Buddy Holly

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"Buddy Holly"
Buddy Holly cover
Single by Weezer
Album Weezer (The Blue Album)
Released May 10, 1994
September 7, 1994 - as a single
Format CD, cassette, vinyl
Recorded August-September 1993 at Electric Lady Studios, New York, NY
Length 2:39
Label Geffen
Writer Rivers Cuomo
RC# 165
COR# 59
Producer Ric Ocasek
Status Officially released
Live debut August 1, 1993
Listen Album version
Acoustic version
Lounge cover version by Richard Cheese
source: www.LastFM.com
Professional reviews
Rivers Cuomo song chronology
"Souvenirs, Novelties, Party Tricks"
(RC# 164)		 "Buddy Holly"
(RC# 165)		 "Hot Tub"
(RC# 166)
Weezer singles chronology
"Undone - The Sweater Song"
(1994)		 "Buddy Holly"
(1994)		 "Say It Ain't So"
(1995)
Weezer (The Blue Album) track listing
"The World Has Turned and Left Me Here"
(3)		 "Buddy Holly"
(4)		 "Undone - The Sweater Song"
(5)
Alone: The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo track listing
"The Bomb"
(4)		 "Buddy Holly (Demo)"
(5)		 "Chess"
(6)
Alternate cover
Cover of the European Retail CD
Cover of the European Retail CD

"Buddy Holly" is the second single and fourth track from The Blue Album.

Contents

Appearances

MP3 Previews

Source is www.LastFM.com unless otherwise stated

Overview

"Buddy Holly" is one the most-well known Weezer songs. The version of the song that appears on Alone features some differences from the finished album version. It is in a slower tempo, the melody is somewhat different, and the short synth sections during the verses are different.

Writing

In the liner notes for Alone, Cuomo explained how he was inspired to write the song after a friend from his choir lent him a Korg keyboard. The lyrical inspiration derived from an incident in which the other members of Weezer were making fun of Cuomo's friend, Kyung He. Cuomo talks about how he originally didn't want to include the song on the album, but was convinced by producer Ric Ocasek. Cuomo also talks about the writing process of the song, stating that originally, the chorus lyrics were "You look just like Ginger Rogers/Oh-oh/I move just like Fred Astaire."

Single release

"Buddy Holly" was the second single released from The Blue Album. Its initial cover art featured a photo of a very young Rivers with a female friend. Apparently, the photo was used before gaining permission from this girl, and a search for her turned up fruitless. When Geffen realized they may be in an actionable position, they quickly changed the cover, and a photo of Rivers and his brother Leaves was used instead.

The incorrect cover only appears on promo copies of the single, except in Austrailia, who rushed a "Buddy Holly" single out so fast, it not only included the banned photo, but included none of the exclusive B-sides, either - just the LP version of "Holiday". Karl Koch would later say, "These Austrailians seem to rush into everything."

The retail single utilized live recordings from a November 1994 show in Rochester, New York as B-sides, along with the DGC Rarities version of "Jamie".

Live versions

During the Make Believe Tour, an extended guitar intro was added to the song, building up in intensity until the first verse comes, which is sung over guitar only. After the first line, the rest of the band comes in, for the original arrangement. The 2005 AOL Sessions version features this arrangement. The Troublemaker Tour, however, saw that intro discarded and the song was played in its original form.

Rivers has said that "Buddy Holly" is his favorite song to perform live.

Reception

"Buddy Holly" is one of the most universally-loved and famous Weezer songs. The guitar fill at the end of the solo is one of the most notable moments in any Weezer song. Its music video was very significant in Weezer's career, winning awards and bringing the band a high level of visibility. The song was arguably the band's biggest hit for years, and still receives constant play during tours. During the Troublemaker Tour, Weezer closed their set with Buddy Holly. The song was ranked as part of "The Very Best" by the Weezer songblog, Teenage Victory Songs. Allmusic.com gave "Buddy Holly" a 5 star rating and named it an "AMG Track Pick."

The song was covered by parody group Richard Cheese and Lounge Against the Machine for their 2003 album Tuxicity.

Music video

The music video, featuring the band spliced into a Happy Days set, was directed by Spike Jonze. The video brilliantly combines new footage of the band, and old footage from the show, including many of its stars, such as Henry Winkler and Ron Howard. Also included, in a newly-shot speaking role, is Al Molinaro, who played Al Delvecchio on Happy Days. It was massively successful, and launched the band into mainstream fame. It was featured on Microsoft Windows 95 CD-ROM as well. In the commentary for the video on the Video Capture Device, the band members reveal that many of the backup dancers used in the video are friends of theirs, including Tony Maxwell of that dog..

The video has won several awards, notably four awards at the 1995 MTV Video Music Awards, including prizes for Breakthrough Video and Best Alternative Video.

Significance of music video

Strangely enough, the huge success of Buddy Holly's music video confused and angered Cuomo. He believed fans only liked Weezer because of this "gimmicky" music video, and weren't taking his song writing seriously. These feelings played a large part in causing Weezer's more serious, straightfoward sophomore album Pinkerton. During promotion for Pinkerton, Cuomo refused to have any of their music videos contain anything even remotely gimmicky, and many fans and critics blame that decision as the cause of the album's eventual commercial failure. This attempt at a straight-forward, less bubble-gummy music video can be seen in El Scorcho's music video.

Track listings

Promo Only Radio Single

  1. Buddy Holly - 2:40

UK Retail CD

  1. Buddy Holly - 2:40
  2. My Name Is Jonas (Live) - 3:40
  3. Surf Wax America (Live) - 4:09
  4. Jamie - 4:18

UK Retail Cassette/UK Retail 7" Single (Black Vinyl)

  1. Buddy Holly - 2:40
  2. Jamie - 4:18

Australian Retail CD

  1. Buddy Holly - 2:40
  2. Holiday

Dutch Retail CD

  1. Buddy Holly - 2:40
  2. Surf Wax America (Live) - 4:09

Live tracks recorded at Horizontal Boogie Bar, Rochester, NY on November 27, 1994.

Lyrics

What's with these homies dissin' my girl?
Why do they gotta front?
What did we ever do to these guys
That made them so violent?

Woo-hoo, but you know I'm yours
Woo-hoo, and I know you're mine
Woo-hoo, and that's for all of time

Woo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care 'bout that

Don't you ever fear, I'm always near
I know that you need help
Your tongue is twisted, your eyes are slit
You need a guardian

Woo-hoo, and you know I'm yours
Woo-hoo, and I know you're mine
Woo-hoo, and that's for all of time

Woo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care 'bout that
I don't care 'bout that

Bang! Bang! Knock on the door, another big bang, get down on the floor
Oh No! What do we do?
Don't look now but I lost my shoe
I can't run and I can't kick
What's a matter babe, are you feelin' sick?
What's a matter, what's a matter, what's a matter you?
What's a matter babe, are you feelin' blue?
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!

And that's for all of time
And that's for all of time

Woo-ee-oo I look just like Buddy Holly
Oh-oh, and you're Mary Tyler Moore
I don't care what they say about us anyway
I don't care 'bout that
I don't care 'bout that
I don't care 'bout that
I don't care 'bout that

See also

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