Search - Buddy Holly, Crickets :: That's What They Tell Me That's What They Say

9 UNEDITED INTERVIEWS WITH BUDDY HOLLY

Mark | Santa Monica, CA | 08/09/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have to give this 5 stars for delivering exactly what is promised -- nine complete and unedited interviews with Buddy Holly for a total running time of 25:21. Period. No junk or filler.



Here is Holly, sometimes with Crickets drummer and best friend Jerry Allison, engaging in a series of refreshingly natural conversations and lighthearted banter with various DJs from Canada to Australia. Interviews range in length from that familiar 40 seconds on the Ed Sullivan Show to an unhurried 7:26 with Freeman Hover at the Albany Hotel in Denver.



While no Barbara Walters or "60 Minutes" type probing insights will be found here, there are nonetheless some tantalizing moments....



During the Freeman Hover interview Buddy makes reference to Eddie Cochran, "sitting over there so contented like" just off mike. Cochran has a movie in the works and has promised to try to work in an appearance by the Crickets. So Holly laughs that, "We've been buddyin' up to him, gettin' in as good as we can."



Pat Barton in Australia asks, "Who's your favorite, Elvis Presley I would say?" "Yes, I guess he's one of them." "Have you seen him work at all?" "Yes, I used to know Elvis quite well before he got as popular as he is today." "What's the picture for rock and roll with Elvis in the Army? ... You don't think somebody else will step in his shoes like Jerry Lee Lewis or Buddy Holly?" "No, I don't think anybody will take his place."



When told that he looks like a jazz musician, Buddy surmises that probably his glasses make him resemble Brubeck. But adds "It's funny you should suggest that because we've more or less made it a point to not like jazz. It's kind of in conjunction with rock and roll in one way, and kind of against it in another."



Nonetheless, when Red Robinson in Canada asks him about the future of the new rock and roll fad, Holly is not optimistic: "I think it's going out quite a bit in the States." "How far?" "Deep ... It might pick back up but I rather doubt it."



Asked why The Crickets release of 'That'll Be The Day' beat out a cover by the Ravens, Buddy's reply is modest: "Usually it's not the record that's best that does it but the first one out. We wrote it so ours was the first one out."



The interviews are in chronological order with specific day, year, location and DJ listed for each. (Tracks 4 and 5 are reversed in error on the disk, but listed in correct chronology on the sleeve.)



There is no jewel case but the cardboard sleeve is attractively designed and informative. Says Roller Coaster Records there:



"Thanks to the many people who assisted with this release, especially J.I. Allison, Bernie Andrews, Bill Griggs, Larry Holley, George Nettleton, Marty Stuart, Val Warren and of course the interviewers and interviewees.



"We have done our best to present these recordings in listenable quality, but in some cases the original recordings were made on equipment that would be considered primitive today, and some defects may remain."



I had no problem with sound quality, though occasionally there is a rehearsal or other conversation in the background.



The honesty and sincerity of this product is appealing, as are the interviews it contains.













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