Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #13351 in DVD
• Released on: 2009-02-02
• Rating: Exempt
• Formats: Best of, DVD-Video, Import, PAL
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1

DVD Description
Buddy Holly and the Crickets made some of the greatest rock & roll records of all time. It’s a remarkable fact that such classics as "That’ll Be The Day", "Peggy Sue", "Oh Boy", "Maybe Baby", "Rave On" and "Think It Over" were all recorded in a little less than twelve months during 1957-1958. On January 27, 1959 Buddy began a 3-week tour through the frozen midwest with newly hired Crickets, Carl Bunch and Tommy Allsup. He was killed along with Ritchie Yalens and the Big Bopper on February 3, 1959 in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, travelling to the twelfth date of that tour. He was just 22 years old. In his 1971 song "American Pie", Don Mclean referred to Holly’s death as "The Day The Music Died". Such a short life. Such a giant legacy. Leaving his own great recordings and inspiring British groups of the Sixties like the Beatles, the Stones and the Hollies, Buddy Holly is one of the greatest in the history of rock & roll.

DVD Features
90 minute Definitive Story
3 Live Performances on the Ed Sullivan Show:
"That’ll Be The Day"
"Peggy Sue"
"Oh Boy"
Interviews with Jerry Allison, Joe Mauldin, Sonny Curtis, Tommy Allsup, Carl Bunch, Sonny West and many more
PLUS brand new never before seen footage: “The Day The Music Died”, where they were when they heard the news.

Customer Reviews

Still not fading away... Buddy and The Crickets on DVD
This 50th Anniversary Edition DVD is basically the same as the 2005 Universal DVD release, but without the 14-track DVD Jukebox feature, the 20-track bonus CD (neither exactly vital), and the 28-page colour booklet.

What is included is the original documentary which runs to around 105 minutes, the 3 black-and-white TV clips of The Crickets on the Ed Sullivan Shows, That'll Be The Day and Peggy Sue from December 1957, and Oh Boy! from their second appearance in January 1958, which run to something over 5 minutes. Parts of the first and last clips are also seen in the documentary.

The documentary is narrated by Paul Gambaccini as the story of Buddy's musical career is told in the words of various friends and associates through anecdotes and film clips of some of the events and locations that featured in his life story. These include, for example, scenes from Lubbock and Clovis, the 'motorcycle' film taken by JI's brother, and some cine film shot on tour in England in early 1958 by Norman Petty. There is also a very brief clip of the Angelic Gospel Singers whose stunning version of I'll Be Alright inspired Buddy's True Love Ways. And a lot more.

Additionally, parts of the interviews not seen in the documentary are shown as a separate feature of another 37 minutes or so. Some of this footage, not included in the 2005 DVD, shows Peggy Sue Gerron, Gary and Ramona Tollett, George Tomsco, Sonny Curtis and John Pickering (of The Picks) talking about how they heard the news of the plane crash. A longer interview with Tommy Allsup covers his recollection of events in Clear Lake and the following day. We also see those interview clips of Peggy Sue, JI, Carl Bunch, Sonny, George, Joe B and Ray Rush (of The Roses) from the 2005 DVD.

Notably absent are contributions from Maria Elena, Larry and Travis, Buddy's elder brothers, and Bob Montgomery, though several others who knew Buddy do take part, including Jack Neal, veteran DJ Larry Byers, Sonny West - and our own Des O'Connor, with an amusing little story about trying to pull Buddy out of bed one morning during The Crickets' tour of England.

The artwork is a minimal 4 pages, listing the various DVD credits, and showing the same 3 photos featured in the recent anniversary CD booklet.

The DVD has a total running time of just under 150 minutes. The picture quality is very good considering the age of some of the film used, and the sound is very good too. Though most of the material has been available before it is still a most welcome release, is ideal for anyone not that familiar with the story of Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and is excellent value at the modest price.

Buddy Holly - the definitive story
Buddy Holly - the definitive story. Well worth watching - anything is good with this star.

BUDDY HOLLY: THE DEFINITIVE STORY
Buddy Holly: The Definitive Story [DVD] [2005]
As i was fortunate enough to have seen Buddy Holly in concert in London back in 1958 i found this DVD to be very nostalgic. It brought back some great memories of those days,and i thought it was very good seeing some of his old friends and music contemporaries remembering him and the times that they played with him.
As a lifelong Buddy Holly fan I thought this DVD was well worth buying.
P ROBERTS