Bill Haley - Strictly Instrumental! '2020

Tracks list

Recorded over the span of more than 18 months, Strictly Instrumental was the
ninth rock and roll album by Bill Haley & His Comets, and their final album of
new material for Decca Records (although Decca would release previously unissued
recordings during the 1960s). Produced by Milt Gabler (the last full album he
would produce for Haley), the album collects instrumental recordings made by
Haley and the Comets between June 1958 and their final Decca recording sessions
in September 1959. (The band subsequently began recording for Warner Bros.
Records in January 1960.)

As the title of the album suggests, all of the songs on this album were
instrumentals, with the exception of some ensemble singing on the track Chiquita
Linda. Bill Haleys involvement in the recordings was a matter of conjecture
until research for the Bear Family Records box set The Decca Years and More in
the early 1990s confirmed his presence. Recording session information compiled
by music historian Chris Gardner reveals that three different bass guitar
players are heard on the varying tracks: Al Rex, Al Pompilli and Al Rappa.

The album contains the Franny Beecher and Billy Williamson composition The
Catwalk, Shaky, also composed by Franny Beecher and Billy Williamson, and Two
Shadows, composed by pianist Johnny Grande and Billy Williamson. The album
contained two chart hits: Joeys Song, which made the charts in 1959, reaching
no.35 on Cashbox, no.46 on Billboard, no.26 on the Canadian charts, and which
was no.1 for 8 weeks on the Australian charts (December 12, 1959-January 30,
1960) based on the Kent Music Report, and Skokiaan, which became one of the
bands last new Decca North American charting recordings when it was released as
a single in 1960. The Warner Brothers release Tamiami would reach no. 79 on
Cashbox on March 12, 1960. Joeys Song was no.2 on the year-end Top 25 Singles of
1959 list in Australia based on the Kent Music Report. Shaky, written by Franny
Beecher and Billy Williamson, was also released as a single from the album by
Decca in 1959. This album also featured Haleys last recordings to be produced by
Milt Gabler, with the exception of a single (The Green Door/Yeah, Shes Evil!)
recorded for Decca in 1964.

Tracklist:
01. Bill Haley - Joeys Song (Remastered)
02. Bill Haley - (Put Another Nickel In) Music! Music! Music! (Remastered)
03. Bill Haley - Mack The Knife (Remastered)
04. Bill Haley - In A Little Spanish Town (Remastered)
05. Bill Haley - Two Shadows (Remastered)
06. Bill Haley - Shaky (Remastered)
07. Bill Haley - Strictly Instrumental (Remastered)
08. Bill Haley - Skokiaan(South African Song) (Remastered)
09. Bill Haley - Puerto Rican Peddler (Remastered)
10. Bill Haley - Drowsy Waters (Remastered)
11. Bill Haley - Chiquita Linda (Un Poquito De Tu Amor) (Remastered)
12. Bill Haley - The Catwalk (Remastered)
13. Bill Haley - Midnight In Washington (Remastered)
14. Bill Haley - Haley A Go Go (Remastered)
15. Bill Haley - Pepito (Remastered)
16. Bill Haley - Helena (Remastered)
17. Bill Haley - Honky Tonk (Remastered)
18. Bill Haley - Tamiami (Remastered)
19. Bill Haley - Guitar Boogie (Remastered)
20. Bill Haley - Night Train (Remastered)
21. Bill Haley - Wipe Out (Remastered)
22. Bill Haley - Rudys Rock (Remastered)
23. Bill Haley - Riviera (Remastered)
24. Bill Haley - Hot To Trot (Remastered)
25. Bill Haley - Yakety Sax (Remastered)
26. Bill Haley - Carolines Pony (Remastered)
27. Bill Haley - War Paint (Remastered)
28. Bill Haley - Youre Too Much! (Remastered)
29. Bill Haley - Nocturno De Harlem (Remastered)

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