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Buddy Holly
Allmusic Biography : Buddy Holly is perhaps the most anomalous legend of 50s rock & roll -- he had his share of hits, and he achieved major rock & roll stardom, but his importance transcends any sales figures or even the particulars of any one song (or group of songs) that he wrote or recorded. Holly was unique, his legendary status and his impact on popular music all the more extraordinary for having been achieved in barely 18 months. Among his rivals, Bill Haley was there first and established rock & roll music; Elvis Presley objectified the sexuality implicit in the music, selling hundreds of millions of records in the process, and defined one aspect of the youth and charisma needed for stardom; and Chuck Berry defined the musics roots in blues along with some of the finer points of its sexuality and its youthful orientation (and, in the process, intermixed all of these elements). Hollys influence was just as far-reaching as these others, if far more subtle and more distinctly musical in nature. In a career lasting from the spring of 1957 until the winter of 1958-1959 -- less time than Elvis had at the top before the army took him (and less time, in fact, than Elvis spent in the army) -- Holly became the single most influential creative force in early rock & roll.

Born in Lubbock, Texas on September 7, 1936, Charles Hardin "Buddy" Holley (he later dropped the "e") was the youngest of four children. A natural musician from a musical family, he was proficient on guitar, banjo, and mandolin by age 15 and was working as part of a duo with his boyhood friend Bob Montgomery, with whom he had also started writing songs. By the mid-50s, Buddy & Bob, as they billed themselves, were playing what they called "western and bop"; Holly, in particular, was listening to a lot of blues and R&B; and finding it compatible with country music. He was among those young Southern men who heard and saw Elvis perform in the days when the latter was signed to Sam Phillips Sun Records; indeed, Buddy & Bob played as an opening act for Elvis when he played the area around Lubbock in early 1955, and Holly saw the future direction of his life and career.

By mid-1955, Buddy & Bob, who already worked with an upright bass (played by Larry Welborn), had added drummer Jerry Allison to their lineup. Theyd also cut some sides that would have qualified as rock & roll, though no label was interested at that particular time. Eventually, Montgomery, who leaned toward more of a traditional country sound, left the performing partnership, though they continued to compose songs together. Holly kept pushing his music toward a straight-ahead rock & roll sound, working with Allison, Welborn, and assorted other local musicians, including guitarist Sonny Curtis and bassist Don Guess. It was with the latter two that Holly cut his first official recording session in January of 1956 in Nashville for Decca Records. They found out, however, that there was a lot more to playing and cutting rock & roll than met the eye; the results of this and a follow-up session in July were alternately either a little too tame and a little too far to the country side of the mix, or too raw. Some good music and a pair of near classics, "Midnight Shift" and "Rock Around with Ollie Vee," did come out of those Decca sessions, but nothing issued at the time went anywhere. It looked as though Holly had missed his shot at stardom.

Fate intervened in the guise of Norman Petty, a musician-turned-producer based in Clovis, New Mexico, who had an ear for the new music and what made it sound good, especially over the radio, to the kids. Petty had a studio where he charged by the song instead of by the hour, and Holly and company had already begun working there in the late spring of 1956. After Deccas rejection, Holly and his band, which now included Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, threw themselves into what Petty regarded as the most promising songs they had, until they worked out a tight, tough version of one of the failed originals that Holly had cut in Nashville entitled "Thatll Be the Day." The title and lyrical phrase, lifted from a line that John Wayne was always quoting in the John Ford movie The Searchers, had staying power, and the group built on it. They got the song nailed and recorded, and with Pettys help, got it picked up by Murray Deutsch, a publishing associate of Pettys who, in turn, got it to Bob Thiele, an executive at Coral Records, who liked it. Ironically, Coral was a subsidiary of Decca, the same company to which Holly had previously been signed.

Thiele saw the record as a potential hit, but there were some major hurdles to overcome before it could actually get released. For starters, according to author Philip Norman in his book Rave On, Thiele would get only the most begrudging support from his record company. Decca had lucked out in 1954 when, at Milt Gablers urging, theyd signed Bill Haley & His Comets and subsequently saw his "Rock Around the Clock" top the charts, but very few of those in charge at Decca had a real feel or appreciation for rock & roll or any sense of where it might be heading, or whether the label could (or should) follow it there. For another, although he had been dropped by Decca the previous year, the contract that Holly signed prohibited him from re-recording anything that he had cut for Decca, regardless of whether it had been released or not, for five years; though Coral was a subsidiary of Decca, there was every chance that Deccas Nashville office could hold up the release and might even haul Holly into court. Amid all of these possibilities, good and bad, Welborn, who had played on "Thatll Be the Day," was replaced on bass by Joe B. Mauldin.

"Thatll Be the Day" was issued in May of 1957 mostly as an indulgence to Thiele, to "humor" him, according to Norman. The record was put out on the Brunswick label, which was oriented more toward jazz and R&B;, and credited to the Crickets, a group name picked as a dodge to prevent any of the powers-that-be at Decca -- and especially Deccas Nashville office -- from having too easy a time figuring out that the singer was the same artist that theyd dropped the year before. Petty also became the groups manager as well as their producer, signing the Crickets -- identified as Allison, Sullivan, and Mauldin -- to a contract. Holly wasnt listed as a member in the original document, in order to hide his involvement with "Thatll Be the Day," but this omission would later become the source of serious legal and financial problems for him.

When the smoke cleared, the song shot to the top spot on the national charts that summer. Of course, Decca knew Hollys identity by then; with Thieles persuasion and the reality of a serious hit in their midst, the company agreed to release Holly from the five-year restriction on his old contract, leaving him free to sign any recording contract he wanted. In the midst of sorting out the particulars of Hollys legal situation, Thiele discovered that he had someone on his hands who was potentially a good deal more than a one-hit wonder -- there were potentially more and different kinds of potential hits that could come from him. When all was said and done, Holly found himself with two recording contracts, one with Brunswick as a member of the Crickets and the other with Coral Records as Buddy Holly, which was part of Thieles strategy to get the most out of Hollys talent. By releasing two separate bodies of work, he could keep the group intact while giving room for its obvious leader and "star" to break out on his own.

There was actually little difference in the two sets of recordings for most of his career, in terms of how they were done or who played on them, except possibly that the harder, straight-ahead rock & roll songs, and the ones with backing vocals, tended to be credited to the Crickets. The confusion surrounding the Buddy Holly/Crickets dual identity was nothing, however, compared to the morass that constituted the songwriting credits on their work.

Its now clear that Petty, acting as their manager and producer, parceled out writing credits at random, gifting Niki Sullivan and Joe B. Mauldin (and himself) the co-authorship of "Im Gonna Love You Too," while initially leaving Hollys name off of "Peggy Sue." Petty usually added his name to the credit line as well, a common practice in the 50s for managers and producers who wanted a bigger piece of the action. In fairness, it should be said that Petty did make suggestions, some of them key, in shaping certain of Hollys songs, but he almost certainly didnt contribute to the extent that the shared credits would lead one to believe. Some of the publics confusion over songwriting was heightened by complications ensuing from another of the contracts that Holly had signed in 1956. Petty had his own publishing company, Nor Va Jak Music, and had a contract with Holly to publish all of his new songs; but the prior year, Holly had signed an exclusive contract with another company. Eventually a settlement and release from the old contract might be sorted out, but in order to reduce his profile as a songwriter until that happened, and to convince the other publisher that they werent losing too much in any settlement, he copyrighted many of his new songs under the pseudonym "Charles Hardin."

The dual recording contracts made it possible for Holly to record an extraordinary number of sides in the course of his 18 months of fame. Meanwhile, the group -- billed as Buddy Holly & the Crickets -- became one of the top attractions of rock & rolls classic years, putting on shows that were as exciting and well-played as any in the business. Holly was the frontman, singing lead and playing lead guitar -- itself an unusual combination -- as well as writing or co-writing many of their songs. But the Crickets were also a totally enveloping performing unit, generating a big and exciting sound (which, apart from some live recordings from their 1958 British tour, is lost to history). Allison was a very inventive drummer and contributed to the songwriting a bit more often than his colleagues, and Joe B. Mauldin and Niki Sullivan provided a solid rhythm section.

The fact that the group relied on originals for their singles made them unique and put them years ahead of their time. In 1957-1958, songwriting wasnt considered a skill essential to a career in rock & roll; the music business was still patterned along the lines that it had followed since the 20s, with songwriting a specialized profession organized on the publishing side of the industry, separate from performing and recording. Once in a while, a performer might write a song or, much more rarely, as in the case of a Duke Ellington, count composition among his key talents, but generally this was an activity left to the experts. Any rock & roller with the inclination to write songs would also have to get past the image of Elvis, who stood to become a millionaire at age 22 and never wrote songs (the few "Presley" songwriting credits were the result of business arrangements rather than any creative activity on his part).

Buddy Holly & the Crickets changed that in a serious way by hitting number one with a song that theyd written and then reaching the Top Ten with originals like "Oh, Boy" and "Peggy Sue," and regularly charging up the charts on the basis of their own songwriting. This attribute wasnt appreciated by the public at the time, and wouldnt be noticed widely until the 70s, but thousands of aspiring musicians, including John Lennon and Paul McCartney, took note of the fact, and some of them decided to try and emulate Holly.

Less obvious at the time, Holly and company also broke up the established record industry method of recording, which was to bring the artist into the labels own studio, working on a timetable dictated by corporate policy and union rules. If an artist were extremely successful -- à la Sinatra or Elvis, or later on, the Beatles -- they got a blank check in the studio and any union rules were smoothed over, but that was a rare privilege, available only to the most elite of musicians. Buddy Holly & the Crickets, by contrast, did their work, beginning with "Thatll Be the Day," in Clovis, New Mexico, at Pettys studio. They took their time, they experimented until they got the sound they wanted, no union told them when to stop or start their work, and they delivered great records; whats more, they were records that didnt sound like anyone elses, anywhere.

The results were particularly telling on the history of rock music. The group worked out a sound that gave shape to the next wave of rock & roll and, especially, to early British rock & roll and the subsequent British Invasion beat, with the lead and rhythm guitars closely interlocked to create a fuller, harder sound. On songs such as "Not Fade Away," "Everyday," "Listen to Me," "Oh Boy!," "Peggy Sue," "Maybe Baby," "Rave On," "Heartbeat," and "Its So Easy," Holly advanced rock & rolls range and sophistication without abandoning its fundamental joy and excitement. Holly and the band werent afraid to experiment even on their singles, so "Peggy Sue" made use of the kind of changes in volume and timbre on the guitar that were usually reserved for instrumental records; similarly, "Words of Love" was one of the earliest successful examples of double-tracked vocals in rock & roll, which the Beatles, in particular, would embrace in the ensuing decade.

