Buddy Holly - The Complete Buddy Holly (Purple Chick) (10-Disc Set + DVD)

Thoughts While Standing At Buddy Holly's Tomb

Only Buddy Holly's
dust rests here
with all his
youthful dreams
just some remnants
of the fifties
from a plane burst
at the seams.
Oh Lord, how that
aircraft tumbled
nose to tail,
and tail to nose,
how those boys
last prayer's were mumbled
then they screamed
at fate's cruel blows.
leaving broken bodies
scattered
all across the
once white snow,
east of nowhere long ago...

Buddy Holly would have turned eighty-two today.

Almost sixty years gone now... and Charles Hardin Holley's legacy and influence in rock - and in music as a whole - remains unassailable to this day. Every major artist that has since followed in his wake - The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, The Clash, and of course The Beatles - and every major rock movement - the British Invasion, surf rock, the folk-rock explosion, punk, alternative - owes a large part of their very existence to this unassuming yet brilliant and driven young man from Lubbock, Texas.

I think of all the rock pioneers and icons who left this world well before their time (Bobby Fuller, Otis Redding, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain, Jeff Buckley, and many, many more (unfortunately)), Buddy Holly was the one with the most unrealized potential.  I mean, heck, just consider this: the guy went from relatively simplistic teenybopper stuff like "That'll Be The Day" and "Maybe Baby"... to complex, melodic and thoughtful songs like "Well... All Right" and "True Love Ways"... in little over two years of active recording. Personally, I find the rate and level of the evolution of his art and musical sophistication astonishing - rivaled only by that of The Beatles (admitted Holly disciples) during their seven years as recording artists. And yet there were four of them - while he sometimes worked with songwriting partners, Buddy was essentially a solo artist.

Holly had dreams and ambitions far beyond just being a rock singer. Many of the frustrations in his early career stemmed from his lack of creative control over his music (a circumstance that contributed to his break from his first band, The Crickets, in 1958). More and more, he began managing his own musical direction, taking tentative steps into Latin-influnced sounds ("Take Your Time") and easy listening ("True Love Ways", "Moondreams"). Holly also began producing music, arranging sessions for his Lubbock friend Waylon Jennings and for his young 'discovery' Lou Giordano.

And still, Buddy yearned to do more on the production side. Late in 1958, he'd purchased land back in Texas and had drawn up plans for his own recording studio, and had already signed on many of his musician friends as staff (it was rumored that, once he got back off the Winter Dance Party tour in early 1959, one of the first artists he planned on recording at his new facility would have been Ritchie Valens...). And his music ambitions kept on expanding. He dreamed of recording with R&B giant Ray Charles (even at one point going out to California to seek him out - unfortunately, Charles was away on tour; can you IMAGINE what that collaboration would have been like?) and gospel great Mahalia Jackson.

In short, as great as he was even in the late 1950s, Buddy Holly was nowhere near reaching the height of his powers. I sometimes think about what could have happened had he not boarded that Iowa plane in February 1959 - more spectacular songs from him; forays into folk and country; playing with Dylan; collaborating with The Stones; even producing The Beatles! I am convinced that Holly would have remained a force in music for decades to come, and if he was still alive today, he'd be celebrated as the singular "elder statesman of rock".

But alas, none of that was destined to be. What a loss to music, and to the world.

On that tragic day
the music died
when the world
forever was denied
what could have been,
great songs unwritten
such promise in
a blizzard smitten
time stole what still
can't be forgiven,
three stars who still
had so much living
all vanished when their
plane was stricken,
leaving flesh remains,
torn and frostbitten.

But what will truly
be their legacy,
lies in the songs
that musically
still have us
humming them daily,
when radio stations
dust off tracks
that hold the gold....
today's songs lack,
then sadly we'll
go drifting back
not to Buddy's tomb,
but to his tunes.

The compilation offered here, The Complete Buddy Holly, was assembled by the Purple Chick collective of music fans in 2005. Here's a concise description of this offering, taken from the online magazine Big O Worldwide:

...Its comprehensiveness [of this set] rivals the official MCA 6-LP box set, The Complete Buddy Holly, first released in 1981 and long out-of-print. The MCA set has never been issued on CD.

Like the official LP box set, Purple Chick cover the same ground but offer the extras of alternates, demos, home recordings, live performances and radio spots that MCA decided to overlook. In general, what you get are Holly’s Nashville sessions with his friend Bob Montgomery that later was posthumously released as Holly In The Hills [1965], the demos for Decca, the Clovis recordings, the first sessions with Norman Petty in 1957 and the sessions that resulted in the three albums released in his lifetime.

Holly’s final demos, often called the Apartment Tapes, are also here. These were first overdubbed by Norman Petty using a Texas band called The Fireballs when new Holly material was needed.

The extra mile Purple Chick have taken are to assemble sessions produced by Buddy Holly for his friends including Sonny Curtis, Waylon Jennings, Carolyn Hester and Harry Nilsson and also those on which he played in [Buddy For Others Pt 1 and 2]. There are also two CDs worth of songs from Holly’s record collection, we presume to give the listener an idea of what influenced Holly. There is also a disc of interviews with Buddy Holly that includes various newscasts about the plane crash.

And as an added bonus, there's an eleventh disc full of video recordings of and about Buddy Holly - basically every important existing video featuring him.

Here's the entire Purple Chick set lineup, noting songs and sources; I've included some notes from the original Purple Chick release (marked as such below):

Volume One

1: My Two Timin' Woman (Snow)

- c.1949: Home Recording, 3315, 36th Street, Lubbock, Texas; Buddy Holly: vocal, acoustic guitar

2: I 'll Just Pretend (Martin)
3: Take These Shackles From My Heart (King-Stewart)

- c. 1952: Home Recording, 3315, 36th Street, Lubbock, Texas; Bob Montgomery (poss. Jack Neal): lead vocal, guitar; Buddy Holly: second vocal, mandolin

4: Footprints In The Snow (Jones)

- c:1953: (Prob.) Home Recording, 3315, 36th Street, Lubbock, Texas; Bob Montgomery: lead vocal, guitar; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar

5: Gotta Get You Near Me Blues+ (Montgomery)
6: Flower Of My Heart* (Montgomery-Guess)
7: Door To My Heart* (Montgomery)
8: I Gambled My Heart+ (Holly-Montgomery)
9: Soft Place In My Heart+ (Montgomery)
10: Gotta Get You Near Me Blues+ (Montgomery)

- c. late 1954/April 1955: Nesman Recording Studio - Wichita Falls, Texas; Bob Montgomery: lead vocal, acoustic guitar; Buddy Holly: duet vocal, electric lead guitar; Sonny Curtis: fiddle; Larry Welborn: bass on *; Don Guess: steel guitar on *, bass on +; 6-10: plus overdubs: 6 October, 1963 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar, Stan Lark: bass; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Lyn Bailey: bass; Doug Roberts: drums)

11: You And I Are Through* (Montgomery)
12: Memories (Montgomery)
13: You And I Are Through* (Montgomery)
14: Baby It's Love (Bob Montgomery-Ella Holley)
15: Memories (Montgomery)
16: Queen Of The Ballroom (Don Guess)

- August, 1955: KDAV Studio - Lubbock, Texas; Bob Montgomery: lead vocal, acoustic guitar; Buddy Holly: duet vocal, second lead guitar; Sonny Curtis: fiddle, lead guitar on *; Don Guess: bass; 13-16: plus overdubs: 26 June 1964 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark or Lyn Bailey: bass; Doug Roberts or Eric Budd: drums)

17: Baby Let's Play House (Gunter)
18: Down The Line (Holly-Montgomery)
19: Baby Let's Play House (Gunter)
20: Down The Line (Holly-Montgomery)

- Mid 1955: Nesman Recording Studio - Wichita Falls, Texas; Buddy Holly: lead vocal, acoustic guitar; Bob Montgomery: vocal and guitar on *; Sonny Curtis: lead guitar; Larry Welborn: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; 19-20: plus overdubs: June 1964 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts or Eric Budd: drums)

21: Moonlight Baby (Holly) (aka Baby Won't You Come Out Tonight)
22:1 Guess I Was A Fool (Holly)
23: Don't Come Back Knockin' (Holly-Parrish)
24: Love Me (Holly-Parrish)

- 7 December, 1955: Nesman Recording Studio - Wichita Falls, Texas; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Sonny Curtis: lead guitar; Don Guess: bass; Jerry Allison: drums (These acetates were sent to Decca in response to a telegram from Eddie Crandall to Dave Stone)

25: Love Me (Holly-Parrish) (Take 10)
26: Don't Come Back Knockin' (Holly-Parrish)
27: Midnight Shift (Lee-Ainsworth)
28: Blue Days, Black Nights (Hall)

- 26 January, 1956: Bradley's Barn Studio - Music Row, Nashville, Tennessee (Owen Bradley: producer); Buddy Holly: vocal; Sonny Curtis: lead guitar; Grady Martin: rhythm guitar; Don Guess: bass; Doug Kirkham: percussion

29: Baby Won't You Come Out Tonight+ (Holly)
30: I Guess I Was Just A Fool+ ~Holly)
31: It's Not My Fault (Hall-Myrick)
32: I'm Gonna Set My Foot Down*+ (Holly)
33: Changin' All Those Changes*+ (Holly)
34: Rock-A-Bye Rock+ (Holly)
35: Because I Love You+ (Holly)

