DEDICATED  TO  MY  OLD  FRIEND  PETE  MOORCROFT  FROM  DERBY !

                                         1 9 5 7   -   1 9 5 9

Researched and Compiled by 
Terry R. Shaw 
Copyright © 2000 by Terry R. Shaw

Pages constructed and maintained 
by Peter Moorcroft

                                               1957

Thurs. 2/21/57 GO BOY GO (Floyd Wilson)

GONE (Smokey Rogers)

Both were recorded at radio station KDAV. Gary Dale (Tollett) was the singer. Buddy played guitar and Jerry Allison played drums. Ramona Tollett, June Clark and Nikki Sullivan sang background vocals.

Sun.2/24/57 I’M LOOKIN’ FOR SOMEONE TO LOVE (AKA "I'm Looking For Someone To Love") (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty) Recorded in Clovis, New Mexico at Norman Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studio. Musicians were Buddy and Niki Sullivan on guitar, Larry Welborn on bass and Jerry "J.I." Allison on drums. The Picks added background harmonies on 10/11-12-13/57. Released on 5/27/57-S, 11/57-A, 69-S, and 73-S.

S-M 2/24-25/57 THAT’LL BE THE DAY (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty) (As part of a contract deal, Norman Petty was given songwriting credit on several of Buddy’s compositions. Whether he contributed anything is unknown. It’s doubtful on this song, it was written before their association. Norman was a musician/record producer and did write songs on his own, so he might have contributed some small part, i.e. chord change, lyric change, etc., to some of the songs.) Recorded in Clovis, New Mexico at Norman Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studio; the recording was started on the 24th and finished after 3am on the 25th. They did two takes. The musicians were Buddy on lead guitar, Niki Sullivan on guitar, Larry Welborn on bass and Jerry "J.I." Allison on drums. Also Niki sang background with June Clark and Gary and Ramona Tollett. Niki was a distant cousin to Buddy, although neither of them knew it at the time. He became a Cricket and then left because of the rough touring and formed his own band, "The Hollyhawks". The background singers were recorded at the same time as the instruments instead of overdubbing later. The demo was sent to Peer Southern Organization Publishing in New York, which gave it to Bob Thiele at Brunswick Records, a subsidiary of Decca. He liked it so much he used the demo as the master and released it as a single on 5/27/57. Released on 11/57-A, 4/58-A, 3/59-A, 69-S, 73-S.

Fri. 3/1/57 GO BOY GO (Floyd Wilson)

GONE (Smokey Rogers)

THE GOLDEN ROCKET (C. E. "Hank" Snow)

I OVERLOOKED AN ORCHID (Carl Story/S. Lyn/Arthur Q. Smith)

Buddy plays guitar on vocal recordings by Gary Dale (Tollett). Also playing were Jerry Allison on drums and Ramona Tollett, June Clark and Nikki Sullivan on backing vocals. All the songs were released and bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Sat.3/2/57 "CRICKET CONCERT": The Crickets perform at the Elks Club in Carlsbad, New Mexico. According to Nikki Sullivan, friend, driver and "roadie" Bobby Peeples taped the entire show. The recording has never been found, if it was made. Peeples ended up in prison for stealing from the "Sound and Photo Shop". Joe B. Mauldin is asked to play bass along with Buddy, Niki, and J.I., so this is the first public performance of the Crickets as we came to know them. The group had just changed their name to "The Crickets". They had considered "The Scoundrels", "The Grasshoppers", and "The Beetles".

Tues.3/12/57 LAST NIGHT (Joe B. Mauldin/Buddy Holly/Norman Petty) Released in 3/58-A. The Picks overdubbed background vocals on 10/12 & 14/57.

MAYBE BABY (Charles Hardin/Norman Petty) Buddy claimed that his mother, Ella Holley and bassist, Joe B. Mauldin contributed to the writing of this song. According to his mother, she was writing a different song called "Maybe Baby" and Buddy saw it and asked what it was. Ella told him she was in the middle of a song she was writing called "Maybe Baby". Buddy took the title and wrote his own song. The Picks added background vocals on 2/3/66. Released in 2/81-A. This is a "cha cha" version, not the single version.

Both songs were recorded as demos in Clovis, New Mexico. The musicians were Buddy and Niki Sullivan on guitar and vocals (Nikki on harmony), Joe B. Mauldin on bass and J. I. Allison on drums. The Picks added background vocals. Both were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

ON MY MIND AGAIN (Dean Beard/Slim Willett/Ray Doggett)

VIVA LA MATADOR (Billy Walker)

Buddy plays guitar on recording by Billy Walker(vocals) at Clovis, New Mexico after he finishes his own recording session. Joe B. Mauldin and Jerry Allison play also. The Bowman Brothers sing backing vocals. Both songs were released in 1957.

Mon.4/8/57 MAILMAN BRING ME NO MORE BLUES (Ruth Roberts/Bill Katz, Stanley Clayton) (Stanley Clayton was in fact Bob Thiele, Brunswick A&R; man.) This was a demo done in 3 takes. Vi Petty played piano. Released on 6/20/57-S, 3/58-A. Echo was dubbed onto the vocal on 10/61.

WORDS OF LOVE (Buddy Holly) This was another demo recording. It was Buddy’s first venture into vocal and guitar overdubbing. Two versions were recorded. One had Norman Petty playing organ. It wasn’t released. Coral Records, another subsidiary of Decca, released this about the same time as "That’ll Be The Day" with Buddy listed as a solo performer. Released on 6/20/57-S, 3/58-A. It was bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Both songs were recorded at Norman Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studio in Clovis, New Mexico. Buddy on guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass and Jerry Allison on drums.

UNK/57 "CRICKETS ON THE PORCH" A home color movie is shot of Niki Sullivan, Joe Mauldin, Jerry Allison and Buddy standing on a porch and then walking down the steps of a private home. The house number has three digits so it is probably not Buddy’s and is likely to be Jerry’s home, especially in that Jerry’s brother, James, had a movie camera. The boys appear to be modeling their new outfits, which are dark suits with ties. Buddy doesn’t have his tie on, however. The movie is shown in the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story".

4 or 5/57 A WHOLE LOTTA LOVIN' (AKA "Whole Lotta Love") (Jim Robinson/Jack Huddle/Norman Petty) (3 versions) All three were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

IT’S A WONDERFUL FEELING (Jim Robinson/Norman Petty/Jack Huddle)

Buddy plays guitar in a recording session for Jim Robinson (vocals). Jerry Allison plays percussion, Vi Petty plays piano, UNK on bass, the Bowman Brothers and the Roses do backing vocals. Both songs were released and bootlegged in 6/95-A.

STARLIGHT (Jack Huddle/Jim Robinson/Norman Petty)

BELIEVE ME (Jim Robinson/Norman Petty)

Buddy plays guitar in a recording session for Jack Huddle (vocals). Also playing are Jerry Allison on drums, UNK on bass and the Bowman Brothers on backing vocals. Released in 1957 and 1984 ("The Clovis Sessions") and bootlegged in 6/95-A.

BY THE MISSION WALL (Ken Cline) Buddy plays guitar in a recording session for Fred Crawford (vocals). Also playing are Jerry Allison on drums, Joe B. Mauldin on bass and the Bowman Brothers on backing vocals. Released in 1957 and bootlegged in 6/95-A

4/57 or 12/57 MONA (Ellas McDaniel) This song was found on a bootleg. It was included with "Send Me Some Lovin’" I don’t know if it was recorded on that day or not. Buddy used the rhythm and chord pattern for "Not Fade Away" later. A rehearsal take and Takes 1, 2, a false start and Take 3 were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Fri.5/10/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the Village Theater in Lubbock, Texas along with Tinker Carlin and The Cats, The Four Teens and Pat and Shirley Richardson.

