Bill Haley Paris 1974

A rare filmed performance from December 1974 at the Olympia Theater in Paris with Bill Haley & His Comets for UNICEF. The band at the time was comprised of Bill Haley-rhythm guitar; Rudy Pompilli-tenor sax; Freddy Moore-drums; Bill Turner-lead guitar. Ray Parsons-rhythm guitar and Jim Leback-electric bass

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bill
• Haley
• Comets
• Paris
• Rockabilly
• Rock
• &
• Roll
• Olympia
• Theater
• UNICEF

[clap67]

That's a great performance!I wonder if the backline amps were property of the musicians or every venue provided a different backline.Because here the sound (with Fender amps) is amazing!Much better than the Brazil 1975 videos in which the band used those ENORMOUS Acoustic amps!Bill was really the king,and Mr Pickinbuddy an amazingly talented guitar player!

[Pickinbuddy]

@clap67 Thanks Clap! The amps were always provided by the promoter. Our first preference in amps was ALWAYS Fender--ESPECIALLY the big 'Dual Showman' and 'Twin Reverb' amps. Interestingly enough, the worst sounding amps for this kind of music...were the Marshall amps!! They had no clarity, nor much tonal variation--just that one sound which they're famous for---which all the metal heads like....but which is useless in any other kind of music. Fender amps are STILL the hands-down BEST.

[Pickinbuddy]

That's OK...

The strings I'd used all through the 70s were Fender 1550's and they were a "semi-round wound"!

Yes--have played numerous Gretsch guitars over the years, but I never owned one. The best sounding one I liked was my friend's late 60s White Falcon! Yup--I always did like the sound on those Ray Butts designed pickups. Just a couple of months ago I tried out an old 1956 Gretsch 6120 with the DeArmond pickups, and I thought they, too sounded fabulous!

[ginger1959able]

One of the best videos and performance by the KING

[colinjohn1212]

Elvis went to watch bill on tour in germany theres a picture of elvis and bill together elvis wearing army no one uniform..

[gretscher]

Pickinbuddy, I hope I'm not repeating a question I may already asked but I don't think I asked this before but did you play in this concert using flatwound or roundwound strings?

Off topic but similar have you ever played a Gretsch guitar? I have one a 1964 Country Club and I have other vintage and reissue at one time.

[gretscher]

Thanks for the info. Too bad Franny Beecher was not able to keep it but he told me, if I recall right, that since it was an endorsement guitar and the endorsement was from Haley not Franny that when Franny left the band the guitar had to go back to Haley. Wonder if I've seen this guitar at a vintage guitar shop we just don't know it was Franny's at one time. I played one at Guitar Center in Hollywood last year just like it. Wouldn't it be something if it was the one? I'd never know.

[Pickinbuddy]

Hi Gretscher!

I FINALLY found out about what happened to the old Les Paul Custom from Johnny Kay: He said it was stolen from the equipment truck while they were on tour in Texas, back in the mid 60s!

[Pickinbuddy]

Bill Haley's most loyal fans were always in Germany!

[Weidenberg]

Congratulations! I`ve been a Bill Haley-Fan since 1975 when I was 12. Here in Germany Bill still has a very good reputation.