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Crazy Man, Crazy

"Crazy Man, Crazy" was the title of an early rock and roll song written by, and first recorded by Bill Haley & His Comets in April 1953. It is notable as the first recognized rock and roll recording to appear on the national American musical charts, peaking at #12 on the Billboard Juke Box chart[1] for the week ending June 20, 1953, and #11 for two weeks on the Cash Box chart beginning for the week of June 13.

"Crazy Man, Crazy"

"Whatcha Gonna Do"

April 25, 1953

April 1953

2:07

Essex Records, Essex 321

Some sources indicate that the recording—a blend of R&B, western and pop music—is a contender for the title of the first rock and roll record.[2] Others state that it was merely "the first rock and roll song to be a hit on the pop charts".[3] It was also said to be the first rock and roll recording to be played on national television in the United States (in an episode of Omnibus in 1953).[4] The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame considers the song "an original amalgam of country and R&B that arguably became the first rock and roll record to register on Billboard's pop chart".[5]


The appearance of a comma (or two) in the title varies from source to source. A single comma, after the word "man", is present on the title of the original single release, which is credited to "Bill Haley with Haley's Comets," an early variant of the band's name. Subsequent releases are sometimes rendered as "Crazy, Man, Crazy" with a vocative comma—which is the grammatically correct title, given the original context of the phrase from which the song originates—and sometimes there are no commas included in the song's title at all.

Cover versions[edit]

Ralph Marterie and his Orchestra also had a major hit with their version in 1953 as Mercury 70153, which Cashbox paired with the Bill Haley recording on July 4, 1953, peaking at #11. Marterie reached no. 13 on the Billboard Jockey chart with his version for the week ending June 20, 1953. It is sometimes claimed that sax player Rudy Pompilli, later to join the Comets, was on this record, but there is no evidence of this. Ralph Marterie's recording was #93 on the Billboard Top 100 Records of 1953. The Ralph Marterie version on Mercury, Mercury 70153, with vocals by Larry Regan and the Smarty-Airs, backed with "Go Away", was also released on Oriole, CB. 1199, in the UK and Deutsche Austroton, M 70153.


A May 23, 1953 Billboard magazine article noted that Lucky Anois had recorded a version of "Crazy Man, Crazy" on the Modern Records label.[18]


Rockabilly singer Robert Gordon recorded a version in the 1970s which was on the Bad Boy (1980) and Robert Gordon is Red Hot (1989) albums.


In Britain, a contemporary cover was issued by former band singer Lita Roza with Ted Heath (bandleader) and His Music on Decca, Decca F10144, in July, 1953, backed with "Oo! What you Do to Me".


A German-language version was recorded in 1954 by Renee Franke with the Max Greger Band on Polydor, Polydor 23078. Max Greger was a German jazz saxophonist and bandleader who has performed with Louis Armstrong.


Bernie Saber and his Orchestra recorded a version on Tunepac Records, as Tunepac 5002, with Ray Brankey on vocals in 1954. Bernie Saber co-wrote, with Robert Noel, "Good Things from the Garden", which was the Jolly Green Giant jingle: "From the valley of the jolly--ho, ho, ho!!--green giant!"


Billy Jack Wills, the brother of Bob Wills, recorded the song in 1953, a recording which was re-released in 1999 on the Crazy, Man, Crazy album collection.


The R&B group the Lucky Enois Quintet released the song in 1953 on Modern.[19]


Erwin Lehn and Suedfunk-Tanzorchester released a version in 1955 on Deutsche Columbia as EP 21-7518 entitled "Nur Für Tänzer".


American-born Swedish musician Ernie Englund and his Crazy Men recorded the song in 1953 and released it as a 78 single on Karusell K45 b/w "Minka" in Sweden, which is regarded as the first rock and roll record released in Sweden.


In 1991, Chimbo's Revival released the song as a 45 picture sleeve single on High Mountain Records.


Bill Haley's Comets and The Original Band, Bill Haley's Original Comets, have also recorded the song. Marshall Lytle has performed the song in concert with Bill Haley, Jr. and the Comets with Bill Turner and The Blue Smoke Band. Bill Haley, Jr. has recorded and also performed the song live in concert. Johnny Kay's Rockets released a recording of the song on the 2009 CD album on Hydra: Johnny Kay: Tale of a Comet.


Phil Haley and the Comments have recorded the song and performed it live in concert in 2008, with the performances available on YouTube.


A player piano version was recorded by J. Lawrence Cook which was originally issued as QRS 8980 and reissued as part of a 3-song medley entitled "Bill Haley Hits No. 1" on QRS XP-440.


R&B saxophonist Big Jay McNeely released an answer record ("Nervous Man Nervous") on Federal Records as 12141 as a 78rpm 10" shellac and a 7" 45rpm single in August, 1953 featuring the chorus from "Crazy Man, Crazy" and the "go, go, go, go, go, go" refrain.


A 1953 advertisement for an appearance by Bill Haley and the Comets at the Hofbrau Hotel in Wildwood, New Jersey noted that the Hamilton Trio danced to "Crazy Man Crazy" on the Your Show of Shows TV program and that Danny Kaye, Ralph Marterie, The Ravens, and the Mellowaires had "jumped" on the song.[20]


The Danish band The Hellions released an A side 45 single version in 1965 on Odeon/EMI.


Finnish singer Esa Pakarinen released the song as a 45 single in 1976 as "Hullu Mies Hullu" on Polydor.


The Stargazers recorded the song in 1991 on the Back in Orbit album.


Tim Timebomb released an instrumental version on the Pirates Press label in 2012. He also released a version with vocals on Hellcat.


Hank Biggs and The Hardtops released a version on the 2013 album Lucky Streak.


Eddie Rivers of Asleep at the Wheel recorded a version in 2013 on the Plain Talkin' Man album.


The Lake Travis Fiddlers featuring Ray Benson recorded a version on the 2016 I Hear You Talkin' album.

Jim Dawson, Rock Around the Clock: The Record That Started the Rock Revolution! (Backbeat Books, 2005), pp. 50–55.

John W. Haley and John von Hoelle, Sound and Glory (Dyne-American, 1990).

John Swenson, Bill Haley: The Daddy of Rock and Roll (Stein & Day, 1985).

Archived 2021-02-18 at the Wayback Machine

Rockabilly Hall of Fame website with information on the history of "Crazy Man, Crazy."

Billboard, June 27, 1953, page 30, Most Played in Juke Boxes Chart.