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For those not in the know, fan albums are the attempts of me and many others to take songs and put them on an album, typically they’re made to improve upon something, such as an existing album or to take non-album tracks and put them on an album.
I’ve decided to make a few revisions to my earlier fan albuming of the great Buddy Holly. 50s LPs’ common track sequencing is better than I’ve given it credit for, so I’ve decided to respect that. Thus, all these albums have twelve or thirteen tracks. I’ve also left alone the two official albums, so they can be slotted in. Conveniently, the amount of tracks recorded before those albums and the ones after fit the twelve or thirteen track rule nicely, so I won’t have to have pre and post “the main two” album tracks on the same LP. I’m unsure of what to do with the later official albums by the Crickets without Holly. Maybe I’ll do a stray track version and also a version that fixes the weak sequences?
As I like to do, I want to define what counts as a band track or a solo track. Based on the nature of these recordings, every track without Bob Montgomery is more or less solo Buddy, seeing as he was clearly the intended star of the show and most recordings credit him as a solo artist. However, seeing as there were band names and bandmates that have been unfortunately understated historically, “The Two Tones” name will be utilized for the period where the backing band was reasonably in flux, such as when Bob, Sonny, Jerry, and the various bass players were sometimes there and sometimes not. The members were mostly just Buddy’s friends and not session players. When Jerry and Joe are present, that’s what counts as “The Crickets”. Originally, I was going to utilize the fact that every Crickets track has Jerry and say he was the only necessary player to make something the Crickets, but defining a band by one person drives me crazy.
This next idea might be a little controversial. Seeing as Holly’s fellow musicians had identities and musical statements, I’ve decided to include recordings where Holly is backing another vocalist, specifically one of his bandmates. I will not be including every track to ever feature Holly, just the ones where someone was really in his circle. If Buddy and the Crickets formed in the 70s, they might’ve taken this approach, with someone else occasionally getting vocals for the sake of it. Finally, let’s have a little fun and build some alt history around this! There is certainly a lot of untrue information below, so be warned!
The History of Buddy Holly, as it pertains to his LPs
A young boy named Buddy Holley became interested in music in the late 40s. After recording a twelve-track album at home in 1949, he submitted it to Columbia Records to be released, but they responded back saying, “This sound quality is worse than a Charley Patton record.” Upon asking for the tracks back, Columbia admitted that confusing it for their own material, they junked it. Fortunately, one track was preserved on what Holley had intended to be a single for the album, “My Two-Timin’ Woman”. While future historians were hopeful there’d be a b-side, on the other end was merely “Chattanooga Choo Choo” by Glenn Miller and His Orchestra, albeit falsely credited to Buddy. As his interest in music grew, Holley began performing with artists. The first notable one was Bob Montgomery. While initially only doing informal jams, in mid 1952 they decided to become an official group. The two credited themselves, “Buddy and Bob” and at points under both of their full names. For the sake of symmetry, an “e” was added to the first letter of their names. Due to another artist being named “Buddey Folley and Bobe Montgomeery”, this was changed the other way, with both “e”s being removed. The two failed to obtain a recording contract, though continued to tape informal performances. Frequently during Montgomery’s hyena howling, the tape recorded burst, rendering the material lost. In a later interview, he went on to say, “I wish I wasn’t too cowardly to simply destroy all our recordings upfront, instead of being sneaky about it.”
Interested in other projects, Montgomery would occasionally leave the group. After a particularly thoughtless incident of him not showing up to a performance, Holly fired him. He was replaced by Jack Neal. During a recording session where the two cut two tracks, Montgomery returned to announce that he had a car now. Back in the fold, Buddy and Bob would continue to record and busk. Deciding to expand their group, the duo searched for more players. They only got as far as up the street, as Bob’s car broke down. Through the window they saw high school associates Sonny Curtis, Larry Welborn, and Don Guess, allegedly under the name, “The Beatles”. After a sprint under the name “Buddy & Bob & The Pidles”, Holly decided the name was too long and Montgomery’s name should be removed. After a disagreement and a power struggle, Montgomery left and took Welborn with him. When asked why, Welborn said, “I won’t be on some of these recordings, so I gotta go for this story to make sense.” After offering some wine and chocolates, Buddy won back the two, though not consistently. Curtis and Guess also were inconstant, with different people being available at any given time.