Sat.5/11/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets audition at the KFDA Television Studios in Amarillo, Texas for a chance to appear on the "Arthur Godfrey Talent Scouts" TV program. They are turned down, joining such other rejects as Elvis Presley.

5/UNK/57 "BUDDY AND HIS MOTORCYCLE" A home movie is shot by James Allison (Jerry's brother)of Buddy riding around in front of the Allison home on his English Ariel motorcycle. He has his motorcycle cap and jacket on. A clip is shown on "The Real Buddy Holly Story" on BBC-TV in 1987. Also filmed are J.I. and Joe B. riding and Buddy and J.I. Allison fooling around with a knife, reenacting the fight scene in "Rebel Without A Cause".

Mon.5/27/57 NOT FADE AWAY (Charles Hardin [Buddy Holly]/Norman Petty) or (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison) Written for the Everly Brothers, Buddy recorded this as a demo for them. Jerry plays on a cardboard box. The original background vocals were by Buddy, Jerry and Niki Sullivan. The Picks overdubbed background harmonies on 10/12,13,14/57. Another source gives the recording date as 5/29/57. Released on 10/27/57, 11/57-A and 4/27/64-S. Take 1 and a false start were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

EVERYDAY (Charles Hardin [Buddy Holly]/Norman Petty) Another demo recording. Buddy on acoustic guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass, Vi Petty played a Celeste (a keyboarded xylophone) for the lead and Jerry, "J.I.", slaps his knees instead of playing his drum set. Most sources say that Norman Petty played the Celeste, but Vi demonstrated it at the end of the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story". The Picks added background harmonies on 6/29/84. It was released on 9/20/57, 3/58-S and 3/59-A. Pre-recording talk by Buddy from the master tape is heard in "The Real Buddy Holly Story" film released in 1987.

Both songs were recorded at Norman Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico.

6/UNK/57 READY TEDDY (Robert A. "Bumps" Blackwell/John Marascalco) Vi Petty on piano. Released in 3/58-A.

VALLEY OF TEARS (Antoine Domino/Dave Bartholomew) Released in 3/58-A and 9/61-S. Norman Petty plays his Baldwin electric organ and Vi Petty plays piano.

TELL ME HOW (Charles Hardin [Buddy Holly]/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty) Inspired by a guitar riff played by Niki Sullivan; this was recorded at Petty’s Clovis, New Mexico studio with Norman Petty on the Baldwin organ. The Picks added vocal backgrounds on 10/11-14/57 and the song was released on 2/12/58-S, 11/57-A.

All songs were recorded at Norman Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy and Niki Sullivan on guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass and Jerry Allison on drums.

Mon. 6/24/57 A MAN FROM TEXAS (M. Russell/Norman Petty/S. Dougherty) Buddy plays guitar on a recording by Jim Robinson (vocal). Also playing are George Atwood on bass, UNK on drums, Vi Petty on piano and the Picks on backing vocals. Released in 157.

Sun.6/30/57 "THREE JINGLES" (Buddy Holly/Jerry Allison) The Crickets record three jingles in Clovis, New Mexico. They are to the tune of "That’ll Be The Day". Two of them are individual "Thank You" records for Bob Thiele and Murray Deutch for helping release "That’ll Be The Day". The "Bob Thiele" one can be heard in the film "The Real Buddy Holly Story". Both were bootlegged and released in 6/95-A. The third jingle has a spoken part and was made for Bill Randle of WERE Radio in Cleveland, Ohio to promote the Crickets’ upcoming tour. It has not been released.

7/1,2,3/57 PEGGY SUE (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty) Originally titled "Cindy Lou"; the name was changed to help "J.I." pursue Peggy Sue Gerron, Jerry Allison's high school sweetheart and eventual wife. His drums were so loud that he was put in the hallway with a mike and a speaker so that he could play along. They did it in 2 takes, totaling 20 minutes. Niki Sullivan knelt at Buddy's side to switch his guitar pick-ups at the lead part so the lead would come across brighter and louder. Therefore he couldn't play rhythm as has been rehearsed. Released as a solo effort, this was Buddy's first success as such. The song was released on 9/20/57-S, 3/58-S, and 3/59-A. Take 1 was bootlegged in 6/95-A and released also. The Picks added background harmonies in 6/29/84.

OH, BOY! (Sonny West/Bill Tilghman/Norman Petty) Originally titled "All My Love". Buddy clears his throat right after the guitar break at 1 minute, 23 seconds. The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering and Bob Lapham) overdubbed their background harmonies on 7/13/57 or 8/19/57. The song was released on 10/27/57-S and 3/59-A. A version without the backing vocals was bootlegged in 6/95-A. 

I'M GONNA LOVE YOU TOO (Joe B. Mauldin/Niki Sullivan/Norman Petty) Petty's "echo chamber" was little more than a "silo" like building connected to the studio into which he had a speaker and a mike. On this recording day, a real cricket got into the "chamber" and can be heard as the recording fades out at the end. The song was released on 2/5/58-S, 3/59-A, and 6/1/64-S.

LISTEN TO ME (Charles Hardin/Noman Petty) You can hear that famous cricket again at 1 minute, 15 seconds into the song. Buddy double tracks his vocal and guitar. The song was released on 2/5/58-S, 3/58-S.

All the songs were recorded at Norman Petty's Nor Va Jak Studio in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy and Niki on guitars, Joe B. Mauldin on bass and Jerry "J.I." Allison on drums.

Fri.7/12/57 or 7/20/57 SEND ME SOME LOVIN' (John Marascalco/Lloyd Price) The Picks added background harmonies on 10/11-13/57. Released in 11/57-A. Two takes. Take 1 was the official released version but the other take was released also. Both songs were bootlegged in 6/95-A

IT'S TOO LATE (Chuck Willis) The Picks added background harmonies on 10/11-13/57.There were two takes, Take 1was the official releasedversion but the other take was also released. The Picks added background vocals on 10/11-13/57. released in 11/57-A.

Both songs were recorded at Norman Petty's Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy on guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass and Jerry Allison on drums. Bootlegged.

Sun. 7/14/57 LOOK TO THE FUTURE (Norman Petty/Nikki Sullivan)

HONEY HONEY (Gary Tollett)

Buddy plays guitar on recordings by Gary Dale (Tollett). Also playing are Jerry Allison on drums, UNK on bass, Ramona Tollett and the Picks on backing vocals. Recorded at Petty’s studio. Both songs were released and bootlegged in 6/95-A.

7/UNK/57 BROKEN PROMISES (Ray Winkler/Ralph Newton)

HUMBLE HEART (John Loftus)

Buddy plays guitar on recordings by Sherry Davis (vocals). Also playing are Jack Vaughn on guitar, Jerry Allison on drums, UNK on bass, and the Picks on backing vocals. Recorded at Petty’s studio. Both songs were released in 1957.

SUGARTIME (Charlie Phillips/Otis Echoles) (Two versions, only one was released and bootlegged in 6/95-A.)

ONE FADED ROSE (Otis Echoles/Nina Baggett/Charlie Phillips) Buddy sings harmony.

Buddy plays guitar on recording by Charlie Phillips (vocals). Also playing are Jack Vaughn on guitar, Jerry Allison on drums, UNK on bass, Vi Petty on piano, Norman Petty on organ, Jimmy Blakely on steel guitar, and the Roses on backing vocals. Recorded at Petty’s studio. Both songs were released in 1957.

UNK/57 "KSYD PROMO" Buddy records a spoken promo for radio station KSYD in Wichita Falls, Texas. Released and also bootlegged in 6/95-A. 

7/20 & 22/57 MOONDREAMS (Norman Petty) (Two versions) Buddy plays guitar on an instrumental recording by Norman Petty as The Norman Petty Trio. Norman played the organ. Also playing were Vi Petty on piano, Mike Mitchell on percussion and the Picks with backing vocals on one version. Two versions were recorded, only one was released in 1957. The other was bootlegged in 6/95-A. The song was recorded at Petty's studio in Clovis, New Mexico.

