Search - Rock Around the Hits on DVD

Excellent collection of rare early Rock & Roll performances,

Bryan Barrow | Santa Cruz, CA USA | 08/16/2009

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This DVD is packed with dozens of (mostly) complete performances from Rock & Roll's early years. I have a pretty extensive collection of music videos, and many of these clips I had never seen before. Most of these performances are live, with a few being lip-synced. The only shortcoming is that the picture quality is inconsistent, with some clips being crisp and sharp, and others being grainy, faded, or copied from videotape several generations removed from the original master. While this may be understandable with many rare kinescopes, it's hard to understand why faded, washed out prints of several Scopitone/Soundies performances were used when excellent quality prints exist, and have been shown on the AMC network in recent years. Nevertheless, I can recommend this DVD to fans and collectors of 50's and early 60's Rock & Roll, because, you won't find most of these clips anywhere else (I know, I've looked).

In addition to the main feature, there are bonus tracks entitled "the Dawn of Rock" featuring numerous songs from R&B and jump blues artists.

Here's the tracklist:

1. Jerry Lee Lewis - Great Balls of Fire [1:46]
2. Bill Haley and His Comets - Rock Around the Clock [1:52]
3. Jackie Wilson - You Better Know [1:57]
4. Frankie Lymon - Goody Goody [1:18]
5. Johnny Otis Show - Willie & the Hand Jive [2:16]
6. Lavern Baker - Playing the Game of Love [2:11]
7. Diamonds - Little Darlin' [1:52]
8. Rays - Silhouettes [1:52]
9. Bobby Vee - The Night Has a thousand Eyes [2:53]
10. Bobby Vee - Pretty Girls Everywhere [2:28]
11. The Dell - Vikings - Jitterbug Mary [1:43]
12. Connie Francis - Tweedle Dee [1:15]
13. Bill Haley and His Comets - Rip It Up [1:51]
14. Big Joe Turner - Oke-She-Moke-She-Pop [3:13]
15. Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On [2:12]
16. Jerry Lee Lewis - What'd I Say [1:08]
17. Charlie Gracie - Butterfly [1:34]
18. Buddy Knox - Party Doll [:32]
19. Buddy Knox - Hula Love [:59]
20. Carl Perkins - Matchbox [1:51]
21. Bo Diddley - Road Runner [2:17]
22. Bo Diddley - You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover [1:47]
23. Diamonds - Words of Love [1:48]
24. Ronnie Hawkins & Hawks - I Need Your Lovin' [2:20]
25. Fats Domino - Blueberry Hill [1:35]
26. Fats Domino - I'm In Love Again [1:59]
27. Fats Domino - When My Dreamboat Comes Home [2:23]
28. Fats Domino - It's You I Love [1:23]
29. Champs - Too Much Tequila [2:06]
30. Bobby Darin - Dream Lover [1:45]
31. Everly Brothers - Bye Bye Love [1:25]
32. Everly Brothers - That'll Be the Day [2:27]
33. Everly Brothers - That'll Be the Day [1:49]
34. Jimmie Rodgers - Kisses Sweeter Than Wine [1:54]
35. Paul Anka - Diana [2:13]
36. Bobby Helms - My Special Angel [1:54]
37. Sonny James - Young Love [2:15]
38. Conway Twitty - It's Only Make Believe [2:06]
39. Frankie Avalon - A Boy Without a Girl [1:54]
40. Dion - Ruby Baby [2:26]
41. Del Shannon - Stranger In Town [2:23]
42. Exciters - Tell Him [2:22]
43. Little Anthony & Imperials - I'm Alright [2:07]
44. Fabian - Tiger [1:30]
45. Bobby Rydell - Let's Twist Again [2:02]
46. Johnny Cash - I Got Stripes [1:30]
47. Ivory Joe Hunter - Since I Met You Baby [1:50]
48. Platters - Only You (And You Alone) [2:29]

Bonus tracks:
1. Meade Lux Lewis - Low Down Dog [2:35]
2. Nat 'King' Cole - (Get Your Kicks On) Route 66 [3:09]
3. Peggy Lee - Why Don't You Do Right? [3:20]
4. The Les Paul Trio - Shoo Shoo Baby [2:33]
5. Lionel Hampton - Beulah's Boogie [3:30]
6. June Richmond - Hey, Lawdy Mama [2:27]
7. Louis Jordan - Five Guys Named Mo [2:37]
8. Cab Calloway - Calloway Boogie [3:11]
9. Butch Stone - Time Takes Care of Everything [3:14]
10. Dorothy Dandridge - Cow Cow Boogie [2:20]
11. Helen Humes - I Cried For You [3:21]
12. The Deep River Boys - Booglie Wooglie Piggy [2:22]
13. The Mills Brothers - Caravan [2:42]
14. Duke Ellington & His Orchestra - It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing) [3:20]"

Rock Around The Hits

Anthony C. Wiessner | 09/12/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Classic performance clips of the 50's & early 60's.Nice quality of the groups that made them famous.There are some short performances included also of Buddy Knox when on leave from the Army.Some from movies & others from variety shows on TV.Great to see artists in their heyday doing their songs.Of course,there is lip-syncing on some tracks,but live cuts also.Seller A+-quick delivery."