By the time thirteen tracks were finished, the group signed with Sun Records, who would distribute, after Buddy Holly strummed his guitar for three hours to get the record deal while Bob Montgomery and Sonny Curtis whistled “Sweet Adeline”. They were surprised this worked as they needed the talent scout to fill in on fourth. In trying to think of a name for the group, Buddy Holly came up with “Buddy Holly and his Holy Buddies”. Montgomery wanted it to go “Bob Montgomery is the most important member of this band.” Curtis reached a compromise between the two with “The Two Tones”. Holly thought his name would be included, which the others disagreed with doing. The encounter went as follows: “But there’s three of us, that name suggests there’s two. “Okay, then it refers to guitar tones.” “What’s that to do with anything?” “I don’t know, but we’ll kick you out if you keep at it.”
BUDDY HOLLY & THE TWO TONES – FOR THE LOVE OF TEXAS (Cover and title of re-release. Original omitted Holly’s name and was in a white sleeve.)
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- “I Hear the Lord Callin’ Me”
- “I Gambled My Heart” (1-9)
- “I’ll Just Pretend” (1-2)
- “Take These Shackles From My Heart” (1-3)
- “Footprints In The Snow” (1-4)
- “Because You Love Me”
- “My Two-Timin’ Woman” (1-1)
SIDE B
- “I Saw the Moon Cry Last Night”
- “Flower Of My Heart” (1-5)
- “Door To My Heart” (1-6)
- “Gotta Get You Near Me Blues” (1-8)
- “I’ll Miss My Heart”
- “Soft Place In My Heart” (1-7)
PERSONNEL
- Buddy Holly – vocals (tracks 2-5, 7, 9-11, 13), guitar (tracks 1-13)
- Jack Neal – vocals (tracks 1, 8)
- Bob Montgomery – vocals, guitar (tracks 2-5, 9-11, 13)
- Sonny Curtis – fiddle (tracks 2, 9-11, 13), vocals, guitar (tracks 6, 12)
- Don Guess – bass (tracks 2, 11, 13), steel guitar (tracks 9-10)
- Larry Welborn – bass (tracks 6, 9-10, 12)
While the record didn’t make great waves commercially, it was considered strong enough for a follow-up to be put into motion, though the boys would have to record their own way as before. Holly tired of the folk sound and was determined to move on. Deciding to embrace more of the new genre of rock upon hearing Elvis Costello, Holly recruited drummer Jerry Allison. “He was so small, but could bang so loud,” he later said. Montgomery and Welborn soon left the group due to not wanting to leave folk. Holly, Curtis, Guess, and Allison proceeded to complete the album, with one folk side and one rock side.
BUDDY HOLLY & THE TWO TONES – BABY, WON’T YOU COME OUT TONIGHT? (Cover and title of re-release. Original omitted Holly’s name and was in a white sleeve.)
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- “Dallas Boogie”
- “Memories” (1-18)
- “You And I Are Through” (1-10)
- “Baby, It’s Love” (1-15)
- “Queen Of The Ballroom” (1-17)
- “This Bottle”
SIDE B
- “One in a Million”
- “Down The Line” (1-13)
- “Baby, Let’s Play House” (1-12)
- “Moonlight Baby” (1-19)
- “I Guess I Was Just A Fool” (1-20)
- “Don’t Come Back Knockin’” (1-21)
- “Love Me” (1-22)
PERSONNEL
- Buddy Holly – vocals (tracks 2-5, 8-13), guitar (tracks 1-13)
- Larry Welborn – bass (tracks 1, 3, 6-9)
- Sonny Curtis – vocals (tracks 1, 6-7), guitar (tracks 1, 6-7, 10-13), fiddle (tracks 2, 4-5)
- Bob Montgomery – vocals, guitar (tracks 2-5, 8)
- Don Guess – bass (tracks 2, 4-5, 10-13)
- Jerry Allison – drums (tracks 3, 8-13)
Decca, impressed with Holly’s singing ability, offered him a contract. It was agreed between him and Decca that he should be the sole singer and namesake. Curtis and Guess promptly left for this reason. “I’ve finally done it, I’m a star!” Due to poor rehearsals, Holly and Allison were fired and Curtis and Guess were brought in as a new act. When they didn’t gel as a duo, Holly was brought back in to stabilize them. Curtis’ country leanings proved problematic for what Decca wanted, so in Holly’s willingness to be the lead, accepted the poppier sound, as that meant he could sing lead. After a stint with percussionist Doug Kirkham, Allison was brought back as to quote Guess in an interview, “He was able to hit the drum.” The single “Blue Days, Black Nights” proved a success and more material was produced. Guess was considered to be an ill fit and flexing his clout, Holly had him briefly fired. As Curtis began to exert dominance, he had Guess come back. Holly then fired him again, to which Curtis again rehired him. After being rererefired and rererehired, Curtis proceeded to quit along with Guess.