- February-April, 1956: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Sonny Curtis: guitar, lead guitar on *; Don Guess: bass; Jerry Allison: drums on +

Volume Two

1: Baby Won't You Come Out Tonight (Holly)
2: Because I Love You (Holly)
3: Changin' All Those Changes (Holly)
4: I 'm Gonna Set My Foot Down (Holly)
5: It's Not My Fault (Hall-Myrick)
6: Rock-A-Bye Rock (Holly)

- Feb-Apr 1956 session from disc 1 plus overdubs: 14 November 1962 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts or Eric Budd: drums)

7: Rock Around With Ollie Vee (Curtis) (fragment)
8: Rock Around With Ollie Vee (Curtis) (take 8)
9: I'm Changin' All Those Changes* (Holly) (take 3 fragment)
10: I'm Changin' All Those Changes* (Holly) (take 4)
11: That'll Be The Day (Alllson-Holly-Petty) (take 19)
12: Girl On My Mind (Guess) (take 3)
13: Ting-A-Ling (Nugetre) (take 7)

- 22 July, 1956: Bradley's Barn Studio - Music Row, Nashville, Tennessee (Owen Bradley: producer); Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Sonny Curtis: guitar, lead on *; Don Guess: bass; Jerry Allison: drums

14: Rock Around With Ollie Vee (Curtis) (take 12)
15: Modern Don Juan (Guess-Neil) (take 76 [sic])
16: You're My One Desire (Guess) (false start)
17: You're My One Desire (Guess) (take 2)

- 15 Nov, 1956: Bradley's Barn Studio - Music Row, Nashville, Tennessee (Owen Bradley: producer); Buddy Holly: vocal; Harold Bradley: guitar; Grady Martin: guitar; Don Guess: bass; Floyd Cramer: piano; Farris Coursey: drums; E.R. "Dutch" McMillin: saxophone

18: Gone (Rogers) (version one)
19: Gone (Rogers) (version two)
20: Gone (Rogers) (version three)
21: Have You Ever Been Lonely (De Rose-Brown) (version one)
22: Have You Ever Been Lonely (De Rose-Brown) (version two)
23: Have You Ever Been Lonely (De Rose Brown) (version three)
24: Have You Ever Been Lonely (De Rose-Brown) (version four)
25: Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (Berry)
26: Good Rockin' Tonight (Brown)
27: Rip It Up (Marascalco-Blackwell)
28: Blue Monday (Bartholomew-Domino)
29: Honky Tonk (Doggett-Shepard-Butler-Scott)
30: Blue Suede Shoes (Perkins)
31: Shake, Rattle and Roll (Calhoun)
32: Bo Diddley (McDaniel)
33: Ain't Got No Home (Henry)
34: Holly Hop (Holley)
35: Gone (Rogers) (version three)
36: Rip It Up (Marascalco-Blackwell)
37: Honky Tonk (Doggett-Shepard-Butler-Scott)
38: Blue Suede Shoes (Perkins)
39: Shake, Rattle and Roll (Calhoun)
40: Have You Ever Been Lonely (De Rose-Brown) (version one)
41: Good Rockin' Tonight (Brown)
42: Blue Monday (Bartholomew-Domino)
43: Ain't Got No Home (Henry)
44: Holly Hop (Holley)

- November-December, 1956: (Poss.) Home Recording - 1926, 19th Street, Lubbock, Texas; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Jerry Allison: drums and vocals; (Poss.) Don Guess: bass; 35-39: plus overdubs: 10/11 October, 1963 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts: drums); Vi Petty: piano; 40-44: plus overdubs: 22 August, 1968 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Lyn Bailey or Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts: drums)

Original Purple Chick notes:  "Space here to tell you a little about this collection. Over a year in the making, we snagged everything we could find from numerous sources, including What You Been A Missin' and The Music Never Died. One thing we didn't include was any of the "Picks" vocal overdubs from the 1980s, frankly because we think they suck. You can find them on all manner of budget CDs. But you really don't want to. Tracks making their CD debut include the 7" versions of "Wait Til The Sun Shines Nellie", "Look At Me" and "Mailman...", and the 50s and 60s stereo mixes on Disc Nine.

As well as our new, previously unavailable stereo mixes, we managed to dig out one or two exclusives: "Take These Shackles..." on disc one is not only upgraded in sound, but appears without skips for the first time! Also making their bootleg debut (we think) are the BBC "Maybe Baby" and Florida "That'll Be The Day" fragments and the first version of "That's What They Say". We're not sure whether the Hightime fragment is lip-synched or sung live to the record, but it debuts here all the same.

We did minimal work on the source material if it warranted it - mostly de-clicking and speed-correction. Also, we fixed the tape glitch on the Palladium "Oh Boy" and combined two different sources of "My Two-Timin Woman" to get the longest version in best quality. When speed-corrected the Vigotone "Last Night" and "Send Me Some Lovin'" turn out not to be alternate takes, just undubbed."

Volume Three

1: Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (Berry)
2: Bo Diddley (McDaniel)
3: Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (Berry)
4: Bo Diddley (McDaniel)

- December 1956-January 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Larry Welborn: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; unknown: guitar; 3-4: plus overdubs: 22 August, 1968 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts or Eric Budd: drums)

5: I'm Looking For Someone To Love (Holly-Petty)
6: That'll Be The Day (Allison-Holly-Petty)

- 25 February, 1957: Norman Petty Studios -1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Larry Welborn: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; Niki Sullivan, Gary Tollett and Ramona Tollett: backing vocals

7: Last Night (Petty-Mauldin)
8: Maybe Baby* (Holly-Petty)
9: Words Of Love (Holly)
10: Last Night+ (Petty-Mauldin)
11: Maybe Baby* (Holly-Petty)

- 12 March, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico;Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar, Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; Niki Sullivan: second vocal*; The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering, Bob Latham) backing vocals on + (dubbed 12-14 Oct '57); 11: plus overdubs: 15 March, 1966 - The Fireballs: (see above - Doug Roberts: drums)

12 Words Of Love* (Holly)
13: Mailman Bring Me No More Blues+ (Roberts-Katz-Clayton)
14: Mailman Bring Me No More Blues+ ((Roberts-Katz-Clayton)

- 8 April, 1957 Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal (double-tracked on *), guitar (double-tracked on *); Jerry Allison: drums; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Vi Petty: piano on +; 14: plus echo overdub for 7": October 1961: Decca Record Co., Ltd., 254 Belsize Road, London, England

15: Not Fade Away (Hardin-Petty) (incomplete alternate)
16: Not Fade Away+ (Hardin-Petty)
17: Everyday* (Hardin-Petty)

- 29 May, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Jerry Allison: cardboard-box (knee slapping on *); (Prob.) Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Vi Petty: celeste on *; Buddy Holly, Jerry Allison, Niki Sullivan: overdubbed vocals on +

18: Ready Teddy* (Blackwell-Marascalco)
19: Valley Of Tears# (Domino-Bartolomew)
20: Tell Me How+ (Hardin-Allison-Petty)

- May-July, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Niki Sullivan: guitar on * and +; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; Vi Petty: piano on * and #; Norman Petty: organ on #; The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering, Bob Latham) backing vocals on + (dubbed 12-14 Oct '57)

21: Peggy Sue (Holly-Allison-Petty) (alternate)
22: Peggy Sue (Holly-Allison-Petty)
23: Listen To Me* (Hardin-Petty)
24: That'll Be The Day - for Bob Thiele (Holly-Allison)
25: That'll Be The Day - for Murray Deutch (Holly-Allison)
26: That'll Be The Day - for Bill Randall (Holly-Allison)
27: Oh Boy (West-Tilghman-Petty)
28: Oh Boy+ (West-Tilghman-Petty)

- 30 June, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar (double-tracked v & g on *), Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering, Bob Latham) backing vocals on + (dubbed 19 August '57)

29: I'm Gonna Love You Too (Mauldin-Petty-Sullivan)

- 1 July, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: double-tracked vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin bass; Jerry Allison: drums; Cricket: chirp

30: Send Me Some Loving (Marascalco-Price)
31: It's Too Late (Willis)
32: Send Me Some Loving+ (Marascalco-Price)
33: It's Too Late+ (Willis)

- 20 July, 1957: Norman Petty Studios -1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering, Bob Latham) backing vocals on + (dubbed 12-14 Oct '57)

34: Am Empty Cup+ (Petty-Orbison)
35: Rock Me My Baby+ (Long-Heather)
36: You've Got Love+ (Wilson-Orbison-Petty)
37: Maybe Baby+ (Holly-Petty)

- 28-29 September, 1957: The Officers Club Lounge - Tinker U.S. Air Force Base, Oklahoma City, OK; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar, Niki Sullivan: guitar, Joe B. Mauldin: bass, Jerry Allison: drums; The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering, Bob Latham) backing vocals on + (dubbed 12-14 Oct '57)

38: That'll Be The Day (Holly-Allison-Petty) (fragment)