Buddy Holly & the Crickets were very popular in America, but in England they were even bigger, their impact serious rivaling that of Elvis and, in some ways, even exceeding it. This was due, in part, to the fact that they actually toured England -- they spent a month there in 1958, playing a series of shows that were still being written about 30 years later -- which was something that Elvis never did. But it also had to do with their sound and Hollys stage persona. The groups heavy use of rhythm guitar slotted right in with the sound of skiffle music, a mix of blues, folk, country, and jazz elements that constituted most of British youths introduction to playing music and their way into rock & roll. Additionally, although he cut an exciting figure on-stage, Holly looked a lot less likely a rock & roll star than Elvis -- tall, lanky, and bespectacled, he looked like an ordinary guy who simply played and sang well, and part of his appeal as a rock & roll star was rooted in how unlikely he looked in that role. He provided inspiration -- and a way into the music -- for tens of thousands of British teenagers who also couldnt imagine themselves rivals to Elvis or Gene Vincent in the dark and dangerous department.

At least one star British guitarist of the late 50s, Hank Marvin of the Shadows, owed his look (and the fact that he wore his glasses proudly on-stage) to Holly, and his look was propagated into the 70s by Elvis Costello. Additionally, although he played several different kinds of guitar, Holly was specifically responsible for popularizing -- some would say elevating to mystical, even magical status -- the Fender Stratocaster, especially in England. For a lot of would-be rock & rollers on the Sceptered Isle, Hollys 1958 tour was the first chance theyd had to see or hear the instrument in action, and it quickly became the guitar of choice for anyone aspiring to stardom as an axeman in England. (Indeed, Marvin, inspired by Holly, later had what is reputed to be the first Stratocaster ever brought into England.)

The Crickets were reduced to a trio with the departure of Sullivan in late 1957, following the groups appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, but that was almost the least of the changes that would ensue over the following year. The group consolidated its success with the release of two LPs, The Chirping Crickets and Buddy Holly, and did two very successful international tours as well as more performing in the United States. Holly had already developed aspirations and interests that diverged somewhat from those of Allison and Mauldin. The thought apparently had never occurred to either of them of giving up Texas as their home, and they continued to base their lives there, while Holly was increasingly drawn to New York, not just as a place to do business, but also to live. His romance with and marriage to Maria Elena Santiago, a receptionist in Murray Deutschs office, only made the decision to move to New York easier.

By this time, Hollys music had grown in sophistication and complexity to the point where he had relinquished the lead guitar duties in the studio to session player Tommy Alsup, and he had done a number of recordings in New York utilizing session musicians such as King Curtis. It was during this period that his and the groups sales had slackened somewhat. Singles such as "Heartbeat" didnt sell nearly as well as the 45s of 1957 that had rolled out of stores. He might even have advanced further than a big chunk of the groups audience was prepared to accept in late 1958. "Well...All Right," for example, was years ahead of its time as a song and a recording.

Hollys split with the group -- and Petty -- in the fall of 1958 left him free to pursue some of those newer sounds, but it also left him short of cash resources. In the course of ending the association, it became clear to Holly and everyone else that Petty had manipulated the numbers and likely taken an enormous slice of the groups income for himself, though there was almost no way of proving this because he never seemed to finish his "accounting" of the money due to anyone, and his books were ultimately found to be in such disarray that when he came up with various low five-figure settlements to those involved, they were glad to get what they got.

With a new wife -- who was pregnant -- and no settlement coming in from Petty, Holly decided to earn some quick money by signing to play the Winter Dance Party package tour of the Midwest. It was on that tour that Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J.P. "Big Bopper" Richardson were killed in a plane crash on February 3, 1959.

The crash was considered a piece of grim but not terribly significant news at the time. Most news organizations, run by men whod come of age in the 30s or 40s, didnt take rock & roll very seriously, except to the degree that it could be exploited to sell newspapers or build viewing audiences. Hollys clean-cut image and scandal-free life, coupled with the news of his recent marriage, did give the story more poignancy than it otherwise might have had and probably found him treated more respectfully than would have been the case with other music stars of the period.

For teenagers of the era, it was the first public tragedy of its kind. No white rock & roller of any significance had ever died before, forget three of them, and the news was devastating. Radio station disc jockeys were also shaken -- for a lot of people involved in rock & roll music on any level, Hollys death may well have been the first time that they woke up the next day wishing and hoping that the previous days news had all been a dream.

The suddenness and the whole accidental nature of the event, coupled with the ages of Holly and Valens -- 22 and 17, respectively -- made it even harder to take. Hank Williams had died at 29, but with his drinking and drug use he had always seemed on the fast track to the grave by almost anyone who knew him and even to a lot of fans; Johnny Ace had died in 1954 backstage at a show, but that was also by his own hand, in a game of Russian roulette. The emotional resonances of this event was totally different in every way possible from those tragedies.

A few careers were actually launched in the wake of the tragedy. Bobby Vee leaped to stardom when he and his band took over Hollys spot on the tour. In America, however, something of a pall fell over rock & roll music -- its sound was muted by Hollys death and Elvis military service, and this darkness didnt fully lift for years. In England, the reaction was much more concentrated and pronounced -- Hollys final single, "It Doesnt Matter Anymore," rose to number one on the British charts in the wake of his death, and it seemed as though the new generation of English rock & rollers and their audiences wouldnt let Hollys music or spirit die. Two years after the event, producer Joe Meek and singer Mike Berry combined to make "Tribute to Buddy Holly," a memorial single that sounded like the man himself reborn and still brings smiles and chills to listeners who know it; it is said that Meek never entirely got over Hollys death, and he killed himself on the anniversary of Hollys death. On the less extreme front, players from Lennon, McCartney, and Keith Richards on down all found themselves influenced by Hollys music, songs, and playing. Groups like the Searchers -- taking their name from the same Wayne movie whence the phrase "thatll be the day" had been lifted -- sounded a lot like the Crickets and had a handful of his songs in their repertory when they cut their earliest sides, and it wasnt just the hits that they knew, but album cuts as well. Other bands, like a Manchester-spawned outfit fronted by Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, and Tony Hicks began a four-decade career by taking the name the Hollies.

Hollys record label continued to release posthumous albums of his work for years after his death, beginning with The Buddy Holly Story in early 1959, and they even repackaged the 1956 Decca sides several times over under various titles (the mid-70s British LP The Nashville Sessions is the best of the vinyl editions). The company also engaged Petty to take various Holly demos and early country-flavored sides done by Buddy & Bob and dub new instruments and backing voices, principally using a band called the Fireballs. Those releases, including the albums Reminiscing and Showcase, did moderately well in America, but in England they actually charted. New recordings of his music, including the Rolling Stones bone-shaking rendition of "Not Fade Away" -- taking it back to its Bo Diddley-inspired roots -- and the Beatles gorgeous rendition of "Words of Love" helped keep Hollys name alive with a new generation of listeners. In America, it was more of an uphill struggle to spread the word -- rock & roll, like most American popular culture, was always regarded as more easily disposable, and as a new generation of teenagers and new musical phenomena came along, the public did gradually forget. By the end of the 60s, except among older fans (then in their twenties) and hardcore oldies listeners, Holly was a largely forgotten figure in his own country.

The tide began to turn at the very tail-end of the 60s with the beginning of the oldies boom. Hollys music figured in it, of course, and as people listened they also heard about the man behind it -- even Rolling Stone magazine, then the arbiter of taste for the counterculture, went out of its way to remind people of who Holly was. His image constituted a haunting figure, frozen forever in poses from 1957 and 1958, bespectacled, wearing a jacket and smiling; he looked like (and was) a figure from another age. The nature of his death, in a plane crash, also set him apart from some of the then-recent deaths of contemporary rock stars such as Brian Jones, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Jim Morrison -- theyd all pushed life right to the edge until it broke, while Holly stood there eternally innocent both personally and in terms of the times in which hed lived.

Then, in 1971, a little-known singer/songwriter named Don McLean, who counted himself a Holly fan, rose to international stardom behind a song called "American Pie," whose narrative structure was hooked around "the day the music died." After disposing of the erroneous notion that he was referring to President Kennedy, McLean made it clear that he meant February 3, 1959, when Holly died. Coverage of "American Pie"s popularity and lyrics as it soared to the top of the charts inevitably led to mentions of Holly, who was suddenly getting more exposure in the national press than hed ever enjoyed in his lifetime.

His music has never disappeared -- even the Grateful Dead performed "Not Fade Away" in concert -- and now there was a song that seemed to give millions of people a series of personal and musical reference points into which to place the man. Until "American Pie," most Americans equated November 22, 1963, the day of President Kennedys murder, with the loss of national innocence and the opening of an era of shared grief. McLean pushed the reference point back to February 3, 1959 on a purely personal basis, and an astonishingly large number of listeners accepted it.

In 1975, McCartneys MPL Communications bought Hollys publishing catalog from a near-bankrupt Petty. To some, the sale was Pettys final act of theft -- having robbed Holly and his widow blind in settling the account of what was owed him as a performer, he was profiting one last time from his perfidy. The truth is that it was a godsend to Maria Elena Holly and the Holly family in Lubbock; amid the events of the years and decades that followed, MPL was able to sell and exploit those songs in ways that Petty never could have, and earn hundreds of thousands of dollars for them that Petty never would have. And with McCartney -- a Holly fan from the age of 15, and probably the most successful fan Holly ever had -- as publisher, they were paid every cent they had coming.

Amid the growing interest in Hollys music, the record industry was very slow to respond, at least in America. At the end of the 60s, there were exactly two Holly LPs available domestically, The Great Buddy Holly, consisting of the 1956 Decca sides, which hardly represented his best or most important work, and the even more dispensable Giant album, consisting of overdubbed demos and outtakes. British audiences had access to more and better parts of his catalog first, and a collection, 20 Golden Greats, actually topped the charts there in 1978, in conjunction with the release of the movie The Buddy Holly Story, starring Gary Busey in the title role. It was a romanticized and very simplified account of the mans life and career, and slighted the contributions of the other members of the Crickets -- and never even mentioned Petty -- but it got some of the essentials right and made Busey into a star and Holly into a household name.