Sun. 7/28/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets leave Texas from the Amarillo, Texas airport for New York City with the following advice from Norman Petty: "Be at the Amarillo Air Terminal Sunday evening July 28th at least by 6:30 to check reservations and check baggage. Take enough cash along to pay for excess weight and meals between flights. Take about thirty or forty dollars cash...the rest in Travelers Checks. Be sure to take all available identification for each member of the group. Sign only engagement contracts and nothing more. Take extra sets of guitar strings drum sticks, heads, etc. Take out floater insurance for entire group with everyone's name on the contract. Be sure to pack records with clothes to take on trip. Take all available clean underwear...and other articles for use on trip. When you get to New York...take a cab directly to the Edison Hotel and check in there. We will see you about noon of that day. Get at least two dozen Dramamine tablets...and take one tablet at least fifteen minutes before departure. Make out trip insurance to your parents. Take at least twenty-five feet of extension cord. Take small shine kit for trip. Toilet articles of your choice. Get telephone credit card and carry with you. Take a small Bible with you and READ IT! Get Hotel Credit Cards or at least make application for them. Be sure to get and keep receipts for all money spent. Be sure to send money to Clovis for bank account..."

Fri.8/2/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start a one-week tour with Clyde McPhatter, the Cadillacs, Otis Rush, and others at the Howard Theater in Washington, DC.

Fri.8/9/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets continue the tour at the Royal Theater in Baltimore, Maryland.

F-F 8/16-23/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the famous Apollo Theater in New York City. By now the audience knew the group was white and so the scene of surprise in the movie, "The Buddy Holly Story", is incorrect, at least from the management's standpoint. There had been a black group named "Crickets" years earlier and some of the audience may have been confused. They were, however, the first all-white group to perform there.

Fri.8/23/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform on the Alan Freed Show in New York City, NY.

UNK/57 "WACK PROMO" Buddy records a spoken promo for "The Dick Harlen Show" on New York radio station WACK. Released and bootlegged in 5/95-A.

Mon.8/26/57 THAT'LL BE THE DAY (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty) The Crickets lip-sync their record on Dick Clark's "American Bandstand" TV show in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. A "kinescope" (a movie of the TV screen shot during the live broadcast) still exists. Released.

Tues.8/27/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform on the Ted Steele TV Show in New York City.

Fri.8/30/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start a 10 day performance at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York for the Alan Freed "Great Holiday Rock'n Roll Show". Also in the show are Little Richard, the Del-Vikings, the Diamonds, Mickey & Sylvia, the Moonglows, the Five Keys, Larry Williams, Jo-Ann Campbell, Shaye Cogan, Ocie Smith, the ClefTunes, and Jimmie Rodgers.

Fri.9/6/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start an 80-day "The Biggest Show of Stars For 1957" tour at the Syria Mosque in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The acts on the program are Chuck Berry, Paul Anka, the Drifters, Clyde McPhatter, the Everly Brothers and Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers.

Sat. 9/28/57 MAYBE BABY (Charles Hardin "Buddy"/Norman Petty) A re-recording. Niki Sullivan plays the second lead. The song was released on 2/12/58-S, 11/57-A.

YOU’VE GOT LOVE (Johnny "Peanuts" Wilson/Roy Orbison/Norman Petty) The song was released in 11/57-A.

ROCK ME MY BABY (Susan Heather/Shorty Long) The song was released in 11/57-A.

AN EMPTY CUP (AND A BROKEN DATE) (Roy OrbisonNorman Petty) The song was released in 11/57-A.

All four of these songs were recorded in the Officers Lounge Club at the Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, as the Crickets were on tour. Buddy on lead guitar, Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass, and Jerry Allison on drums. The Picks added vocal harmonies on 10/11-13/57.

Fri. 10/18/57 UNRECORDED: The tour with the Crickets performs at Sacramento, California.

Wed. 10/23/57 INTERVIEW: DJ Red Robinson interviews the Crickets at the Georgia Auditorium in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada where they are performing. They talk about wanting to go home where the temperature isn't so "cool". When questioned about the future of rock and roll, Buddy says it'll probably last about 1 1/2 more years. Released on 9/16/80-A and 2/81-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Sun. 11/1/57 INTERVIEW: The tour with the Crickets performs at Denver, Colorado. Local DJ, Freeman Hover, interviews Buddy and Eddie Cochran in Cochran's hotel room at the Albany Hotel in Denver. The tape exists and it is released on "The Buddy Holly Story" in 2/81-A. Released.

Sat. 11/2/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform two shows at the Forum in Wichita, Kansas during an eighty-day, seventy-city Irving Feld rock tour. Featured also are Fats Domino, LaVern Baker, Frankie Lymon, Chuck Berry, Clyde McPhatter, Eddie Cochran, Buddy Knox, The Diamonds, The Drifters, Paul Anka and Jimmy Bowen. Price: $2.00, $2.50 and $3.00.

Tues.11/5/57 INTERVIEW: The Crickets are interviewed by Dale Lowery backstage during the "Biggest Show of Stars" concert at the Municipal Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska for Topeka, Kansas's radio station KTOP. You can hear others performing in the background. A long and short version were both released in 2/81-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Sat. 11/24/57 UNRECORDED: The tour ends with a performance at the Mosque in Richmond, Virginia.

Sun.12/1/57 THAT'LL BE THE DAY (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty)

PEGGY SUE (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty)

The Crickets are filmed (kinescope) performing these two songs live on the Ed Sullivan "Toast of the Town" TV show in New York City, NY. Ed calls Buddy over to him after performing and asks where the group is from, etc. Released in 2/81-A. Both songs were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

W-Th 12/4-5/57 UNRECORDED: The Crickets return to Lubbock, Texas from their tour and Niki Sullivan leaves the group because of the harsh touring.

Tues.12/17/57 LITTLE BABY (Buddy Holly/C.W. Kendall, Jr./Norman Petty) C.W.Kendall, Jr. played piano. Released in 3/58-A.

(YOU'RE SO SQUARE) BABY I DON'T CARE (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) Released in 3/58-A, 9/61-S. The Picks added background vocals on 6/29/84. Jerry played a cardboard box.

Both songs were recorded at Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy on guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass, Jerry Allison on percussion, and C. W. Kendall, Jr. on piano. Released in 3/58-A.

Thur.12/19/57 LOOK AT ME (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty) Released in 3/58-A. Recorded at Petty's NorVaJak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy on guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass, Jerry Allison on drums and Vi Petty on piano.

Sat.12/28/57 PEGGY SUE (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty) The Crickets perform in tuxedos on the "Arthur Murray Dance Party" TV show in New York City, NY. A kinescope exists of the show and can be seen in "The Real Buddy Holly Story" film. Released and the sound portion was bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Mon. 12/23/57 UNRECORDED: Buddy Holly and the Crickets start a 12-day tour for Alan Freed’s "Holiday of Stars" at the Paramount Theater in Brooklyn, New York. They are each billed separately along with Fats Domino, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Everly Brothers, the Rays, Danny and the Juniors, Paul Anka, Lee Andrews and the Hearts, the Shepherd Sisters, Little Joe Dubs, Thurston Harris, the Teenagers, Jo Ann Campbell, the Twin Tunes, Terry Noland, Earl Warren, and Sam "the man" Taylor.

                                           1958

Wed 1/8/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start a 17-day tour called "America's Greatest Teenage Recording Stars". Also on the tour are the Everly Brothers, Paul Anka, Danny and the Juniors, Jimmie Rodgers, Eddie Cochran, and others.

