Had Buddy Holly’s plane not crashed in an field in Iowa Feb. 3, 1959, Charles Harden “Buddy” Holley (Holly) of Lubbock, TX would have been 84 on Sept. 7th. ‘What if’ is a stupid game, but you do have to wonder what songs we were deprived of with Buddy’s early passing (or John Lennon’s or Jimi Hendrix’s or…). Buddy and his band signed with Decca early in 1956 and recorded a couple of unsuccessful singles using studio players chosen by Owen Bradley (released under the name Buddy Holly). Buddy didn’t like the results and next took his band to Clovis, NM to Norman Petty’s studios to record. He was released from Decca in Jan. 1957, but to avoid conflict, “That’ll Be The Day” was released as by The Crickets on Brunswick and it became his first big success in the summer of that year. He also signed with Coral for records under his own name so till his last year of releases when the releases were all labelled as by Buddy Holly, his records were under two names. In just a short career, he amassed a large catalog of memorable songs that have stood the test of time. What follows are some of your RNR Dentist’s fave Buddy Holly covers – feel free to respond with your own list. An attempt was made to only include songs he wrote till the last three on my list which he performed but didn’t compose. For most of us younger boomers with no older siblings (I was only 6 when he died) it was via cover versions that we first heard most of these songs. It is a bit sad to realize how much more successful his music has been since he died. By the way, in the early days of rock and roll, many producers added their names (or even the names of friends) as co-writers to songs they had no part of writing. This blogger has no clue if Norman Petty wrote with Buddy or not, but his name is on many of the songs and certainly he did help Buddy shape the sound of his records.
1.The Beatles – Words Of Love
Knowing your blogger’s love of all-things Beatles, you likely are not surprised to see this gorgeous three-part harmony Holly cover that appeared on the U.S. LP VI (or Beatles For Sale for you Brits). Recorded in Oct. 1964, it came out in Britain in December but not till June 1965 in America. As a Beatles fanatic, by the way, it is interesting that Holly’s widow says his favorite number was 9 which was also John Lennon’s. Buddy’s original was recorded in April 1957 and was his first single release under his own name on Coral but didn’t chart (Buddy harmonized with himself on tape). The Diamonds also charted with it at #13 in 1957 as a doowop.
2.The Rogues – Everyday
This nifty rocker on Columbia could only hit #101 nationally early in 1965 so how my astute drummer buddy DC grabbed a copy as a kid was pure kismet. Mr. D then hipped me to the record and the young GK went ga-ga for it. The artist is a pseudonym of Bruce Johnston and Terry Melcher who recorded under their own names as well as The Rogues and The Rip Chords (don’t believe the pictures of the band on the LP covers). Melcher sings the lead here, but is better known as a producer for Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Byrds, etc. (as well as being Doris Day’s son). Johnston joined The Beach Boys and wrote the huge Barry Manilow hit “I Write The Songs”. Buddy originally released his version on the B-side of the #3 Coral hit “Peggy Sue”. His version was not a stompin’ rocker like The Rogues’ version, but featured a gentle vocal over celeste (played by Vi Petty – Norman’s wife) and knee-slapping.
3.Bobby Fuller Four – Love’s Made A Fool Of You
Bobby Fuller died under mysterious circumstances (supposedly he committed suicide by drinking gasoline) in October 1966 at age 23. Before that he made some excellent pop records including this #26 charter a few months before he passed. Buddy wrote the song with Bob Montgomery in 1954 but didn’t record it for four years at which time he did a simple version as a demo for The Everly Brothers. Posthumously it came out with overdubbed instruments (by The Fireballs) in 1964 on the Showcase LP. The Crickets did record it after Holly died and had a U.K. hit with it in 1959 with lead vocals by Earl Sinks (imitating Buddy). Several Buddy Holly compilations have mistakenly included that version.