- 22 October, 1957: KPTV Hightime, Portland Oregon; Buddy Holly: mimed (double-tracked?) vocal; Joe B. Mauldin and Jerry Allison: mimed vocal

39: That'll Be The Day (Holly-Allison-Petty)
40: Peggy Sue (Holly-Allison-Petty)
41: Interview with Ed Sullivan

- 1 December, 1957: Ed Sullivan Show, CBS Television Studios, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; Niki Sullivan: guitar

Volume Four

1: Little Baby (Holly-Petty-Kendall)
2: (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care (Leiber-Stoller)
3: Look At Me (Holly-Petty-Allison)
4: Look At Me (Holly-Petty-Allison)

- 7 December, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin; bass, Jerry Allison: drums; C.W. Kendall Jr.: piano; 4: plus echo overdub for 7: October 1961: Decca Record Co. Ltd. 254 Belsize Road London England

5: Mona (McDaniel) (warm up)
6: Mona (McDaniel) (take one)
7. Mona (McDaniel) (take two)
8: Mona (McDaniel) (take three)

- December, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Jerry Allison: drums; guitar at beginning

9: Peggy Sue (Holly-Allison-Petty)

- 29 December, 1957: Arthur Murray Dance Party, TV Show - New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums

10: Rave On (West-Tilghman-Petty) (take 3)
11: That's My Desire (Kresa-Loveday) (rehearsal)
12: That's My Desire (Kresa-l.oveday) (take I - false start)
13: That's My Desire (Kresa-Loveday) (take 2 breakdown)
14: That's My Desire (Kresa-l.oveday) (take 3)
15: That s My Desire+ (Kresa-Loveday) (take 3)

- 25 January, 1958: Bell Sound Studios - 237 W. 54th Street, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; Norman Petty: piano; Al Caiola: lead guitar; Donald Arnone: rhythm guitar; The Jivetones: (William Marine, Robert Bollinger, Robert Harter, Abby Hoffer, Merrill Ostaus): backing vocals; 15: plus overdubs: 15 March 1966 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts: drums)

16: Oh Boy (West-Tilghman-Petty)

- 26 January, 1958: Ed Sullivan Show, CBS Television Studios, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums

17: Well... All Right (Holly-Allison-Petty-Mauldin)

- 12 February, 1958: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: cymbals

18: Take Your Time* (Holly-Petty) (take I breakdown)
19: Take Your Time* (Holly-Petty) (take 2 - breakdown)
20: Take Your Time* (Holly-Peity) (take 3)
21: Take Your Time* (Holly-Pelty) (take 4)
22: Fool's Paradise (Leglaire-Petty-l.insley) (take 1)
23: Fool's Paradise (Leglaire-Petty-Linsley) (take 2)
24: Fool's Paradise (I.eglaire-Petty-Linsley) (take 3)
25: Think It Over (Holly-Petty-Allison) (take 1 - false start)
26: Think It Over (Holly-Petty-Allison) (take 2 - false start)
27: Think It Over (Holly-Petty-Allison) (take 3)
28: Think It Over (Holly-Petty-Allison) (take 4)
29: Think It Over (Holly-Petty-Allison) (take 5)
30: Fool's Paradise+ (Leglaire-Petty-Linsley) (take 3)
31: Think It Over+ (Holly-Petty- Allison) (take 5)

- 14 February, 1958: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums, cardboard-box on *; Norman Petty: organ on *- plus The Roses (Robert Linville, Ray Rush, David Bigham) backing vocals on +; Vi Petty: piano on + (overdubbed: 19 February, 1958)

32: That'll Be The Day* (Allison-Holly-Petty) (fragment)
33: Everyday* (Hardin-Petty) (fragment)
34: Drown In My Own Tears+ (fragment)
35: Hallelujah, I Love Her So + (Charles) (Glover) (fragment)

- 24 February, 1958: "Big Gold Record Stars Show" - Dade County Auditorium, Miami, Florida; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass on *; Jerry Allison: drums on *; Jerry Lee Lewis: piano and vocal on +

36: That'll Be The Day (Allison-Holly-Petty)
37: Peggy Sue (Holly-Allison-Petty)
38: Oh Boy (West-Tilghman-Petty)

- 2 March, 1958: The London Palladium - Argyle Street, London, England; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums

39: Maybe Baby (Holly-Petty) (fragment)

- 14 March,1958: BBC Television studios - Lime Grove, London, England; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums

40: Heartbeat* (Montgomery-Petty)
41: Lonesome Tears+ (Holly)
42: It's So Easy+ (Holly-Petty)

- 25 May, 1958: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Tommy Allsup: lead guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass on +; Jerry Allison: drums on +; George Atwood: bass on *; plus The Roses (Robert Linville, Ray Rush, David Bigham): backing vocals on + (overdubbed: 27 May, 1958)

43: Love's Made A Fool Of You (Holly-Montgomery)
44: Wishing (Holly-Montgomery)
45: Love's Made A Fool Of You+ (Holly-Montgomery)
46: Wishing ++ (Holly-Montgomery)

- 2 June, 1958: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: double-tracked vocal, guitar; Tommy Allsup: lead guitar; George Atwood: bass; Bo Clarke: drums - 45-46: plus overdubs: January 7, 1964 - handclaps on +; 1963 guitar overdubs on ++

Volume Five

1: Early In The Morning (Darin-Harris)
2: Now We're One (Darin) (fragment)
3: Now We're One (Darin)

- 19 June, 1958: Coral Records Studios - The Pythian Temple, 80th Street, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal; George Barnes: lead guitar; Al Chernet: acoustic guitar; Sanford Bloch: bass; Ernest Hayes: piano; David "Panama" Francis: drums; Philip Kraus: drums; Sam Taylor: alto saxophone; Helen Way Singers: (Helen Way, Harriett Young, Maeretha Stewart, Theresa Merritt): backing vocals

4: Everyday KLLL Jingle (Holly)
5: Peggy Sue KLLL Jingle (Holly-Alllson)

- 1 September, 1958: Radio KLLL - Lubbock, Texas; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar

6: Come Back Baby (Petty-Nell)
7: Reminiscing (Curtis) (Buddy wrote this, but gave King Curtis the credit for flying down to the session)
8: Reminiscing + (Curtis)

- 10 September, 19S8: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Jerry Allison: drums; Curtis "King Curtis" Ousley: saxophone; 8: plus overdubs: 14 November, 1962 - The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Eric Budd: drums)

9: True Love Ways (Holly-Petty) (stereo)
10: It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Anka) (stereo)
11: Raining In My Heart (B & F Bryant) (stereo)
12: Moondreams (Petty) (stereo)
13: True Love Ways (Holly-Petty) (mono)
14: It Doesn't Matter Anymore (Anka) (mono)
15: Raining In My Heart (B & F Bryant) (mono)
16: Moondreams (Petty) (mono)

- 21 October, 1958: Coral Records Studios - Pythian Temple, 80th Street, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal; Al Caiola: acoustic guitar; Sanford Bloch: bass; Ernest Hayes: piano; Doris Johnson: harp; Clifford Leeman: drums; Abraham Richman: tenor saxophone; Sylvan Shulman, Leo Kruczek, Leonard Posner, Irving Spice, Ray Free, Herbert Bourne, Julius Held, Paul Winter: violin, David Schwartz Howard Kay: viola, Maurice Brown, Maurice Bialkin: cello; 9-12 Mixed for stereo 1979. Alternate stereo mixes of 9, 10 and 11 from 1959 and 1967 on Disc Nine.

17: That's What They Say (Holly) (version I - incomplete)
18: That's What They Say (Holly) (version 2)
19: What To Do (Holly)
20: Peggy Sue Got Married (Holly)
21: That Makes It Tough (Holly)
22: Crying, Waiting, Hoping (Holly)
23: Learning The Game (Holly)

- 3 December, 1958 (17-19); S December, 1958 (20); 8 December, 1958 (21); 14 December, 1958; (22); 17 December, 1958 (23): Apartment 4-H, The Brevoort, 8th Street, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal, acoustic guitar

24: You're The One (Holly-Jennings-Corbin)

- 27 December, 19S8: Radio KLLL. - Lubbock, Texas; Buddy Holly: vocal, guitar; Waylon Jennings: handclapping; Ray "Slim" Corbin: handclapping

25: Wait 'Til The Sun Shines Nellie* (Sterling-Von Tilzer)
26: Slippin' And Slidin'* (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (Slow version # 1)
27: Slippin' And Slidin'* (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (slow version # 3)
28: Slippin' And Slidin' (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Snulh) (slow version # 2)
29: Slippin' And Slidin' (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (fast version)
30: Drown In My Own Tears (Glover) (fragment)
31: Maria Elena
32: Dearest (McDaniel-Polk-Baker) (version 1 - incomplete)
33: Dearest (McDaniel-Polk-Baker) (version 2)
34: Love Is Strange (Smith-Baker)
35: Smokey Joe's Cafe (Leiber-Stoller)
36: Smokey Joe's Cafe (Leiber-Stoller) (unedited)
37: Buddy's Guitar (Holly) (aka I Know I'll Have The Blues Again aka Leave My Woman Alone)

- 1-20 January, 1959: Apartment 4-H, The Brevoort,8th Street, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal, acoustic guitar, electric guitar on *

38: Slippin' And Slidin'* (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (sped-up version # 1)
39: Slippin' And Slidin'* (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (sped-up version # 3)
40: Slippin' And Slidin' (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (sped-up version # 2)

- 1-20 January, 1959: Apartment 4-H, The Brevoort, 8th Street, New York City, New York; Buddy Holly: vocal, acoustic guitar, electric guitar on * [Buddy deliberately recorded these songs at a slow tempo, with the tape running at half-speed (71/2 i.p.s. versus 15 i.p.s.) so they would sound like The Chipmunks when played back!]

