Search - Buddy Holly :: That'll Be the Day/Remember

Holly Reissue lacks accuracy

Edward Knapp | Enumclaw, WA USA | 11/08/2002

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This could have been a great entry in BGO's series of Buddy Holly two-fer CD reissues, but the track selections as presented here are NOT the same as on the original albums.Track 5 is NOT Buddy Holly's Decca "That'll Be The Day" LP recording of "Ting-A-Ling", but rather the 1960 Crickets REMAKE featuring lead vocalist EARL SINKS.
There is a Decca 45-only second version of "Rock Around With Ollie Vee", it was a logical choice for inclusion on this set, but it's not here.The original "Remember" LP was issued specifically to gather Buddy Holly recordings which had not previously appeared on LP in the UK.Track 12, "Maybe Baby" is the original Brunswick 45 version, but should have been Buddy's first Clovis demo of the song with instrumental additions by the Fireballs.
Track 13, "That Makes It Tough" is presented here in an inferior quality undubbed form rather than the Fireballs overdub version found on the LP.
Track 16, "That's My Desire" is also missing the Fireballs overdubs.
Track 17, "Real Wild Child" fades out too early.
Track 18, "Peggy Sue Got Married" features the Jack Hansen Combo overdubs of 1959 rather than those by the Fireballs.By not using the proper LP selections for this CD reissue, several Buddy Holly tracks are still elusive to CD release: The Fireballs overdub versions of "That Makes It Tough", "Maybe Baby" and "That's My Desire".I was wanting all of Buddy's NYC apartment original compositions in the Fireballs Stereo overdub form, but only four of the six appear here.BEST THING ABOUT THE CD:
Track 21, "That's What they Say" features the Fireballs stereo overdub version, for the first-time-on-CD.
Track 23, "What To Do" appears here in an alternate stereo mix."

New version released with correct tracks

rene hofman | Groningen, the Netherlands, Europe | 02/28/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"As the other reviewer wrote if the cd had been correct it would be a 5 star, as "Remember" is one of Buddy Holly most sought after lp's. I also bought the first version of the cd which has a number of incorrect tracks; I contacted BGO, and the new release is equal to the original lp's. BGO even sent me a free copy of the new release. Conclusion: this cd is an absolute-must-buy for Holly fans, but beware that you get the newly released version"

ANOTHER SIDE OF BUDDY HOLLY

Mark | Santa Monica, CA | 10/01/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I. THE CORRECTED & REISSUED BGO CD --



After reading Rene Hofman's 2003 notice (below) that this flawed BGO CD has been reissued, I ordered a copy and -- it's true!



Still I suggest buying with care.... Comparing my old CD to the new, I see no difference in packaging, booklet, catalogue number, or CD label to distinguish between them. A quick test is to play track 12 - if it's the familiar hit version of `Maybe Baby' you have a flawed album. If it's the acetate demo (which sounds totally different), it's the new reissue. Obviously this is only good for finding out if you've been burned....



Personally I ordered directly from Amazon, avoiding alternate sellers and especially used copies. It cost a little more but none of the alternate sellers stated specifically which version they offered (and probably don't know). Meanwhile Edward Knapp's 2002 review (below) points out some unigue things about the flawed CD that persuaded me not to get rid of it.





II. THAT'LL BE THE DAY



Decca/Nashville was a country label that signed Holly to cover the new rock and roll fad in 1956 -- presumably intending him as their resident "Elvis".



Legendary Nashville producer Owen Bradley (Loretta Lynn, etc.) summed up what happened: "Buddy didn't fit into our formula any more than we did into his ... it was like two people speaking different languages ... our musicians were fantastic at what they were doing but they just didn't know how to do what he was doing" [Goldrosen /Beecher, "Remembering Buddy"].



Decca dropped his contract after two failed singles. When Holly became a Brunswick/Coral star the following year, they belatedly issued this album off the shelf.



