Bill Haley's Chicks

Bill Haley's Chicks
Studio album by Bill Haley and His Comets
Released	January 5, 1959
Recorded	February 6–7; June 9–18, 1958; New York
Genre	Rock and roll
Label	Decca, Decca 8821
Producer	Milt Gabler
Bill Haley and His Comets chronology
Rockin' the Joint (1958)Rockin' the Joint1958 Bill Haley's Chicks (1959) Strictly Instrumental (1959)Strictly Instrumental1959

Bill Haley's Chicks was the eighth album of rock and roll recordings by Bill Haley & His Comets for Decca Records, Decca 8821. Released in January 1959 and produced by Milt Gabler, the album was the third "theme" album Haley recorded for Decca, following Rockin' the Oldies (rock and roll versions of standards) and Rockin' Around the World (rock and roll versions of folk songs). This album is built on the theme of women's names, with each song being about a different girl. Included on the album is "Skinny Minnie", which was a major hit for the band in 1958, reaching no.22 on Billboard and no.25 on Cashbox, along with a mixture of originals and cover versions of standards and jazz songs. "Lean Jean", a song musically and thematically almost identical to "Skinny Minnie", also charted in 1958, reaching no. 52 on Cashbox. The song "B.B. Betty", co-written by Bill Haley and released as a Decca 45 single, featured a solo vocal by Haley's steel guitar player, Billy Williamson.

Track listing

1. "Whoa Mabel!" (Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra)
2. "Ida, Sweet as Apple Cider" (Eddie Leonard, Eddie Munson)
3. "Eloise" (Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra)
4. "Dinah" (Sam M. Lewis, Joe Young, Harry Akst)
5. "Skinny Minnie" (Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra)
6. "Mary Mary Lou" (Cayet Mangiaracina)
7. "Sweet Sue Just You" (Will J. Harris, Victor Young)
8. "B.B. Betty" (Bill Haley, Milt Gabler, Rusty Keefer, Catherine Cafra)
9. "Charmaine" (Erno Rapee, Lew Pollack)
10. "Corrine, Corrina" (Bo Chatmon, Mitchell Parish, J. Mayo Williams)
11. "Marie" (Irving Berlin)
12. "Lean Jean" (Stella Lee, Johnny Grande, Ralph Jones, Rudy Pompilli)

Personnel

• Bill Haley – rhythm guitar, vocals on all but 8
• Franny Beecher – lead guitar
• Billy Williamson – steel guitar, vocal on 8
• Johnny Grande – piano
• Al Rex – bass guitar
• Ralph Jones – drums
• Rudy Pompilli - tenor saxophone, clarinet on 2

Cover versions of "Skinny Minnie"

Aside from being a major hit in 1958 for Bill Haley & His Comets, "Skinny Minnie" was also a popular cover song for musical groups in the 1960s and beyond. Here are only a few examples:

• File:Skinnyminnie45.jpg

  1958 Decca 45, 9-30592, Bill Haley and His Comets.
  Carter-Lewis and the Southerners (featuring Jimmy Page on lead guitar), March 27, 1964, Oriole CB 1919, 45 single b/w "Easy to Cry"; Your Time Is Gonna Come: The Roots of Led Zeppelin, 1964-1969 album, 2007
• Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers, Polydor, 1964 45 single, Polydor NH52927, b/w "You'd Better Move On"; My Bonnie album, Polydor, 1962; Vagabond, 2002, Bear Family; The Beatles: Ain't She Sweet album, Polygram, 2002 (Note: This recording is often erroneously credited to The Beatles.)
• Gerry and the Pacemakers, June, 1965, Laurie 45 single, b/w "It's Gonna Be Alright"; A side reached #23 on the Billboard Hot 100 ; I'll Be There U.S. album; The Best of the EMI Years (2008)
• Beat Chics (featuring Jimmy Page on lead guitar), November 6, 1964, Decca F 12016, b/w "Now I Know", 45 single
• Goldie & the Gingerbreads, A side 45 single, Spokane 45-4005, "Skinny Vinnie"
• Wayne Fontana & the Mindbenders, 1965, It's Wayne Fontana and the Mindbenders album, Fontana
• Jimmy and the Rackets, 1964, Elite Special 9427-45, b/w "O Mona Lisa", 45 single, #1 on the German charts in 1964, 32 weeks on the charts
• The Rollicks, also known as The Shouters, The Rollicks, Bear Family BCD 16478 AR, 1990
• Jerry Williams, 1965, Sonet LP, Mr. Dynamite Explodes Again!, Grand Prix album Rock & Roll Time, 1968, EP
• The Sonics, on 1966 album Boom
• The Rubins, also known as The Five Rubins, live, 1964
• The Mummies, 1990, Rekkids; Never Been Caught album, Telstar, 2002
• Bryan Davies, Australian 45 single b/w "I Should Have Stayed in Bed", HMV, April, 1965; Barry Gibb of The Bee Gees wrote and sang backing and harmony vocals on "I Should Have Stayed in Bed"
• Lee Curtis and the All-Stars, Liverpool rock group, 1964
• Louis Prima, Keely Smith, Sam Butera, and The Witnesses, The Capitol Recordings; The EP Collection, 2000
• The Lyres, 1987, Early Years Live, 1979-1983, Crypt, 1997
• Snooks Eaglin, 1995, Soul's Edge album on Black Top
• The Lions, 1964, 45 single b/w "Sticks and Stones", TD 246; Hit House Shake, King Beat, 1989
• Sten & Stanley, 1965, Decca 45, Decca F 44503, b/w "Goldfinger"
• The Watusi (band), 2009
• Albert West, 1988, West & Friends album, Arcade 01 3290 61
• Jumpin' Gene Simmons, Sun rockabilly singer, 1965, 45 single b/w "I'm A Ramblin' Man", HI 45-2086; Haunted House: The Complete Jumpin' Gene Simmons on Hi Records
• Ray Brown & The Whispers, Australian rock group,1964, Ray Brown & The Whispers album, Leedon LL-31646
• The Liverpool 5, as The 5 Liverpools, 45 single b/w "Tokio", 1964, CBS 1623; Tokio International album, CBS 62460, 1965
• The Rocking Ghosts, Danish rock band, The Rocking Ghosts album, Metronome MLP 15166, 1964
• The Shanes, Swedish rock group, The Shanes, Rock-In-Beat, 2000
• Johnnie Cliff Five, Die Hamburg Szene, 2001
• Alan Dale, Raven RVLP15, 1963; Alan Dale and The Houserockers: The Early Masters
• Bill Haley's Comets, Rock and Roll Survivors Featuring Al Rappa and Joey Welz
• The Tigers, Legend of The Tigers: Rare and Unreleased Tracks, 2003; The Tigers on Stage, 1967
• The Team Beats, Smash! Boom! Bang!, Bear Family BCD 16466, 2001
• Ricky King, Rock `n` Roll Party, Epic 26158, 1984
• Larry Donn, That's What I Call a Ball, 2003, Collector/Wht
• Bill Blaine and The Dynamics, Western Australian Snake Pit Rock 'N' Roll, Vol. 1, 2004; The Rockin' Years
• Bill Haley Orchestra, 2008, Let the Good Times Roll album, CultSound
• Jesse Robin
• The Blue Cats
• The Hillbilly Voodoo Dolls
• The Zettlers, A side 45 single, Swe Disc SWES 1105, Sweden, 1965

External links

• Bill Haley discography