Volume Six

1: Peggy Sue Got Married (Holly)
2: Crying, Waiting, Hoping (Holly)

- overdubbed 30 June, 1959: Coral Records Studio A, New York City, New York; Andrew Ackers: piano; David 'Panama' Francis: drums; Sandford Block: bass; The Ray Charles Singers: backing vocals; C. John "Jack" Hansen: producer

3: That's What They Say (Holly) (take 2)
4: What To Do (Holly)
5: Learning The Game (Holly)
6: That Makes It Tough (Holly)

- overdubbed 1 January, 1960: Coral Records Studlo A, New York City, New York; Andrew Ackers: piano; David 'Panama' Francis: drums; Sandford Block: bass; The Ray Charles Singers: backing vocals; C tohn "Jack" Hansen: producer; Mixed for stereo in 1979. Alternate stereo mixes of 4 and 5 from 1967 are on Disc Nine of this set.

7: What To Do (Holly)
8: Peggy Sue Got Married (Holly)
9: Crying, Waiting, Hoping (Holly)
10: That Makes It Tough (Holly)
11: That's What They Say (Holly) (version 2)
12: Learning The Game (Holly)

- overdubbed June 1962-December 1963: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, NM; The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts or Eric Budd: drums); Norman Petty: producer

13: You're The One (Holly-Jennings-Corbin)

- overdubbed June 1962-December 1963: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, NM; The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Jimmy Glimer: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts: drums); Norman Petty: Onedeoline, Producer

14: Umm, Oh Yeah (Dearest) (McDaniel-Polk-Baker) (version 2)
15: Slippin' And Slidin' (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (slow version #2)

- overdubbed 1962-1963: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts or Eric Budd: drums); Norman Petty: producer

16: Wait 'Til The Sun Shines Nellie (Sterling-Von Tilzer) (single version)
17: Wait 'Til The Sun Shines Nellie (Sterling-Von Tilzer) (album version with additional overdubbing)

- overdubbed 29 October 1962: Norman Petty Studios -1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts or Eric Budd: drums); poss. Vi Petty, George Tomsco, Homer Tankersley: backing vocals; Norman Petty: producer

18: Love Is Strange+ (Smith-Baker)
19: Slippin ' And Slidin ' (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) (fast version)
20: Dearest* (McDaniel-Polk-Baker) (version 2)
21: Smokey Joe's Cafe* (Leiber-Stoller)

- overdubbed 1968: Norman Petty Studios -1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; The Fireballs: (George Tomsco: guitar; Keith McCormack: rhythm guitar; Stan Lark: bass; Doug Roberts: drums); Norman Petty: Onedeoline on +; poss. Vi Petty, Barbara Tomsco, George Tomsco, Homer Tankersley: backing vocals on *; Norman Petty: producer

22: Peggy Sue Got Married (Holly)

- overdubbed 1995, Abbey Road Studios, London, England; The Hollies: (Allan Clarke, Graham Nash, Tony Hicks: vocals; Tony Hicks: rhythm and lead guitar; Bobby Elliott: drums; Ian Parker: keyboards; Ray Stiles: bass; Alan Coates: percusslon)

23: Got To Get You Near Me Blues (Montgomery)
24: Memories (Montgomery)
25: Baby Let's Play House (Gunter)
26: Last Night (Petty-Mauldin)
27: Oh Boy (West-Tilghman-Petty)
28: Send Me Some Loving (Marascalco-Price)
29: It's Too Late (Willis)
30: That's My Desire (Kresa-Loveday)
31: Fool's Paradise (Leglaire-Petty-Linsley)
32: Think It Over (Holly-Petty-Allison)
33: Love's Made A Fool Of You (Holly-Montgomery)
34: Wishing (Holly-Montgomery)

- True stereo versions - For The First Time Anywhere!!  Created by Purple Chick synchronizing the dubbed and undubbed versions that appear earlier on this set.(Undubbed versions are panned mostly left, the dubbed versions mostly right.)

Volume Seven

1: I Saw The Moon Cry Last Night (Neal) - Jack Neal
2: I Hear The Lord Callin' For Me (Neal) - Jack Neal

- c. 10 November 1953: Radio KDAV - 6602 Quirt Avenue, Lubbock, Texas; Jack Neal: vocal, guitar; Buddy Holly: guitar

3: All From Loving You* Hall) - Ben Hall
4: Rose Of Monterey+ (Hall) - Ben Hall

- c. 1955: Radio KSEL, Lubbock, Texas(*); Radio KDAV - 6602 Quirt Avenue, Lubbock, Texas(+); Ben Hall: vocal; Buddy: guitar; Sonny Curtis: fiddle; Weldon Myrick: steel guitar; Dena Hall: bass

5: Because You Love Me (Curtis) - Sonny Curtis
6: I'll Miss My Heart (Inman) - Sonny Curtis
7: Queen Of The Ballroom (Guess) - Sonny Curtis
8: This Bottle (Curtis) - Sonny Curtis
9: Dallas Boogie (Curtis) - Sonny Curtis
10: One In A Million (Curtis) - Sonny Curtis

- 7 June 1955: (Prob.) Nesman Recording Studio - Wichita Falls, Texas; Sonny Curtis: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; Larry Welborn: bass; Jerry Allison: drums

1l: Go Boy Go* (Wilson) - Gary Dale
12: Gone* (Rogers) - Gary Dale
13: Go Boy Go+ (Wilson) - Gary Dale
14: Gone+ (Rogers) - Gary Dale
15: The Golden Rocket+ (Snow) - Gary Dale
16: 1 Overlooked An Orchid+ (Story-Smith-Lyn) - Gary Dale

- 21 February, 1957: Radio KDAV - Lubbock Texas (*); 1 March, 1957: Norman Petty Studios -13i3 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico (+); Gary Dale Tollett: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; 3erry Allison: drums; Ramona Tollett, June Clark, Niki Sullivan: backing vocals

17: A Whole Lot Of Lovin' (Huddle-Petty-Robinson) (take I ) - Jim Robinson
18: A Whole Lot Of Lovin' (Huddle-Petty-Robinson) (take 2) - Jim Robinson
19: A Whole Lot Of Lovin' (Huddle-Petty-Robinson) (take 3) - Jim Robinson
20: A Whole Lot Of Lovin'+ (Huddle-Petty-Robinson) (take 3) - Jim Robinson
21: It's A Wonderful Feeling* (Huddle-Petty-Robinson) - Jim Robinson

- 28 April, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Jim Robinson: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; Jerry Allison: cardboard-box percussion, drums on *; Vi Petty: piano on *; (Poss.) Joe B. Mauldin: bass; The Bowman Brothers: backing vocals on *, plus The Roses (Robert Linville, Ray Rush, David Bigham) backing vocals on + (dubbing date unknown)

22 Starlight (Huddle-Petty-Robinson) - Jack Huddle
23: Believe Me* (Petty-Robinson) - Jack Huddle

- 28 April, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Jack Huddle: vocal; Buddy Holly: lead guitar; Jerry Allison: drums; (Poss.) Joe B. Mauldin: bass; The Bowman Brothers: backing vocal on *; Vi Petty: piano on *

24: By The Mission Wall (Cline) - Fred Crawford

- April-June, 1957 (or 14 July, 1957): Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, NM; Fred Crawford: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; 3erry Allison: drums; (Poss.) Joe B. Mauldin- bass; (Poss.) Norman Petty: organ; (Poss.) The Bowman Brothers: backing vocals

25: A Man From Texas (Russell-Petty-Dougherty)- Jim Robinson

- 24 June, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Jim Robinson: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; (Poss.) George Atwood: bass; Unknown: drums; Vi Petty: piano; The Picks: backing vocals (overdubbed mid-August, 1957)

26: Broken Promises (Davis) - Sherry Davis
27: Humble Heart* (Davis) - Sherry Davis

- prob. 12 July, 1957: Norman Petty Studios -1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Sherry Davis: vocal; Buddy Holly: lead guitar; Jack Vaughn: rhythm guitar; Jerry Allison: drums; Unknown: bass; The Picks: backing vocals; Gene Medley: backing vocals on *

28: Look To The Future* (Petty-Sullivan) - Gary Dale
29: Honey Honey (Tollett) - Gary Dale

- 14 July, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Gary Dale Tollett: vocal, guitar on *; Buddy Holly: guitar; 3erry Allison: drums; (Poss.) Joe B. Mauldin: bass; Ramona Tollett: backing vocal; The Picks: backing vocals (overdubbed mid-Aug.1957)

30: Sugartime (Phillips-Echols) (version 1) - Charlie Phillips
31: Sugartime (Phillips-Echols) (version 2) - Charlie Phillips
32: One Faded Rose* (Echols-Baggett-Phillips) (version 1) - Charlie Phillips
33: One Faded Rose* (Echols-Baggett-Phillips) (version 2) - Charlie Phillips

- July 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Charlie Phillips: vocal; Buddy Holly: lead guitar, harmony vocal on *; Jack Vaughn: acoustic guitar; Jerry Allison: drums; Jimmy Blakely: steel guitar; George Atwood: bass

More original Purple Chick notes:  "Discs Seven and Eight compile all circulating sessions featuring Buddy as a side musician and/or producer, plus songs Buddy wrote that he never recorded, with others finishing the compositions posthumously. Others exist, and may yet escape ( "I Sent You Roses" by Jerry Engler is due to be released later in 2005).

