That'll Be the Day (album)

That’ll Be The Day is the third album from American rock and roll icon Buddy Holly. Decca, Holly’s first major record label, after failing to produce a hit single from Holly’s early recordings, packaged these 1956 tunes after he had some success with recordings from the Brunswick and Coral labels, i.e. the previously released single "That'll Be the Day". This is the last album released before his death, February 3, 1959 and is rare among collectors; some mint copies are priced at $1,000.

Recordings were done in three different sessions typically running just 3 hours long, January, July and November 1956 at Bradley’s Barn Studio, 804 16th Ave. So., Nashville, Tennessee.^[2] From these sessions a single was released on April 16, 1956 (D 29854), “Blue Days, Black Nights” / “Love Me”. A second single “Modern Don Juan / You Are My One Desire” (D 30166) was released December 24, 1956. Low sales convinced Decca to shelve the remaining tracks. The Decca 1956 Nashville recordings were repackaged several times. Instruments and background vocals were added with later releases as late as 1984. The mid-’70s British LP The Nashville Sessions is the best of the vinyl editions according to Allmusic.

Track listings

Side 1

1. "You Are My One Desire" (Don Guess) 2:23
2. "Blue Days, Black Nights" (Ben Hall) 2:04
3. "Modern Don Juan" (Don Guess, Jack Neal) 2:39
4. "Rock Around With Ollie Vee"* (Sonny Curtis) 2:18
5. "Ting A Ling"* (Buddy Holly) or (Ahmet Ertegun) 2:41
6. "Girl On My Mind"* (Jim Denny) or (Don Guess) 2:18

Side 2

1. "That'll Be the Day"* (Buddy Holly, Jerry “J.I.” Allison) 2:18
2. "Love Me" (Buddy Holly, Sue Parrish) 2:07
3. "I’m Changing All Those Changes"* (Jim Denny) or (Buddy Holly) 1:42
4. "Don’t Come Back Knockin’" (Buddy Holly, Sue Parrish) 2:14
5. "Midnight Shift" (Earl Lee, Jimmie Ainsworth) 2:10

* with the Three Tunes

Personnel

• Buddy Holly* — vocal & guitar
• Sonny Curtis* — lead guitar
• Grady Martin* — rhythm guitar
• Doug Kirkham* — bass and percussion
• Don Guess* — bass
• Jerry Allison* — drums
• Harold Bradley — guitar
• Floyd Cramer — piano
• Farris Coursey — drums
• E.R. “Dutch” McMillan — alto saxophone
• Owen Bradley — piano
• Boots Randolph — saxophone

* line up on Jan 26 credited as “The Three Tunes”. According to buddyhollycenter.org the group name was Buddy and the Two Tones (i.e. Buddy Holly with Don Guess and Sonny Curtis).

• Owen Bradley produced the sessions.
• The Picks added background harmonies.

References

• BUDDY HOLLY: THAT’LL BE THE DAY: Decca DL 8707 - April 1958
• BUDDY HOLLY: That'll Be The Day
• Dates And Recording Information - Nashville and Clovis 1956 (Researched and Compiled by Terry R. Shaw Copyright © 2000 by Terry R. Shaw)
• 2006 April Music Memorabilia Auction #622 [1]
• Buddyhollyonline