Name: Definitive Collection
Brand: Geffen
SKU: 517207
Availability: OutOfStock

Performer Notes

Personnel: Buddy Holly (vocals, guitar); George Barnes, Al Caiola, Sonny Curtis, Tommy Allsup, Al Chernet (guitar); Julius Held, Leo Kruczek, Leonard Posner, Herbert Bourne, Ray Free, Paul Winter Consort, Irving Spice (violin); David Schwartz , Howard Kay (viola); Maurice Bialkin, Maurice Brown (cello); Abraham Richman, Sam "The Man" Taylor (tenor saxophone); Vi Petty (piano, celesta); Ernie Hayes (piano); Norman Petty (organ); Jerry Allison (drums, percussion); Douglas Kirkham, Bob "Crow" Clarke, Clifford Leman, Panama Francis, Phil Kraus (drums); Ray Bush's BBC Jazz, David Bingham, Gary Tollet, Ramona Tollet, June Clark, Bob Linville, John Pickering, Bob Lapham, The Helen Way Singers, William Marine, Robert Bollinger, Abby Hoffer, Merril Ostrus, Robert Harter, Bill Pickering, Niki Sullivan, The Roses (background vocals).
Liner Note Author: Billy Altman.
Recording information: Clovis, NM (01/26/1956-10/21/1958); Nashville, TN (01/26/1956-10/21/1958); New York, NY (01/26/1956-10/21/1958); Tinker Air Force Bass, Oklahoma City, OK (01/26/1956-10/21/1958).
Notable for its unusual cover, which features a rare photo of Buddy Holly without his signature spectacles, THE DEFINITIVE COLLECTION presents an excellent selection of the rock & roll legend's finest moments, recorded in the brief period between early 1956 and late '58, just months before his death in February of '59. Although Holly's hits--including the vibrant tunes "That'll Be the Day," "Not Fade Away," and "Rave On"--are present, they are chronologically interspersed among lesser-known tracks such as the rockabilly-tinged "Midnight Shift" and the organ-laden "Take Your Time," tracing the entire trajectory of Holly's tragically short career. While not as thorough as the two-disc GOLD set, this 2006 release offers eight more songs than the concise GREATEST HITS, making it the ideal intermediate compilation.