Editing Rock Around the Clock (section)

==False starts==
There are sources that indicate that "Rock Around the Clock" was written in 1953, but documents uncovered by historian [[Jim Dawson]] indicate it was in fact written in late 1952. The original arrangement of the song bore little resemblance to the version recorded by Haley, and was in fact closer to a popular instrumental of the day called "[[The Syncopated Clock]]" (written by [[Leroy Anderson]]).

The song was credited to Myers (as "Jimmy DeKnight") and [[Max C. Freedman]] when it was copyrighted on March 31, 1953. However, its exact authorship is disputed, with many speculating that Freedman wrote the song on his own.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=KjAhAQAAIAAJ&q=rock+around+clock+copyright+entries+catalog+1953&pg=PA202|title=Catalog of Copyright Entries: Third series|page=202|date=May 2, 1953|access-date=May 2, 2021|via=Google Books}}</ref> There were several earlier songs of the title "Rock Around the Clock" (by [[Hal Singer]] and [[Wally Mercer]]), but they are unrelated to the Freedman/Myers song. In addition, it is sometimes erroneously stated that "Rock Around the Clock" is copied from a late-1940s [[Big Joe Turner]] recording, "Around the Clock Blues". Though the titles are similar, the two songs bear little resemblance. There are many [[blues]] songs with the theme of partying or making love "round the clock", with various actions specified at various hours.

However, the verse melody of "Rock Around the Clock" does bear a very close similarity to that of [[Hank Williams]]' first hit, "[[Move It On Over (song)|Move It On Over]]", from 1947. 

According to the Haley biographies ''Bill Haley'' by [[John Swenson]] and ''Rock Around the Clock'' by Dawson, the song was offered to Haley by Jimmy Myers in the wake of his first national success, "[[Crazy Man, Crazy]]" in 1953, after being copyrighted with the U.S. Library of Congress on March 31.{{sfn|Dawson|2005|p=62}} Haley and his Comets began performing the song on stage (Comets bass player [[Marshall Lytle]] and drummer [[Dick Boccelli|Dick Richards]] say the first performances were in [[Wildwood, New Jersey]] at Phil and Eddie's Surf Club), but [[Dave Miller (producer)|Dave Miller]], his producer, refused to allow Haley to record it for his [[Essex Records]] label (Swenson suggests a feud existed between Myers and Miller).

Haley himself claimed to have taken the sheet music into the recording studio at least twice, with Miller ripping up the music each time. Nonetheless, rumors of a 1953 demo recording by Haley persist to this day, although surviving members of the Comets deny this, as did Haley himself (quoted in the Swenson biography); a late-1960s [[Bootleg recording|bootleg]] single of the [[Decca Records]] version of "Rock Around the Clock", with "Crazy Man, Crazy" on the B-side and carrying the [[Essex Records|Essex]] label, occasionally turns up for sale with the claim that it is the demo version.

Myers next offered the song to Sonny Dae & His Knights, a novelty all-white musical group led by Italian-American [[Paschal Vennitti]], and organized the recording on March 20, 1954.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://rcs-discography.com/rcs/ss/00/ss985.mp3 |title=MP£ file |website=Rcs-discography.com |access-date=2016-10-10}}</ref> The group's subsequent recording, on the [[Arcade Records (U.S.)|Arcade Records]] label (owned by Haley's manager, [[Jack Howard (producer)|Jack Howard]]), was a regional success, although it sounded very different from what Haley would later record.
[[File:Rock Around The Clock Bill Haley Comets Myers.jpg|thumb|Sheet music cover for the recording by Bill Haley and His Comets on DECCA Records, Myers Music, Philadelphia, 1955.]]