Some tracks, which erroneously appeared on previous compilations, have been excluded:

• Buddy shared a session with Billly Walker on 12 March, 1957, but does not feature on Billy's recordings.
• "When Sin Stops" by The Nighthawks (Hamilton 50006), on the Vigotone set does not feature Buddy.
• Similarly, "Oh Boy!" on the Vigotone Set is by Billy And The Glens (Jaro 77006), not Sonny West.
• The contemptible "Ni**er Hatin' Me" was recorded in the late 60s(!) by Johnny Rebel (C. J. Trahan)."

Volume Eight

1: Moondreams (Petty) (album version) - The Norman Petty Trio
2: Moondreams* (Petty) (single version) - The Norman Petty Trio
3: Moondreams+ (Petty) (alternate version) - The Norman Petty Trio

- 20-22 July, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Buddy Holly: acoustic guitar; Norman Petty: organ; Vi Petty: piano; Mike Mitchell: percussion; Unknown: bass; The Picks: overdubbed vocals on *; The Roses: overdubbed vocals on + (1 and 2 are the same version, but 3 is a different recording/take entirely.)

4: Don't Do Me This Way (Tucker) - Rick Tucker
5: Patty Baby (Baker-Tucker) - Rick Tucker

- 25 August, 1957: Norman Petty Studios -1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Rick Tucker: vocal, poss. guitar; Buddy Holly: lead guitar or (Poss.) Roy Orbison: lead guitar; (Poss.) Bo Clarke: drums; (Poss.) Don Guess: bass; Bill Pickering and Bob Lapham: backing vocal

6: Don't Do Me This Way (Tucker) Rick Tucker

- 12 September, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Rick Tucker: vocal; Buddy Holly: acoustic guitar or (Poss.) Rick Tucker: acoustic guitar; Vi Petty: piano; (Poss.) Bo Clarke: drums; (Poss.) Don Guess: bass; The Picks: backing vocals

7: Real Wild Child (O'Keefe-Greenan-Owens) (take 1)- Ivan
8: Real Wild Child* (O'Keefe-Greenan-Owens) (take 2) - Ivan
9: Oh, You Beautiful Doll (Brown-Ayer) (take 1) - Ivan
10: Oh, You Beautiful Doll (Brown-Ayer) (take 2) - Ivan
11: Oh, You Beautiful Doll+ (Brown-Ayer) (take 2) - Ivan

- 19 February, 1958: Norman Petty Studios - i313 West 7th Street, Clovis New Mexico; Jerry "Ivan" Allison: vocal, overdubbed drumsticks on +; Buddy Holly: guitar, overdubbed lead guitar, backing vocal on *, Joe B. Mauldin: bass, backing vocal on *; Bo Clarke: drums, backing vocal on *; Norman Petty: overdubbed water-filled wine glasses on +

12: Scarlet Ribbons (Siegal-Danzig) - Carolyn Hester
13: Wreck Of The Old '97* (traditional) - Carolyn Hester

- 1958: Norman Petty Studio - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Carolyn Hester: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; George Atwood: bass (*); Jerry Allison: percussion (*)

14: What A' You Gonna Do (Engler) - Jerry Engler

- 7 September, 1958: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Jerry Engler: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar, bells; George Atwood: bass; Bo Clarke: drums

15: When Sin Stops (Venable) (take I - instrumental) - Waylon Jennings
16: When Sin Stops (Venable) (take 2 - instrumental) - Waylon Jennings
17: When Sin Stops (Venable) (take 3 - instrumental) - Waylon Jennings
18: When Sin Stops (Venable) (take 4 - vocal) - Waylon Jennings
19: When Sin Stops (Venable) (take 5 - vocal) - Waylon Jennings
20: When Sin Stops (Venable) (take 6 - vocal) - Waylon Jennings
21: When Sin Stops+ (Venable) (take 2) - Waylon Jennings
22: Jole Blon (Choates-York) - Waylon Jennings

- 10 September, 1958: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico; Waylon Jennings: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; George Atwood: bass; Bo Clarke: drums; Curtis "King Curtis" Ousley: tenor saxophone; The Roses backing vocals overdubbed on +

23: Stay Close To Me (Holly) (false start) - Lou Giordano
24: Stay Close To Me (Holly) (take 4) - Lou Giordano
25: Don't Cha Know* (Everly) - Lou Giordano

- 30 September, 1958: Beltone Recording Studio, New York City, New York; Lou Giordano: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar; Phil Everly: guitar; Unknown: bass guitar; Unknown: drums; Buddy Holly, Joey Villa, Phil Everly: falsetto vocals on *

26: More And More (Jennings) - Waylon Jennings
27: When You Are Lonely (Jennings) - Waylon Jennings

- 27 December, 1958: Radio KLLL. - Lubbock, Texas; Waylon Jennings: vocal; Buddy Holly: guitar

28: My Best Friend (My Baby's Coming Home) (Holly-Turner-Nilsson)
29: My Baby's Coming Home (Holly-Turner-Nilsson)

- May, 1962: American Studios, Hollywood, California; Harry Nilsson: vocal; Scotty Turner: guitar, production; 29: plus overdubs: 1994 Nashville Tennessee - Michael Blaustone: drums; Steve Bryant: guitar; James A. Wilson: bass; Troy Lancaster: guitar; Scotty Turner: guitar; Woody Wright: guitar

30: I Know I'll Have The Blues Again (Holly-Mackey) - Whitesidewalls

- c. 1980: Cookhouse Recording Studios - 2541 Nicollet Avenue, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Pat Brown: guitar, drums, vocal; Karl Ausland: guitar, vocal; Dan Melford: bass, vocal; Jeff Schmahl, guitar, keyboards, vocal; Dave Swanson: sax, vocal; Dale Menten: piano

31: Monetta (Holly-Curtis) - Sonny Curtis

- September, 1990: BBC Radio Merseyside, Liverpool, England; Sonny Curtis: guitar, vocal

32: A Whole Lot Of Lovin' (Huddle-Petty-Robinson) - Jim Robinson
33: Moondreams (Petty) - The Norman Petty Trio
34: Moondreams (Petty) - The Norman Petty Trio
35: Oh, You Beautiful Doll (Brown-Ayer) - Ivan
36: When Sin Stops (Venable) (take 2) - Waylon Jennings

- True stereo versions - For The First Time Anywhere!! Created by Purple Chick

Volume Nine

1: The Paul Cohen Phone Call

- 28 February, 1957: Jerry Allison's Home, 2215 6th Street, Lubbock, Texas

2: Bill Randle WERE promo
3: Bill Randle WERE promo

- 30 June, 1957: Norman Petty Studios - 1313 West 7th Street, Clovis, New Mexico

4: Don Passerby promo
5: Don Passerby promo
6: Don Passerby promo
7: Don Passerby promo

- 15 September, 1957: recorded at The Forum, Montreal, Canada for 1230 Cornwall Radio

8: Red Robinson promo
9: Red Robinson interview

- 23 October, 1957: recorded Georgia Auditorium, Vancouver, Canada for the for the "Teen Canteen" show

10: Freeman Hover interview
11: Freeman Hover promo

- 2 November, 1957: recorded at the Albany Hotel, Denver, Colorado for KCSR radio, Chadron, Nebraska

12: Dale Lowery interview

- 5 November, 1957: recorded at Municipal Auditorium, Topeka, Kansas for KTOP radio

13: Pat Barton interview

- 31 January, 1958: recorded Newcastle Stadium, Newcastle, Australia for Radio 2KO, Newcastle, AUS

14: Bob Chesney interview
15: Bob Chesney/WTRL promo

- 24 February, 1958: "Big Gold Record Stars Show", Dade County Auditorium, Miami, Florlda

16: KSYD Wichita Falls promo
17: Dick Arlen WACK promo

- unknown dates: unknown locations

18: Alan Freed interview

- 23 September, 1958 (broadcast 2 October, 1958) WNEW TV Studio, New York City, New York

19: Ronnie King interview

- 17 October, 1958: recorded at the Catholic Youth Center, Scranton, Pennsylvania for "Teen Time", WGH, 739 Boush, Norfolk, Virginia

20: Dick Clark interview

- 28 October, 1958: American Bandstand, WFIL Studios 46th & Market Streets, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

21: Big Bopper Winter Dance Party promo
22: Ritchie Valens Winter Dance Party promo
23: Buddy Holly Winter Dance Party promo

- 1958/1959: unknown locations

24: Newscast about the plane crash
25: WNOE Newscast about the plane crash
26: Newscast about the plane crash
27: A Message To The Dutch Buddy Holly Fan Club From Ella And Lawrence Holley
28: Norman Petty Defends Himself

- unknown dates: unknown locations

29: Raining In My Heart (alternate stereo mix from 1959)
30: True Love Ways (alternate stereo mix from 1967)
31: It Doesn't Matter Anymore (alternate stereo mix from 1967)
32: What To Do (alternate stereo mix from 1967)
33: Learning The Game (alternate stereo mix from 1967)
34: Not Fade Away ('complete' alternate take with no backing vocals - outfake by Purple Chick)
35: Peggy Sue Got Married (Jack Hansen's overdubs in stereo for the first time - by Purple Chick)
36: Crying Waiting Hoping (Jack Hansen's overdubs in stereo for the first time - by Purple Chick)

- Various odds and ends that there wasn't room for on the other discs.

