- Place – De Lane Lea Wembley, England
- Time – April 1979
- Artist – Bill Haley
- Album – Everyone Can Rock ‘n’ Roll
Bill Haley has sold over 150 million records worldwide and he was the first artist to record a rock ‘n’ roll single, a track called Rocket 88.
I think it is safe to say he was the first artist to popularise rock ‘n’ roll music.
Bill Haley and the Comets were the first rock ‘n’ roll band in history.
They were the first to sell over one million copies in both Britain and Germany and Bill was the first major American rock ‘n’ singer to tour Europe.
Bill and his Comets were the first to star in a rock ‘n’ roll musical movie.
Bill’s Manager
In March 1979 I received a phone call from Sonet Records, a small label based in London, asking if I would like to produce three or four tracks for their artist Bill Haley.
Although Bill had not sold in large volume for many years, I jumped at the opportunity to work with a legend like Bill.
I was asked to contact Bill’s manager, Patrick Maylnn.
This would turn out to be a very short conversation, filled with awkwardness and unease as he told me there was no way I would be producing his artist, Haley.
The job would be going to his assistant Dave Davis who doubled as Bill’s road manager as Bill had insisted that Davis should produce any recordings he was going to make.
I contacted the record company to inform them of my conversation with Patrick Malynn, their reaction was that unless I produced the recordings for them no sessions would take place.
A few days later I had the most charming call from Mr Maylnn saying,”
“If the record company had so much faith in me, he and Bill had decided to give me their blessing to produce the recordings.”
Bill Haley & Patrick Studio 4 De Lane Lea Wembley England
Patrick also suggested that I should contact his assistant, Dave Davis as he knew Bill so well, he would be in a position to give me a few helpful pointers.
I welcomed any input that would make the sessions go smoothly, so I phoned Davis to obtain any useful suggestions that he may be able to pass on to me about Bill.
A Bit of Skulduggery
Davis told me
“It’s very important to make sure he is in a vocal booth separated from the band, he’s a very moody type of guy and the slightest thing could upset him and never call him Bill, only Mr Haley.”
Davis went on to tell me various other nuances about Bill that I may encounter.
I was beginning to think, at this rate maybe I should have left the productions to someone that knew Bill a bit better than I did.
I had one telephone conversation with Bill before the session which were booked to take place on the Monday 26th of March. They were to start at 3pm and finish at 8pm in Studio 2 at De Lane Lea in Wembley.
Bill told me he had rehearsed the material with the band but there were no demo recordings of the songs available.
Day One
The day of the session I was apprehensive as to whether my aptitude as a producer could deliver the results that everyone expected.
The band, who were known as the UK Comets, arrived consisting of Jerry Tilley on lead guitar; Ray Parsons on rhythm guitar; Pete Spencer also rhythm guitar; Geoff Driscoll playing tenor saxophone; Jim Lebak, bass guitar and Steve Murray on drums. I had also booked a great session piano player called Pete Wingfield.
I was pleased to see that one of the guitarists Pete Spencer was in fact, an old school friend of mine.
Pete and I had first met at guitar lessons at our secondary school. We hadn’t seen each other for over ten years and very soon we were reminiscing about the old days of our past.
During the session it became it obvious that Dave Davis was completely in control of the band.
Whilst everyone was setting up, he was cooperative and full of smiles but I did have a strange feeling of uncertainty about him.
Bill Comes to the Studio
At 2.45pm Bill arrived with Patrick Malynn and Hugh McCullum, the president of the Bill Haley Fan Club.
It was immediately evident that Bill truly had star presence and charisma, it radiated from his whole being.
He was soft spoken with a remarkably charming way of adding the name of the person he was talking to at the end of a phrase, making each communication very personal and friendly to the recipient.
I felt rather foolish when he insisted I call him Bill and not Mr Haley, looking over at Davis, I could see a constrained smirk on his face.
Patrick was a loud flamboyant character whilst Hugh hardly spoke to anyone except Bill. As the session went on it appeared that Hugh was Haley’s confidant.
