"This is a 'must have' Buddy Holly CD reissue fans are sure to enjoy and treasure".... "an outstanding sounding CD in which no attempt was made to "modernize" - Michael Framer - trackingangle.com
"Forget recent AI work with The Beatles reissues. It's primitive compared to this, which may be the watershed moment in recording technology.... One of the most important rock albums ever, now sounding better than you could imagine" – Ken Kessler, Hi-Fi News
There are two versions of this CD album; the jewel case version, which has the original Australian front cover (RCCD 3081A) and the Rolapak card cover version which has the original UK front cover design and additional images (RCCD 3081B). Both have the same detailed 36 page booklet with notes by John Beecher, Chris Hopkins and Crickets drummer, J. I. Allison, who provided us with encouragement and help during the process. You are looking at the original UK sleeve version houased in a card Rolapak - a card sleeve with extra photos.
By August 1957, The Crickets were hot in the US with their first single, "That'll Be The Day" which, after a slow start, had been moving up the charts. As a result, on 2nd August, the group were off on tour, beginning at the Howard Theatre in Washington, DC. From then on, until the end of November, they toured almost without a break. Meanwhile, Brunswick were calling for an album and, although several tracks had been recorded in Clovis, a few more were needed. Fortunately there were a few short breaks in the tour and during September .The Crickets recorded four tracks at the Officers Club, Tinker Airforce Base, Oklahoma City. Norman Petty - his trio were appeared that evening there and the recordings were made 'after hours' on a portable Ampex recorder, when things were quiet.
Because of the urgency, and the need to continue with The Crickets sound as it was interpreted on both sides of their hit, Norman Petty took the tapes back to his studio in Clovis, New Mexico and decided to overdub background vocals on thes four Olkahoma recordings and some other tracks which had been recorded earlier in Clovis. This may have gone against The Crickets own plans for finishing the album tracks and, when they heard the results upon the release of The "Chirping" Crickets LP in November 1957, there was some discussion about the obtrusive nature and style of background vocals on some of the finished recordings. Their first single had been rehearsed with friends who 'honed the background vocals to perfection' as the group felt. "Not Fade Away" with their own overdubs, also sounded the way they thought it should. The addition of The Picks, a rather 'square' vocal group, did not always sound as integrated as the earlier recordings. For years, The Crickets, and many of their fans, wondered how the undubbed versions of the album tracks would have sounded.
Modern technology has advanced so much that it has become possible, with the help of recent innovations and hours of work by our dedicated and determined engineer Chris Hopkins, to realise the dream. By separating the instruments, it was possible to remix and create stereo and 'undubbed' versions of the recordings. Thus you will hear the Alternative "Chirping" Crickets album pretty much the way it should have sounded in 1957, along with the original, but remastered, version and stereo mixes of the tracks. Note that to achieve consistency, we have also presented "That'll Be The Day", "I'm Looking For Someone To Love" and Not Fade Away" without background vocals. Please tell us what you think by posting a review of this album on our website.
Thanks to everyone who ordered this CD in advance and remained patient while technology improved even further and enabled us to complete the project with the best possible results.
TRACKS: MONO REMIXES: 1. Oh Boy! (mono) 2. Not Fade Away (mono) 3. You've Got Love (mono) 4. Maybe Baby (mono) 5. It's Too Late (mono) 6. Tell Me How (mono) 7. That'll Be The Day (mono) 8. I'm Looking For Someone To Love (mono) 9. An Empty Cup (and a broken date) (mono) 10. Send Me Some Lovin' (mono) 11. Last Night (mono ) 12. Rock Me My Baby (mono)
STEREO REMIXES: 13. Oh Boy! (stereo) 2021 remix master 14. Oh Boy! (stereo) 2022 remix master; 15 Not Fade Away (stereo) 16. You've Got Love (stereo) 2022 remix master 17. Maybe Baby (stereo) 18. It's Too Late (stereo) 19. Tell Me How (stereo) 20. That'll Be The Day (stereo) 21. I'm Looking For Someone To Love (stereo) 22. An Empty Cup (and a broken date) (stereo) 23. Send Me Some Lovin' (stereo) 24. Last Night (stereo) 25. Rock Me My Baby (stereo)
STEREO REMIXES WITHOUT BACKING VOCALS: And finally, all the LP tracks without backing vocals: 26. Oh Boy! (stereo) Not Fade Away 27. You've Got Love (stereo) 28. Maybe Baby (stereo) 29. It's Too Late (stereo) 30.Tell Me How (stereo) 31.That'll Be The Day (stereo) 32. I'm Looking For Someone To Love 33. (An Empty Cup (and a broken date) (stereo) 34. Send Me Some Lovin' (stereo) 35. Last Night (stereo) 36. Rock Me My Baby (stereo).
We hope to make a vinyl version of The "Chirping" Crickets available later.
This is the Rolapak sleeve version - a card sleeve with extra images. For a jewel case version, see that listing - RCCD 3081A
If you wish to order by mail, please send payment of £16.00 (uk only) by cheque or PO to include postage & packing, to:
Rollercoaster Records, Rock House, London Road, St Marys, GL68PU
