Rock and Roll Specialist?

That was pretty damn sweet. Love how the drummer manage to get a great beat from that small drum set.

Talented musician, too bad he died young.

WAYLON!!! WOOOOOOO!

*ahem*

/carry on

Darth_Lukecash: Rock
That was pretty damn sweet. Love how the drummer manage to get a great beat from that small drum set.

I thought the exact same thing, until I watched it again.
- Buddy's guitar wasn't plugged in
- No visible amplification for the bass
- Buddy's mouth and the vocal line swerved away from each other throughout the tune
- There were no mics on the drum kit.

Which all got me thinking: When then rock bands of yore played on TV like this, did they synch due to technological limitations, producers' choice, or both? I'm sure that the band would have loved to be properly plugged in to perform as they're used to.

/Buddy was the man
//His Crickets, not so much

Huh... you might be right about the lipsync. They're definitely not miming to the record.

So presumably they recorded it earlier because of the producer's choice.

/Google "Buddy Holly" "Purple Chick" ftw
//10CDs and 1DVD of complete Buddy Holly goodness

I'm calling shenanigans.

Buddy Holly looks nothing like Gary Busey,

I thought that was cool. Thanks, Subby!

Prerecorded backing track, live vocals. When he comes back from the instrumental break at 1:40, they have the overhead boom mic turned down, then quickly the volume comes back up on the second "Peggy Sue." Common practice on TV for decades...remember REM's "So. Central Rain" video? Same deal: live vocal over canned music.

Recording and broadcast engineers were famously squeamish about loud amplified music, as the very real chance existed that their sensitive (and incredibly expensive) microphones and other equipment would be damaged by sheer volume. Later, when the Byrds recorded their first record, a nervous engineer made McGuinn run his 12-string Rick through a compressor to limit the signal and accidentally created that beautiful chiming guitar tone. (The McGuinn signature Rickenbacker has a built-in compressor today.)

And that drum kit is probably the same as the one on the record...the only drum he hits the entire time is the tom, and that's what it sounds like.

Sorry for the technical geek-out. Rock on, Farkers.

carmody: the very real chance existed that their sensitive (and incredibly expensive) microphones and other equipment would be damaged by sheer volume.

Also, the TV cameras of the day still ran on vacuum tubes, and loud volume would rattle the tubes, causing distortion in the image.

On another note, I wonder where that guitar is today. Mid-50's Stratocaster owned by Buddy Holly? You could probably put two or three kids thru college with that.

Maybe its just me but I would have loved to have grown up in the 50s

I know what you're saying Dear Leader. Segregation rocked! And you could slap your wife if she gave you too much lip.

notinuse: On another note, I wonder where that guitar is today. Mid-50's Stratocaster owned by Buddy Holly? You could probably put two or three kids thru college with that.

That particular one in the video is probably the one someone stole while he was on tour. The one from the final performance is supposed to be in his family. Honestly, I think you'd be approaching the kind of cash SRV, Hendrix, and Clapton Strats have brought at auction. Could probably put those kids and then their kids through school.

There's a clip somewhere of him on Ed Sullivan performing "Oh Boy" where he lets out a whoop and jumps into the guitar solo. You know someone had to get worried for a second.

Ah, here it is. (new window) Whoop is at about 1:18 in.

" //His Crickets, not so much " (thoughtcancer)


Very very dumb.

Please explain you less than intelligent comment.

You do realize Allison (drummer) wrote many of the songs with Buddy.

Also,show me a Pop-Rock drummer from 1957 who can handle those tricky paradiddles like Allison did on this song.

Allison is today regarded as one of the truly "visionary" early Rock drummers.

craigdamage: Very very dumb.

Please explain you less than intelligent comment.

You do realize Allison (drummer) wrote many of the songs with Buddy.

Also,show me a Pop-Rock drummer from 1957 who can handle those tricky paradiddles like Allison did on this song.

Allison is today regarded as one of the truly "visionary" early Rock drummers.

I have to back up craigdamage here as he is 100% correct -- that combo was defining a sound more than executing one. The drumming is quite excellent and any more, or any less, would have made for a lesser recording.

Plus, when people ask you who your all time favorite bass player is, and you say "Waylon Jennings" it kinda throws them.

/ actually macca is my fave, waylon, rick danko and john stirratt tied for 2nd, followed by tommy stinson

Mr. Mcpoops: I know what you're saying Dear Leader. Segregation rocked! And you could slap your wife if she gave you too much lip.

well I live in Canada so all that still applys :-)

+1 for subby's care of accurate information

Thanks everyone for not saying anything disparaging about Buddy. I was set to light flames and I really want to watch the Masters ;)

I was a rigid punk rocker in the early '80s. You can also read that as shallow,idiot with no musical appreciation. I would have laughed off Buddy as being irrelevant at a younger point in my life. As I grew older and began to listen to,and appreciate,more varied style of music I realized Buddy was the man. As 'punk' as anyone could have been based on the standard of uncompromising in his musical direction. Then considering what he was doing,and the temper of the times he did it in, only one conclusion follows. Buddy was hard to the farking core!