Holly, not wanting to be pigeonholed to being considered part of a band, recorded some material with session men. Unbeknownst to him, Guess was among them, having been since hired by Decca for such recordings. It’s suspected by Holly historians that he had not noticed him due to having grown out a Walrus mustache. To the horror of the singer, the record was credited as “Buddy Holly & The Two Tones”. WIth the record done, Holly took two takeaways from his experience, he is sick of the Two Tones name and the material without Allison is simply too lacking for that reason. And thus, Jerry would be affixed to the fold, rendering Holly a member of a band.
BUDDY HOLLY & THE TWO TONES – HOLLY IN THE HILLS
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- “Midnight Shift” (1-23)
- “Blue Days, Black Nights” (1-27)
- “It’s Not My Fault” (1-31)
- “I’m Gonna Set My Foot Down” (1-32)
- “Rock-A-Bye Rock” (1-34)
- “Because I Love You” (1-35)
SIDE B
- “Modern Don Juan” (2-7)
- “Rock Around With Ollie Vee” (2-1)
- “Changin’ All Those Changes” (1-33)
- “Girl On My Mind” (2-4)
- “Ting-A-Ling” (2-5)
- “You Are My One Desire” (2-9)
PERSONNEL
- Buddy Holly – vocals (tracks 1-12), guitar (tracks 3-6, 8-11)
- Grady Martin – rhythm guitar (tracks 1-2), guitar (tracks 7, 12)
- Sonny Curtis – lead guitar (tracks 1-2, 4, 9), guitar (tracks 3, 5-6, 8, 10-11)
- Don Guess – bass (tracks 1-2, 7-8, 10-12)
- Doug Kirkham – percussion (tracks 1-2)
- Jerry Allison – drums (tracks 4-6, 8-11)
- Harold Bradley – guitar (tracks 7, 12)
- Floyd Cramer – piano (tracks 7, 12)
- Farris Coursey – drums (tracks 7, 12)
- Dutch McMillin – alto sax (tracks 7, 12)
Wanting to leave the band name behind him, Holly left Decca. Working on ideas for songs, Allison and Holly jammed out a series of covers over one night. Looking for a reliable bassist, they then got Larry Welborn. When asked why he rejoined due to originally leaving over a disagreement with the musical direction, Welborn simply said, “Money.” Despite these recordings not being intended for release, Sun Records obtained them through a bootlegger whose name, while not identified, used the pseudonym, “Todd From Germany”. For a quick buck due to his success at Decca, the material was released. While Holly was horrified, finally something was credited to “Buddy Holly”. The release just credited to “Buddy Holly” was a misprint that Holly himself witnessed. Afterwards, the name was changed to “Buddy Holly & The Two Tones”.