In 1979, Holly became the first rock & roll star to be the subject of a career-spanning box set, ambitiously (and inaccurately) called The Complete Buddy Holly. Initially released in England and Germany, it later appeared in America, but it only seemed to whet hardcore fans appetites for more -- two or three Holly bootlegs were circulating in the early 80s, including one that offered a handful of songs from the groups 1958 British tour. In a rare bold move, mostly courtesy of producer Steve Hoffman, MCA Records issued For the First Time Anywhere in 1983, a selection of raw, undubbed masters of original Holly recordings that had previously only been available with extra instruments added on -- it was followed by From the Original Master Tapes, the first attempt to put together a Holly compilation with upgraded sound quality. Those titles and The Great Buddy Holly were the earliest of Hollys official CD releases, though they were soon followed by Buddy Holly and The Chirping Crickets. In 1986, the BBC aired The Real Buddy Holly Story, a documentary produced by McCartney as a counteractive to the Busey movie, which covered all of the areas ignored by the inaccuracies of the movie and responded to them.

Hollys catalog was interpreted for the stage in Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story, a pioneering jukebox musical which worked his familiar hits into a narrative. Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story debuted in the West End in 1989. It ran in one or another theater in the West End until 2008, during which time it also appeared on Broadway, as well as in Australia and Germany, not to mention touring companies in the U.K. and U.S.

Holly continued to be a presence in pop culture through the 90s, notably being name-checked in "Buddy Holly," a 1994 hit from the alternative rock band Weezer; the song became one of the standards of its era, and was played regularly well into the 21st century, helping keeping Hollys name alive. Hollys image also surfaced in Quentin Tarantinos 1994 film Pulp Fiction, which featured Steve Buscemi playing a waiter impersonating Holly.

In the U.K., compilations of Hollys old recordings charted three times in the 90s: Words of Love went to number one in 1993, The Very Best of Buddy Holly reached 24 in 1996, and the TV-advertised comp The Very Best of Buddy Holly & the Crickets peaked at 13 in 1999. Universal dug deeper into the Holly vaults in the 2000s, releasing Down the Line: Rarities in 2009, followed by the comprehensive six-disc box set Not Fade Away: The Complete Studio Recordings and More that same year.

Holly was the subject of dual tribute albums in 2011: Verve Forecasts Listen to Me: Buddy Holly, which featured Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, and Ringo Starr among 13 other artists, and Fantasy/Concords Rave on Buddy Holly, which contained tracks from Paul McCartney, Patti Smith, the Black Keys, and Nick Lowe, among others. (Pat DiNizio of the Smithereens released his own Holly tribute album in 2009.) Universal released True Love Ways, an album where original Holly recordings were overdubbed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, in time for the Christmas season of 2018; it debuted at 10 in the U.K. charts.
buddy_holly Album: 1 of 40
Title:  Buddy Holly
Released:  1958
Tracks:  12
Duration:  24:39

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1   I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
2   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
3   Look at Me  (02:07)
4   Listen to Me  (02:22)
5   Valley of Tears  (02:10)
6   Ready Teddy  (01:33)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues  (02:12)
9   Words of Love  (01:56)
10  You’re So Square (Baby, I Don’t Care)  (01:37)
11  Rave On  (01:50)
12  Little Baby  (01:54)
Buddy Holly : Allmusic album Review : When Buddy Holly & the Crickets broke through nationally in 1957, they were marketed by Decca Records as two different acts whose records were released on two different Decca subsidiaries -- Brunswick for Crickets records, Coral for Holly records. But there was no real musical distinction between the two, except perhaps that the "Crickets" sides had more prominent backup vocals. Nevertheless, coming three months after The "Chirping" Crickets, this was the debut album credited to Buddy Holly. It featured Hollys Top Ten single "Peggy Sue" plus several songs that have turned out to be standards: "Im Gonna Love You Too," "Listen to Me," "Everyday," "Words of Love," and "Rave On." The rest of the 12 tracks werent as distinctive, though Hollys takes on such rock & roll hits as "Ready Teddy" and "Youre So Square (Baby I Dont Care)" provide an interesting contrast with the more familiar versions by Elvis Presley. This was the final new album featuring Holly to be released during his lifetime. Every subsequent album was an archival or posthumous collection.
thatll_be_the_day Album: 2 of 40
Title:  That’ll Be the Day
Released:  1958
Tracks:  11
Duration:  25:51

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1   You Are My One Desire  (02:25)
2   Blue Days, Black Nights  (02:06)
3   Modern Don Juan  (02:41)
4   Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:14)
5   Ting‐A‐Ling  (02:43)
6   Girl on My Mind  (02:19)
7   That’ll Be the Day  (02:30)
8   Love Me  (02:08)
9   Changing All Those Changes  (02:14)
10  Don’t Come Back Knockin’  (02:16)
11  Midnight Shift  (02:10)
That’ll Be the Day : Allmusic album Review : The tendency of most critics is to dismiss this album, comprised as it is of the songs from Hollys 1956 Nashville sessions, which yielded a somewhat too tentative, country-oriented sound that suited neither him nor the public. In actual fact, at least ten of the 11 songs on this LP (the one exception being the ballad "Girl on My Mind") have aged almost as well as anything that Holly ever recorded. "Rock Around With Ollie Vee," "Blue Days, Black Nights," "Ting-A-Ling," "Im Changing All Those Changes," "Modern Don Juan," "Love Me," "Dont Come Back Knockin," and "Midnight Shift" are all decent, solid early rock & roll; he sounds too countrified by about half on much of the record, especially on the early version of "Thatll Be the Day," but these were not bad records, even if they werent going to break his talent out to a mass audience. Whats more, at least at the time of his first sessions in January of 1956, few white artists and even fewer producers at major labels had yet figured out what mix of country, R&B;, and blues worked on a rock & roll record. Given all of this, this is a better than decent album with one real gem ("Rock Around With Ollie Vee"), and if not for the fact that they mostly feature a completely different lineup of musicians and were also contractually separate from the rest of his eventual output for Coral/Brunswick/Decca, roughly half of the songs here could have been filtered into either of Hollys later official LPs without doing any violence to the newer material. Even the ballad "You Are My One Desire" -- though it doesnt really resemble much else that Holly ever did -- is given a hauntingly passionate performance. Thatll Be the Day isnt a revelatory piece of rock & roll history, but its a more substantial and enjoyable prelude to the main body of Hollys career than its usually given credit for being, extending his serious legacy backward a full album. [In 1967, Decca Records reissued Thatll Be the Day as The Great Buddy Holly, with a new cover and stripping off the song "Ting-A-Ling." In 1975, British MCA gathered together the 11 songs off of this album and an alternate take of "Rock Around With Ollie Vee" from a different session and released it as The Nashville Sessions.]
the_buddy_holly_story Album: 3 of 40
Title:  The Buddy Holly Story
Released:  1959
Tracks:  12
Duration:  26:36

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1   Raining in My Heart  (03:01)
2   Early in the Morning  (02:07)
3   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
4   Maybe Baby  (01:59)
5   Everyday  (02:09)
6   Rave On  (01:50)
7   Thatll Be the Day  (02:33)
8   Heartbeat  (02:09)
9   Think It Over  (01:44)
10  Oh Boy  (02:09)
11  Its So Easy  (02:11)
12  It Doesnt Matter Anymore  (02:13)
The Buddy Holly Story : Allmusic album Review : This 12-track compilation album was rushed out within weeks of Buddy Hollys death. It combines what previously had been credited as Crickets group-titles and Holly solo recordings, containing all eight of Holly and the Crickets Top 40 hits, 1957-1959: "Thatll Be The Day," "Peggy Sue," "Oh, Boy!," "Maybe Baby," "Rave On," "Think It Over," "Early In The Morning," and "It Doesnt Matter Anymore," plus the chart entries "Heartbeat" and "Raining In My Heart" and the classics "Everyday" and "Its So Easy." There was more great Holly, of course, but this was an excellent single-LP compilation.
the_buddy_holly_story_volume_ii Album: 4 of 40
Title:  The Buddy Holly Story, Volume II
Released:  1960-05-02
Tracks:  12
Duration:  25:46

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AlbumCover   
1   Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:50)
2   Well... All Right  (02:14)
3   What to Do  (01:57)
4   That Makes It Tough  (02:17)
5   Now Were One  (02:09)
6   Take Your Time  (01:58)
7   Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (01:51)
8   True Love Ways  (03:00)
9   Learning the Game  (01:34)
10  Little Baby  (01:55)
11  Moondreams  (02:51)
12  Thats What They Say  (02:10)
reminiscing Album: 5 of 40
Title:  Reminiscing
Released:  1963
Tracks:  11
Duration:  23:09

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1   Reminiscing  (01:58)
2   Slippin’ and Slidin’  (03:10)
3   Bo Diddley  (02:22)
4   Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie  (01:16)
5   Baby Won’t You Come Out Tonight  (01:56)
6   Brown‐Eyed Handsome Man  (02:04)
7   Because I Love You  (02:40)
8   It’s Not My Fault  (01:21)
9   I’m Gonna Set My Foot Down  (02:18)
10  Changin’ All Those Changes  (01:41)
11  Rock‐A‐Bye Rock  (02:23)
Reminiscing : Allmusic album Review : Even with Buddy Holly four years in the grave, there were "new" albums of his stuff coming out that were running circles around most of the competition, and Reminiscing was a prime example, a bluesy, hard-rocking, moody assembly of material gathered from across more than two years of Hollys history, from among some of his last finished tracks and demos going all the way back to 1956 and extending up as late as his home-recorded demos of January 1959. Apart from "Wait Til the Sun Shines, Nellie" -- which he may well have done as a sentimental favorite -- the main focus of the sound (overdubbed by the Fireballs under the guidance of producer Norman Petty) was rockabilly, sometimes of a very advanced kind. This expanded reissue, courtesy of MCAs British division, features not only excellent sound but is augmented with the presence of seven bonus tracks, including some of the 1956/1957 demos ("Bo Diddley," "Brown Eyed Handsome Man," "Slippin and Slidin") that formed the basic tracks for parts of the finished album, coupled with a handful of demos and acetates that were found in the early 80s and turned up originally on the For the First Time Anywhere album. The annotation by Colin Escott is as good as the sound -- and thats very good -- and this release continues the pattern of Hollys catalog generally being treated better in England than America.
showcase Album: 6 of 40
Title:  Showcase
Released:  1964
Tracks:  12
Duration:  23:41

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1   Shake, Rattle and Roll  (01:26)
2   Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:15)
3   Honky Tonk  (03:31)
4   I Guess I Was Just a Fool  (02:17)
5   Dearest  (01:54)
6   Youre the One  (01:34)
7   Blue Suede Shoes  (01:54)
8   Come Back Baby  (01:51)
9   Rip It Up  (01:30)
10  Loves Made Me a Fool of You  (02:02)
11  Gone  (01:10)
12  Girl on My Mind  (02:17)
Showcase : Allmusic album Review : The second of the posthumously overdubbed albums, Showcase presented a number of rock & roll cover songs performed by Buddy Holly, most of them recorded during his sessions in Nashville in 1956. It was not Holly at his best, though the performances were often spirited.
holly_in_the_hills Album: 7 of 40
Title:  Holly in the Hills
Released:  1965
Tracks:  12
Duration:  27:12