4.Matchbox – Tell Me How
Matchbox is a British rockabilly revival outfit that started in 1971 and had success in Europe but are unknown in the U.S. This song was from their 1979 self-titled Magnet records album. They recorded some nifty Holly covers including “You’re The One” from their album Flying Colours that included their excellent U.K. #30 single version of Holly’s “Love’s Made A Fool Of You”.
5.The Hollies – Take Your Time
Graham Nash says his band with lead singer Allan Clarke took their name from Buddy Holly (disputed by others who say it was after the holly plant). Late in their recording career with Clarke (long after Nash left) they recorded an entire album of covers (1980’s Buddy Holly). This song comes from the Nash era and was on the 1966 U.S. LP Beat Group! (U.K. Would You Believe). Holly wrote it (with producer Norman Petty also given credit on the label). It was released as the B-side to his #37 1958 single “Rave On”. His version has a prominent (and cheesy, to these ears) organ.
6.The Rolling Stones – Not Fade Away
As the first song the Dentist ever learned how to play on the old Harmony acoustic guitar, this song has special meaning for yours truly. Mick and the lads pushed the Bo Diddley beat on their version in 1964 with Brian Jones adding tasty harmonica fills. It was one of their early U.S. chart records at #48 and opened their first American LP (England’s Newest Hitmakers). The Crickets’ version was more basic and was recorded the same day as “Everyday” in Clovis. It was the B-side to The Crickets’ 1957 #10 hit “Oh Boy!” and can be found on their LP The “Chirping” Crickets. Songwriters on the label are Norman Petty and Charles Hardin (Buddy’s real first and middle names).
7.The Astronauts – It’s So Easy
While Linda Ronstadt had the big hit, make mine Boulder’s own frat rockers The Astronauts for this song. Pretty ballsy to follow your surf hit “Baja” (1963) with a live album of rock to drink 3.2 beer by recorded at their own Club Baja – Everything Is A-OK!. Lead vocals are handled by bassist Jon “Stormy” Patterson (and my former Dental supply rep with Smart Practice!). They were never as big nationally as here in Colorado (except in Japan where for a time they were huge). While The Crickets couldn’t crack the charts with their 1958 single, Ronstadt had the big hit with it in 1977 at #5. If you get bored, check out my definitive Astronauts history in my March 2015 post. https://rocknrolldentist.wordpress.com/2015/03/26/the-astronauts-surfin-the-rockies/
8.Foghat – That’ll Be The Day
It would be hard to top Buddy’s #1 hit recording from 1957, but Foghat gave it a go with a rocked up version on their 1974 Energized album (their third for Bearsville records). The late Lonesome Dave Peverett sings lead. Linda Ronstadt had a cover hit at #11 late in 1976 from Hasten Down The Wind. Holly and drummer Jerry Allison are the writers and recorded it originally for Decca in July of 1956 with Sonny Curtis (guitar) and Don Guess (bass). Decca hated the song and didn’t release it at the time, but since they held the rights to it, the name The Crickets was used the next year when Brunswick released a new version (instead of Buddy Holly).
9.Peter & Gordon – True Love Ways
Showing a more mature style, Holly recorded this ballad in New York with the Dick Jacobs Orchestra four months before his passing at his last recording session. It wasn’t released on single till June of the following year and became a #25 U.K. hit (no chart in the U.S.). You could also find this on the Coral LP The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. II (1960). British Invasion duo Peter (Asher) & Gordon (Waller) had a far lusher version (dumping the mellow sax) make the U.S. charts (#14) as their second hit single of 1965 (the first was “I Go To Pieces”).