Sat.1/25/58 RAVE ON (Sonny West/Bill Tilghman/Norman Petty) Recorded at about 8pm, in just 3 takes. Released in 4/20/58-S and 3/58-A. Recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City with the JiveTunes as the backing vocal group, Buddy, Donald Amone and Al Caiola on guitar, Jerry Allison on drums and Joe B. Mauldin on bass. Bob Thiele plays piano.

Sa-S.1/25-26/58 THAT'S MY DESIRE (Helmey Kresa/Carroll Loveday) This song was started on the 25th but finished at 2am on the 26th. After 2 false starts, it was recorded in 2 takes. Released in 1966-A and 2/81-A. Recorded at Bell Sound Studios in New York City with the JiveTunes as the backup group. Another source gives the Crickets as the backing group and Norman Petty on piano. Takes 1 (false start), 2 (incomplete), and 3 were released and also bootlegged in 6/95-A. Norman Petty overdubbed the Fireballs on 2/3/66.

Sun.1/26/58 OH, BOY! (Sonny West/Bill Tilghman/Norman Petty) The Crickets appear on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York City to sing their song. Ed interviews Buddy after they perform. A film clip exists and it is shown in the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story". Bootlegged in 6/95-A. Released.

Mon. 1/27/58 "BOARDING THE PLANE" A color home movie is shot by Norman Petty of Buddy and the Crickets walking from the terminal and boarding a Pan American Airlines plane for Hawaii. The film shows the boys arriving at Hawaii International, posing from their hotel balcony, and swimming in the pool. It still exists and can be seen in the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story". Released.

Mon.1/27/58 UNRECORDED: Buddy Holly and the Crickets perform two shows at the Civic Auditorium in Hawaii. Also on the show are Paul Anka, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jodie Sands. Price: $1.50, $2.50 and $3.50.

Thurs.1/30/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start a 12 date 7-day "Lee Gordon's World Hit Parade" tour of Australia, along with Paul Anka, Jerry Lee Lewis and Jodie Sands. They appear at Sydney Stadium, Sydney, Australia.

Fri.1/31/58 INTERVIEW: The tour moves on to perform at the stadium in Newcastle, Australia. DJ Pat Barton interviews Buddy in Newcastle, Australia for Radio 2KO. The tape exists and a long and short version have been released. They have also been bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Sun. 2/1/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at Sydney, Australia again.

Tues. 2/3/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Cloudland Ballroom in Brisbane, Australia.

Wed. 2/4/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the stadium in Melbourne, Australia.

Wed. 2/4/58 "RADIO BROADCAST" Buddy does 90 minutes on Melbourne, Australia radio station 3KZ. He chats and spins records on the "Platter Parade" show. It's unknown if a tape of the show exists.

2/5/58 "COLGATE PALMOLIVE RADIO SHOW" Members of the tour record a "live" concert for rebroadcast on 3AW radio in Melbourne, Australia. Tour members are Buddy, Jerry Lee Lewis, Paul Anka, Jodie Sands and Johnny O’Keefe. It was broadcast on 2/27 and 2/24/58. It is unknown if a copy of the tape exists.

Sun. 2/9/58 "RADIO PLUGS" While in Hawaii on the way home, Buddy visits with several DJs on the air plugging his records. It's unknown if any were taped and, if so, if any tapes exist.

Wed.2/12/58 WELL ALL RIGHT (AKA "Well ... All Right") (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Joe B. Mauldin/Norman Petty) Recorded at Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. It was released on 11/5/58-S,3/59-A. Buddy plays acoustic guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass and Jerry Allison on the bell of a cymbal. Joe B. says that the title for the song came from Little Richard. While performing together at the Paramount Theater in New York City, Little Richard used to say that expression a lot. The Picks added background harmonies on 2/28/84.

Thurs. 2/13/58 TAKE YOUR TIME (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty) Norman Petty plays the organ and Jerry Allison plays a cardboard box. The song was released on 4/20/58-S and 3/58-A. Take 4 was released. Takes 1 (incomplete), 2 (incomplete), and 3 were released and also bootlegged in 6/95-A.

FOOL'S PARADISE (Sonny Le Glaire/Norman Petty/Horace Linsley) Vi Petty on piano. It was released on 5/27/58-S, 1/65-A. Takes 1, 2, and 3 were bootlegged in 6/95-A and also released.

All were recorded at Petty's Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. The background singers were the Roses (Ray Rush and David Bigham) instead of the Picks.

Fri. 2/14/58 THINK IT OVER (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty) Vi Petty plays the piano solo. It was released on 5/27/58-S. Recorded at Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy on guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass and Jerry Allison on drums. The background singers were the Roses (Ray Rush and David Bigham) instead of the Picks and they overdubbed on 2/19/58. Studio talk with Buddy instructing Jerry on what to play at a certain point are heard in the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story". Takes 1 (false start), 2 (false start), 3, 4, and 5 were bootlegged in 6/95-A and released.

Wed. 2/19/58 REAL WILD CHILD (Wild One) (Johnny O’Keefe/Johnny Greenan/Dave Owens) Released on 9/26/58-S, 2/81-A.

OH, YOU BEAUTIFUL DOLL (A.S. Brown/N.D. Ayer) Released on 9/26/58-S, 2/81-A.

Buddy plays guitar on recordings for Jerry Allison's solo singing attempt under his middle name of "Ivan". The songs were produced by Buddy Holly and were recorded at Petty's Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Two takes of "Real Wild Child" and 3 takes of "Oh You Beautiful Doll" were bootlegged in 6/95-A and released.

Thurs.2/20/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start a 12 date 6-day Florida tour called "The Big Gold Records Stars" at the Kellogg Auditorium in Orlando, Florida. On the show are the Everly Brothers, Bill Haley and the Comets, Jerry Lee Lewis, the Royal Teens, and Jimmie Rodgers. The Crickets back up the Everlys because their back-up band wasn't very good.

Fri. 2/21/58 INTERVIEW : Buddy is interviewed backstage by Bob Chesney at the Fort Hesterley Armory in Tampa, Florida. Released.

DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS (Henry Glover)(Fragment only)

HALLELUJAH I LOVE HER SO (Ray Charles)

During the interview session backstage, Buddy and Jerry Lee Lewis play and sing these two songs. A poor quality copy exists. Another source gives the date as 2/24/58. Unreleased except for a fragment of "Drown In My Own Tears"..

EVERYDAY (Charles Hardin/Norman Petty) (Fragment only)

THAT’LL BE THE DAY (Buddy Holly/Jerry Allison/Norman Petty) (Fragment only)

Bob Chesney records part of the Crickets’ performance from backstage. Unreleased.

Tues. 2/25/58 UNRECORDED: The tour does their last performance at the War Memorial Auditorium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

Fri. 2/28/58 "ARRIVING IN LONDON" More home movies are shot by Norman Petty of the Crickets landing at Heathrow Airport in London, looking at the sites in Cambridge, and the outside of the Old George Hotel in Salisbury, England.

Sat.3/1/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start a 25-day tour of Britain and Wales, appearing at 26 different venues. This night they perform at Trocadero, Elephant and Castle.

Sun.3/2/58 THAT'LL BE THE DAY (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison/Norman Petty)

PEGGY SUE (Buddy Holly/Jerry "J.I." Allison) (Fragment)

OH BOY! (Sonny West/Bill Tilghman/Norman Petty) (Fragment)

The Crickets perform on the ATV show, "Sunday Night At London Palladium" in England. A poor quality audiotape of a few seconds of each song on the show exists. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Sun. 3/2/58 UNRECORDED: The tour performs at the Kilburn State Theater, London, England.

3/UNK/58 "ENGLAND CONCERT" Norman Petty shoots a silent home movie of the Crickets performing on stage at one of their concerts. It was shown in the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story". Released.

Tues. 3/4/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the City Hall, Sheffield, England.

