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   CLUB SANDWICH 49

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GOT YOUR T-SHIRT?

Paul produces the Crickets for Buddy Holly Week

"We've pretty well proved in the years since 1958 that the Crickets without Buddy Holly aren't too hot an item"

Jerry Allison, quoted in Remembering Buddy by John Goldrosen and John Beecher

Club Sandwich 49

            Those are the words of an excessively modest man. From being a successful pop group well into the '60's ('When You Ask About Love', 'Don't Ever Change', 'La Bamba'), the Crickets have since veered between country rock and straight rock 'n roll, always with entertaining results. It's scarcely their fault that a giant's posthumous shadow is never far away. Not that the Crickets resent the fact: followers of Buddy Holly Week since 1976 will know that group members past and present have been ever-eager to contribute to the celebrations - in fact, it was the Crickets' 1977 Holly Week show in London that made them an active unit again.
            "Been more Crickets than a dog's got fleas",'runs a line from one of their recent songs. These have included Sonny Curtis, writer of 'Walk Right Back' (the Everlys), 'I Fought The Law' and (with Jerry Allison) 'More Than I Can Say' (the Crickets, Bobby Vee, Leo Sayer); Glen D. Hardin, Elvis's pianist on all his '70"s tours; Englishmen Albert Lee, hot country picker with Emmylou Harris and others, and Rick Grech (Family, Blind Faith, Traffic). Moreover, great artists like Eddie Cochran and the Everlys were pleased to employ their back-up skills after Buddy's . death.
            Gordon Payne is the latest recruit, joining ever-present Jerry Allison and original bassist Joe B. Mauldin. The legendary J.J. Cale co-produced an album for Gordon in the '70's, the results being comparable to Cale's own relaxed, funky style. I was unsure how this would blend with the Crickets' sparky, upbeat sound, but I needn't have worried. Sure, he sounds like a good ol' boy at times, but so do the other Crickets nowadays!
            Their album Three Piece came out on Rollercoaster Records (ROLL 2014) in the spring and at least two tracks, 'The Weekend' and 'Forever In Mind', were played on BBC Radio Two, the home of musical diversity these days. Recorded as demos for intended producer Dave Edmunds, the ten songs were issued unembellished when the project fell through and sound just fine.
            As forecast in CS46, the Crickets' thirtieth anniversary tour in March featured Sonny Curtis as guest and climaxed at London's Town and Country Club. Gordon proved his adaptability by coping admirably with songs like 'Well All Right', 'Think It Over' and 'Rock Me My Baby', as well as the new stuff. The three Crickets recorded a Radio Two Sounds of the '60's programme as presenters, since broadcast. Their Southern accents were a delight to hear and among their selections were the Beatles' 'I Saw Her Standing There' and their own 'Don't Ever Change', on which Glen Campbell was revealed as one of the voices.
            But, welcome though this activity is, forthcoming events will surely dwarf what's gone before. Fittingly, the Crickets were chosen to record 'T-Shirt' (shortened from 'Got The T-Shirt'), Jim Imray's winning song from last year's Buddy Holly Week competition. The group genuinely liked the song - after all, Jerry Allison had been one of the competition judges-and, if they needed a further fillip, they got it when Paul not only agreed to produce the record, but played piano and sang back-up as well.
            All this has resulted in a deal with CBS, including an album (T-Shirt) featuring remakes of several Three Piece tracks, the Crickets' first major label tie-up since they were with Mercury in the early '70's. T-Shirt' comes out on 5th September, two days before Buddy's birthday and four days before they and Bobby Vee start a new British tour at Bristol: I think they can expect some new fans in the audience.
            A chance remark from Paul Simon also suggests the Crickets may be heading for the big time once more. When our Paul met him in New York in March, Simon said, "I've just seen a really great, tight little band. Who do you think they are?"
            PMcC shakes head: "Dunno". "The Crickets." Imagine how chuffed Paul must have been! By the way, Paul S. and his compatriots can buy the single a week earlier, on 29th August. (The B-side is 'Holly Would'!) Provisional dates for the album are 3rd October (UK) and 10th October (US).
            However, you can't keep the Crickets' old boss out of it - and rightly so. The next best thing to a newly released Holly recording is surely an unheard Holly song. During his short career, Buddy collaborated frequently, both as musician and composer. One Graham Turnbull, living in Lubbock, got a record deal in 1957 and enlisted Buddy's help in finishing some of his half-completed songs. The results were written down in a notebook by both men and retained by Turnbull.
            Turnbull's band can't have taken off, for the songs weren't used at the time. Twenty years later, Turnbull, now known as Scotty Turner and established as Slim Whitman's producer, made to throw out a battered guitar case while clearing his loft. Something rattled inside-and there was the notebook, containing eleven songs in various stages of completion. Earlier this year Scotty co-produced a recording of 'Am I Ever Gonna Find It' and one of the others by Razorback, a country-rock band, and showed the notebook to Buddy's widow, who'd known of its loss.
            "Maria spotted Buddy's handwriting right off the bat and she asked me to complete the other nine songs...I'm going to do it very carefully and slowly, as there are some great pieces to be finished."
            Clearly, Scotty is not just cashing in, or we'd have heard of this long ago, so the results may be worth hearing. Other news from across the pond includes a Holly tribute show filmed by Austin City Limits for TV As well as the music, Buddy's mother Ella, his brothers Travis and Larry and his widow Maria Elena all said a few words. Kris Kristofferson did the intros besides performing, other artists including the Crickets, John Fogerty, Carl Perkins, Vi Petty, Waylon Jennings and 'Eddie Cochran' and 'Buddy Holly' from the La Bamba film (Brian Setzer and Marshall Crenshaw). These two Holly items came from Now Dig This, a beautifully-produced, well-written rock 'n roll magazine of great interest to the general reader. Available monthly, a single copy costs £2.35 (U K) or £2.80 (overseas) from 69 Quarry Lane, South Shields, Tyne & Wear NE34 7NW
            Besides the Crickets' single, a highlight of Buddy Holly Week in London will be the presentation of the £1,000 first prize to the winner of MPL's 'T-Shirt' competition. Entrants were required to design a T-shirt motif based on the song title 'T-Shirt', the winning entry to appear on the sleeve of the Crickets' single-and, no doubt, on a T-shirt.
            Stateside, there will be a Lubbock Music Festival around Buddy's birthday, but the main Holly-related action again seems to be at Clovis, whose festival runs from 2nd-llth September. Carl Perkins will definitely headline the Jimmy Self Country Concert there on 3rd September and others subject to confirmation include Joe Ely and the Larry Trider Band, Larry being a post-Holly Cricket. Pepsi-Cola thankfully had enough left in the kitty after paying Michael Jackson to give $1,500 towards the Buddy Holly Memorial Society convention at Clovis, dates as above.
            Ray Needham of the British Buddy Holly Society knows of 14 Holly CD's, some definitely bootlegs, others of doubtful origins from Denmark, Holland and "EEC". Legitimate, but US-only so far, is a CD of The Chirping Crickets, Holly's first album and one of only two released in his lifetime. The BBHS's next magazine but one, due in October, will include a guide to all the above releases: see CS46 for address and subscription details.

Club Sandwich 49