37: Wait Til The Sun Shines Nellie (Sterling-Von Tilzer) - Bing Crosby
38: Slippin' and Slidin (Penniman-Bocage-Collins-Smith) - Little Richard
39: Dearest (McDaniel-Polk-Baker) - Mickey and Sylvia
40: Love Is Strange (Smith-Baker) - Mickey and Sylvia
41: Smokey Joe's Cafe (Leiber-Stoller) - The Robins
42: Leave My Woman Alone (Charles) - Ray Charles

- (supposedly Buddy's Guitar from the Apartment Demos is based upon this)

Continued from Disc 10 - "Buddy's Record Collection"

Volume Ten

1: My Two Timin' Woman (Snow) - Hank Snow
2: I'll Just Pretend (Martin) - Flatt and Scruggs and the Stanley Brothers
3: Take These Shackles From My Heart (King-Stewart) - Pee Wee King
4: Footprints In The Snow (Jones) - Bill Monroe and his Bluegrass Boys
5: Baby, Let's Play House ((,Gunter) - Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill
6: Blue Days, Black Nights (Hall) - Ben Hall, Weldon Myrick, Dena Hall
7: I Forgot To Remember To Forget (Kesler-Feathers) - Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill
(the sole acetate of Buddy's version was scratched at Buddy's request to prevent its airplay competing with his first Decca single )
8: Ting A Ling (Nugetre) - The Clovers
9: Gone (Rogers) - Ferlin Husky
10: Have You Ever Been Lonely (De Rose-Brown) - Ernest Tubb
11: Brown-Eyed Handsome Man (Berry) - Chuck Berry
12: Good Rockin' Tonight (Brown) - Elvis Presley
13: Rip It Up (Marascalco-Blackwell) - Little Richard
14: Blue Monday (Bartholomew-Domino) - Fats Domino
15: Honky Tonk (Part 1) (Doggett-Shepard-Butler-Scott) - Bill Doggett
16: Blue Suede Shoes (Perkins) - Elvis Presley
17: Shake Rattle and Roll (Calhoun) - Elvis Presley
18: Bo Diddley (McDaniel) - Bo Diddley
19: Ain't Got No Home (Henry) - Clarence "Frogman" Henry
20: Ready Teddy (Blackwell-Marascalco) - Little Richard
21: Valley Of Tears (Domino-Bartholomew) - Fats Domino
22: All Of My Love (Oh Boy) (West-Tilghman) - Sonny West
23: Send Me Some Lovin' (Marascalco-Price) - Little Richard
24: It's Too Late (Willis) - Chuck Willis
25: An Empty Cup (Petty-Orbison) - Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings
26: (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care (Leiber-Stoller) - Elvis Presley
27: Mona (McDaniel) - Bo Diddley
28: Rave On (West-Tilghman-Petty) - Sonny West
29: That's My Desire (Kresa-l.oveday) - Frankie Laine
30: Drown In My Own Tears ((Charles) - Ray Charles
31: Hallelujah! I Love Her So (Glover) - Ray Charles
32: Early In The Morning (Darin-Harris) - Bobby Darin
33: Now We're One (Darin) - Bobby Darin

 

DVD

1. Elvis comes to Lubbock*

- c. 10-26 April, 1956

2. That'll Be The Day (fragment)

- High Time - 22 October, 1957

3. Oklahoma City*

- c. 28-29 October, 1957

4. That'll Be The Day/Peggy Sue/Interview

- Ed Sullivan Show - 1 December, 1957

5. Peggy Sue

- Arthur Murray Dance Party - 29 December, 1957

6. Oh Boy

- Ed Sullivan Show - 26 January, 1958

7. Australia/UK tour*

- February/March, 1958

8. Oh Boy (montage)

- London Palladium - 2 March, 1958

9. Live In England*

- March, 1958

10. Maybe Baby (montage fragment)

- BBC TV - 14 March, 1958

11. Live In Michigan*

- 5 April, 1958

12. New bikes in Lubbock*

- c. May, 1958

13. Clear Lake

- 3 February, 1959

BONUS TRACKS
14. Peggy Sue (music video - alternate edit)

- Arthur Murray Dance Party - 29 December, 1957

15. That'll Be The Day (news report)

- High Time - 22 October, 1957

(* = home movie)

In honor of the life and legacy of the immortal Buddy Holly, I proudly offer to you all on his birthday Purple Chick's The Complete Buddy Holly from 2005. Spare a minute or two today to remember this great artist... enjoy, and as always, let me know what you think.

And somewhere deep
within his crypt,
what still remains
of youthful lips,
will bend for just
a little while,
in a long lost memory
of his smile.

---Special acknowledgement and thanks to the poet "Artis", courtesy of AllPoetry.com.

Please note that the music offering in this post has been retired, replaced by a new, improved and expanded Complete Buddy Holly Purple Chick set; go to this post to request a download of this replacement compilation.

Various Artists - Dunedin Double EP

...And my last quickie post this week in appreciation for reaching the half-million visitor landmark...

From the old (and long defunct) Kiwi Tapes blog (credit for this narrative to original poster):

The Dunedin Double EP was a seminal record in New Zealand music. An unusual format, it contain two 45rpm 12" discs, and at nearly 50 minutes length, it is longer than many albums.

Released in 1982, the compilation was one of the first releases from the newly formed Flying Nun Records label (catalogue number DUN-1), which over the course of the next ten years was to become the biggest independent record label in New Zealand. Many of the label's top groups came from the South Island city of Dunedin, and established that southern city's music scene as the leading source of guitar-based bands in New Zealand throughout much of the decade. The bands from the city which had music released on Flying Nun were grouped under the loose banner of Dunedin Sound, and several of them went on to not only national but also international success.

The Dunedin Double EP established the names of four of these groups, each of which was represented on the double EP by one side. The four bands concerned were The Chills, Sneaky Feelings, The Stones, and The Verlaines. The Chills' song "Kaleidoscope World" in particular became very popular, gaining considerable airplay for the band (It later provided the title for the band's first album, a compilation of their early singles and EP tracks.

Though the sound quality of the Dunedin Double EP was distinctly lo-fi (it was recorded on portable 4-track), the release of this record provided a major impetus both for Flying Nun records and for the four bands involved, as well as providing inspiration and momentum to the music scene in Dunedin.

For your consideration:  Flying Nun's legendary Dunedin Double EP, released on vinyl in New Zealand in June 1982, and to the best of my knowledge never re-released on CD or any other format. Enjoy, and as always... well, you know.

Please use the email link below to contact me, and I will reply with the download link(s) ASAP:

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Schema - Schema EP

Another quickie "thank you" post in the wake of this blog's 500,000th visitor yesterday...

In my Mary Hansen (Stereolab) post from about five years ago, I mentioned that a couple of years prior to her untimely death in a London road accident, Mary was involved in a one-off collaboration with members of the Seattle alt-rock group Hovercraft in a collective called Schema, whose sole release was an obscure five-song EP.

To save you the trouble of searching it out for yourselves, here it is for your enjoyment - the Schema EP, recorded and remixed in Seattle in 1999, and released on indie label 5 Rue Christine Records on October 3rd, 2000. All of the songs on this disc are great, with my personal favorite being "Far From Where We Began", featuring Mary's voice prominently:

Enjoy, and as always, let me know what you think.

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Thanks (half) a million!

Sometime later today, I anticipate that this blog will cross the 500,000 visitors threshold.  I find it simply amazing that so many people have found their way to my site over the past eight years! For all of you who have read my rambling stories here about the music and events which have shaped and affected my life, I hope that I have interested, entertained and (possibly) enlightened you... and in the process you've come away from here with some great tunes to boot. I've appreciated all of the requests and comments received from you all over the years - I look forward to more in the coming years! Thanks for spending some time in my little corner of the Web!

And a special "thanks" to the many, many visitors who, through this site, have become my good friends and correspondents during this time - Dexter, Adrian, Jonder, Nick, Sean, Colin, and so many more; you all are the best!

To celebrate this upcoming milestone, I thought that over the next couple of days I'd post a couple of things that I think the masses will be interested in, but without one of my usual long-winded screeds attached to them. Presented au natural... well, as au natural as I can make them!

Here's today's offering: Smashing Pumpkins' Mashed Potatoes bootleg box set. This was a 5-disc collection of live and demo tracks from the band's voluminous archive that band leader Billy Corgan put together for a small group of friends in the early 90’s. The 76 tracks cover the Pumpkins from the years 1988-1993.