10.Bobby Vee – Down The Line
Before The Crickets there was the country bop of Buddy & Bob (Montgomery) with his Junior High pal. The 18 year old Buddy saw Elvis and suddenly the Heavens opened and he immediately plunged in to rockabilly with “Down The Line”. He and Bob wrote and recorded this in June of ’55 in Wichita Falls, TX with no real eye to release it. Years later it was dug up in the search for anything worth adding to vinyl after Buddy’s death. Overdubs of The Fireballs were added and it came out on the 1965 album Holly In The Hills with an added songwriter in producer Norman Petty before he and Buddy ever met – odd. Not even 16 when Buddy’s plane went down, Robert Velline of Fargo, ND fashioned his sound after Holly with his first single “Suzie Baby”. His career started when he and some of his friends volunteered to fill in at the show Buddy was supposed to play after Iowa – Moorhead, MN (they called themselves The Shadows). Vee never forgot his break and recorded an album on Liberty in 1962 called Bobby Vee Meets The Crickets. The following year he had the LP I Remember Buddy Holly and in 1999 he recorded the hot rockin’ album Down The Line: A Tribute To Buddy Holly.
11.The Beach Boys – Peggy Sue
This was a minor hit for the former Pendeltones (#59 1978) from the disparaged M.I.U. Album. Brian Wilson had originally recorded it in ’76 for 15 Big Ones and Al Jardine spruced it for release. This version is driving rock and roll with a straight drum beat as opposed to the continuous para-diddles performed by co-writer Jerry Allison on Buddy’s take. Norman Petty was listed as the only other writer when it came out as a Buddy Holly single in 1957 (#3 chart), but after Holly’s death his name too was also to the credits.
12.Santana – Well All Right
From the 1978 Inner Secrets, this arrangement owes a debt to the fine version done by the short-lived Eric Clapton/Steve Winwood band Blind Faith (1969) which added a minor key Russian-feel riff to the original. Carlos amps it up with some burning guitar and Latin percussion that drives it throughout. This version was a minor hit in The Netherlands while Buddy’s original was the B-side to his #82 Nov. 1958 chart record “Heartbeat”.
13.The Hullaballoos – Learning The Game
After Holly’s death, a tape he recorded of 14 songs (some in multiple versions) in his apartment with an acoustic guitar was found and subsequently overdubbed a couple of different times for release. This song was found on the 1960 album The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. II. With everything British being scooped up in 1964 for the U.S., Ricky Knight & The Crusaders dyed their long hair blonde and were renamed The Hullaballoos. They did appear many times on the Hullabaloo TV show (note 1 less ‘L’ in the name), but only found minor U.S. success with their biggest hit being another Holly cover “I’m Gonna Love You Too” (#56). “Learning The Game” was on their second Roulette album The Hullaballoos On Hullabaloo (1965).
14.Mike Berry – Think It Over
Buddy and drummer Jerry Allison wrote this song (the single shows Norman Petty as well) in 1958 and it was a hit for The Crickets at #27. Vi Petty played the piano on his record as well. English singer Mike Berry (nee Bourne) recorded two different versions of the Geoff Goddard song “Tribute To Buddy Holly”. The original Joe Meek production (1961) was banned by the BBC as being morbid but hitting #24 in the U.K. with backing by The Outlaws. Berry redid it in 1975 and included it on a ’76 Sire records LP here in the U.S. (Rocks In My Head) with this driving version of the old Crickets tune also appearing.
15.Jimmy Gilmer & The Fireballs – Little Baby
Guitarist George Tomsco and his band The Fireballs started in Raton, NM in 1957 and were mainly known for their instrumentals like “Torquay” and “Quite A Party”. Recording at the same Clovis, NM studio as The Crickets, when producer Norman Petty wanted to overdub more instrumentation to Buddy’s demos and such he turned to The Fireballs in the early ’60s. When vocalist Jimmy Gilmer joined the band, they changed their name and scored several hits including the #1 1963 “Sugar Shack” and “Bottle Of Wine” (#9 in 1967 again as just The Fireballs). Buddy recorded “Little Baby” a few days before Christmas in 1957 with co-writer C.W. Kendall on piano. It was the final song on his 1958 self-titled Coral LP. While Petty again was added to Kendall’s name as a writer, the LP doesn’t list Holly, but compilations do list him as a writer as well. Sadly this isn’t available currently on youtube.