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1   I Wanna Play House With You  (02:25)
2   Door to My Heart  (02:25)
3   Baby Its Love  (01:53)
4   I Gambled My Heart  (02:45)
5   Memories  (02:16)
6   Wishing  (02:05)
7   Down the Line  (02:06)
8   Soft Place in My Heart  (02:17)
9   Queen of the Ballroom  (02:23)
10  Gotta Get You Near Me Blues  (01:55)
11  Flower of My Heart  (02:37)
12  You and I Are Through  (02:05)
Holly in the Hills : Allmusic album Review : On its face, Holly in the Hills was seemingly one of the more artistically dubious Buddy Holly albums to appear posthumously. Built around Hollys pre-Crickets recordings circa 1955, as part of the duo of Buddy & Bob, the familiar Holly voice is present and easy to appreciate, though hes sharing the spotlight with Bob Montgomery and doing a repertory thats steeped thoroughly in country music, complete with fiddle accompaniment ("Baby Its Love," "I Gambled My Heart"). Holly was beginning to discover rock & roll and work out a sound of his own, as demonstrated by some of the cuts here, but he was still a country artist and doing a lot of ballads in that idiom as well. Apart from "I Wanna Play House With You," "Wishing," and "Down the Line" -- and as it happens, those three are killer tracks, worth the price of the album -- little here resembles the sound that Holly subsequently became known for. All of it, however, is fine music, occupying a place in Hollys career to what the Everly Brothers early Columbia sides represent in their history (though it is far more sophisticated than the Everlys sides). The presence of the Fireballs, a band managed and produced by producer Norman Petty, on several of the tracks, does bring the material up to a modern standard (circa 1965), and its easy to see why this record sold well, especially in England, where it rode the charts for six weeks and just missed the Top Ten. Holly in the Hills does represent a formative and legitimate component of Hollys music, which is perfectly valid, and he does amazingly well in tandem with Montgomery on numbers like "Queen of the Ballroom" and "Soft Place in My Heart" -- had rock & roll not come along, it would be easy to see these Buddy & Bob sides having opened a career in country music for the two of them that could easily have carried them into the 1960s before a very different audience from the one Holly actually ended up finding.
buddy_hollys_greatest_hits Album: 8 of 40
Title:  Buddy Hollys Greatest Hits
Released:  1967
Tracks:  12
Duration:  00:00

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1   Peggy Sue  (?)
2   Thatll Be the Day  (?)
3   Listen to Me  (?)
4   Everyday  (?)
5   Oh, Boy  (?)
6   Not Fade Away  (?)
7   Maybe Baby  (?)
8   Rave On  (?)
9   Think It Over  (?)
10  Its So Easy  (?)
11  It Doesnt Matter Any More  (?)
12  True Love Ways  (?)
Buddy Holly's Greatest Hits : Allmusic album Review : A 14-track, CD-only release of Buddy Hollys major hits.
giant Album: 9 of 40
Title:  Giant
Released:  1969
Tracks:  10
Duration:  19:40

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1   Love Is Strange  (01:43)
2   Good Rockin Tonight  (01:59)
3   Blue Monday  (02:00)
4   Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)  (01:28)
5   Slippin and Slidin  (03:10)
6   Youre the One  (01:32)
7   Dearest  (01:54)
8   Smokey Joes Cafe  (02:12)
9   Aint Got No Home  (02:01)
10  Holly Hop  (01:41)
Giant : Allmusic album Review : Giant marked the tail end of the pre-revival Buddy Holly posthumous LPs -- that is, it was the last album issued before the general public began developing a special awareness of Buddy Holly and his music. Its also a very frustrating album and the release that divides more of his fans than any other record associated with him; on the one hand, its described by many critics as little better than a bootleg and an example of grave-robbing in progress, as it consists of demos and song fragments heavily redubbed and re-edited into complete songs by Norman Petty; to make matters worse, none of the sides here except for the instrumental "Holly Hop" are originals -- everything else is a cover of songs written by or associated with Fats Domino, Little Richard, and the like. On the other hand, Giant is a fun album, if not quite a good one; its nowhere near as important as any of Hollys official releases in his lifetime or as edifying as his sides as part of Buddy & Bob (released on Holly in the Hills), some of the overdubbing is a good distance away from what we can figure Holly would have allowed or done himself, and none of it would or could rate a place on a best-of Buddy Holly, but its still difficult to complain about most of this album, based on it as a listening experience; while not defending the specific choices made, nor the process or the practice behind it, can anyone imagine ten outtakes or song fragments from Bill Haley or Chuck Berry from the same era coming out this well? Or ten fragmentary, mostly unfinished songs by the Beatles showing up this way and sounding so good (then again, listeners did get that around the same time -- its called Let It Be)? The renditions (one hesitates to call them Hollys renditions) of "Aint Got No Home," "Good Rockin Tonight," "Love Is Strange," "Slippin and Slidin," "Blue Monday," and "(Ummm. Oh Yeah) Dearest" make this album worth hearing, even for purists.
portrait_in_music Album: 10 of 40
Title:  Portrait in Music
Released:  1971
Tracks:  24
Duration:  50:13

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1   Rave On  (01:53)
2   Wishing  (02:06)
3   Tell Me How  (02:04)
4   Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:09)
5   Slippin and Slidin  (02:37)
6   Oh Boy!  (02:08)
7   Bo Diddley  (02:19)
8   What to Do  (02:02)
9   Heartbeat  (02:12)
10  Baby Wont You Come Out Tonight?  (01:52)
11  Words of Love  (01:57)
12  Loves Made a Fool of You  (01:57)
1   Reminiscing  (02:00)
2   Lonesome Tears  (01:53)
3   Listen to Me  (02:25)
4   Maybe Baby  (02:08)
5   Down the Line  (02:08)
6   Thatll Be the Day  (02:29)
7   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
8   Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:08)
9   Youre So Square  (01:41)
10  Its Not My Fault  (01:56)
11  Ready Teddy  (01:34)
12  It Doesnt Matter Anymore  (02:04)
portrait_in_music_volume_2 Album: 11 of 40
Title:  Portrait in Music, Volume 2
Released:  1971
Tracks:  24
Duration:  52:42

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AlbumCover   
1   Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:10)
2   Rock Me My Baby  (01:50)
3   Take Your Time  (01:55)
4   Mailman, Bring Me More Blues  (02:10)
5   Im Gonna Love You Too  (02:12)
6   Little Baby  (01:54)
7   Send Me Some Lovin  (02:32)
8   Im Looking for Somone to Love  (01:55)
9   Moondreams  (02:37)
10  Last Night  (01:53)
11  Raining in My Heart  (02:46)
12  Ting-A-Ling  (02:39)
1   Valley of Tears  (02:07)
2   Youve Got Love  (02:04)
3   Well... All Right  (02:13)
4   Look at Me  (02:05)
5   Its Too Late  (02:21)
6   Now Were One  (02:05)
7   Queen of the Ballroom  (02:20)
8   Its So Easy  (02:10)
9   Not Fade Away  (02:20)
10  Thats What They Say  (02:11)
11  Thats Makes It Tough  (02:23)
12  Baby Its Love  (01:50)
the_complete_buddy_holly_story Album: 12 of 40
Title:  The Complete Buddy Holly Story
Released:  1973
Tracks:  108
Duration:  3:50:46

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AlbumCover   
1   Tribute to Buddy Holly  (02:56)
2   I Wanna Play House With You  (02:20)
3   Door to My Heart  (02:20)
4   Baby Its Love  (01:50)
5   I Calmed My Heart  (02:40)
6   Memories  (02:13)
7   Down the Line  (02:01)
8   Soft Place in My Heart  (02:12)
9   Queen of the Ballroom  (02:19)
10  Gotta Get Near Your Blues  (01:52)
11  Flower of My Heart  (02:32)
12  You and I Are Through  (02:04)
1   You Are My One Desire  (02:22)
2   Blue Days and Black Nights  (02:03)
3   Modern Don Juan  (02:39)
4   Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:12)
5   Ting A Ling  (02:39)
6   Girl on My Mind  (02:17)
7   Thatll Be the Day  (02:26)
8   Love Me  (02:05)
9   Dont Come Back Knockin  (02:12)
10  Midnight Shift  (02:11)
11  Gone  (01:10)
1   Shake, Rattle and Roll  (01:22)
2   Honk Tonk  (03:26)
3   Blue Suede Shoes  (01:54)
4   Rip It Up  (01:25)
5   Loves Made a Fool of You  (01:59)
6   Someone, Someone  (02:46)
7   Oh, Boy!  (02:08)
8   Not Fade Away  (03:26)
9   Interview With Buddy Holly  (00:42)
10  Youve Got Love  (02:04)
11  Maybe Baby  (02:02)
12  It’s Too Late  (02:23)
1   Tell Me How  (02:55)
2   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
3   Im Looking for Someone to Love  (01:55)
4   An Empty Cup (and a Broken Date)  (02:10)
5   Send Me Some Lovin  (02:32)
6   Last Night  (01:55)
7   Rock Me Baby  (01:50)
8   Think It Over  (01:43)
9   Interview With Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Part 1  (02:10)
10  Its So Easy  (02:01)
11  Interview With Buddy Holly and the Crickets, Part 2  (00:50)
12  Fools Paradise  (02:30)
13  Lonesome Tears  (01:46)
1   Oh, You Beautiful Doll  (01:18)
2   Real Wild Child  (02:18)
3   I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
4   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
5   Look at Me  (02:07)
6   Interview With Buddy Holly  (01:35)
7   Listen to Me  (02:22)
8   Valley of Tears  (02:08)
9   Ready Teady  (01:30)
10  Everyday  (02:09)
11  Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues  (02:12)
12  Words of Love  (02:54)
1   Youre So Square (Baby I Dont Care)  (01:33)
2   Rave On  (01:50)
3   Little Baby  (01:54)
4   Heartbeat  (02:07)
5   Well All Right  (02:13)
6   Take Your Time  (01:55)
7   Wishing  (02:00)
8   Loves Made a Fool of You  (01:57)
9   Dearest  (01:54)
10  Youre the One  (01:29)
11  Come Back Baby  (01:45)
12  Reminiscing  (01:54)
1   It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
2   Raining in My Heart  (02:46)
3   Early in the Morning  (02:07)
4   True Love Ways  (02:47)
5   Moondreams  (02:37)
6   Now Were One  (02:05)
7   Learning the Game  (02:10)
8   Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:10)
9   Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:05)
10  What to Do  (01:52)
11  That Makes It Tough  (02:23)
12  Thats What They Say  (02:11)
1   Slippin and Slidin  (03:29)
2   Bo Diddley  (02:14)
3   With Till the Sun Shines Nellie  (01:52)
4   Brown-Eyed Handsome Man  (02:02)
5   I Guess I Was Just a Fool  (02:12)
6   Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:48)
7   Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:03)
8   Learning the Game  (02:01)
9   What to Do  (01:52)
10  That Makes It Tough  (02:25)
11  Thats What They Say  (02:15)
12  Maybe Baby  (01:53)
1   Thats My Desire  (02:25)
2   Slipin and Slidin  (02:31)
3   Love Is Strange  (03:04)
4   Good Rockin Tonight  (01:59)
5   Blue Monday  (02:00)
6   Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)  (01:25)
7   Youre the One  (02:01)
8   Dearest  (01:54)
9   Smokey Joes Café  (02:12)
10  Aint Got No Home  (02:01)
11  Holly Hop  (01:41)
12  A Message From Mr. and Mrs. Holley  (01:24)
a_rock_roll_collection Album: 13 of 40
Title:  A Rock & Roll Collection
Released:  1977
Tracks:  24
Duration:  48:52

