics contributed to its success. The lyrics also helped popularize the dance style by familiarizing audiences with its unique sound and movements. The song's popularity helped Bill Haley become one of the early pioneers of rock and roll music.
Line by Line Meaning
Hey mambo, mambo rock
This song is all about the Mambo Rock!
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
The Mambo Rock is a popular dance that everyone enjoys.
There's an island in the Caribbean Sea
The Mambo Rock originated on an island in the Caribbean Sea.
Where the natives dance and rock with plea
The people on this island dance and rock with passion.
The mambo dance in a different way
The Mambo Rock has its own particular style of dancing.
They do the crazy mambo rock all day
People on this island enjoy dancing the Mambo Rock all day long.
Where the waves roll up on the golden sand
The island has beautiful sandy beaches where the waves crash.
Grab your chick right by the hand
Take your partner by the hand and dance the Mambo Rock with them.
You can clap and stamp your feet
The Mambo Rock can be danced by clapping and stamping your feet to the beat.
To that crazy rockin' mambo beat
The music for the Mambo Rock is fast-paced and upbeat.
Through the red-hot day and the cool-cool night
People dance the Mambo Rock in both day and night.
When the Mambo moon is shining bright
The Mambo Rock is also danced under the shining moon.
They love to dance around the clock
People on the island love dancing the Mambo Rock all the time.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, BROADWAY MUSIC CORPORATION, Kassner Associated Publishers Ltd
Written by: Ayre, Phillips, Reichner
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Wolfhoundersful
Hey mambo, mambo rock [3x]
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
There's an island in the Carribean Sea
Where the natives dance and rock with plea
The mambo dance in a different way
They do the crazy mambo rock all day
Hey mambo, mambo rock [3x]
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
Where the waves roll up on the golden sand
Grab your chick right by the hand
You can clap and stamp your feet
To that crazy rockin' mambo beat
Oh, hey mambo, mambo rock [3x]
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
Through the red hot day and the cool-cool night
When the mambo moon is shining bright
They love to dance around the clock
To that crazy rockin' mambo beat
[2x:]
Hey mambo, mambo rock [3x]
Everybody's doing it, mambo rock
@benbop1965
It is a VIP concert for the 5th anniversary of the Belgian BRT TV channel, the public is filtered for the TV broadcast, which allows having a document of good quality, correctly filmed with a good sound.
That option was better musically, than to see riots and fights filmed by German TV.😉
Full Show Here : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihvhQAZPo6Q&ab_channel=BenBop1965
@greeneyes2797
Bill Haley and the comets were so amazing.
@zsoltkiss545
I agree
@jessicascott4197
My great grandpa composed this song😊Glad it’s still around.
@edilsonmartins6653
Super Bill Haley!
@anyelafernandarodriguezmar2413
Un Clásico Bill Haley
El mejor de su época !!👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
@PO1CO1
この時期 とても必要な免疫力🆙の時空移動動画ありがとうございます感謝してます😆。
@ronaldreagan8249
THIS SONG AND ROCK AROUND THE CLOCK WERE GIVEN TO ME AS A VERY VERY YOUNG BOY ABOUT 4 OR 5 AND STARTED MY LOVE OF MUSIC BUT ROCK AND ROCKABILLY HAVE REMAINED MY FAVORITE THANKS DAD
@conectamayor3866
Música maravillosa.
Me fascina.💃💃💃💃💃💃💃💃🎼🎼🙏❤️🇨🇱
@jcv71
can't believe the sound recording is such in good quality