The "Chirping" Crickets

The "Chirping" Crickets
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 27, 1957[citation needed]
RecordedJuly 17 – September 28, 1957[citation needed]
Genre
Length26:02
LabelBrunswick
ProducerNorman Petty
The Crickets chronology
The "Chirping" Crickets
(1957)
Buddy Holly
(1958)
Alternative Cover
Australian cover
Reissue Cover
Buddy Holly and the Crickets (Coral, 1962)
Singles from The "Chirping" Crickets
  1. "That'll Be the Day"
    Released: July 1957
  2. "Oh, Boy!"
    Released: 27 October 1957
  3. "Maybe Baby"
    Released: January 1958
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[1]
The Rolling Stone Record Guide[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[3]

The "Chirping" Crickets is the debut album from the American rock and roll band the Crickets, led by Buddy Holly. It was the group's only album released during Holly's lifetime. In 2012, it was ranked number 420 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[4] It also appears in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The LP was released in the US in 1957, and in the UK in 1958. It was re-released by Coral in 1962 as Buddy Holly and the Crickets. After being out of print for many years, it was reissued as a remastered CD in 2004 with bonus tracks.

In July 2019 the album was the subject for the BBC Four documentary Classic Albums: The Crickets: The 'Chirping' Crickets.[5]

In July 2023, the album was reissued by Rollercoaster Records in England as The Alternative "Chirping" Crickets, a CD containing remixed Mono, Stereo plus the twelve tracks, in stereo but without the backing vocals that the Crickets felt were intrusive and inappropriate. Positive reviews followed.

Track listing

Side 1
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Oh, Boy!"Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty2:08
2."Not Fade Away"Buddy Holly, Petty2:23
3."You've Got Love"Roy Orbison, Johnny Wilson, Petty2:08
4."Maybe Baby"Holly, Petty2:03
5."It's Too Late"Chuck Willis2:24
6."Tell Me How"Holly, Petty, Jerry Allison2:01
Side 2
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
7."That'll Be the Day" (May 27, 1957 Brunswick version)Holly, Allison, Petty2:16
8."I'm Looking for Someone to Love"Holly, Petty1:59
9."An Empty Cup (And a Broken Date)"Orbison, Petty2:15
10."Send Me Some Lovin'"John Marascalco, Leo Price2:37
11."Last Night"Joe B. Mauldin, Petty1:56
12."Rock Me My Baby"Shorty Long, Susan Heather1:52

Personnel

Buddy Holly and the Crickets
  • Buddy Holly – lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar on “It’s Too Late”, backing vocals on “Not Fade Away”
  • Jerry Allison – drums; cardboard box percussion and backing vocals on “Not Fade Away”
  • Joe B. Mauldin – double bass (except “That’ll Be the Day” and “I’m Looking for Someone to Love”), backing vocals on “Not Fade Away”
  • Niki Sullivan – rhythm guitar (except on ”Oh, Boy!”, “Not Fade Away”, “It’s Too Late”, and “An Empty Cup (And A Broken Date”); backing vocals on “Not Fade Away”, “That’ll Be the Day”, and “I’m Looking for Someone to Love”
Additional personnel
  • Larry Welborn – double bass on “That’ll Be the Day” and “I’m Looking for Someone to Love”
  • The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering and Bob Lapham) – backing vocals, except on “Not Fade Away”, “That’ll Be the Day”, and “I’m Looking for Someone to Love”
  • Ramona and Gary Tollett – backing vocals on “That’ll Be the Day” and “I’m Looking for Someone to Love”

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1958 UK Albums Chart 5[6]

Singles

Year Single Position
Billboard Hot 100[7] R&B Singles[8] UK Singles Chart[9]
1957 "That'll Be the Day" 1 2 1
1958 "Oh Boy" 10 13 3

References

  1. ^ Ruhlmann, William. The "Chirping" Crickets at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  2. ^ Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (Editors). The Rolling Stone Record Guide, 1st edition, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1979, p. 174.
  3. ^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
  4. ^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
  5. ^ "Classic Albums - The Crickets: The 'Chirping' Crickets". July 12, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2024 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  6. ^ "Crickets - Chirping Crickets". Official Charts Company. 1958-04-19. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
  7. ^ Buddy Holly at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  8. ^ The Crickets at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
  9. ^ "Crickets". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-08-06.