From the Smashing Pumpkins' FAQ site (www.spfc.org):

Mashed Potatoes is a 5-disc box set containing many rare and unreleased Smashing Pumpkins songs, including: early compositions from 1988-90, Gish and Siamese Dream outtakes and demos, live covers and originals, a couple of interviews, and live stage banter.

Billy gave Mashed Potatoes to a few of his friends, band members and management as gifts - allegedly for Christmas 1994.  The number of copies pressed range anywhere from 5 to 10, depending on the source; 9 is the number most often mentioned.

...As the story goes, D'Arcy's copy of the box set was stolen around February 1995, and the thief attempted to sell it to a local record store. Even though the thief originally asked for $500, it was eventually sold to the store owner for $50, for the owner said he wouldn't pay that much for "home made shit." Judging from the short amount of time the store owner had possession of Mashed Potatoes (about 24-48 hours) and the fact that he did not realize what it was, it is believed that the store owner did not make any copies.

A few tracks from the stolen copy were put online in the late 1990s, but it wasn't until late 2002 that the entire set was leaked onto the Internet. Here's the track lineup:

CD 1:
Happy Fucking Valentines
Tristessa (live 92)
There It Goes (demo 88)
With You (demo 89)
Jesus Loves His Babies (outtake 91)
Stray Cat Blues [Rolling Stones] (live 90)
Snail (radio 91)
Bob Speaks
Window Paine (live 90)
Wave Song (demo 91)
Blue (acoustic 91)
Lie I Lie (live 89)
My Eternity (radio 88)
Jesus Is the Sun (demo 90)
Sookie Sookie [Steppenwolf] (live 90)

CD 2:
Slunk (live 92)
Rocket (live 93)
Under Your Spell (demo 88)
Honeyspider (live 90)
STP (demo 91)
Snap (demo 89)
Rhinoceros (live 93)
Let's Meet the Band
Bleed (live 88)
Opal (live 90)
Worship (live 90)
Drown (live 92)
Fat Man Blues (live 89)
Try to Try (live 90)
Venus in Furs [Velvet Underground] (radio 88)
WNUR interview (radio 88)

CD 3:
And from the West Side...
Girl Named Sandoz [Animals] (live 92)
365 (live 90)
Spaceboy (outtake 93)
The Joker [Steve Miller] (live 92)
Suffer (live 92)
Coming Attractions
Egg (demo 89)
Bury Me (live 92)
Moleasskiss (demo 92)
I Am My End (live 90)
My Dahlia (demo 88)
Vanilla (demo 89)
East (demo 88)
Kill Your Parents
Terrapin [Syd Barrett] (live 91)
Cinder (live 91)
Luna (acoustic 91)

CD 4:
Interview Nozems a Go-Go
Morning Jam (live 90)
I'm Free [Who] (live 90)
Jennifer Ever (demo 88)
Plume (live 92)
Disarm (live 93)
Siva (live 92)
Translucent (demo 90)
Not Worth Asking (live 89)
Over You (live 90)
Where's Vince? (outtake 93)
Smiley (acoustic 91)
Geek U.S.A. (live 93)
Crush (live 92)
C'mon (live 90)

CD 5:
Hello Kitty Kat (demo 92)
Nothing and Everything (demo 88)
Mayonaise (outtake 93)
Out of Focus [Blue Cheer] (live 92)
Offer Up (live 92)
Silverfuck (live 92)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer [traditional] (live 93)
Stars Fall In (demo 89)
Godzilla [Blue Öyster Cult] (live 90)
Bye June (live 92)
Spiteface (demo 88)
Daydream (demo 89)
I'll Never Change (live 90)
Infinite Sadness (outtake 93)


Track info:

Disc 1:
Track 4: 1989 - Reel Time Studios
Track 13: 1989/03/16 - WZRD-FM Studios; Chicago, IL, US
Track 1: 1992/02/14 - Astoria Theater; London, UK
Track 7: 1992/01/15 - VPRO Radio; Hilversum, NL
Track 3: 1988 - Billy's father's home studio
Track 5: Dec 1990 - Mar 1991 - Smart Studios (Gish recordings)
Track 10: 1991 - Chicago Demos [?]
Track 14: 1990 - Chicago Demos [?]

Disc 2:
Track 6: 1989 - Reel Time Studios
Track 13: 1989 - Reel Time Studios (acoustic session)
Track 15: 1989/03/16 - WZRD-FM Studios; Chicago, IL, US
Track 2: 1993/07/26 - Tower Records; Chicago, IL, US
Track 3: 1988 - Billy's father's home studio

Disc 3:
Track 8: 1989 - Reel Time Studios
Track 13: 1989 - Reel Time Studios (acoustic session)
Track 14: The Smashing Pumpkins
Track 12: Light Into Dark
Track 10: Spring 1992 - Soundworks

Disc 4:
Track 4: The Smashing Pumpkins
Track 8: 1990 - Chicago Demos [?]

Disc 5:
Tracks 8, 12: 1989 - Reel Time Studios
Tracks 2, 11: The Smashing Pumpkins
Track 1: Fall 1992 - Chicago Studio [?]
Tracks 3, 14: Dec 1992 - Mar 1993 - Triclops Sound Studios

So, in honor of my 500,000th visitor to this site, I proudly offer as a "thank you" to you all Mashed Potatoes, the Smashing Pumpkins internal "bootleg", compiled in December 1994. Enjoy, and keep on comin' back! And as always, let me know what you think.

Please use the email link below to contact me, and I will reply with the download link(s) ASAP:

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Simon & Garfunkel - Bookends (RS500 - #234)

June 6th, 2018... fifty years today since the death of Bobby Kennedy.

A lot of ink has been and will be spilled today regarding Kennedy's 1968 campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, most of it related to the continuing "Kennedy Myth" that has haunted and teased this nation for over fifty years. RFK's run has now assumed almost legendary status - the star-crossed young warrior, going to battle against the entrenched hierarchy and the special interests; a man born to great privilege and yet a "man of the people" and champion of the poor and downtrodden; a shining light of passion and dedication, cut down just as he could all but visualize his goal. While a lot of that has some basis in fact, Bobby's decision to run that year and his prospects for winning his party's nomination, and ultimately the presidency, were a lot more complicated than that.

It shouldn't be forgotten that Robert Kennedy entered the 1968 presidential race late, on March 16th, four days after President Lyndon Johnson narrowly won the New Hampshire primary over upstart Minnesota Senator Eugene McCarthy (49% to 42%). The relationship between

Kennedy and Johnson wasn't just one of mutual contempt - they actively despised one another, and had since the early Fifties, when Johnson was a powerful senator and Bobby was little more than a low-level Senate staffer. When JFK assumed the presidency in 1961, with Johnson as his vice-president and his brother as Attorney General, that power dynamic had shifted to Bobby's advantage (the office of the VP having little if any real power), and the younger brother used it to humiliate and emasculate Johnson constantly - revenge for Johnson's treatment of him in the '50s. By late in JFK's first term, it was clear that Bobby, not Johnson, was the #2 man in the administration, and his power and influence would only grow after JFK's near-certain reelection in 1964 (which would have set up a remarkable "what-if" scenario in '68 - if Johnson had been retained as a VP running mate in '64, undoubtedly both he AND Bobby would have run to succeed JFK that year... which would have in all likelihood set off a intra-party war between the two candidates' factions even nastier and more bitter than what actually happened that year...).

The bullets fired at the presidential motorcade in Dallas on November 22nd, 1963 suddenly and immediately altered that power dynamic yet again, this time with the new president Johnson on top, and he didn't hesitate to use it to exact some vicious payback against a physically altered and emotionally distraught Bobby, reeling in the aftermath of his brother's death. Even with all of that, Kennedy stayed on as Attorney General in the Johnson administration for several more months, ostensibly to cement JFK's legacy in the legal realm. But his heart clearly wasn't into his job, or with continuing to work with LBJ. Sensing that he could do more good - and establish his own political base for the future - outside of the cabinet, Bobby resigned his office in mid-1964 to run for the Senate in New York, defeating the incumbent Republican Kenneth Keating that November. During his four years in the Senate, Kennedy enhanced his liberal bona fides, championing civil rights and marginalized members of the population (who he referred to as the "disaffected", the impoverished, and "the excluded"), and increasingly calling into question America's involvement in the Vietnam War. By early 1968, Bobby's popularity with certain groups (especially minorities) rivaled and even exceeded that of Johnson.

Kennedy was itching to make a presidential run against the hated Johnson in 1968, who he considered to be over his head as Chief Executive and unable to adequately deal with the serious issues (war, racial divisions, poverty, etc.) he faced during his first full term. However, despite urging from his advisors and from various corners of society, Bobby considered his prospects for a successful run against a sitting president exceedingly unrealistic - the last president denied his party's nomination for a second term was Chester A. Arthur in 1884. So he announced at a January 30th, 1968 press conference (coincidentally, the same day as the beginning of the Tet Offensive) that “under no foreseeable circumstances” would he run for president. And it seemed to most of the world that that was the final word regarding a possible "Kennedy '68" bid.