Wed. 3/5/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Globe Theater, Stockton, England.

Thurs. 3/6/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the City Hall, Newcastle, England.

Fri. 3/7/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Odeon Cinema, Wolverhampton, England.

Sat. 3/8/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Odeon Cinema, Nottingham, England.

Sun. 3/9/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Gaumont Cinema, Bradford, England.

Mon. 3/10/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Town House in Birmingham, England.

Wed. 3/12/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at Croydon's Davis Theatre in London, England.

Thurs. 3/13/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the East Ham Granada Cinema in London, England.

Fri. 3/14/58 MAYBE BABY (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty)

"SPOKEN TRAILER (Promotional segment) FOR THE SHOW"

Buddy and the Crickets perform on the "Off The Record" BBC-TV show. It was taped at Studio 2, Riverside TV Studios in London and was broadcast on 3/27/58. Fred Porter made a sound only recording of the song.

Fri. 3/14/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform two shows at the Woolwich Granada Theater in London, England. Buddy sends home a postcard to his sister. It can be seen on an internet site.

Sat. 3/15/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to Ipswich, England to perform at the Gaumont Cinema.

Sun. 3/16/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to Leicester, England to perform at the De Montfort Hall.

Mon. 3/17/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Gaumont Cinema, Doncaster, England.

Tues. 3/18/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves to Blackburn, England to perform at St. Georges Hall.

Wed. 3/19/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to Hull, England to perform at the Regal Cinema.

Thurs. 3/20/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool, England. Were John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the audience?

Fri. 3/21/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at Walthamstow's Granada Theatre in London, England.

Sat. 3/22/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Gaumont Theatre in Salisbury, England.

Sun. 3/23/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at Colston Hall in Bristol, England.

Mon. 3/24/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Capital Cinema in Cardiff, England.

Tues. 3/25/58 UNRECORDED: The tour moves on to perform at the Hammersmith Gaumont in London, England. Buddy breaks his two front teeth accidentally. Joe B. Mauldin says it was him who bumped Buddy, not Jerry Allison as the movie portrays..

Fri. 3/28/58 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the Crickets start performing 5 daily shows at the Brooklyn, New York Paramount Theater for Alan Freed's "Big Beat Show".

Mon. 3/31/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at Loew's Paradise Theater in the Bronx, New York.

Wed. 4/2/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the New York Coliseum Theater in Manhattan, New York.

Tues. 4/15/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the Keil Auditorium in St. Louis, Missouri. Buddy's Stratocaster guitar is stolen. A replacement is flown in from Manny's in New York.

4/UNK/58 "FAN FILM IN MICHIGAN" Buddy is filmed performing in Michigan by a fan. The color home movie exists and was shown in the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story". Released.

Mon. 4/28/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the Hippodrome in Waterloo, Iowa. Candid pictures are taken by fan Dick Cole. 3 months later, he shows them to Buddy at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo. Buddy autographs them and permits Dick to shoot more pictures backstage.

Sat. 5/3/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at Loew's Paradise in the Boston Arena in Boston, Massachusetts. A riot breaks out and a 19-year-old boy is stabbed in the chest.

Fri. 5/9/58 UNRECORDED: The tour ends with a performance at the Arena in Hershey, Pennsylvania.

Sun.5/25/58 LONESOME TEARS (Buddy Holly) Released on 9/12/58-S, 1/65-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

IT'S SO EASY (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty) Released on 9/12/58-S, 3/59-A.

Both were recorded at Petty's Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy on guitar, Tommy Allsup on lead guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass and Jerry Allison on drums. The Roses overdubbed background vocals on 5/27/58 instead of the usual Picks.

Wed.5/28/58 HEARTBEAT (Bob Montgomery/Norman Petty) Buddy on guitar, Tommy Allsup on lead guitar, George Atwood on bass and Jerry Allison on drums. The Picks added background harmonies in on 6/29/84. Released on 11/5/58-S, 3/59-A.

Mon.6/2/58 LOVE'S MADE A FOOL OF YOU (Buddy Holly/Bob Montgomery) One of Buddy's old songs, this was recorded as a demo for the Everly Brothers. It was released in 5/64-A. Earl Sinks, lead singer for the Crickets after Buddy's death, recorded a slower, straight 4/4 version with the Crickets at Petty's Nor-Va-Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. It sounded so much like Buddy that in 1972, it was mistakenly put on the album "Buddy Holly : A Rock & Roll Collection". The version was even bootlegged as "Buddy Holly" and the corrected as Earl Sinks and the Crickets on a bootleg released in 6/95-A. 

WISHING (Buddy Holly/Bob Montgomery) Another old song, this was redone as a demo for the Everly Brothers. Handclaps were overdubbed by UNK on 1/7/58. Buddy harmonized with himself on it. Rhythm guitar overdubbed by UNK on 1/7/64. It was released on 7/29/63-S, 1/65-A.

Both were recorded at Petty's Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Buddy was himself on guitar, Tommy Allsup on lead guitar, George Atwood on bass and Glen "Bo" Clark on drums.

6/6-7/58 TAKE YOUR TIME (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty)

A LITTLE WHILE AGO (Carolyn Hester)

HURRY SANTA HURRY (Gordon Hester/Norman Petty)

CHRISTMAS IN KILLARNEY (Traditional arr. By Carolyn Hester)

Buddy plays guitar on recordings for Carolyn Hester (vocals). Also playing are George Atwood on bass and Jerry Allison on percussion. Unreleased songs.

6/UNK/58 IF I HAD KNOWN (Lloyd Call/Norman Petty) Released in 1958.

Buddy plays guitar on a recording for Ken James (vocals). Also playing are George Atwood on bass and Jerry Allison on percussion

LITTLE COWBOY (Lloyd Call/Norman Petty) Unreleased.

Buddy plays guitar on the background track for this song. Then Ken James (AKA Homer Tankersley) dubbed a vocal over it and finally the Roses dubbed their own recording over it.

Wed. 6/11/58 UNRECORDED: Buddy and Joe B. Mauldin appear on the Ted Randall Show on KPIX TV in San Francisco, California and were interviewed. The tape has not been released.

Thurs.6/19/58 EARLY IN THE MORNING (Bobby Darin/Woody Harris) Recorded from 8 to 10pm, Buddy called this his "finest recording". Released on 7/5/58-S, 3/59-A. Still tied to his Atco Records contract, Bobby Darin approached Brunswick Records with this song. Brunswick decided to release it as performed by the "Ding Dongs". Atco discovered the deception and threatened a lawsuit. Brunswick turned over the masters but rushed Buddy into the studio to "cover" the record using the same musicians and background singers. Listen to the two versions. They are very similar. I think Buddy outsang Bobby too, which was no mean feat as Bobby was considered one of the best of all time. Later Atco released Bobby's version as peformed by the "Rinky Dinks".

NOW WE'RE ONE (Bobby Darin) Take 5 was released. A fragmented take also exists and has been released. Released on 7/5/58-S, 3/59-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Both songs were recorded at the Pythian Temple studio in New York City for Coral Records. The musicians were the Dick Jacobs Orchestra consisting of Al Chernet and George Barnes on guitar, David "Panama" Francis and Philip Kraus on percussion, Sanford Bloch on bass, Sam Taylor on sax and Ernest Hayes on piano. Both songs featured female background singers for the first time in Buddy's career. They were the Helen Way Singers. Earlier today Buddy went to a jewelry store and purchased an engagement ring for Maria Elena Santiago for $550.

Fri.7/4/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start an 11 date "Summer Dance Party" tour in Angola, Indiana. Also touring is Tommy Allsup and his Western Swing Band.

Sat. 7/12/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the Rothchild Pavilion in Wausau, Wisconsin.

Sun. 7/13/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the Crystal Rock in Rhinelander, Wisconsin.