BUDDY HOLLY & THE TWO TONES – RIP IT UP
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- “Bo Diddley” (2-27)
- “Blue Suede Shoes” (2-21)
- “Gone” (2-11)
- “Good Rockin’ Tonight” (2-17)
- “Honky Tonk” (2-20)
- “Shake Rattle And Roll” (2-22)
SIDE B
- “Brown-Eyed Handsome Man” (2-26)
- “Blue Monday” (2-19)
- “Have You Ever Been Lonely” (2-15)
- “Ain’t Got No Home” (2-24)
- “Holly Hop” (2-25)
- “Rip It Up” (2-18)
PERSONNEL
- Buddy Holly – lead vocals (tracks 1-4, 6-10, 12), guitar (tracks 1-12)
- Jerry Allison – drums (tracks 1-12), additional vocals (tracks 6, 12)
- Larry Welborn – bass (tracks 1, 7)
- Unknown – second guitar (tracks 1, 7)
Upon release of Rip It Up, Holly shamefully announced it was a failure and he feared the worst for his career. Welborn promptly quit, but Allison later claimed to have had enough faith in Holly to think things would work out. Despite this, he auditioned to appear in other bands, though he was only accepted by vocal groups, who promptly fired him after hearing him sing. While Holly stayed home and practiced music, Allison was more sociable, often trying to meet new people. Through this he met Niki Sullivan. When Holly discovered Sullivan shortly thereafter, he was impressed. Allison later confessed that he thought Sullivan was Holly due to their similar appearance, and when he learned of his mistake, he pretended he knew all along. A recording of the “That’ll Be The Day” track was overdubbed with Sullivan’s vocals before being sent to producer Norman Petty. Petty liked the song so much that the group was recruited to record more. Needing a new bassist, Buddy Holly searched, ultimately finding the teenage Joe B. Mauldin. Upon Sonny Curtis turning down the offer, Niki Sullivan was christened as the group’s rhythm guitar player.
Before committing to the band, Petty had them back other artists, often without Niki, who was often not interested. These recordings were later released on an album. During the sessions for the group’s first LP, Norman Petty made a deal. Allison discussed it in a 2001 interview, “Norman knew that as just one act, our airplay was limited, so tracks were credited to different names: ‘Buddy Holly’, ‘The Crickets’, ‘Buddy Holly & The Crickets’, ‘B. Holley’, ‘Buddy, Jerry, n’ Joe’, ‘Buddy & The Hollies’, etc.” “That’ll Be The Day” was released as “The Crickets”, to distinguish it from the recent tarnish to Holly’s name and became a huge hit. Fans often confused Buddy for Niki, which frustrated Buddy as Niki was apparently absent from many tracks and thus didn’t deserve to be considered the star of the show. Niki in turn was sick of being pelted with flowers on the street. Still, the group was rejuvenated. They kept working and ultimately finished…
BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS – THE “CHIRPING” CRICKETS (Same as official version) (Cover and title of re-release. Original omitted Holly’s name.)
The success of the record caused the band to hit the road and begin touring extensively. While some feared this would cause Holly to become irritated, the opposite happened. He was so happy to be winning that he was reported as always having a smile, saving kittens from trees, and fixing Niki Sullivan’s glasses. Still, the touring and lack of obscurity caused the others to become exhausted. This got to the point of everyone wanting to take a break. To aid in stress, outtakes from the first album were used to fill some slots on the second Crickets album. Notably, the material was incomplete to the point of lacking much guitar. Speaking of guitar, Niki Sullivan while on break fell in love with a pretty fair maiden, whose name he did not know. He thus quit the group. Holly, Allison, and Mauldin then cut a few tracks from scratch and Holly overdubbed guitar lines on the outtakes.
BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS – BUDDY HOLLY (Same as official version) (Cover and title of re-release. Original omitted The Cricket’s name.)
Buddy Holly was praised for its distinct and innovative playing and more emotional and ballad-driven tracks, which had been considered not commercial enough for The “Chirping” Crickets. In the views of some, it was considered Holly’s magnum opus. Holly finally felt like he had made it. When Joe asked how he felt about an LP being credited to just his name, Buddy was said to act like he didn’t care, then was later heard cheering on the toilet. He licensed his image to commercials and merchandise and received increasing respect from his bandmates. He had essentially made two teenagers celebrities. Thus, Jerry and Joe had begun to show interest in recording their own music or backing other artists. They had to put a pause on this for the time being, as the next Buddy Holly & The Crickets record was due soon. In exchange for more money, they had to get the album out as soon as possible. The result focused on more lighthearted songs, even featuring two novelty numbers with lead vocals by Jerry Allison. Holly was lukewarm on them, but wanted to keep the peace, especially as that meant there were two fewer songs to come up with. This also meant he had more pull for a controversial decision.