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AlbumCover   
1   Rave On  (01:45)
2   Tell Me How  (01:56)
3   Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:47)
4   Slippin’ and Slidin’  (02:30)
5   Oh Boy!  (02:07)
6   Not Fade Away  (02:19)
7   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
8   Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
9   You’re So Square  (01:34)
10  Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:10)
11  Ready Teddy  (01:29)
12  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:01)
1   Bo Diddley  (02:19)
2   What to Do  (01:52)
3   Heartbeat  (02:07)
4   Well All Right  (02:12)
5   Words of Love  (01:53)
6   Love’s Made a Fool of You  (02:00)
7   Reminiscing  (01:55)
8   Lonesome Tears  (01:46)
9   Listen to Me  (02:19)
10  Maybe Baby  (02:00)
11  Down the Line  (02:01)
12  That’ll Be the Day  (02:14)
20_golden_greats Album: 14 of 40
Title:  20 Golden Greats
Released:  1978
Tracks:  20
Duration:  44:44

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1   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
2   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
3   Words of Love  (01:56)
4   Everyday  (02:09)
5   Not Fade Away  (02:23)
6   Oh Boy  (02:10)
7   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
8   Listen to Me  (02:22)
9   Heartbeat  (02:10)
10  Think It Over  (01:48)
11  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
12  It’s So Easy  (02:11)
13  Well… All Right  (02:14)
14  Rave On  (01:50)
15  Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
16  True Love Ways  (03:04)
17  Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:08)
18  Bo Diddley  (02:22)
19  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
20  Wishing  (02:02)
20 Golden Greats : Allmusic album Review : This early Buddy Holly hits collection will please vinyl fans in search of the bespeckled ones late-50s hits. Including perennials like "Thatll Be the Day," "Oh Boy," "Its So Easy," and "Peggy Sue," the album also features fine covers of "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" and "Bo Diddley," not to mention lushly orchestrated stunners such as "Raining in My Heart," "True Love Ways," and the Paul Anka-penned "It Doesnt Matter Anymore." Along the way, one hears hefty premonitions of the Beatles pre-1965 sound, one of the first self-contained rock bands in fine form, and some of most lyrical and substantial songs from the musics golden beginnings. Hollys sound was more country than R&B, and as such also prefigured the folk-pop of both the British Invasion and the West Coast sound of the 60s. A perfect introduction for those trolling the discount bins.
the_complete_buddy_holly Album: 15 of 40
Title:  The Complete Buddy Holly
Released:  1979
Tracks:  122
Duration:  4:21:02

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1   Gotta Get You Near Me Blues  (01:53)
2   Soft Place in My Heart  (02:12)
3   Door to My Heart  (02:20)
4   Flower of My Heart  (02:32)
5   Baby Its Love  (01:48)
6   Memories  (02:12)
7   Queen of the Ballroom  (02:19)
8   I Gambled My Heart  (02:39)
9   You and I Are Through  (02:03)
10  Gone  (01:10)
11  Have You Ever Been Lonely  (01:25)
12  Down the Line  (02:00)
13  Brown-Eyed Handsome Man  (02:02)
14  Bo Diddley  (02:18)
15  Good Rockin Tonight  (01:58)
16  Rip It Up  (01:24)
17  Blue Monday  (01:59)
18  Honky Tonk  (03:25)
19  Blue Suede Shoes  (01:50)
20  Shake, Rattle & Roll  (01:20)
21  Aint Got No Home  (02:01)
22  Holly Hop  (01:40)
23  Baby Lets Play House  (02:21)
1   Im Gonna Set My Foot Down  (02:18)
2   Baby Wont You Come Out Tonight  (01:51)
3   Changing All Those Changes  (01:39)
4   Rock-a-Bye Rock  (02:21)
5   Its Not My Fault  (01:48)
6   I Guess I Was Just a Fool  (02:12)
7   Love Me  (02:06)
8   Dont Come Back Knockin  (02:12)
9   Midnight Shift  (02:08)
10  Blue Days - Black Nights  (02:01)
11  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:12)
12  Im Changing All Those Changes  (02:09)
13  Thatll Be the Day  (02:26)
14  Girl on My Mind  (02:14)
15  Ting-a-Ling  (02:39)
16  Because I Love You  (02:38)
17  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:15)
18  Modern Don Juan  (02:37)
19  You Are My One Desire  (02:20)
1   Thatll Be the Day  (02:16)
2   Im Lookin for Someone to Love  (01:54)
3   Last Night  (01:51)
4   Maybe Baby  (01:52)
5   Words of Love  (01:52)
6   Peggy Sue  (02:27)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Mailman Bring Me No More Blues  (02:10)
9   Listen to Me  (02:18)
10  I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
11  Not Fade Away  (02:16)
12  Ready Teddy  (01:30)
13  Oh, Boy!  (02:05)
14  Tell Me How  (01:57)
15  Maybe Baby  (02:00)
16  Send Me Some Lovin  (02:32)
17  Little Baby  (01:51)
18  Take Your Time  (01:55)
19  Rave On  (01:46)
20  Youve Got Love  (02:04)
21  Valley of Tears  (02:05)
22  Rock Me My Baby  (01:48)
1   Youre So Square (Baby I Dont Care)  (01:36)
2   Its Too Late  (02:21)
3   An Empty Cup (And a Broken Date)  (02:10)
4   Look at Me  (02:04)
5   Think It Over  (01:43)
6   Fools Paradise  (02:27)
7   Early in the Morning  (02:05)
8   Now Were One  (02:03)
9   Lonesome Tears  (01:45)
10  Heartbeat  (02:07)
11  Its So Easy  (02:07)
12  Well, All Right  (02:14)
13  Loves Made a Fool of You  (01:56)
14  Wishing  (02:00)
15  Reminiscing  (01:57)
16  Come Back Baby  (01:45)
17  Thats My Desire  (02:22)
18  True Love Ways  (02:45)
19  Moondreams  (02:38)
20  Raining in My Heart  (02:45)
21  It Doesnt Matter Anymore  (02:00)
1   Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:04)
2   Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:10)
3   Learning the Game  (02:09)
4   That Makes It Tough  (02:36)
5   What to Do  (01:52)
6   Thats What They Say  (02:08)
7   Wait til the Sun Shines Nellie  (01:51)
8   Umm Oh Yeah (Dearest)  (01:50)
9   Smokey Joes Cafe  (02:11)
10  Slippin & Slidin  (02:30)
11  Love Is Strange  (03:04)
12  Slippin & Slidin  (03:35)
13  Learning the Game  (01:59)
14  Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:01)
15  What to Do  (01:50)
16  That Makes It Tough  (02:15)
17  Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:48)
18  Thats What They Say  (02:14)
19  Dearest  (01:50)
20  Youre the One  (02:00)
1   Slippin & Slidin  (03:33)
2   Dearest  (01:50)
3   Love Is Strange  (01:40)
4   Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:48)
5   That Makes It Tough  (02:16)
6   Learning the Game  (01:33)
7   Youre the One  (01:29)
8   Real Wild Child  (02:19)
9   Oh, You Beautiful Doll  (01:17)
10  Jole Blon  (01:56)
11  When Sin Stops Love Begins  (02:08)
12  Stay Close to Me  (01:47)
13  Dont Cha Know  (01:49)
14  Interview  (01:35)
15  Thatll Be the Day / Peggy Sue / Interview with Ed Sullivan  (04:21)
16  Interview with Alan Freed  (01:54)
17  Interview with Dick Clark / Its So Easy  (05:10)
The Complete Buddy Holly : Allmusic album Review : In the wake of the number one British ranking for 20 Golden Greats in 1978 and the release of the feature film The Buddy Holly Story, MCA U.K. assembled this six-LP box set. It traces Buddy Hollys career from his country & western duo with Bob Montgomery in 1954 and 1955 to his 1956 Nashville sessions for Decca; the Clovis, New Mexico, recordings with the Crickets and producer Norman Petty that launched his career in 1957; the New York sessions of 1958; the final 1958 demo recordings; the various posthumously overdubbed versions of the demos, and other assorted rarities. In other words, The "Chirping" Crickets, Buddy Holly, Thatll Be the Day, Reminiscing, Showcase, Holly in the Hills, and Giant (between 1957 and 1969, and not counting the many compilations) are here, plus more. The box also contains an extensive scrapbook, lots of liner notes, and a detailed discography. It was, thus, the state of the art in box sets, and given Hollys importance in the history of rock & roll, an essential album for any serious collector. If you needed one record album to demonstrate what the most popular music of the second half of the 20th century sounded like, this would be it.
for_the_first_time_anywhere Album: 16 of 40
Title:  For the First Time Anywhere
Released:  1983
Tracks:  10
Duration:  21:18