7/UNK/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets perform at the Electric Park Ballroom in Waterloo, Iowa. Fan Dick Cole is permitted to shoot pictures backstage where he shoots the famous picture of Buddy tuning his acoustic Gibson guitar while sitting on a chest freezer. Maria Elena said it was her favorite picture of Buddy.

Fri. 8/15/58 UNRECORDED: Buddy marries Maria Elena Santiago at the Holley home at 1606 39th Street in Lubbock, Texas. The Reverend Ben Johnson of the Tabernacle Baptist Church married them.

Mon.9/1/58 "JINGLES" (Buddy Holly/Jerry Allison/Norman Petty-Charles Hardin/Norman Petty) Buddy cuts 2 jingles at Lubbock's radio station KLLL. One is to the tune of "Peggy Sue" and one to the tune of "Everyday". The "Everyday" jingle can be heard in the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story". Released in 5/80-S and bootlegged in 6/95-A.  

Sun. 9/7/58 I SENT YOU ROSES (Jerry Engler)

WHAT-A YOU GONNA DO? (Jerry Engler)

Buddy plays guitar and chimes on recordings by Jerry Engler (vocals). Recorded at Petty’s Studio in Clovis, New Mexico. Both songs have been released in 1966.

Wed.9/10/58 COME BACK BABY (Norman Petty/Fred Neil) Released in 5/64-A.

REMINISCING ("King Curtis" Ousley) Released on 8/20/62-S and 2/63-A after Norman Petty had the Fireballs overdub instruments on 10/24/62. The Picks added vocal harmonies on 6/29/84.

Both were recorded at Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico with Buddy on guitar, Joe Mauldin on bass, Jerry Allison on drums and King Curtis on tenor sax.

JOLE BLON (Harry Choates/York) Waylon Jennings’ first solo singing attempt, it was produced by Buddy Holly in one take.

WHEN SIN STOPS (Bob Venable) Waylon Jennings’ first solo singing attempt. Produced by Buddy Holly in 6 takes, 3 have not been released.

Both songs were recorded at Petty’s Nor Va Jak Studios in Clovis, New Mexico at the same session. Buddy played guitar on both recordings. Both songs are bootlegged. The instrumental background and the complete version of "When Sin Stops" are bootlegged in 6/95-A. Two takes. Released in 1959-S, 5/64-A & 2/82/A.

Tues. 9/23/58 ALAN FREED TV SHOW INTERVIEW : Buddy goes to WNEW-TV Studios in New York to do Alan’s show. The tape was broadcast on 10/2/58 and exists today. It has been released.

UNK/58 STAY CLOSE TO ME (Buddy Holly) According to Maria Elena, Buddy recorded a demo of this song in their apartment in Greenwich Village, New York City. She said it was her favorite of all the songs he demoed at home. The tape has been lost if it was recorded.

UNK/58 "BUDDY AND ELENA" Buddy records himself and Maria singing together in their Greenwich Village, New York City apartment. Buddy attempts to sing "Maria Elena" (an actual song) in Spanish. If the tapes were made, as Maria says they were, they are lost and have not surfaced.

Tues.9/30/58 STAY CLOSE TO ME (Buddy Holly) Released in 2/81-A. There were 7 false starts and 4 takes of this song. Take 4 has been released. A false start and Take 4 were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

DON'T CHA KNOW (Phil Everly) There were 3 false starts and 3 takes. One of the takes was released in 1959-S,2/81-A. Others were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Buddy's protege, Lou Giordano's first solo singing attempt, produced by Buddy Holly. Buddy also played guitar on the recordings. Buddy and Phil Everly sang background vocals on "Don't Cha Know". Both songs were recorded at the Beltone Studios in New York City.

Thurs. 10/2/58 IT'S SO EASY (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty) Buddy appears on the Alan Freed TV show on WNEW-TV in New York City. He lip-synchs this song and then is interviewed. During the interview, they discuss flying. Interview was released in 2/81-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Fri. 10/3/58 UNRECORDED: The Crickets start the 19 date "The Biggest Show of Stars for 1958 - Autumn Edition" tour at the Auditorium in Worcester, Massachusetts.

Tues.10/21/58 IT DOESN'T MATTER ANYMORE (Paul Anka) Recorded in 1 take at 8pm. According to Dick Jacobs, Buddy rushed in at 5pm (with the session planned for 8pm) and said "Paul Anka just wrote this great song and we have to record it!" Dick had to get arrangements for the orchestra ready in less than 3 hours. Released on 1/5/59-S, 3/59-A.

TRUE LOVE WAYS (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty) Some people call this Buddy’s finest recording. It was released in 3/59-A, 6/29/60-S. The Picks added background vocals on 6/28/84.

RAINING IN MY HEART (Boudeleux and Felice Bryant) Originally written for the Everly Brothers, Buddy called it the "best record I’ve ever made." Released on 1/5/59-S, 3/59-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

MOONDREAMS (Norman Petty) Released in 3/60-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

This is the order in which the songs were recorded. All the songs were recorded at the Pythian Temple studio in New York City with the Dick Jacobs Orchestra. These were Buddy’s first and only stereo recordings, although no one knew that they could be in stereo until the masters were found ten years later. They were recorded on a three-track recorder, which enabled a stereo mix. When they were finally made into stereo, the master of "Raining In My Heart" could not be found. Musicians were: Violinists Sylvan Shulman, Leo Kruczek, Leonard Posner, Irving Spice, Ray Free, Herbert Bourne, Julius Held, and Paul Winter; Viola players David Schwartz and Howard Kay; Cellists Maurice Brown and Maurice Bialin; Harpist Doris Johnson; Guitarist Al Caiola; Bassist Sanford Bloch; Pianist Ernest Hayes; Drummer Clifford Leeman; and Tenor Sax player Abraham "Boomie" Richman. Maria Elena attended the sessions and told Buddy that "True Love Ways" was her favorite.

Fri. 10/24/58 UNRECORDED: The tour ends at the Mosque in Richmond, Virginia.

Sat. 10/25/58 IT'S SO EASY (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty) Buddy alone appears on "The Dick Clark Saturday Night Beechnut Show" at WFIL-TV Studios, Philadelphia, Pennsylvannia. He lip-synchs the song. It's unknown if a kinescope exists. Unreleased.

Tues.10/28/58 IT'S SO EASY (Buddy Holly/Norman Petty)

HEARTBEAT (Bob Montgomery/Norman Petty)

Buddy and the Crickets appear on the "American Bandstand" show and lip-synch these songs. It is their last TV appearance. Buddy and Jerry are interviewed by Dick Clark about the formation of the Crickets. A kinescope of the show exists. Unreleased. The interview is released in 2/81-A. "It's So Easy" is bootlegged.

Wed. 12/3/58 THAT'S WHAT THEY SAY (Buddy Holly) Three takes/versions. Two have been released. One was released in 3/60-A and the other was bootlegged in 6/95-A.

WHAT TO DO (Buddy Holly) Released on 3/15/65-S, 3/60-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Buddy tapes demos of songs he had written on an Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder in his Greenwich Village, New York City apartment at 11 Fifth Avenue. He got the recorder from Norman Petty after Norman had upgraded his studio equipment in Clovis, New Mexico. Buddy played his new Gibson acoustic guitar. On 1/19/60 Jack Hansen overdubbed instruments using studio musicians on Buddy's two demos. On 10/11/63 Norman Petty used the Fireballs to do the same at his Clovis, New Mexico studio. The Picks added background vocals on 6/28/84. Both songs are bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Fri. 12/5/58 PEGGY SUE GOT MARRIED (Buddy Holly) Buddy wrote this following a suggestion from his father to do a follow-up or sequel to "Peggy Sue". He recorded this demo in his Greenwich Village, New York City apartment on his Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder. On 6/30/59, Jack Hansen used the Dick Jacobs orchestra and the Ray Charles Singers to overdub instruments and background vocals onto it. They used Coral Records Studio A, New York City. On 10/11/63 Norman Petty had the Fireballs overdub instruments onto the demo. Released on 7/20/59-S, 3/60-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A. In 1995, the Hollies removed the instruments, played their own and overdubbed their own vocals onto Buddy’s for a tribute album.