Holly became interested in session players or otherwise new talent he hadn’t worked with. He felt limited by mostly having worked with teenagers with often different interests to him. To dip the toe in this new sound, he had three lead guitar parts played by Tommy Allsup, who was recruited as the band’s new guitar player, replacing Niki. Sonny Curtis had asked to rejoin, but was turned down. Joe was frustrated at not being featured on “Heartbeat”, which instead included George Atwood on bass. Buddy said Joe’s performance wasn’t up to his liking.
After listening to what had been finished, The Crickets felt they could do better. Unsure of where to go, the group focused on a second album of backing other people. Buddy was not particularly interested, but put his name to it, anyways. In looking for options for the next proper LP, Joe and Jerry felt they should reconnect with their past and start out by jamming with people they used to play with or see where trends were going with teenagers (which they of course were in tune with, being teenagers themselves). Buddy was interested in pop, especially that didn’t originate from Texas and thus he became interested in the New York music scene. Hoping to get a fresh start, Buddy formed a new band in secret consisting of Allsup, George Atwood, and Bo Clarke on drums, all of whom had appeared on the last Crickets record. This lineup cut two tracks before Holly felt it wasn’t working and fired them. Due to contracting reasons, Allsup remained a Cricket.
Holly was given a reminder his album of backing other artists was late. He then formed a new band with Sanford Bloch on bass, Ernest Hayes on piano, and Panama Francis on drums. After some recording, Francis proved an issue and was replaced with Phillip Kraus. After some recording, Kraus proved an issue and was replaced with Clifford Leeman. Holly returned to The Crickets and powered through to the end. The tracks without The Crickets would be saved for a solo project.
BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS – THE SOUND OF THE CENTURY
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- “Well… All Right” (3-31)
- “Take Your Time” (4-5)
- “Fool’s Paradise” (4-6)
- “Think It Over” (4-7)
- “Real Wild Child”
- “Mona” (3-28)
SIDE B
- “Lonesome Tears” (4-8)
- “It’s So Easy” (4-9)
- “Oh, You Beautiful Doll”
- “Heartbeat” (4-10)
- “Come Back Baby” (4-15)
- “Reminiscing” (4-16)
- “That’s My Desire” (From Buddy Holly (1958) bonus tracks)
PERSONNEL
- Buddy Holly – lead vocals (tracks 1-4, 6-8, 10-13), guitar (tracks 1-12), backing vocals (tracks 5, 9), rhythm guitar (tracks 7-8, 10)
- Jerry Allison – cymbals (track 1), cardboard box (tracks 2-4), lead vocals (tracks 5, 9), guitar (tracks 5, 9), drums (tracks 6-8, 10-13)
- Joe B. Mauldin – bass (tracks 1-5, 7-9, 11-13)
- Norman Petty – organ (tracks 2-4), percussion (track 9), piano (track 13)
- Vi Petty – piano (tracks 3-4)
- The Roses (Robert Linville, Ray Rush, David Bigham) – backing vocals (tracks 3-5, 7-9)
- Glen “Bob” Clarke – drums (tracks 5, 9)
- Tommy Allsup – lead guitar (tracks 7-8, 10)
- George Atwood – bass (track 10)
- King Curtis – tenor saxophone (tracks 11-12)
- Al Caiola – guitar (track 13)
- Donald Amone – rhythm guitar (track 13)
- William Marihe – backing vocals (track 13)
- Robert Bollinger – backing vocals (track 13)
- Robert Harter – backing vocals (track 13)
- Merrill Ostrus – backing vocals (track 13)
- Abby Hoffer – backing vocals (track 13)
The Sound Of The Century was finished late, but still received massive acclaim, which put the pressure on for the group to best themselves. Holly, still determined to try a new style, went to his band, saying he wanted to go to New York and embrace more trends. Tommy felt Buddy had a stronger musical vision and thus wanted to go with him. The group, unable to meet in the middle, said they’d split for now. Jerry and Joe could continue as the Crickets, while Buddy would finally go solo. He was said to have missed them and that it’d be strange not having their names or the band listed on his future records. Buddy returned to work. After some recording, now with strings, asked to be included by executives, Bloch, Hayes, and Leeman proved to be an issue and were fired. With neither the backing other artists album or his solo album done, Holly felt desperate. He considered calling Joe, Jerry, and maybe Niki or Sonny, to finish his records, but he wasn’t willing to give up so easily and would try something slightly less desperate.