After the initial introductions we were soon running through the first take and what a mess it was!
Straight away it was obvious, apart from Bill’s vocal, which were hard to fault, the only professional studio musician was Pete Wingfield.
A Few Imperfections
The rest of the musicians were all competent players, but live performing is quite different from playing under the microscope in the studio.
It’s easy when playing the songs on stage night after night, to work around any imperfections as they won’t really be noticed at a live gig, not so in the studio.
I had to make the decision to change and simplify each band member’s part.
With each run through the tracks began to sound more acceptable. After the first song Let The Good Times Roll Again was mastered, Bill asked me if it was possible to be moved into the studio with the band.
He told me “I really dislike being shut away from the musicians.”
It was now apparent that the advice I had been given by Davis was somewhat flawed. I was beginning to see he was a well-balanced type of guy. I mean to say – he had a chip on both shoulders.
We continued to finish the next two songs Hail, Hail, Rock n Roll and a hideous Song called I Need The Music, which was followed by something even worse, The King.
Bill had one run through with this song before explaining to me he didn’t think it was right for him and I completely agreed.
Someone else laid down a guide vocal and after that I never played the multi-track ever again.
At the end of the first day, we had two reasonable tracks plus one other recording to work on.
Day Two
The next day we booked Studio 4 from 3pm until 6pm for backing vocal overdubs.
At 6pm we moved back to Studio 2 to replace some guitar parts until 8pm.
We were in Studio 4 and had to have a short break whilst Pickwick Sales Director, Alan Friedlander, and Alan Whaley, head of accounts for Sonet UK, presented Bill with a gold disc for 650,000 sales of his Pickwick album Rock Around The Clock.
This version was recorded in Sweden in 1968 for Sonet records.
Dag Häggqvist of Sonet Records with Bill Haley
I was outside in the reception area of the whilst the presentation was taking place, when my good friend Dave Miller came out of Studio 1 in which he was producing the recording of a one-hundred-piece orchestra.
Dave Miller Appears
In the early 50’s Dave was the owner of the Essex record label and was Bill’s original producer on those early recordings, producing the first ever rock and roll single – Rocket 88.
We were chatting and I told him Bill was in Studio 4,
“You’re kidding me, can I go in?” Dave asked.
We walked into the studio as a photographer from Music Week was taking some shots.
Dave stood quietly for a moment just looking at Bill said,
“Shouldn’t Maxi Freedman get one of those?”
Bill looked over at Dave and inquiringly said,
“Dave is that you?”
Dave replied “I can see you’re busy I’ll catch you later” then left the room.
The reunion lasted less than 2 minutes, they never met again.
Bill asked me later why Dave didn’t hang around. I explained that he was in a rush due to his supervision of the recording in Studio 1.
We finished the overdubbing that evening and I told Bill I would remix the tracks soon and looked forward to hearing his comments on the finished product.
The advice I got that Bill could be difficult to work with in the studio was very misplaced, nothing could have been further from the truth, his enthusiasm and involvement was only matched by his warm and kind personality.
Bill Heads Home
With his UK tour and recording completed Bill left for a well-earned rest back home in the USA.
I really thought that would be the last time I would see or work with Bill.
Having re-mixed the tracks on the 3rd of April and delivered the masters to Sonet on the same day.
Several days later it was decided to remix and replace the sax parts and the solo with Geoff Dailey on Hail, Hail Rock n Roll, which had been chosen for the single.
This session took place in Studio 2, 7pm until 10pm on the 10th of April.
On the 11th April all three tracks were sent to Bill in the USA.
In early May much to my delight and surprise, Sonet Records rang me to say that Bill was so pleased with the result of the recordings, he would like me to finish the album with him in Muscle Shoals.
Next stop Muscle Shoals
BIll Haley in Studio 2 De Lane Lea, Wembley
Dave Miller produced the first Rock n Roll cossover Record with Bill Haley
Sometimes things go wrong and sometimes they go really wrong
Beleive in yourself even when other people don’t
I’m not sure it would work today
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