Mon. 12/8/58 THAT MAKES IT TOUGH (Buddy Holly) Buddy recorded this demo in his Greenwich Village, New York City apartment on his Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder. On 1/19/60 Jack Hansen overdubbed instruments using studio musicians on Buddy’s demo. On 10/11/63 Norman Petty used the Fireballs to do the same at his Clovis, New Mexico studio. Released on 6/29/60-S, 3/60-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A. This was called Buddy’s last recording when it was played at the end of the film, "The Real Buddy Holly Story".

Sun. 12/14/58 CRYING, WAITING, HOPING (Buddy Holly) Buddy recorded this demo in his Greenwich Village, New York City apartment on his Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder. On 6/30/59, Jack Hansen used the Dick Jacobs orchestra and the Ray Charles Singers to overdub instruments and background vocals onto it. They used Coral Records Studio A, New York City. On 10/11/63 Norman Petty used the Fireballs to do the same at his Clovis, New Mexico studio. Released on 7/20/59-S, 3/60-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

Wed.12/17/58 LEARNING THE GAME (Buddy Holly) Buddy recorded this demo in his Greenwich Village, New York City apartment on his Ampex reel-to-reel tape recorder. On 1/19/60 Jack Hansen overdubbed instruments using studio musicians on Buddy's demo. On 10/11/63 Norman Petty used the Fireballs to do the same at his Clovis, New Mexico studio. Released on 6/30/59-S, 3/60-A. Bootlegged in 6/95-A.

12/58 I KNOW I'LL HAVE THE BLUES AGAIN (UNK) This song was listed as an "Apartment Tapes" song in one source. I can find no confirmation of it elsewhere. Sometimes bootleggers didn't know the real names of songs and put down what they thought was the actual title. This could have been the case here. I list it with a big question mark. It was bootlegged on the album "Apartment Demos". An untitled acoustic instrumental is bootlegged on "The Famous Buddy Holly Apartment Tapes" and this could be the same song.

Thurs.12/25/58 "CHRISTMAS AT HOME" A home movie is shot of Buddy enjoying Christmas at his folk's home in Lubbock, Texas. He is seen sitting on a sofa watching as kids open their presents.

Sat. 12/27/58 YOU'RE THE ONE (Buddy Holly/Waylon Jennings/Ray "Slim" Corbin) While home for Christmas, Buddy visits Lubbock radio station KLLL. He is challenged to write a song in 30 minutes. This is the result. A quick "demo" is made at the studio with Buddy on guitar and Waylon and Ray, who were DJs there, adding "percussion" in the background. One claps his hands in the 1-2, 1 beat and the other plays "drums" on his knees, (ala Jerry Allison in "Everyday") with one knee serving as the ride cymbal. They are given co-writing status because of their "contributions" to the song. In late 1968, Norman Petty overdubbed his new analogue synthesizer with a string effect using other studio musicians on Buddy's demo. Released on 3/17/69-S, 5/65-A. The undubbed version was bootlegged in 6/95-A.

UNK/58 MORE AND MORE (UNK) Buddy and Waylon Jennings record another demo. Waylon sings and plays guitar and Buddy plays guitar only. The recording has not been released.

Sat. 12/27/58 UNRECORDED: Buddy does a live remote at the Morris Fruit & Vegetable Store in Lubbock for radio station KLLL of Lubbock, Texas.

                                             1959

1/1-20/59 LOVE IS STRANGE (Ethel Smith/Mickey Baker/Robinson) In late 1968, Norman Petty overdubbed his new analogue synthesizer with a string effect using other studio musicians on Buddy’s demo. Released on 3/17/69-S, 1/69-A. Undubbed version was bootlegged.

SMOKEY JOE’S CAFE (Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller) In late ’65, Norman Petty had the Fireballs overdub instruments on. One source says on 8/22/68 Jack Hansen overdubbed instruments using studio musicians on Buddy’s demo. Released in 1/69-A.

SLIPPIN’ AND SLIDIN’ (Richard Penniman/Edwin J. Bocage/Albert Collins/Floyd Smith) On 11/14/62 Jack Hansen overdubbed instruments using studio musicians on Buddy’s demo. He did another overdub on 8/22/68. Norman Petty overdubbed the Fireballs in Clovis, New Mexico in 1962. Released on 3/15/65-S, 2/63-A. Takes 1 (incomplete) and 2 (incomplete) of a slow version and Take 1 of a fast version and another take were all eventually released and bootlegged.

DROWN IN MY OWN TEARS (Henry Glover) Only a fragment of this Ray Charles song exists.

DEAREST (AKA "Ummm, Oh Yeah") (Ellas McDaniel/Prentice Polk/Mickey Baker) Norman Petty had the Fireballs overdub instruments on Buddy’s demo on 11/11/63. Jack Hansen then did it on 8/22/68. Released on 12/13/63-S, 5/64-A. An incomplete take, a false start and a second version or take were eventually released. An undubbed version and Takes 1 and 2 were bootlegged.

WAIT ‘TIL THE SUN SHINES NELLIE (Andrew Sterling/Harry Von Tilzer) Overdubbed by Jack Hansen on 11/14/62. Petty overdubbed the Fireballs in Clovis, New Mexico in 1962. Released on 8/20/62-S, 2/63-A.

LEAVE MY WOMAN ALONE (AKA "Buddy’s Guitar" and "Untitled Instrumental") (Ray Charles) This instrumental version of a Ray Charles song is included on a Buddy Holly bootleg with the above group of songs. Whether or not it came from the same session, I don’t know. In late 1968, Norman Petty overdubbed his new analogue synthesizer with a string effect using other studio musicians on Buddy's demo. Released on 3/17/69-S, 1/69-A. Undubbed version was bootlegged.

These are all demo songs Buddy recorded in his New York apartment 4H at the Brevoort, 11 Fifth Avenue, New York, New York. All of them were bootlegged in 6/95-A.

1/UNK/59 "REHEARSAL TAPES" Buddy, Waylon Jennings, Tommy Allsup and Carl Bunch rehearsed songs in Buddy's Greenwich Village, New York City apartment. According to Maria Elena, Buddy taped some songs. It is unknown if the tapes exist or were actually recorded.

Tues. 1/20/59 UNRECORDED: Management problems following his marriage to Maria Elena Santiago lead to a split with the Crickets. This resulted in royalty disputes and a hectic tour of the Mid-west (with a new backing group comprised of Waylon Jennings on bass, Tommy Allsup on lead guitar and Carl Bunch on drums) to ease resulting cashflow problems. Buddy and his band leave New York City by train (not bus as portrayed in the movie) for Chicago. In Chicago they meet up with other artists and set out by bus for Wisconsin.

Fri. 1/23/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform in Milwaukee, Wisconsin at the Million Dollar Ballroom as the famous last tour begins. Buddy has as his backup band Tommy Allsup on lead guitar, Waylon Jennings on bass and Carl Bunch on drums. Also on the tour were Ritchie Valens, the Big Bopper, Dion, and Frankie Sardo. Buddy's band backed up all the acts. They didn't have a full orchestra with strings and horns as portrayed in the movie, "The Buddy Holly Story". During the performance, with the amps turned all the way up to combat the cheering crowd, Buddy turned four times and yelled something to Waylon, who couldn't hear him. Finally he walked back to Waylon and said, "Turn that goddamn bass down!" According to Carl Bunch, the following songs were performed on "most of our sets":

Sat. 1/24/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the Eagles Club in Kenosha, Wisconsin. Frankie, the Big Bopper and Buddy had their picture taken with some local people, probably DJs.