Following a lead, Holly went to Clear Lake, Iowa to the “Surf Ballroom”. He went to see up and coming country artist Waylon Jennings. He knew he had teamed up with Atwood and Clarke. During their performance, Buddy fell in love with Waylon’s style. Despite allegedly having intended to take the others and leave Jennings, Holly instead decided to have the three of them and Allsup back him. When asked why Buddy was asking for the others back, he said he wanted to do what was most comfortable for Waylon. Thus, the quintet did two tracks Waylon was working on. Buddy liked them so much he wanted them on his solo album, instead of the secondary release. Waylon then became sick and was unable to play, which caused the others to finish both records without him. Holly & His Buddies Volume 2 was released to decent rates, though not being considered as interesting or desirable. Holly was at least proud to have released it before 1958 and to have received a letter of congratulations from Jerry and Joe, who sent him a copy of their new single credited to “Sonny Curtis & The Crickets”.
BUDDY HOLLY – TRUE LOVE WAYS
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- “Love’s Made A Fool Of You” (4-11)
- “Wishing” (6-20)
- “Early In The Morning” (4-12)
- “Now We’re One” (4-14)
- “When Sin Stops”
- “That’s What They Say” (5-28)
SIDE B
- “True Love Ways” (4-17)
- “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore” (4-19)
- “Raining In My Heart” (4-21)
- “Moondreams” (4-23)
- “Jole Blon”
- “What To Do” (5-24)
PERSONNEL
- Buddy Holly – lead vocals (tracks 1-4, 6-10, 12), rhythm guitar (tracks 1-2), lead guitar (tracks 5-6, 11-12)
- Tommy Allsup – lead guitar (tracks 1-2), guitar (tracks 5, 11)
- George Atwood – bass (tracks 1-2, 5, 11)
- Bo Clarke – drums (tracks 1-2, 5, 11)
- Unknown – rhythm guitar (track 2)
- Al Chernet – guitar (tracks 3-4)
- George Barnes – lead guitar (tracks 3-4)
- Sanford Bloch – bass (tracks 3-4, 7-10)
- Ernest Hayes – piano (tracks 3-4, 7-10)
- David “Panama” Francis – drums (tracks 3-4)
- Phillip Kraus – drums (tracks 3-4)
- Sam Taylor – alto saxophone (tracks 3-4)
- Helen Way – backing vocals (tracks 3-4)
- Harriet Young – backing vocals (tracks 3-4)
- Maeretha Stewart – backing vocals (tracks 3-4)
- Theresa Merritt – backing vocals (tracks 3-4)
- Waylon Jennings – lead vocals (tracks 5, 11)
- King Curtis – saxophone (tracks 5, 11)
- The Roses (Robert Linville, Ray Rush, David Bigham) – backing vocals (tracks 5, 11)
- George Tomsco – guitar (tracks 6, 12)
- Stan Lark – bass (tracks 6, 12)
- Doug Roberts or Eric Budd – drums (tracks 6, 12)
- Al Caiola – guitar (tracks 7-10)
- Doris Johnson – harp (tracks 7-10)
- Clifford Leeman – drums (tracks 7-10)
- Abraham Richman – tenor saxophone (tracks 7-10)
- Sylvan Shulman, Leo Kruczek, Leonard Posner, Irving Spice, Ray Free, Herbert Bourne, Julius Held, Paul Winter – violins (tracks 7-10)
- David Schwartz, Howard Kay – violas (tracks 7-10)
- Maurice Brown, Maurice Bialkin – cellos (tracks 7-10)
True Love Ways was another hit. Holly had already gotten started on recording demos in his apartment for his next record. Due to slimy deals that resulted in him making very little money, he had to start touring as soon as possible. Holly then bought a bus from 1927 and hit the road. They were stressful and cramped and resulted in Clarke and Atwood quitting. Jennings, feeling indebted to Holly, said he wouldn’t leave. The group soon found the young and spirited Carl Bunch, who Holly called “Jerry 2”. Unable to find a bassist as soon as anyone would like, Jennings was recruited. Touring continued to be a stressful endeavor, with everyone missing the ease of flying. As much could be said for Carl, who got frostbite. Possibly due to a reported disliking of Carl, Holly then chartered a flight for only him, Jennings, and Allsup. Ultimately and infamously, through contrivances, Waylon and Tommy were replaced by popular artists Ritchie Valens and The Big Bopper. The plane soon crashed after takeoff. Holly’s body wasn’t found.
