▁ ▁Gab ler ▁had ▁previously ▁been ▁responsible ▁for ▁the ▁highly ▁successful ▁string ▁of ▁R & B ▁and ▁jump ▁bl ues ▁record ings ▁by ▁Louis ▁Jordan ▁in ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 4 0 s , ▁which ▁were ▁character ised ▁by ▁their ▁strong ▁beat , ▁clearly ▁en unci ated ▁lyr ics ▁and ▁high ▁production ▁values , ▁all ▁features ▁which ▁Gab ler ▁sought ▁to ▁repeat ▁in ▁H ale y ' s ▁record ings . ▁Also ▁significantly , ▁" R ock ▁Ar ound ▁The ▁C lock " ▁was ▁recorded ▁in ▁the ▁very ▁same ▁month ▁that ▁Atlantic ▁Records ▁issued ▁Big ▁Joe ▁Turner ' s ▁" Sh ake , ▁R attle ▁and ▁Roll ". ▁In ▁relation ▁to ▁" R ock ▁Ar ound ▁The ▁C lock ", ▁Gab ler ▁said : ▁" I ▁was ▁aware ▁that ▁rock ▁was ▁starting . ▁I ▁knew ▁what ▁was ▁happening ▁in ▁the ▁Philadelphia ▁area , ▁and ▁" C ra zy ▁Man , ▁Cra zy " ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁hit ▁about ▁a ▁year ▁before ▁that . ▁ ▁It ▁already ▁was ▁starting ▁and ▁I ▁wanted ▁to ▁take ▁it ▁from ▁there ." ▁ ▁S low ▁road ▁to ▁classic ▁hit ▁status ▁As ▁Gab ler ▁intended , ▁" R ock ▁Ar ound ▁the ▁C lock " ▁was ▁first ▁issued ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 5 4 ▁as ▁a ▁B - side ▁to ▁" Th ir teen ▁Women ▁( and ▁Only ▁One ▁Man ▁in ▁Town ). " ▁While ▁the ▁song ▁did ▁make ▁the ▁American ▁C ash box ▁music ▁charts ▁( contr ary ▁to ▁popular ▁opinion ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁f