Not Fade Away (song)
Encyclopedia
"Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly
(originally under his first and middle names, Charles Hardin) and Norman Petty
(although Petty's co-writing credit is most likely a formality) and first recorded by Holly's band The Crickets
in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957 (which was the same day the song "Everyday
" was recorded). The song's rhythm pattern is a variant of the Bo Diddley beat (with the second beat occurring on the second, rather than third beat of the first measure) which itself was an update of the so-called "hambone" rhythm, or "patted juba" from Western Africa; Crickets drummer Jerry Allison
pounded out the beat on a cardboard box. Allison, Holly's best friend, also claims to have written part of the lyrics, though his name never appeared in the songwriting credits. The other performer on the song was Joe Mauldin
on bass guitar
. The backing vocalist
s on the recording are most likely Buddy, Allison, and Niki Sullivan
, although this is not known for certain.
Along with the familiar Take 2 of "Not Fade Away," there exists a Take 1 whose first verse is missing; it has been released with the first part of Take 1 spliced onto it. Originally released as the B-side to the hit "Oh, Boy!
", "Not Fade Away" was also included on the album The "Chirping" Crickets.
It was not the last song Buddy Holly ever performed, however, the night before his fatal plane crash
. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man
" was, according to those attending a 50th anniversary symposium in Clear Lake. In a panel discussion with Tommy Allsup, Carl Bunch, and Bob Hale (the M.C. at that last show), all three agreed that the final song played at the Feb. 2, 1959, show was "Brown Eyed Handsome Man
." All of the acts performed it together.
.
However, The Crickets' recording never charted as a single.
' cover of "Not Fade Away", with its strong emphasis on the Bo Diddley beat, became a major hit in Britain and served as the A-side of the band's first US single.
The Rolling Stones version of "Not Fade Away" was one of their first classic hits. Recorded in late January 1964 and released by Decca
on February 21, 1964, with "Little by Little
" as the B-side, it was their first Top 5 hit in Great Britain, reaching #3. In March 1964 it was also the Rolling Stones' first single release in the United States
, on the London Records
label, with "I Wanna Be Your Man
" as the B-side (briefly preceded by "Stoned", which had immediately been withdrawn). The single reached #48 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Not Fade Away" was not on the UK version of their debut album, The Rolling Stones
, but was the opening track of the US version released a month later as England's Newest Hitmakers. It was a mainstay at Rolling Stones concerts in their early years, usually opening the shows. It was revived in that capacity for their 1994-95 Voodoo Lounge Tour
.
Ironically the Stones' version, unlike the original, chooses to fade-out on the "not fade away" lyric.
version of "Not Fade Away" was their debut single, released in 1973
. The B-side of this single, "You Can't Fight It," was the first original song Rush released. The single is rare and highly sought-after by collectors. Neither one of these songs were ever officially released on CD.
recorded it, and they performed it 530 times in their long concert career, making it their seventh-most performed song. A version is available on Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966. The Bobby Fuller Four covered it during their short career. Group Axis did a great cover also. Bruce Springsteen
, Bob Dylan
, Tom Petty
, Steve Hillage
, Jon Bon Jovi
, Patti Smith
, James Taylor
, Sheryl Crow
and Simon and Garfunkel
have played it in concert. Sheryl Crow
's 2007 single-only version release of the song charted #78 on the Billboard Hot 100
and #63 on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles
chart. James Taylor finally recorded it on his 2008 album Covers
. The Supremes
recorded a version in 1964, but went unreleased until 2008.
A cover of the song recorded by British band Florence + the Machine is featured on the 2011 release Rave on Buddy Holly
, a tribute album featuring performances of Holly's music by various artists.
Besides the Rolling Stones, two other artists have had chart hits in the U.S. with this song: Tanya Tucker
in 1979, and a new wave
-ish take by British artist Eric Hine in 1981.
Stevie Nicks
has recently contributed a cover version for the upcoming tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly to be released in Sept 2011.
Buddy Holly
Charles Hardin Holley , known professionally as Buddy Holly, was an American singer-songwriter and a pioneer of rock and roll...