Sun. 1/25/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the Kato Ballroom in Mankato, Minnesota. Buddy telephones Maria and tells her he's been talking with Ritchie Valens about producing him and that he'd like to try some Spanish songs himself with English lyrics. Ritchie also talked to Maria.

Mon. 1/26/59 "MESSAGE TO RITCHIE'S MOM" Ritchie Valens had a small portable reel-to-reel tape recorder along on the trip and on the way to Eau Claire, Wisconsin he starts to record a message to send home to his mother, Concepcion "Connie" Valenzuela. He started going from seat to seat, asking everyone to say something to his mother. They all did, including Buddy. It's unknown if the tape exists or if it went down in the plane crash with Ritchie.

Mon. 1/26/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at Fournier's Ballroom in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Tonight Buddy performs seven songs: "Gotta Travel On", "Peggy Sue", "That'll Be The Day", "Heartbeat", "Be Bop a Lulu", "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", and "It Doesn't Matter Anymore". Drummer Carl Bunch leaves his gray and black stage clothes somewhere, meaning that for the rest of the tour the band has only one outfit.

Tues. 1/27/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the Fiesta Ballroom in Montevideo, Minnesota. Buddy and Waylon Jennings do "Salty Dog Blues" together on stage.

Wed. 1/28/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the Prom Ballroom in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Thurs.1/29/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the Capitol Ballroom in Davenport, Iowa.

Fri. 1/30/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the Laramar Ballroom in Fort Dodge, Iowa. On the way, the bus heater completely goes out. Buddy and Dion huddle under a blanket. They make a stop in Tipton, Iowa for repairs. Many musicians start talking about chartering a plane.

Sat. 1/31/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the National Guard Armory in Duluth, Minnesota. Just as they pull into town, the bus breaks down. Attending the dance is a young Robert Zimmerman, who will change his name to Bob Dylan. Jimmy Bowen, who also recorded at Petty's studio, attended. He was playing clubs in the Midwest. Ritchie brings up chartering a plane again, but a replacement bus is found. Its heater also goes out.

Sun. 2/1/59 UNRECORDED: The tour is supposed to stop at the Cinderella Ballroom in Appleton, Wisconsin for an afternoon matinee, but it is cancelled after the bus breaks down. Carl Bunch, the drummer, is taken to the Grand View Hospital in Ironwood, Minnesota suffering from frostbite. Trying to get to their evening performance in Green Bay, Wisconsin, the tour boards a train. When they perform at the Riverside Ballroom in Green Bay, Ritchie plays drums for Buddy, Buddy plays for Dion, and Dion plays for Ritchie. After the show, Buddy phones his mother. The repaired bus arrives to take the group to Clear Lake, Iowa.

Mon. 2/2/59 UNRECORDED: Buddy and the "Winter Dance Party" tour perform at the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa. The admission price is upped to $1.25 from its normal $.75. They arrive at the ballroom at 7:30pm and have to perform at 8:00pm. Buddy calls Maria and Ritchie also calls home. Buddy makes arrangements to charter a small plane after the dance to take him and his band to Fargo so they can rest and do their laundry. In the show, Frankie Sardo opens with "Fake Out" and is followed by the "Big Bopper" who does "Chantilly Lace". Then Ritchie Valens comes on and does "Come On Let’s Go", "Donna" and "To Know Him Is To Love Him". He closes the first act with "La Bamba". At this point, according to Mason City radio station KRIB DJ Bob Hale, the following happens backstage during intermission. Ritchie begs Tommy Allsup to give up his plane seat. After arguing to no avail, he says, "I’ll tell you what. Let’s flip for it." Tommy agrees. Neither has a coin in their stage clothes pockets, so Bob Hale says, "I have a quarter, Ritchie. You call it." Ritchie says, "Heads." Hale flips and it is heads. He says, "OK, Ritchie. You’re flying." Years later Allsup opens a bar calling it the "Heads Up Saloon" in honor of his lucky coin toss. Dion opens the second show or "act". He does "Teenager In Love", "The Wanderer" among other songs. Buddy goes on the stage and does "Gotta Travel On", "Peggy Sue", "That’ll Be The Day", "Rave On", "Heartbeat" and "Everyday". (Not necessarily in that order.) The other numbers are not known. At the end of the show, Buddy calls Ritchie and the "Bopper" back on stage to sing "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man" together with him. Ritchie closes the show with a repeat of "La Bamba". It is midnight and the dance is over.

Tues. 2/3/59 UNRECORDED: After the dance, bassist Waylon Jennings gives his seat to J.P. Richardson, who had the flu. Waylon jokes, "I hope you crash!" The plane takes off in a snowstorm from Mason City, Iowa. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, J.P. Richardson and the pilot, Roger Peterson, are killed when their small Beechcraft Bonanza plane crashes into a field outside of Clear Lake, Iowa. This day becomes known as "The Day The Music Died" because of Don McLean’s "American Pie" record years later. A false claim has circulated that the airplane was called "The American Pie".  The plane, chartered through Dwyer’s Flying Service in Mason City, Iowa, was simply a small red and white single engine four-seater Beechcraft Bonanza with no additional name painted on it. Its wing had the registration number, N3794N on it. They left the Mason City Municipal airport shortly after 1 a.m.

From the Mason City paper is the following report: "The plane crashed about seven miles northwest of the airport. The trip to Fargo was expected to take about 3 1/2 hours. When no word of the plane's arrival was heard, Jerry Dwyer, owner of the flying service, set out to look for the party. He was delayed several hours because of early morning fog. Dwyer discovered the wreckage on the Albert Juhl farm at about 9:30 a.m. It was obvious that the pilot had been flying on a straight northwest line and was at a very low angle to the ground when he hit. The field slopes slightly toward the northwest. The left wing of the plane seemingly struck the ground and plowed a furrow for about a dozen feet before it crumpled and the body of the plane hit. It dug a shallow depression in the stubble field and the wing fell off as the rest of the plane bounced. It struck the ground again about 50 feet farther northwest and then skidded on the ground about two city blocks until it piled up against a fence. The wreckage was a jumbled mass, which would not have been recognized as a plane. Along the skid path small bits of the plane and its contents were strewn. There was a man's shoe, a traveling bag and small pieces of the plane, including parts of the instrument panel. The bag was the largest piece except for the wing, the jumble against the fence and three bodies. One body was broken and entangled in the wreckage. Two bodies were lying about 12 feet south and southwest of the plane. Another body was lying about 40 feet northwest of the plane. No bodies were positively identified at the scene. Newsmen and others were barred from the scene until 11:30 a.m. after Dr. Ralph E. Smiley, acting coroner, arrived. Authorities do not yet know the cause of the accident. Some believe, however, that ice may have formed on the wings or windshield making a forced landing necessary. Dwyer said he didn't have the ‘faintest idea’ why the plane crashed. He said the craft was in good condition. He said Peterson was a competent pilot and weather conditions were favorable for flying. He estimated that the plane crashed only "a couple of minutes" after taking off. Dwyer said that Peterson did not file a flight plan. Dwyer became worried when Peterson failed to report back from Fargo and checked other airports in Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakota area. The bodies were taken to funeral homes in Clear Lake. Two investigators from the Civil Aeronautics Administration were sent from Des Moines to investigate the cause of the accident. The booking firm said when other artists heard of the deaths, they volunteered to keep the tour going. These included Bill Haley and his Comets, Bill Parsons, and Frankie Avalon - all rock 'n' roll favorites."

The Crickets (Jerry Allison, Joe B. Mauldin, Sonny Curtis and singer Earl Sinks) continued to record and tour. Jerry Naylor replaced Earl Sinks in 1961. Gordon Payne replaced Naylor in the 1980s.

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