10 Songs With Square in the Title

1. You're so square, Buddy Holly (also Joni Mitchell, etc)

2. She's So Square, XTC

3. Hip to be Square, Huey Lewis and the News

4. Unsquare Dance, Dave Brubeck

5. Square Dance, Eminem

6. Big Square People, Heaven 17

7. Squares Make The World Go Round, Roger Miller

8. Don’t Be Square (Be There), Adam and the Ants

9. You're a Square, Paddy Roberts

10. Square Biz, Teena Marie

365 Albums 31-45

1. Inside Llewyn Davies Soundtrack 2013
2. Joshua Tree U2 1987
3. Cuilidh Julie Fowlis 2007
4. 6 6 6 Aphrodite's Child 1972
5. Sing Lustily and with Good Courage Maddy Prior & The Carnival Band 1990*
6. Epsilon in Malaysian Pale Edgar Froese 1975
7. Trace Trace 1974
8. Tales from the Book of Time Catherine Lambert and the Lore Liege Ensemble 2003
9. The Chirping Crickets The Crickets 1957
10. Hamburger Concerto Focus 1974
11. Dona Nobis Pacem Pedal Point 1983*
12. Guitars Philip Catherine 1975
13. Regatta de Blanc The Police 1979
14. Long Player Late Bloomer Ron Sexsmith 2010
15. The Unfortunate Cup of Tea Horslips 1975

(* Suitable for Sunday playing IMHO)

Buddy Holly doing Peggy Sue on Ed Sullivan Show 1957

Elvis and Buddy

I enjoyed watching a documentary on Buddy Holly recently. See here. I had never seen this 1955 pic of Elvis when he came to Lubbock. You can see Buddy Holl(e)y (and Bob Montgomery) in the picture. Apparently, it was after hearing Elvis that Buddy began playing rock 'n' roll.

All's up for Tommy Allsup

Tommy Allsup, the American guitarist best known for losing a coin toss that kept him off the plane that crashed killing rock 'n' roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and JP "Big Bopper" Richardson, has died at 85.Singer and musician Austin Allsup said his father died on Wednesday at a hospital in Springfield, Missouri, due to complications from a hernia operation.Tommy Allsup was the first guitarist to play solo on a Buddy Holly recording and has been previously hailed by Sir Paul McCartney as one of the finest guitarists in the world.Tommy Allsup was part of Buddy Holly's band when the Texan singer died in the 1959 plane crash near Iowa. Allsup flipped a coin to see if he or Valens would get a seat on the plane, and lost.Austin Allsup said his father took losing the coin toss as a blessing and was humbled to be connected to "such a monumental moment in music history"."I know my dad has talked about that many times and knew that he was very lucky to be here. It could have been the other way around," his son said.

In a 1987 interview, Tommy Allsup recalled flipping the coin backstage after playing a concert. "A couple of people were standing there," he said. "I flipped it. (Valens) called, 'Heads'. He got his stuff off the bus." Another entertainer who was left off the plane was the country music star Waylon Jennings, who was also playing with Holly's band at the time. Jennings died in 2002.

See here.

An obituary in The Time said a silver dollar was used for the coin toss. Allsup's first wife had it made into a belt buckle.

CWH with Buddy Holly and the Crickets

Two recent deaths

Two recent deaths in America caught my eye. Firstly, Bob Montgomery a music producer who worked with and wrote for Buddy Holly in Texas in their early days. Secondly, Ralph H Baer, who was a pioneer in video games including The Simon. I have fond memories of being a student and playing Simon at the manse where my future wife was resident. I'm sure we've featured it on the blog here before.

You're so square

This is nice. Love those drums.

Well ... all right

We haven't had any Buddy Holly here for a while so how about this stroke of genius?

Buddy Holly Raw Talent

RnR07 Love is strange

A series on rock 'n' roll has to include the great Buddy Holly. We are spoiled for choice but this one is not so much of a rock 'n' roll number but a very attractive piece of work later overdubbed to great affect in the late sixties.

American Pie

In light of recent posts on Don McLean and Buddy Holly I thought this attempt may be of interest. A little long I'm sorry.

Best ofs 03

Having highlighted Don McLean there is a logical step to Buddy Holly. Holly died the year I was born but his music is still very popular. I keep promising myself a trip to the musical some time. Of the greats from that era he's my number one. The nerdiest looking of them, what I love about him is the simplicity of the numbers, his great voice and the nice tunes. Some of the ballads with orchestra work as well as the earlier rock numbers I feel. Of course, his early death and obviously under-explored talent adds to the whole thing. That tag "the single most influential creative force in early rock and roll" is intriguing.

The CD I have is one of the many compilations, a 20 track thing called The best of Buddy Holly. On my itunes I have transmuted it into the alternative 36 track The very best of Buddy Holly and the Crickets. (I notice that there are still 13 tracks form that album that I don't have). I also have the instrumental Holly hop there. I notice there is an Ultimate Collection on itunes but it doesn't include that last track. Even the simplest things are complicated. More on Holly here.

And my top seven? (Crying, waiting hoping and Love is strange not considered as they are not on this CD)

1. Rave on

2. Listen to me
3. Every day

4. Not fade away

5. Peggy Sue
6. Oh boy
7. It's so easy