Those that knew Holly, and even those that didn’t, were shattered. Norman Petty, not to turn down an opportunity to make money, licensed several old recordings of Buddy Holly, mainly from the Two Tones era, and overdubbed them with a band called The Fireballs. These were considered shoddy and like cash-ins, with people really wanting new material. Petty then found the apartment tapes and overdubbed them. Jennings insisted on being an advisor for the sake of accuracy and managed to convince Petty to not overdub certain tracks, as he had heard Buddy say he wanted things “As they had been – stripped back.” He only got Petty to go along with this when he said it would cost less.
BUDDY HOLLY – GIANT
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- “You’re The One” (6-30)
- “That Makes It Tough” (5-27)
- “When You Are Lonely”
- “Peggy Sue Got Married” (5-25)
- “Crying, Waiting, Hoping” (5-26)
- “Learning The Game” (5-29)
SIDE B
- “Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie” (5-31)
- “Slippin’ And Slidin’” (6-29)
- “Dearest” (5-32)
- “Love Is Strange” (6-31)
- “More And More/Untitled Instrumental” (5-7)
- “Smokey Joe’s Café” (5-9)
PERSONNEL
- Buddy Holly – lead vocals (tracks 1-2, 4-10, 13), guitar (tracks 1-13)
- George Tomsco – guitar (tracks 1-2, 4-10)
- Lyn Bailey – bass (possibly tracks 1, 8, 10)
- Stan Lark – bass (possibly tracks 1, 8, 10, definitely 2, 4-6, 9)
- Doug Roberts – drums (possibly tracks 2, 4-6, 9, definitely 1, 8, 10)
- Keith McCormack – rhythm guitar (tracks 1, 7-10)
- Waylon Jennings – lead vocals (tracks 3, 11), handclaps (track 1)
- Slim Corbin – handclaps (track 1)
- Eric Budd – drums (possibly tracks 2, 4-6, 9)
Giant was considered a fitting tribute to Holly, feeling like a culmination of his different styles. His past band members and friends were reported to have liked the record. After Holly, Waylon Jennings and Tommy Allsup started solo careers. Niki Sullivan tried continuing his career, but soon essentially retired. Most of the minor players became session men and were always eager to do interviews and shows that focused on Holly. Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin, Sonny Curtis, and to a lesser extent Norman Petty weren’t so inclined to remain in the shadow of their friend and mentor, and their story continues…
BUDDY HOLLY & THE CRICKETS – HOLLY & HIS BUDDIES VOLUME 1
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- Jim Robinson – “A Whole Lot Of Lovin’”
- Jim Robinson – “It’s A Wonderful Feeling”
- Jack Huddle – “Starlight”
- Jack Huddle – “Believe Me”
- Sherry Davis – “Broken Promises”
- Sherry Davis – “Humble Heart”
- Fred Crawford – “By The Mission Wall”
SIDE B
- Buddy Knox – “Swingin’ Daddy”
- Buddy Knox – “Whenever I’m Lonely”
- Gary Dale Tollett – “Go Boy Go”
- Gary Dale Tollett – “Gone”
- Gary Dale Tollett – “The Golden Rocket”
- Gary Dale Tollett – “I Overlooked An Orchid”
- Gary Dale Tollett – “Look To The Future”
- Gary Dale Tollett – “Honey Honey”
PERSONNEL
- Jim Robinson – lead vocals (tracks 1-2)
- Buddy Holly – guitar (tracks 1-15)
- Jerry Allison – cardboard box (tracks 1-2), drums (tracks 2-15)
- Vi Petty – piano (tracks 2, 4)
- Joe B. Mauldin – bass (tracks 1-4, 7-9, 14-15)
- The Roses – backing vocals (track 1)
- The Bowman Brothers – backing vocals (tracks 2, 4, 7)