16.The Searchers – Listen To Me
With writing credits on the single by Charles Hardin (Holly) and Petty, this was the B-side to Buddy’s single “I’m Gonna Love You Too” in Sept. 1957. It also appears on his self-titled 1958 LP. Buddy recorded it at the same July 1, 1957 session that produced “Peggy Sue”. The Liverpool band The Searchers included this on their second U.K. LP Sugar & Spice in 1963. In the U.S. they would not become successful till “Needles & Pins” (#8) the following year. The band took their name from the 1956 John Ford movie The Searchers (1956) in which John Wayne says the line “That’ll Be The Day” which inspired Buddy’s song.
17.Imelda May – I’m Looking For Someone To Love
The three Buddy Holly various artists tribute albums in my collection all seem pretty un-inspired compared to the originals. That’s not the case with the hot rockabilly of this song by May on the 2011 album Listen To Me: Buddy Holly. The album was produced by Peter Asher (Peter & Gordon) and also features Ringo Starr and Brian Wilson. Born Imelda Mary Clabby in Dublin, Ireland, she has been recording since 2003. With writing credits by Holly and Petty, this was the B-side on the 1957 #1 single for The Crickets “That’ll Be The Day”. Buddy recorded the two the night of Feb. 24, 1957 (stretching to the next morning) with Jerry Allison on drums and Larry Welborn on bass.
18.The Crickets – Peggy Sue Got Married
The story of Holly sound-alike singer David Box has the same sad ending as Holly’s. Only 15 when Buddy’s plane crashed, Lubbock resident Box had recorded there with his band The Ravens. Earl Sinks was the new Crickets lead singer after Buddy, but when guitarist Sonny Curtis was drafted they brought in Box to sing in Buddy’s hiccup style. He recorded their last Coral single with his (and Ernie Hall’s) song “Don’t Cha Know” as the top side and “Peggy Sue Got Married” as the B-side. The arrangement sounds just like “Peggy Sue” with Allison’s drum para-diddles. After leaving The Crickets, Box cut some excellent non-chart Holly-inspired records (i.e. “Little Lonely Summer Girl”). Box was killed with three others Oct. 23, 1964 when the small plane they were riding in crashed in a Houston field. Sole writer Buddy included this song on the tape of demos found in his apartment after he died. Two different attempts were made to overdub it afterwards – on June 30, 1959 (producer Jack Hansen) and a few years later with The Fireballs (producer Norman Petty). To confuse things, Coral released the Buddy Holly version as single 9-62134 in July of 1959 while The Crickets version was released the next year as 9-62238.
19.Marshall Crenshaw – Crying, Waiting, Hoping
This was the B-side of the posthumous Buddy Holly single “Peggy Sue Got Married” which was taken from the apartment demos and overdubbed to try to cash in by Coral records after his 1959 plane-crash. Detroit-born pop-singer Marshall Crenshaw (“Someday, Someway”, “Whenever You’re On My Mind”) portrayed Buddy in the 1987 La Bamba movie about Richie Valens who was killed in the same Feb. 3, 1959 crash. In the movie, Crenshaw as Buddy performs this song at the final concert in the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, IA which was nonsense. By the way, the last song in Buddy’s set-list that night was “Brown Eyed Handsome Man”.
20.Billy Swan – You’re The One
The story goes that when Buddy went home to Lubbock for Christmas in 1958, he dropped by radio station KLLL where someone bet him he couldn’t write a song in 30 minutes. This song was the result and he recorded it with just his acoustic guitar while at the studio. It was posthumously overdubbed and appears on the B-side of his last single of ‘new’ material (A-side was “Love Is Strange”). It was on the 1969 LP Giant as well. Missouri-born Swan’s first success was as the songwriter of the #7 1962 hit for Clyde McPhatter “Lover Please”. He was successful mostly as a country music writer plus he also produced Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie” (#8 1969). His first hit as a performer was the #1 (pop and country) “I Can Help” in 1974 that had an retro feel due to the Farfisa organ. His LPs included many covers of oldies including this Holly tune on his self-titled 1976 Monument records release.
