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18-552: Quality Records was a Canadian entertainment company which released music albums in Canada on behalf of American record labels. They also released recordings by Canadian artists. The company operated between 1950 and 1985 with offices in Toronto. The company also ran from 1990 to 1998 as "Quality Special Products" with Offices both in Canada and the United States. In the 1950s and 1960s it

36-507: A live version recorded by Haley in 1969 for Buddah Records was credited to James Bracken). The song was influenced by earlier R&B recordings such as Wynonie Harris ' 1948 R&B hit " Good Rockin' Tonight ". Ballen passed the song to Jimmy Preston, who had recently had a hit with "Hucklebuck Daddy". The version by Jimmy Preston and His Prestonians was recorded in Philadelphia in May 1949 and

54-454: A promotion magazine of theirs which was edited by Mel Shaw. He was also named as the man who would coordinate the new label and handle its promotion. The fledgling label kicked off with "Love is All" by Montreal artist Patrick Norman . Quality Records released recordings by the following music artists: This article about a Canadian record label is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Essex Records Essex Records

72-646: A result, it was through Quality that Canadian audiences first heard the music of Bill Haley and His Comets , Chuck Berry , Carl Perkins , Jerry Lee Lewis , Johnny Cash and other early rock and roll artists. Bobby Gimby 's song " Canada " as sung by the Young Canada Singers was released in 1967 as a 45 rpm single by Quality on behalf of Canada's Centennial Commission. It set a sales record for Canadian single releases. Stompin' Tom Connors recordings made by CKGB radio in 1967 were pressed by Quality Records and distributed by Connors himself. The company won in

90-514: A selection of the US catalog rights were sold to Warlock Records , a New York-based record label that acquired the catalog numbers of Sleeping Bag Records . Quality also had some of its domestic artist releases distributed through Critique Records and Popular Records in the United States for their compilations, including the "Dance Mix USA" series. In the 90's Quality Records rebranded as Quality Special Products, Quality Records along with MuchMusic put out

108-623: A song which, like "Rocket 88", had already been successful with R&B audiences. Haley recorded the song in February or March 1952. The exact location is unknown but it is believed the song was recorded in the band's hometown of Chester, Pennsylvania [1] ). Haley made up verses of his own to appeal to his country music audience, naming a succession of hillbilly dances (such as the Sugarfoot Rag and Virginia Reel) in place of Preston's hucklebuck and jitterbug, and also used different instrumentation on

126-503: The Dance Mix series from 1990 to 1997. Quality Records folded in 1997 in Canada shortly before their American branch folded in 1998. The Dance Mix series was rebranded MuchDance in late 1997 after Much's contract with Quality Records expired. A small article appeared in the June 27, 1970 issue of Billboard , informing that Quality Records had set up a new label, Celebration. The name came from

144-727: The category of Best Company for Canadian Content at the Gold Leaf Awards of 1970 and the Juno Awards of 1971 . In the mid-80s, Quality Records replaced K-tel International as a distributor of various artist compilations in Canada, most notably with the Rock series (Rock '85, Rock '86, etc.) and 'This is Music' series. It closed down in 1985. However, in 1990, it revived as Quality Music & Video for new recordings, notably Dan Hill 's 1991 album Dance of Love and Timmy T 's number 1 pop hit " One More Try ". However, it folded again in 1997 &

162-555: The early 1960s reunited and recorded several more versions of the song, such as for the 1994 Hydra Records album You're Never Too Old to Rock and again for the 1999 release on Rollin' Rock Records . Still Rockin' Around the Clock ; the latter version acknowledges the song's influence on "Rock Around the Clock" by segueing into the final verse of the latter song. It was also covered and released by Reverend Horton Heat in 1996 on his album It's Martini Time . The 1952 Bill Haley version with

180-688: The label was Bunny Paul, who scored hits in 1954 with "Such a Night" and "Honey Love". The colour of the Essex label was primarily orange with the print in black, but several singles were released on a blue label. Rock the Joint The song's authorship is credited to Harry Crafton, Wendell "Don" Keane, and Harry "Doc" Bagby , who were musicians contracted to the Gotham label in New York, owned by Ivin Ballen (although

198-478: The song for Sonet Records of Sweden in 1968 and numerous live versions were also recorded by him. One of these, recorded for Buddah Records in late 1969 for the live concert album Bill Haley's Scrapbook , carries both the alternate title "We're Gonna Rock This Joint Tonight" and an erroneous songwriting credit for James Bracken . After Haley's death, members of the Comets who had served with Haley between 1951 and

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216-455: The track, and more back echo. In particular, Haley's version used a prominent percussive slapped bass played by Marshall Lytle in lieu of drums and electric guitar by Danny Cedrone , with a lick he duplicated two years later on " Rock Around The Clock ". This version of "Rock the Joint" sold 75,000 copies. A 2012 article stated that "The Comets’ beefed-up arrangement of "Rock This Joint" in 1952

234-401: Was an important milestone in the development of rockabilly through the coming together of R&B and country styles. The recording was remade in 1957 by Haley for Decca Records , by which time his band had been renamed Bill Haley & His Comets (it was released by Decca Records under the title "New Rock the Joint" as the original version was still in circulation). He later re-recorded

252-507: Was commonplace for American labels without Canadian branches to lease their recordings out to Canadian-based labels that would release the songs on their behalf north of the border. Quality was one of the largest and most visible of these companies; aside from the Quality brand itself, several other sister labels such as Reo were employed for this purpose. US labels distributed via Quality included Essex Records , Chess Records and Sun Records . As

270-463: Was founded in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania , in 1951 by David Miller primarily to record contemporary country and western , rhythm and blues as well as jazz and gospel . Jack Howard was the promotion manager. The label had little popular success, but is known for releasing early Bill Haley & His Comets recordings such as " Rock the Joint " (1952) and " Crazy Man Crazy ", the latter of which

288-747: Was released on the Gotham label, reaching #6 on the national R&B chart later that year. Chris Powell and the Five Blue Flames would cover their version in that same year. Jimmy Cavallo released a version of the Jimmy Preston recording in 1955. Two years later, Bill Haley and the Saddlemen had already achieved some success with their cover of Jackie Brenston 's " Rocket 88 ", but were looking for another hit. They were persuaded by their producer, Essex Records owner Dave Miller , to cover "Rock The Joint" -

306-630: Was the first rock and roll recording to make the American record charts when it was released in 1953. The label also scored success in 1954 with Eddie Calvert 's recording of " O mein Papa ". The label also released the first 12-inch album of rock and roll music with its 1954 Haley compilation Rock with Bill Haley and the Comets . Haley's first big hit, "Crazy Man, Crazy" was followed by two other chart hits, "Fractured", and "Live It Up". In 1954, Haley left Essex for Decca Records . The primary female vocalist on

324-482: Was what convinced Haley to move away from his western swing sound towards rock ‘n’ roll". Although Haley's version did not chart when released on Essex Records in 1952, it was enough of a hit in Chicago to win him a short residency in a jazz club there - although this was cut short after many of his black audiences walked out. Nevertheless, Haley's version of "Rock The Joint" - three years before "Rock Around The Clock" -

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