- Jack Huddle – lead vocals (tracks 3-4)
- Sherry Davis – lead vocals (5-6)
- Jack Vaughn – rhythm guitar (tracks 5-6)
- Unknown – bass (tracks 5-6)
- The Picks – backing vocals (tracks 5-6, 14-15)
- Gene Medley – backing vocals (track 6)
- Fred Crawford – lead vocals (track 7)
- Norman Petty – organ (track 7)
- Buddy Knox – lead vocals (tracks 8-9)
- Gary Dale Tollett – lead vocals (tracks 10-15), guitar (track 14)
- Ramona Tollett – backing vocals (tracks 10-15)
- June Clark – backing vocals (tracks 10-13)
- Niki Sullivan – backing vocals (tracks 10-13)
BUDDY HOLLY – HOLLY & HIS BUDDIES VOLUME 2
TRACKLISTING
SIDE A
- Ben Hall – “All From Loving You”
- Ben Hall – “Rose Of Monterey”
- Jim Robinson – “Man From Texas”
- The Norman Petty Trio – “Moondreams”
- Rick Tucker – “Patty Baby”
- Rick Tucker – “Don’t Do Me This Way”
- Charlie Phillips – “Sugartime”
SIDE B
- Charlie Phillips – “One Faded Rose”
- Carolyn Hester – “Scarlet Ribbons”
- Carolyn Hester – “Wreck Of The Old ’97”
- Jerry Engler – “I Sent You Roses”
- Jerry Engler – “What A’ You Gonna Do”
- Lou Giordano – “Stay Close To Me”
- Lou Giordano – “Don’t Cha Know”
PERSONNEL
- Ben Hall – lead vocals (tracks 1-2)
- Buddy Holly – guitar (tracks 1-14), bells (track 12), falsetto vocals (track 14)
- Sonny Curtis – fiddle (tracks 1-2)
- Weldon Myrick – steel guitar (tracks 1-2)
- Dena Hall – bass (tracks 1-2)
- Jim Robinson – lead vocals (track 3)
- George Atwood – bass (tracks 3, 7-8, 10-12)
- Unknown – drums (tracks 3, 13-14)
- Vi Petty – piano (tracks 3-4, 6)
- The Picks – backing vocals (tracks 3-4, 6)
- Norman Petty – organ (track 4)
- Mike Mitchell – percussion (track 4)
- Unknown – bass (tracks 4, 13-14)
- Rick Tucker – lead vocals, guitar (tracks 5-6)
- Bo Clarke – drums (tracks 5-6, 11-12)
- Don Guess – bass (tracks 5-6)
- Bill Pickering – backing vocals (track 5)
- Bob Lapham – backing vocals (track 5)
- Jack Vaughn – rhythm guitar (tracks 7-8)
- Charlie Phillips – lead vocals (tracks 7-8)
- Jimmy Blakely – steel guitar (tracks 7-8)
- Carolyn Hester – lead vocals (tracks 9-10)
- Jerry Allison – drums (track 10)
- Jerry Engler – lead vocals (tracks 11-12)
- Lou Giordano – lead vocals (tracks 13-14)
- Phil Everly – guitar (tracks 13-14), falsetto vocals (track 14)
- Joey Villa – falsetto vocals (track 14)
LINKS
- Buddy Holly & The Two Tones – For The Love Of Texas (1955) – YouTube
- Buddy Holly & The Two Tones – Baby, Won’t You Come Out Tonight? (1956) – YouTube
- Buddy Holly & The Two Tones – Holly In The Hills (1956) – YouTube, Spotify
- Buddy Holly & The Two Tones – Rip It Up (1957) – YouTube, Spotify
- Buddy Holly & The Crickets – Holly & His Buddies Volume 1 (1957) – Archive.org
- Buddy Holly & The Crickets – The “Chirping” Crickets (1957) – YouTube, Spotify
- Buddy Holly & The Crickets – Buddy Holly (1958) – YouTube, Spotify
- Buddy Holly & The Crickets – The Sound Of The Century (1958) – YouTube
- Buddy Holly – Holly & His Buddies Volume 2 (1958) – Archive.org
- Buddy Holly – True Love Ways (1959) – YouTube, Spotify
- Buddy Holly – Giant (1959) – YouTube
This is a passion of mine and if one person likes what I do, I’ll feel honored. I like suggestions on what artist to cover next, so if you know of one you’d like me to look at, feel free to suggest ‘em!
The Filme Diary 