21.Paul McCartney – Maybe Baby
This is a little-known Paul McCartney-Jeff Lynne (ELO) collaboration produced for the 2000 film Maybe Baby. The Crickets’ version made it to #17 on Brunswick early in 1958 with a Holly and Petty writing credit on the label. It has a rockabilly feel. The band was Buddy Holly on vocals and lead guitar with Jerry Allison on drums, Joe B. Mauldin on bass and Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar.
22.Lee Rocker – Lonesome Tears
Stray Cats bassist Lee Rocker (nee Drucker) has put out some excellent rockabilly albums on his own and frankly your Dentist prefers his vocals to Brian Setzer’s in The Cats. Lee recorded this on his 2012 album Night Train To Memphis. The original was the B-side to The Crickets’ Sept. 1958 single “It’s So Easy” that didn’t chart here and sports a Holly and Petty writing credit.
23.Fleetwood Mac – Buddy’s Song
The talented Jeremy Spencer of the early Fleetwood Mac seemed to love ’50s rock as much as he loved the blues. Here he adopts a perfectly hiccuped Holly delivery from the fine 1970 Kiln House album (yes, there was some great Mac music before Buckingham and Nicks!). This song is interesting in that the lyrics weave in many titles of Buddy Holly songs. The tune is an amalgam of “Peggy Sue Got Married” with the middle from “Maybe Baby” and “Rave On”. Many online sites ascribe the song as a Spencer original which is ridiculous as it actually appeared much earlier on the 1963 Bobby Vee album I Remember Buddy Holly. The story goes that Waylon Jennings (bassist on Buddy’s last tour) wrote the song and gave Holly’s mom Ella Holley the writing credit to help her out financially. Whatever the story, it is a fun song.
24.Nitty Gritty Dirt Band – Rave On
“Rave On” was a rocker recorded by Buddy after the co-writer Sonny West had recorded it earlier in 1958. Holly had previously recorded and had a hit with another West song “Oh Boy” (West’s original was titled “All My Love”). On both songs Petty added his name as a writer. West says that he took the title of this song from a line in Carl Perkins’ “Dixie Fried”. While only a minor summer hit in the U.S. at #37 in ’58, it did hit #5 in the U.K. where Buddy was much more successful. The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s 1970 version was on their best album Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy (“Mr. Bojangles”, “Some Of Shelly’s Blues”, etc.). It was sung by Jimmy Ibbotson.
25.Freddie & The Dreamers – It Doesn’t Matter Anymore
There are so many other great covers of songs that Holly recorded but didn’t write like “Raining In My Heart” (Dave Clark 5), “Rock Around With Ollie Vee” (Gary Busey), “Heartbeat” (The Knack), “I’m Gonna Love You Too” (The Hullaballoos) and “Oh Boy” (The Stray Cats). Let’s end this thing with the single Buddy had out at the time of his passing which he did perform at his last concert. The single climbed to #13 in the wake of his death while in the U.K. it hit #1. Paul Anka wrote the song for Holly and is said to have donated the royalties to his widow Maria Elena. Freddie & The Dreamers were one of the first music acts the young Dentist became a fan of (long before falling under the sway of The Beatles). It must have been the choreography and indeed they headlined the first concert I attended (thanks to old pal Rick Steele and his dad who drove us). The late Freddie Garrity’s band hit #36 in early ’65 here in the U.S. with this cover version. Linda Ronstadt also charted with it at #47 as the B-side to her 1975 single “When Will I Be Loved”.
Rock 'n' Roll Reviews and Trivia 