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KINGSMEN

“Weekend”

East-West 115

(Rudy Pompilli, Frank Beecher, Billy Williamson)

No. 35    September 22, 1958

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The Kingsmen were the King’s men, the King of Rock’n’Roll’s men, that is; Bill Haley’s Comet’s, without Bill.

They existed as a separate recording entity–under this moniker–for two singles.   They were Frank Beecher

(guitar),Ralph Jones (drums), Rudy Pompilli (sax), Al (Piccarelli) Rex (bass), and Billy Williamson (steel

guitar).

East-West Records was set up by the Atlantic label in 1957 as a subsidiary to handle the Lee Hazelwood and

Lester Sill productions.   Although Lee and Lester would stir up a pack of hits for the Jamie Records and

Duane Eddy, in particular, their quiet release of the Kingsmen·s honky-sax single “Weekend” would be their

short-lived (1957-58) companies only charting.   Reportedly, with Decca Records’ (Haley & the Comet’s

home label) consent provided their identities were cloaked and the Bill-less Comet’s cut but one other hard-

core rocker, “The Cat Walk.”   Sales were unjustly slim; after all, these Bill-less comets rocked-out.   Hey,

what’s to say, the name was shelved.

A year later the same line-up, in support of a Reading, Penn. buddy of Beecher’s named Bill Fisher (guitar),

the Comets recorded and nearly charted as the Lifeguards.   Their noisy and right-rockin’ “Everybody Outta

the Pool” received a lot of “American Bandstand” airplay.

Of note to true Haley-aholics:     Joey Di’Ambrosia (sax), Marshall Lytle (bass), Dick Richards (drums) were

members of Bill’s band when he recorded “Rock Around the Clock,” his career colossus.    In 1955 they left

Haley over a financial dispute.   Their recordings of “Let’s Rock,” and “Shoo Sue,” and “Clarabella” as the

Jodimars were not to be found on U.S. airwaves at the time though they have emerged as highly collectable

now.