These tracks fall somewhere between country and rock but are unlike anything else Holly did. (On BUDDY HOLLY SHOWCASE, by comparison, songs are clearly within either traditional country or rock boundaries. Even the "Buddy & Bob" demos of HOLLY IN THE HILLS are recognizable early 1950s hillbilly country.) Yet Holly's great talent is obvious here, and he delivers a number of enduring performances. A special treat is seeing him work so far outside the trademark sound of his Brunswick /Coral glory days. This might not be the first or even second Holly CD you want to own, but is an important part of any Holly fan's collection.



This album is available separately with bonus tracks from these sessions [ASIN B00004DTPG], including an alternate take of `Ollie Vee' with Boots Randolph on sax.





III. REMEMBER BUDDY HOLLY (1971 - released in U.K. only)



This album can easily confuse new fans because its cover is an identical but reversed image of the 1963 cover for REMINISCING -- and it has a similar title.



These are totally different albums with no similarity in content.



Probably that great 1963 cover was reused because by 1971 royalty litigation forced REMINISCING to be withdrawn.



TRACKS:



(1) Six Fireballs Overdubs: That Makes It Tough/ Crying, Waiting, Hoping/ Peggy Sue Got Married/ Learning the Game/ That's What They Say/ What to Do.



These are Buddy Holly's last songs, which he wrote and recorded with acoustic guitar in his New York apartment shortly before his death. The Ampex recorder was the one on which `Peggy Sue' had been recorded at Petty's studio, and which he bought from Petty - so the sound quality is excellent.



These songs were first overdubbed by the Jack Hanson Orchestra in 1959 and released in the USA on THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, VOL II (1960), THE BEST OF BUDDY HOLLY (1966) and BUDDY HOLLY'S GREATEST HITS (1967) plus various singles. The Fireballs overdubs that appear here were probably made in 1962 or 1963 but never released by Coral/USA (pre-MCA) with one exception - Petty included `What To Do' on the original release of HOLLY IN THE HILLS (Jan 1965).



Jack Hanson's overdubs, once the standard versions on albums and singles, have pretty much disappeared. While I certainly don't miss them, this seems to have generated some confusion:



BUDDY HOLLY COLLECTION's booklet incorrectly states that these Fireballs overdubs were used on BEST OF BUDDY HOLLY (1966). Back in the '60s I owned all the pre-MCA Coral/Holly albums on vinyl. Except for 'What To Do,' I did not even know Fireballs overdubs of the acoustic tapes existed. I heard these tracks for the first time on an imported copy of REMEMBER in 1971.



BUDDY HOLLY - THE SINGLES+ uses the Fireballs tracks but its booklet gives their release dates as 1959 and 1960 -- in which case they should be by Jack Hanson. The booklet's chart of releases in Holland does show reissued singles there in 1963-65, which may have been Fireballs overdubs and justification for using those versions on the album. But 'Crying, Waiting, Hoping' is not among the 1963-65 reissues, suggesting at least that track on THE SINGLES+ is in error. And the booklet's list of SINGLES+ album contents gives only Jack Hanson Orchestra release dates.



Holly's haunting undubbed acoustic originals have never been released.



(2) `Maybe Baby': Clean, guileless, and confident -- a beautiful initial demo of the song made in Petty's studio. I think the flip of this acetate was an equally clean take of `Last Night' without backing vocals, which has been bootlegged but to this day never released.



(3) `Real Wild Child': Vocal by Crickets drummer Jerry "Ivan" Allison, backed by Holly doing some early surfer guitar on Stratocaster. Lots of fun.



(4) `Reminiscing': This was lightly overdubbed on the REMINISCING album, and appeared undubbed for the first time here.



(5) `Fools Paradise'/`Lonesome Tears' - flips of `Think It Over' and `It's So Easy'. This was their first appearance on album in the U.K. Their first album appearance in the US was "Holly in the Hills" (1965).



(6) `That's My Desire': Recorded with `Rave On' and intended as its flip side. `Desire' appeared on album for the first time here, lightly overdubbed by the Fireballs. The undubbed original is on FOR THE FIRST TIME ANYWHERE.



All the above tracks made their first U.K. album appearance here. REMEMBER is no longer unique it that way, but remains an enjoyable collection of performances you won't often find on "Greatest Hits" collections."