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1   Rock-a-Bye Rock  (02:23)
2   Maybe Baby  (01:58)
3   Because I Love You  (02:40)
4   I’m Gonna Set My Foot Down  (02:18)
5   Changing All Those Changes  (01:42)
6   That’s My Desire  (02:26)
7   Baby Won’t You Come Out Tonight  (01:58)
8   It’s Not My Fault  (01:21)
9   Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
10  Bo Diddley  (02:22)
For the First Time Anywhere : Allmusic album Review : When this album was originally released in 1983, it was a major revelation in collectors circles. Here were the original, undubbed versions of eight songs that had appeared on posthumous Holly albums like Reminiscing, Showcase, and others with overdubbed backing provided by the Fireballs and producer Norman Petty, along with two rarities to pad things out. And hearing the stripped-down Holly minus the audio cover-ups and beef-ups revealed strong (and sometimes superior) efforts all by themselves without the assistance. With future Cricket Jerry Allison on drums, a set of revolving bass players, and Sonny Curtis handling lead guitar chores on three tracks, Holly blasts through some bona fide Texas rockabilly here. Four of the eight tracks come from Buddys pen, and these early efforts ("Rock-a-Bye Rock," "Because I Love You," "Changing All Those Changes," and "Im Gonna Set My Foot Down") are sign pointers toward his later, more commercial style; in this case listeners get stripped-down, elemental pop tunes disguised as rockabilly ravers and country ballads. The collection is bookended with two more tracks, the original studio swipe of "Maybe Baby" and "Thats My Desire," a ballad from the 1958 New York session that produced "Rave On." Although the overdubbing done to Hollys music made sense from a commercial standpoint at the time, this collection only whets your appetite to hear more of the real thing.
collection Album: 17 of 40
Title:  Collection
Released:  1984
Tracks:  14
Duration:  30:11

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1   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
2   Thatll Be the Day  (02:17)
3   Ready Teddy  (01:31)
4   Rave On  (01:49)
5   Ting-A-Ling  (02:40)
6   Early in the Morning  (02:08)
7   Its So Easy  (02:11)
8   Oh Boy  (02:08)
9   Heartbeat  (02:09)
10  Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:50)
11  Everyday  (02:09)
12  True Love Ways  (02:48)
13  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
14  Reminiscing  (01:55)
Collection : Allmusic album Review : This rather random assortment of Buddy Holly sides features some that are well-known ("Peggy Sue," "Words of Love"), and others that are a good deal more obscure, including the very country-sounding "Blue Days, Black Nights," which Holly recorded in 1956 in the early phase of his Decca contract when all concerned were trying to figure out what to do with this guy. Decca never really did figure it out, but Holly did, and he ended up being arguably the most interesting and unique of the early stars of rock & roll. Other highlights collected here include "Not Fade Away," "Thatll Be the Day," and "Maybe Baby," among others. Its not everything, by any means, and nothing distinguishes this set from dozens on the market just like it, but Hollys brief recording career, which really only lasted a couple years, was built on quality songs, and therefore any anthology of his material will be more than listenable.
from_the_original_master_tapes Album: 18 of 40
Title:  From the Original Master Tapes
Released:  1985
Tracks:  20
Duration:  43:53

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   That’ll Be the Day  (02:19)
2   Oh, Boy!  (02:12)
3   Not Fade Away  (02:23)
4   Tell Me How  (02:03)
5   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
6   Everyday  (02:09)
7   Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:14)
8   It’s So Easy  (02:11)
9   I’m Lookin’ for Someone to Love  (02:00)
10  Peggy Sue  (02:31)
11  I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
12  Words of Love  (01:56)
13  Rave On  (01:50)
14  Well… All Right  (02:14)
15  Listen to Me  (02:25)
16  Think It Over  (01:48)
17  Heartbeat  (02:10)
18  Reminiscing  (02:00)
19  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
20  True Love Ways  (03:01)
From the Original Master Tapes : Allmusic album Review : MCA got serious about reissuing vintage music from its library in the 1980s, when it put the responsibility in the hands of producer Steve Hoffman, who was willing to spend the time and do the research required to find the right masters and also to propose doing right by them. One of the first results was For the First Time Anywhere, which unearthed a lot of previously unheard undubbed Holly demos, and Hoffman followed it up two years later with From the Original Master Tapes, the first Buddy Holly collection that was a revelation for its sound quality. Although it has been outdone in that department since, what with the advancement of digital technology and its uses, and there are compilations that take into account songs of his that became important in others hands, this remains the best single-disc collection of Buddy Hollys music, featuring 20 of his biggest hits. The songs arent presented in chronological order, but the disc flows well, running through every one of his hits and all of his best-known songs -- "Thatll Be the Day," "Peggy Sue," "Oh, Boy!," "Maybe Baby," "Rave On," "Think It Over," "Heartbeat," "It Doesnt Matter Anymore," "Everyday," "Not Fade Away," "Well ... All Right," and many others. A few terrific songs are missing, but From the Original Master Tapes remains a first-rate introduction and a nearly definitive summary of the highlights of Hollys brief recording career.
something_special_from_buddy_holly Album: 19 of 40
Title:  Something Special From Buddy Holly
Released:  1986
Tracks:  15
Duration:  25:27

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1   Good Rockin Tonight  (01:55)
2   Rip It Up  (01:28)
3   Blue Monday  (01:57)
4   Honky Tonk  (03:28)
5   Blue Suede Shoes  (01:54)
6   Shake Rattle and Roll  (01:35)
7   Aint Got No Home  (02:01)
8   Holly Hop  (01:36)
9   Brown-Eyed Handsome Man  (02:09)
10  Bo Diddley  (02:16)
11  Gone (take 1)  (01:04)
12  Gone (take 2)  (01:14)
13  Have You Ever Been Lonely (take 1)  (01:25)
14  Have You Ever Been Lonely (take 2)  (00:31)
15  Have You Ever Been Lonely (take 3)  (00:54)
Something Special From Buddy Holly : Allmusic album Review : An import of more undubbed material from 1956.
more_hits_of_buddy_holly Album: 20 of 40
Title:  More Hits of Buddy Holly
Released:  1987
Tracks:  16
Duration:  33:59

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   True Love Ways  (02:52)
2   Listen to Me  (02:22)
3   Words of Love  (01:56)
4   Look at Me  (02:07)
5   It Doesnt Matter Anymore  (02:05)
6   Tell Me How  (02:01)
7   Take Your Time  (01:58)
8   Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues  (02:12)
9   Little Baby  (01:54)
10  An Empty Cup  (02:13)
11  Youve Got Love  (02:07)
12  Reminiscing  (01:59)
13  Think It Over  (01:46)
14  Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:12)
15  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:14)
16  Im Looking for Someone to Love  (01:55)
the_wonderful_world_of_buddy_holly_24_golden_hits Album: 21 of 40
Title:  The Wonderful World of Buddy Holly: 24 Golden Hits
Released:  1988
Tracks:  24
Duration:  52:36

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AlbumCover   
1   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
2   Rave On  (01:50)
3   Early in the Morning  (02:07)
4   Heartbeat  (02:10)
5   It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
6   Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
7   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
8   Oh, Boy  (02:08)
9   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
10  Think It Over  (01:48)
11  Not Fade Away  (02:23)
12  Listen to Me  (02:22)
13  Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:04)
14  True Love Ways  (03:01)
15  Tell Me How  (02:01)
16  Reminiscing  (02:00)
17  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:14)
18  It’s So Easy  (02:11)
19  What to Do  (01:51)
20  Well… All Right  (02:14)
21  Words of Love  (01:56)
22  Im Gonna Love You Too  (02:15)
23  Love’s Made a Fool of You  (02:01)
24  Everyday  (02:09)
rock_n_roll_white_jerry_lee_lewis_gene_vincent_buddy_holly Album: 22 of 40
Title:  Rock n Roll "White": Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Buddy Holly
Released:  1989
Tracks:  92
Duration:  3:30:23

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AlbumCover   
1   Great Balls of Fire  (01:51)
2   Jambalaya  (01:59)
3   Release Me  (02:09)
4   Whatd I Say  (02:26)
5   Itll Be Me  (02:14)
6   Good Rockin Tonight  (02:43)
7   Be Bop-A-Lula  (02:27)
8   Good Golly Miss Molly  (02:19)
9   Invitation to Your Party  (01:55)
10  Lewis Boogie  (02:00)
11  Hello Josephine  (01:41)
12  Big Blon Baby  (01:41)
13  Whole Lotta Shakin Goin On  (02:53)
14  Sweet Little Sixteen  (02:55)
15  Ill Make It All Up to You  (03:05)
16  Put Me Down  (02:09)
17  Matchbox  (01:42)
18  Drinkin’ Wine Spo‐Dee‐O‐Dee  (02:35)
19  Crazy Arms  (02:43)
20  High School Confidential  (02:29)
21  One Minute Past Eternity  (02:03)
22  Frankie and Johnny  (02:33)
23  Breathless  (02:43)
24  Ubangi Stomp  (01:47)
25  Night Train to Memphis  (02:10)
26  Whole Lot of Twistin  (03:19)
27  Break Up  (02:39)
28  Johnny B. Goode  (02:41)
29  Save the Last Dance for Me  (01:51)
30  Pumping Piano Rock  (02:04)
31  You Win Again  (02:55)
32  When the Saints Go Marching In  (02:09)
1   Be-Bop-A-Lula  (02:37)
2   Woman Love  (02:33)
3   Race With Thó Devil  (02:05)
4   Wear My Ring  (02:36)
5   Lotta Lovin  (02:10)
6   I Sure Miss You  (02:41)
7   Dance to the Bop  (02:17)
8   Baby Blue  (02:29)
9   Gonna Back Up Baby  (02:27)
10  Walkin Home From School  (02:38)
11  I Got It  (02:09)
12  Your Cheatin Heart  (02:11)
13  Crazy Legs  (02:08)
14  Peg O My Heart  (02:39)
15  B-I-Bickey-Bi-Bo-Bo-Go  (02:17)
16  Jumps, Jiggles and Shouts  (02:51)
17  Unchained Melody  (02:39)
18  Cruisin  (02:14)
19  Rollin Danny  (02:10)
20  Jump Back, Honey, Jump Back  (02:01)
21  Time Will Bring You Everything  (02:15)
22  Double Talkin Baby  (02:14)
23  Frankie and Johnny  (02:39)
24  Keep It a Secret  (02:05)
25  You Belong to Me  (02:27)
26  Yes I Love You Baby  (02:06)
27  Brand New Beat  (02:32)
28  Youll Never Walk Alone  (02:36)
29  By the Light of the Silver Moon  (02:03)
30  Jezebel  (02:27)
1   Thatll Be the Day  (02:14)
2   Maybe Baby  (02:01)
3   Peggy Sue  (02:30)
4   Words of Love  (01:55)
5   Rave On  (01:48)
6   Im Looking for Someone to Love  (01:56)
7   Oh Boy!  (02:07)
8   Think It Over  (01:46)
9   Early in the Morning  (02:08)
10  It Doesnt Matter Anymore  (02:02)
11  Heartbeat  (02:10)
12  Youve Got Love  (02:06)
13  Everyday  (02:09)
14  Rock Me My Baby  (01:50)
15  Love Me  (02:06)
16  Well…all Right  (02:13)
17  Its So Easy  (02:09)
18  Im Changing All Those Changes  (02:11)
19  Baby, I Dont Care  (01:37)
20  Ready Teddy  (01:31)
21  Im Gonna Love You Too  (02:11)
22  Tell Me How  (01:58)
23  Listen to Me  (02:20)
24  Send Me Some Lovin  (02:35)
25  I Guess I Was Just a Fool  (02:13)
26  Its Too Late  (02:24)
27  Dont Come Back Knockin  (02:13)
28  Raining in My Heart  (02:49)
29  Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:04)
30  Not Fade Away  (02:19)
peggy_sue Album: 23 of 40
Title:  Peggy Sue
Released:  1989
Tracks:  20
Duration:  40:34

