Crazy Man, Crazy

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"Crazy Man, Crazy"
Image:Image to come
Single by Bill Haley and His Comets
Released Spring 1953
Format 78, 45
Recorded April, 1953
Genre Rock and Roll
Length 2:07
Label Essex Records
Writer(s) Bill Haley
Marshall Lytle (uncredited)
Producer(s) Dave Miller

"Crazy Man, Crazy" was the title of an early rock and roll song 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 American musical charts, where it peaked at #12. It is believed to be the first rock and roll recording to be played on national television in the US.

The use of a comma in the title varies from source to source, but is present on the original single release, which is credited to "Bill Haley with Haley's Comets", an early variant of the band's name.

The songwriting credit was for many years attributed to Bill Haley alone, however the song was co-written by his bass player, Marshall Lytle, who finally received co-writing credit on the song when the surviving members of the Comets released a live recording of the song in 2002.

Haley said in a 1967 interview with Vancouver, British Columbia DJ Red Robinson that he got the idea for the song from hearing popular catchphrases used by teenagers at school dances where he and his band performed. One of these phrases was "Crazy Man Crazy" while another was "Go, go, go, everybody!" (the latter also featured in a song called "Go Go Go" by The Treniers which music historian Jim Dawson suggests may have been an influence). Haley (and Lytle) incorporated both phrases into the song.

The song was recorded at Coastal Studios in New York City and was released soon after by Essex Records. Personnel on the recording included Haley's core Comets members (Lytle, Billy Williamson (steel guitar), and Johnny Grande (piano)), plus session musicians Art Ryerson (lead guitar) and Billy Gussak (drums). Also participating on backing vocals were Dave Miller (owner of Essex Records and Haley's producer) and Jerry Blaine, co-founder of Jubilee Records, who happened to be visiting the studio. (Miller and Blaine were recruited because of the need to create a rowdy party-like sound during the song's chorus and conclusion.) On May 23, 1953, the song entered the American Billboard chart and reached No. 12, becoming the first song of the rock and roll era to do so. (This is based upon the commonly referenced chronology that states rock and roll officially began with either Bill Haley's or Jackie Brenston's versions of "Rocket 88" in 1951.) This was also Haley's first national success and his first major success with an original song (prior to this he had had regional success with cover versions of "Rocket 88" and "Rock the Joint".)

In the summer of 1953, "Crazy Man, Crazy" became the first rock and roll song to be heard on national television in the United States when it was used on the soundtrack of Glory in the Flower, an installment of the CBS anthology series, Omnibus. This live production starred James Dean and was a predecessor to his later Rebel Without a Cause. (The Museum of Television and Radio maintains a copy of this production in its archives).

Haley would later claim (for example in a 1972 interview with CFQC Radio in Saskatoon, Canada) that "Crazy Man, Crazy" sold a million copies, however no evidence to support this claim has been located. Haley and the Comets would record new versions of the song (without notable commercial success) in 1960 and 1972, plus a live performance in 1969. After Haley's death, surviving members of The Comets (which included Marshall Lytle) recorded new versions of the song in 1997, 2000 and 2002.

Among notable cover versions of the song: Ralph Marterie and his Orchestra had a chart hit with the song soon after Haley (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); and rockabilly singer Robert Gordon recorded a version in the 1970s.

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