However, shortly after this declaration, Kennedy, his pollsters and advisors began to sense that something was going on in the American electorate - a hidden but surging groundswell of discontent with the current direction of the country.  Bobby and his team could see that in the preliminary February polling for the upcoming "first in the nation" New Hampshire primary,

where the underfunded anti-war candidate Senator McCarthy was quietly gaining strength and support over the incumbent. It was clear to Kennedy that a significant number of people were looking for an alternative to Johnson. Bobby read the tea leaves and trusted his well-honed political instincts... while the modern narrative is that Kennedy jumped into the race only after smelling blood after Johnson's close call in New Hampshire on March 12th, the truth of the matter was that he'd changed his mind regarding his decision to run significantly earlier, prior to the primary vote. He'd planned to make his announcement in early March, but was persuaded by other influential friends to either talk McCarthy into dropping out prior to the primary (which McCarthy had no intention of doing) or waiting until just afterwards, in order to avoid splitting the Democratic anti-war vote.

Either way, Bobby's declaration on March 16th, in the Caucus Room of the old Senate Office Building, was not met with overwhelming nationwide hosannas. He was denounced in some quarters as a political opportunist, taking advantage of the trail that McCarthy's months of hard work had blazed. Despite this, he was immediately regarded as the frontrunner and the president's most formidable electoral foe. Faced with two strong opponents now, Johnson famously bowed out of the race on March 31st, throwing his support and that of much of the Democratic establishment behind the candidacy of his Vice-

President, Hubert Humphrey. In this essentially three-way race between the major challengers Humphrey, McCarthy and Kennedy, only the latter two competed head-to-head in the state primaries. Of the four primaries with active competition between McCarthy and Kennedy, Kennedy won three, losing only in Oregon in an upset a week before the crucial California primary.

While the two liberal candidates were slugging it out in the states, Humphrey concentrated on acquiring nomination delegates from states that didn't hold primaries, places where party bosses still held sway and controlled delegate selection. Unlike nowadays, back then, most states DIDN'T hold primaries, and delegate slates were largely determined by big-city political machines. So, despite his relative success in the primaries, on the night of the California primary, Kennedy still had a grand total of only 393 pledged delegates to Humphrey's 561 (McCarthy had 238), with 1,312 votes needed to lock up the party's nomination. He hoped that with his primary successes, he could convince party leaders that he was the only Democrat who could defeat the nominal Republican candidate Richard Nixon and prevent them from pledging their delegations and allegiances (to Humphrey or anyone else) too early, at least not before the party convention that summer in Chicago. Kennedy wanted to create a "bandwagon" effect of the same manner and type that helped his brother gain the nomination in 1960.

With all of this, it's a tough call to say that RFK could have arrived in Chicago and garnered the remaining votes needed to win the nomination.  McCarthy's team was still furious at him for his late entry (two days before the California primary, two Kennedy staffers went to McCarthy state headquarters in Los Angeles to argue that the loser of the California primary withdraw and support the winner; said one McCarthy worker: “I’d vote for Nixon over that SOB [i.e., RFK].”), so those delegates weren't necessarily Kennedy's for the asking. Young antiwar voters, whom he needed to draw into in his coalition, remained steadfast in their loyalty to their champion Senator McCarthy.

More significant to his overall prospects, Kennedy faced opposition from three groups central to the nominating process and influential with state and big-city political bosses:

• Southern Democrats, many of whom bitterly resented his civil rights advocacy; 
• Much of organized labor leadership, who remembered his crackdowns on crooked Teamsters boss Jimmy Hoffa and other corrupt union officials; and—despite his upbringing and pedigree;
• Titans of industry, who viewed with deep worry his steady drift to the left during his four years in the Senate. 

While Kennedy was hugely popular with minorities and the poor during his campaign, those groups would have almost no voice at the convention, and zero pull with the power brokers there.

So, looking at it in a cold, hard, objective manner, I seriously doubt that Bobby would have been able to get to 1,312. Of course, the events in the kitchen of the Ambassador Hotel in the wee hours of June 5th, 1968, and RFK's subsequent death little more than a day later makes all of that a moot point.

I was still in preschool in 1968, so I have little to no memory of the earthshaking events of that year - war, assassinations, riots, flights to the moon. Therefore, Kennedy's death had no impact on me at the time.  It was only later that full force of the event hit home. In my opinion, the RFK assassination was the single most significant event of the late 1960s affecting American history - more than the Watts riots, more than the Martin Luther King assassination, more than the moon landing. It seems to me that with his passing and the missed opportunity of a Robert Kennedy presidency, America lost its last, best chance to reclaim the shining beacon of hope, justice, truth and right in the world that had begun slipping from our grasp in the '60s.

It's impossible to say with any certainty, but it is likely that under Kennedy, America's involvement in Vietnam would have ended much earlier - not with any sort of victory (as the Pentagon Papers later revealed, prior administrations had concluded years earlier that a military conflict there was essentially unwinnable), but possibly with better terms and a saving of thousands of American lives. With a government led by a leader liked and trusted by marginalized groups, implementation of civil rights laws probably would have been expedited. And among other things, Watergate and its aftermath, the public's mistrust of and disillusionment with government and political service, never would have happened.  With the prospect of a Kennedy administration, there was an anticipation and expectation of a more caring and compassionate government, responsive to the issues and needs of the many, especially those needing assistance - and spearheaded by a tough-minded, experienced professional.

As Leonard Pitts Jr. wrote in a recent op-ed in the Miami Herald:

It turned out the tough guy had an instinct for the underdog and a deep, moral indignation over the unfair treatment that trapped them in their hoods and hollers, barely subsisting in the shadows of plenty. He saw their humanity. This, I think, even more than his opposition to the war in Vietnam, was what drew people....

There was in that last ragged campaign of his, this sense of the possible, of the new, of fundamental, systemic change. There was this sense of a more compassionate America waiting just below the horizon. There was, in a word, hope. Or as Rep. John Lewis, then a campaign aide, consoled himself in the grim weeks after Martin Luther King was murdered in Memphis: “At least we still have Bobby.”

Read more here: https://www.miamiherald.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/leonard-pitts-jr/article212396079.html#storylink=cpy

The key word in that section above is "hope" - to many people, that's what Bobby Kennedy represented, and that's what was lost.

Looking back fifty years now at the events of that time, the thing that is most devastating and distressing about Robert Kennedy's death to me is that there wasn't any interim period needed for citizens to assess his legacy - people IMMEDIATELY knew what a profound loss they and the nation had suffered.

RFK's funeral was held at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on the morning of June 8th, 1968, then his body was transported by special train down to Washington, DC, where he was to be laid to rest in Arlington National Cemetery. Without provocation or urging, hundreds of thousands of people lined the entire length of the railroad tracks and packed the stations along the route, paying their respects to their lost champion as the train moved past. A sampling of the photos of the assembled crowds is haunting and devastating in depicting the grief and despair of a vast swath of the nation:

 

The Number One song in the U.S. the week of Kennedy's death was "Mrs. Robinson" by the pop duo Simon & Garfunkel. The song was originally included in the soundtrack to the hit Mike Nichols-directed film The Graduate, released in late 1967, and released again as part of the folk-rock duo's 1968 album Bookends. The song, one of several Simon & Garfunkel tunes included in the movie, was originally titled "Mrs. Roosevelt", but was revamped and retitled for the film to refer to one of the main characters, the adulterous Mrs. Robinson, played by Anne Bancroft. While popular in its own right, the film version of "Mrs. Robinson" was markedly different from the album version, released a couple of months later. It was this latter version that climbed the charts in the spring of 1968, peaking on June 1st and remaining at the top of the charts for most of that month.

The most famous and celebrated portion of the song refers to the former Yankee great Joe DiMaggio:

Where have you gone, Joe DiMaggio
Our nation turns its lonely eyes to you
Wu wu wu
What's that you say, Mrs. Robinson
Jolting Joe has left and gone away
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey

In an interview years later, Simon discussed this lyric and explained that the line was meant as a sincere tribute to DiMaggio's unpretentious heroic stature, in a time when popular culture magnifies and distorts how we perceive our heroes. He further reflected:

"In those days of Presidential transgressions and apologies and prime-time interviews about private sexual matters, we grieve for Joe DiMaggio and mourn the loss of his grace and dignity, his fierce sense of privacy, his fidelity to the memory of his wife and the power of his slience.  ...I didn't mean the lines literally... I thought of him as an American hero and that genuine heroes were in short supply."

In the wake of the assassination, it was easy at the time to figuratively transfer the meaning and context of the words in that song to the nation's feelings regarding the loss of RFK.  Being that Bookends was consciously constructed to contain many of Paul Simon's major lyrical themes (including "youth, alienation, life, love, disillusionment, relationships, old age and [especially] mortality"), the album became almost the perfect accompaniment to and encapsulation of the nation's collective feelings during that terrible month.  I can't listen to the album nowadays without thinking of Bobby.

In memory of Bobby Kennedy, all that he was and all that he could have been, here's Simon & Garfunkel's Bookends, released by Columbia Records on April 3rd, 1968. Enjoy, reflect, and as always, let me know what you think.

Please use the email link below to contact me, and I will reply with the download link(s) ASAP:

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