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1   That’ll Be the Day  (02:13)
2   Maybe Baby  (02:00)
3   Peggy Sue  (02:28)
4   Words of Love  (01:55)
5   Rave On  (01:47)
6   I’m Looking for Someone to Love  (01:56)
7   Oh, Boy  (02:05)
8   Think It Over  (01:46)
9   Early in the Morning  (02:06)
10  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:02)
11  Heartbeat  (02:10)
12  You’ve Got Love  (02:06)
13  Everyday  (02:09)
14  Rock Me My Baby  (01:48)
15  Love Me  (02:06)
16  Well… All Right  (02:14)
17  It’s So Easy to Fall in Love  (02:10)
18  I’m Changing All Those Changes  (02:15)
19  Baby, I Dont Care  (01:37)
20  Ready Teddy  (01:32)
true_love_ways Album: 24 of 40
Title:  True Love Ways
Released:  1989
Tracks:  20
Duration:  45:11

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1   True Love Ways  (02:50)
2   Everyday  (02:09)
3   Heartbeat  (02:09)
4   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
5   Youve Got Love  (02:05)
6   Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:05)
7   Reminiscing  (01:59)
8   Love Is Strange  (03:04)
9   Learning the Game  (02:10)
10  Think It Over  (01:48)
11  Raining in My Heart  (02:49)
12  It’s So Easy  (02:11)
13  Words of Love  (01:56)
14  Listen to Me  (02:22)
15  Wishing  (02:02)
16  Loves Made a Fool of You  (01:57)
17  Because I Love You  (02:39)
18  Fool’s Paradise  (02:30)
19  Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:12)
20  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
16_original_world_hits Album: 25 of 40
Title:  16 Original World Hits
Released:  1989
Tracks:  16
Duration:  34:20

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AlbumCover   
1   Rave On  (01:50)
2   Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
3   Its So Easy  (02:10)
4   Thatll Be the Day  (02:16)
5   Heartbeat  (02:09)
6   Wishing  (02:01)
7   Words of Love  (01:56)
8   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
9   Love’s Made a Fool of You  (02:01)
10  Oh Boy  (02:10)
11  Not Fade Away  (02:22)
12  Maybe Baby  (02:03)
13  It Doesnt Matter Any More  (02:07)
14  Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
15  Think It Over  (01:47)
16  Reminiscing  (01:59)
moondreams Album: 26 of 40
Title:  Moondreams
Released:  1990
Tracks:  16
Duration:  35:18

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   Moondreams  (02:43)
2   Because I Love You  (02:41)
3   I Guess I Was a Fool  (02:15)
4   Girl on My Mind  (02:18)
5   I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:16)
6   You and I Are Through  (02:06)
7   Come Back Baby  (01:49)
8   You’re the One  (01:32)
9   I Gambled My Heart  (02:42)
10  You Are My One Desire  (02:22)
11  Door to My Heart  (02:24)
12  Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:14)
13  Now We’re One  (02:07)
14  Love Me  (02:08)
15  Soft Place in My Heart  (02:15)
16  Have You Ever Been Lonely  (01:26)
my_greatest_songs Album: 27 of 40
Title:  My Greatest Songs
Released:  1991
Tracks:  14
Duration:  29:54

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   Oh Boy!  (02:11)
2   Listen to Me  (02:23)
3   Rave On  (01:50)
4   Tell Me How  (02:02)
5   Thatll Be the Day  (02:18)
6   Im Gonna Love You Too  (02:16)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
9   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
10  Heartbeat  (02:11)
11  Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:44)
12  Early in the Morning  (02:08)
13  Look at Me  (02:06)
14  Take Your Time  (01:58)
golden_greats Album: 28 of 40
Title:  Golden Greats
Released:  1991
Tracks:  16
Duration:  36:14

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1   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
2   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
3   Listen to Me  (02:22)
4   Everyday  (02:09)
5   Oh Boy!  (02:09)
6   Not Fade Away  (02:23)
7   Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
8   Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
9   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
10  Rave On  (01:50)
11  Think It Over  (01:48)
12  It’s So Easy  (02:11)
13  It Doesnt Matter Anymore  (02:07)
14  True Love Ways  (03:01)
15  Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:05)
16  Bo Diddley  (02:22)
Golden Greats : Allmusic album Review : The umpteenth British compilation, a 16-track set of greatest hits. If you dont have any of the others...
the_rock_n_roll_era_buddy_holly Album: 29 of 40
Title:  The Rock n Roll Era: Buddy Holly
Released:  1992
Tracks:  24
Duration:  51:19

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AlbumCover   
1   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
2   Heartbeat  (02:10)
3   Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
4   Everyday  (02:09)
5   Midnight Shift  (02:11)
6   Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:05)
7   Bo Diddley  (02:21)
8   Valley of Tears  (02:08)
9   Reminiscing  (02:00)
10  Ready Teddy  (01:33)
11  Thats My Desire  (02:26)
12  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
13  Rave On  (01:50)
14  True Love Ways  (02:50)
15  Baby, I Dont Care  (01:37)
16  Youve Got Love  (02:07)
17  Lonesome Tears  (01:48)
18  Listen to Me  (02:22)
19  Wishing  (02:04)
20  Early in the Morning  (02:09)
21  Loves Made a Fool of You  (01:58)
22  Learnin’ the Game  (02:02)
23  What to Do  (01:54)
24  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
all_time_greatest_hits Album: 30 of 40
Title:  All Time Greatest Hits
Released:  1992-08-03
Tracks:  30
Duration:  1:06:10

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
2   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
3   Rave On  (01:51)
4   Oh Boy  (02:08)
5   Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
6   It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:04)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Well All Right  (02:15)
9   Heartbeat  (02:09)
10  Think It Over  (01:46)
11  Not Fade Away  (02:20)
12  What to Do  (01:55)
13  True Love Ways  (02:50)
14  Raining in My Heart  (02:49)
15  Reminiscing  (01:59)
1   Wishing  (02:04)
2   Its So Easy  (02:11)
3   Because I Love You  (02:41)
4   Words of Love  (01:56)
5   Listen to Me  (02:23)
6   Maybe Baby  (02:04)
7   Bo Diddley  (02:22)
8   Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:45)
9   Loves Made a Fool of You  (02:00)
10  Slippin & Slidin  (02:34)
11  Fools Paradise  (02:31)
12  Im Gonna Love You Too  (02:15)
13  Tell Me How  (02:01)
14  Early in the Morning  (02:08)
15  Looking for Someone to Love  (01:57)
the_very_best_of_buddy_holly Album: 31 of 40
Title:  The Very Best of Buddy Holly
Released:  1993
Tracks:  30
Duration:  1:06:18

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AlbumCover   
1   Peggy Sue  (02:32)
2   That’ll Be the Day  (02:18)
3   Rave On  (01:51)
4   Oh Boy  (02:10)
5   Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:04)
6   It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Well All Right  (02:15)
9   Heartbeat  (02:10)
10  Think It Over  (01:48)
11  Not Fade Away  (02:20)
12  What to Do  (01:54)
13  True Love Ways  (02:50)
14  Raining in My Heart  (02:49)
15  Reminiscing  (01:59)
1   Wishing  (02:04)
2   It’s So Easy  (02:11)
3   Because I Love You  (02:40)
4   Words of Love  (01:56)
5   Listen to Me  (02:22)
6   Maybe Babe  (02:04)
7   Bo Diddley  (02:22)
8   Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:45)
9   Love’s Made a Fool of You  (02:00)
10  Slippin’ & Slidin’  (02:34)
11  Fool’s Paradise  (02:31)
12  I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:15)
13  Tell Me How  (02:01)
14  Early in the Morning  (02:08)
15  Looking for Someone to Love  (01:56)
words_of_love_28_classic_songs_from Album: 32 of 40
Title:  Words of Love: 28 Classic Songs From
Released:  1993
Tracks:  28
Duration:  1:01:06

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AlbumCover   
1   Words of Love  (01:56)
2   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
3   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
4   Think It Over  (01:48)
5   True Love Ways  (02:50)
6   What to Do  (01:54)
7   Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:06)
8   Well… All Right  (02:14)
9   Loves Made a Fool of You  (02:01)
10  Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:51)
11  Valley of Tears  (02:08)
12  Wishing  (02:02)
13  Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
14  Oh Boy!  (02:09)
15  Rave On  (01:50)
16  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
17  Bo Diddley  (02:22)
18  It’s So Easy  (02:11)
19  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
20  Maybe Baby  (02:03)
21  Early in the Morning  (02:07)
22  Love Is Strange  (03:05)
23  Listen to Me  (02:22)
24  I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
25  Learning the Game  (02:02)
26  You’re So Square (Baby, I Don’t Care)  (01:37)
27  Heartbeat  (02:10)
28  Everyday  (02:09)
the_buddy_holly_collection Album: 33 of 40
Title:  The Buddy Holly Collection
Released:  1993
Tracks:  50
Duration:  1:46:43

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Spotify   Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   Down the Line  (02:04)
2   Soft Place in My Heart  (02:15)
3   Holly Hop  (01:43)
4   Blue Days (a.k.a. Blue Days, Black Nights)  (02:06)
5   Love Me  (02:06)
6   Midnight Shift  (02:11)
7   Baby, Wont You Come Out Tonight  (01:58)
8   Changing All Those Changes  (01:42)
9   Im Gonna Set My Foot Down  (02:18)
10  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:13)
11  Girl on My Mind  (02:18)
12  Ting-a-Ling  (02:42)
13  Modern Don Juan  (02:43)
14  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
15  That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
16  Im Lookin for Someone to Love  (01:59)
17  Words of Love  (01:56)
18  Not Fade Away  (02:23)
19  Everyday  (02:09)
20  Tell Me How  (02:01)
21  Ready Teddy  (01:33)
22  Listen to Me  (02:22)
23  Oh Boy!  (02:09)
24  Its Too Late  (02:24)
25  Peggy Sue  (02:31)
1   I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
2   Look at Me  (02:07)
3   Little Baby  (01:55)
4   Youve Got Love  (02:08)
5   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
6   Rock Me My Baby  (01:51)
7   You’re So Square (Baby, I Don’t Care)  (01:37)
8   Rave On  (01:50)
9   Fool’s Paradise  (02:30)
10  Take Your Time  (01:58)
11  Well… All Right  (02:14)
12  Think It Over  (01:48)
13  Early in the Morning  (02:07)
14  Heartbeat  (02:10)
15  It’s So Easy  (02:11)
16  Wishing  (02:02)
17  Loves Made a Fool of You  (02:01)
18  Reminiscing  (02:00)
19  True Love Ways  (02:50)
20  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
21  Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
22  Peggy Sue Got Married  (01:51)
23  Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:06)
24  Learning the Game  (02:02)
25  What to Do  (01:54)
The Buddy Holly Collection : Allmusic album Review : Given the reluctance of MCA to release a CD version of the complete Buddy Holly recordings (due to either legal issues or a skepticism of its commercial worth), the double-disc 1993 set The Buddy Holly Collection stands as the most comprehensive and greatest CD-era retrospective of the legendary rock & roller. Though it contains all the big hits, this is not the place to turn if youre only looking for "Thatll Be the Day," "Not Fade Away," "Everyday," "Oh Boy!," "Peggy Sue," "Maybe Baby," "Rave On," "Well All Right," and "It Doesnt Matter Anymore" -- theyre all here, but they dont start unrolling until track 15 on the first disc. No, this collection is for listeners who know the hits but need more; namely, they need proof that Holly was one of the greatest, most inventive artists in the first wave of rock & roll, which this collection certainly illustrates, through its selection of lesser-known sides that showcase both his wild-man rockabilly ways and his sensitive songwriting. If the set takes a little while to get going -- it kicks off with the dynamite "Down the Line," but then the collection, and Holly, take a little while to find a groove -- there are also no bum tracks here, and taken as a whole, Buddys gifts as a songwriter and a rocker are staggering. Until the complete box is finally issued on CD, this will have to stand as the most comprehensive Holly collection on CD, and as such, its absolutely necessary for anybody who loves American music of the 20th century.
cover_to_cover Album: 34 of 40
Title:  Cover to Cover
Released:  1994
Tracks:  20
Duration:  46:25

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   Heartbeat  (02:12)
2   Listen to Me  (02:23)
3   Raining in My Heart  (02:49)
4   When You Ask About Love  (02:07)
5   Baby I Don’t Care  (01:37)
6   Everyday  (02:09)
7   You’ve Got Love  (02:09)
8   I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
9   I Fought the Law  (02:13)
10  Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues  (02:13)
11  Words of Love  (01:57)
12  Well... All Right  (02:16)
13  Love’s Made a Fool of You  (02:03)
14  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:14)
15  Learning the Game  (02:03)
16  True Love Ways  (03:03)
17  Love Is Strange  (03:05)
18  More Than I Can Say  (02:41)
19  Ting-A-Ling  (02:37)
20  Time Will Tell  (02:11)
the_best_of_buddy_holly Album: 35 of 40
Title:  The Best of Buddy Holly
Released:  1994
Tracks:  20
Duration:  43:21

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Spotify    AlbumCover   
1   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
2   Oh Boy  (02:10)
3   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
4   Think It Over  (01:48)
5   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
6   Listen to Me  (02:22)
7   Rave On  (01:49)
8   Early in the Morning  (02:07)
9   Heartbeat  (02:10)
10  Midnight Shift  (02:11)
11  Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:05)
12  True Love Ways  (03:01)
13  Learnin’ the Game  (02:02)
14  Everyday  (02:09)
15  Reminiscing  (02:00)
16  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
17  Bo Diddley  (02:22)
18  Wishing  (02:02)
19  Words of Love  (01:56)
20  It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
oh_boy Album: 36 of 40
Title:  Oh Boy
Released:  1994
Tracks:  20
Duration:  40:51

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   Oh Boy  (02:10)
2   Thatll Be The Day  (02:18)
3   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
4   Well All Right  (02:15)
5   Think It Over  (01:47)
6   Rave On  (01:50)
7   Not Fade Away  (02:20)
8   Heartbeat  (02:10)
9   Its So Easy  (02:11)
10  Im Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
11  Looking For Someone To Love  (01:58)
12  Whishing  (02:03)
13  Maybe Baby  (02:03)
14  Tell Me How  (02:01)
15  Words Of Love  (01:55)
16  Baby, I Dont Care  (01:37)
17  Ready Teddy  (01:32)
18  Little Baby  (01:54)
19  Look At Me  (02:05)
20  Rock Me My Baby  (01:48)
Oh Boy : Allmusic album Review : The Dutch compilation Oh Boy gathers 20 highlights from Buddy Hollys career, ranging from rockers like "Thatll Be the Day" and "Rave On" to tender love songs like "Listen to Me," "True Love Ways," and "Heatbeat." Though there are a few glaring omissions in the track list, most notably "Its So Easy," "Not Fade Away," and "Well...All Right," the album does feature most of Hollys best-known material and adds a few relatively lesser-known songs, such as "Midnight Shift," for good measure. Though Oh Boy isnt a definitive Buddy Holly collection, it certainly is an enjoyable one.
the_hit_collection Album: 37 of 40
Title:  The Hit Collection
Released:  1995
Tracks:  22
Duration:  47:03

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AlbumCover   
1   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
2   Not Fade Away  (02:23)
3   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
4   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
5   Send Me Some Lovin  (02:37)
6   Oh, Boy  (02:08)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Its Too Late  (02:26)
9   Youve Got Love  (02:08)
10  Rock Me Baby  (01:50)
11  Tell Me How  (02:01)
12  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:13)
13  Love Me  (02:08)
14  Im Changing All Those Changes  (02:15)
15  Its So Easy  (02:12)
16  Well ... All Right  (02:15)
17  Im Looking for Someone to Love  (01:57)
18  Ready Teddy  (01:33)
19  Rave One  (01:50)
20  Baby, I Dont Care  (01:37)
21  I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
22  Heartbeat  (02:10)
the_love_songs Album: 38 of 40
Title:  The Love Songs
Released:  1995
Tracks:  22
Duration:  34:46

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Allmusic    AlbumCover   
1   Love Is Strange  (03:05)
2   Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
3   Valley of Tears  (02:08)
4   Youre the One  (02:01)
5   Baby Its Love  (01:50)
6   Baby Wont You Come Out Tonight  (01:53)
7   Because I Love You  (02:39)
8   Youve Got Love  (?)
9   I Guess I Was Just a Fool  (02:14)
10  Love Me  (02:05)
11  Not Fade Away  (?)
12  Im Gonna Love You Too  (02:13)
13  Send Me Some Lovin  (?)
14  Lonesome Tears  (?)
15  Girl on My Mind  (02:16)
16  Now Were One  (02:06)
17  Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:03)
18  Youre the One (Undubbed version)  (01:32)
19  Fools Paradise  (?)
20  Blue Monday  (02:01)
21  Loves Made a Fool of You  (?)
22  Love Is Strange (Undubbed version)  (01:46)
The Love Songs : Allmusic album Review : This K-Tel affair repackages the same 1984 John and Bill Pickering overdubs as the 1999 Charly release Buddy Holly & the Picks, focusing this time on love songs (but no "Peggy Sue"). So while it really is Buddy Holly singing on standouts like "Raining in My Heart," "True Love Ways," and "Heartbeat," his vintage master recordings have been augmented with the barber shop-style backing vocals of the Picks. Sure, the vocal group sang backup on The Chirping Crickets, among other Holly albums of the 50s; but here their harmonies seem almost to take up too much space. In the end, they unwittingly crowd out Holly, himself, suggesting that exhuming these sessions from the vault and tweaking them -- without the aid of the original producer -- might not, in retrospect, have been the best idea. Some listeners may enjoy the addition of the Picks talented harmonies. But its likely that Holly purists will smell something fishy. Besides, its the spare, almost introspective singing and playing of Holly that made much of his music so powerful and so intimate. Busying it up with cooing backup vocals just complicates matters, and even makes it hard to concentrate on Holly, himself.
the_memorial_album Album: 39 of 40
Title:  The Memorial Album
Released:  1995
Tracks:  39
Duration:  1:26:11

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AlbumCover   
1   Blue Days Black Nights  (02:05)
2   Rock Around  (02:12)
3   That’ll Be the Day  (02:17)
4   I’m Looking for Someone to Love  (01:57)
5   Words of Love  (01:56)
6   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Oh Boy!  (02:09)
9   Not Fade Away  (02:23)
10  I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
11  Look at Me  (02:06)
12  You’re So Square (Baby, I Don’t Care)  (01:37)
13  Listen to Me  (02:22)
14  Maybe Baby  (02:03)
15  Tell Me How  (02:01)
16  Rave On  (01:50)
17  Think It Over  (01:45)
18  Early in the Morning  (02:07)
19  It’s So Easy  (02:11)
20  Heartbeat  (02:10)
1   Well… All Right  (02:14)
2   It Doesn’t Matter Anymore  (02:05)
3   Raining in My Heart  (02:48)
4   Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:05)
5   Crying, Waiting, Hoping  (02:10)
6   True Love Ways  (02:50)
7   Moondreams  (02:41)
8   Reminiscing  (01:55)
9   Bo Diddley  (02:22)
10  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
11  Because I Love You  (02:39)
12  Wishing  (02:02)
13  Love’s Made a Fool of You  (02:01)
14  Dearest  (01:54)
15  What to Do  (01:52)
16  Interview With Alan Freed  (01:59)
17  That’ll Be the Day  (02:30)
18  Rock-a-Bye Rock  (02:23)
19  Old Friend  (03:18)
25_all_time_greatest_hits Album: 40 of 40
Title:  25 All Time Greatest Hits
Released:  1995
Tracks:  25
Duration:  53:12

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AlbumCover   
1   Peggy Sue  (02:31)
2   Not Fade Away  (02:20)
3   Maybe Baby  (02:03)
4   Thatll Be the Day  (02:17)
5   Send Me Some Lovin  (02:37)
6   Oh Boy!  (02:09)
7   Everyday  (02:09)
8   Its Too Late  (02:26)
9   Youve Got Love  (02:08)
10  Rock Me My Baby  (01:50)
11  Tell Me How  (02:01)
12  Rock Around With Ollie Vee  (02:13)
13  Love Me  (02:08)
14  Im Changing All Those Changes  (02:15)
15  Its So Easy  (02:12)
16  Well… All Right  (02:14)
17  Im Looking for Someone to Love  (01:57)
18  Ready Teddy  (01:33)
19  Rave On  (01:50)
20  Baby... I Dont Care  (01:37)
21  I’m Gonna Love You Too  (02:14)
22  Heartbeat  (02:10)
23  Peggy Sue Got Married  (02:06)
24  Brown Eyed Handsome Man  (02:05)
25  Reminiscing  (01:58)

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