(originally under his first and middle names, Charles Hardin) and Norman Petty
Norman Petty
Norman Petty was an American musician, songwriter, and pioneer record producer who helped shape modern popular music, including pop and rock....
(although Petty's co-writing credit is most likely a formality) and first recorded by Holly's band The Crickets
The Crickets
The Crickets are a rock & roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer/songwriter Buddy Holly in the 1950s. Their first hit record was "That'll Be the Day", released in 1957....
in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957 (which was the same day the song "Everyday
Everyday (Buddy Holly song)
"Everyday" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets on May 29, 1957 and released on September 20, 1957 as the B-side to "Peggy Sue". On the original single the Crickets are not mentioned, but it is known that Holly plays acoustic guitar; drummer...
" was recorded). The song's rhythm pattern is a variant of the Bo Diddley beat (with the second beat occurring on the second, rather than third beat of the first measure) which itself was an update of the so-called "hambone" rhythm, or "patted juba" from Western Africa; Crickets drummer Jerry Allison
Jerry Allison
J.I. Allison is an American musician, best known for being the drummer for The Crickets and co-writer of their Buddy Holly hit "Peggy Sue"....
pounded out the beat on a cardboard box. Allison, Holly's best friend, also claims to have written part of the lyrics, though his name never appeared in the songwriting credits. The other performer on the song was Joe Mauldin
Joe B. Mauldin
Joe Benson Mauldin, Jr. is ranked among the top rock bassists and became a recording engineer at Gold Star Studios, the Los Angeles studio that became the hit factory for Phil Spector, Brian Wilson and other major 1960s rock performers...
on bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
. The backing vocalist
Backing vocalist
A backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
s on the recording are most likely Buddy, Allison, and Niki Sullivan
Niki Sullivan
Niki M. Sullivan was an American rock and roll guitar player, born in South Gate, California. He was one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing group, The Crickets. Though he lost interest within a year or two of his involvement, his guitar playing was an integral part of Holly's...
, although this is not known for certain.
Along with the familiar Take 2 of "Not Fade Away," there exists a Take 1 whose first verse is missing; it has been released with the first part of Take 1 spliced onto it. Originally released as the B-side to the hit "Oh, Boy!
Oh, Boy! (song)
"Oh, Boy!" is a song originally performed by Buddy Holly's band The Crickets. It was written by Sonny West and Bill Tilghman; the band's manager Norman Petty added his name as co-composer. The song was recorded between June 29 and July 1, 1957, at Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico, with Holly...
", "Not Fade Away" was also included on the album The "Chirping" Crickets.
It was not the last song Buddy Holly ever performed, however, the night before his fatal plane crash
The Day the Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small-plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa, killed three American rock and roll pioneers: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and J. P. "The Big Bopper" Richardson, as well as the pilot, Roger Peterson. The day was later called The Day the Music Died by Don McLean, in his song...
. "Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is a rock and roll song by Chuck Berry, which was originally released by Chess Records in September 1956 as the B-side to "Too Much Monkey Business". It was also included on Berry's 1957 debut album After School Session...
" was, according to those attending a 50th anniversary symposium in Clear Lake. In a panel discussion with Tommy Allsup, Carl Bunch, and Bob Hale (the M.C. at that last show), all three agreed that the final song played at the Feb. 2, 1959, show was "Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
"Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is a rock and roll song by Chuck Berry, which was originally released by Chess Records in September 1956 as the B-side to "Too Much Monkey Business". It was also included on Berry's 1957 debut album After School Session...
." All of the acts performed it together.
.
However, The Crickets' recording never charted as a single.
Rolling Stones
In 1964, The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
' cover of "Not Fade Away", with its strong emphasis on the Bo Diddley beat, became a major hit in Britain and served as the A-side of the band's first US single.
The Rolling Stones version of "Not Fade Away" was one of their first classic hits. Recorded in late January 1964 and released by Decca
Decca Records
Decca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
on February 21, 1964, with "Little by Little
Little by Little (The Rolling Stones song)
"Little by Little" was released by The Rolling Stones on the Decca label on February 21, 1964, as the B-side to their version of "Not Fade Away". Also included on their debut album The Rolling Stones in April 1964....
" as the B-side, it was their first Top 5 hit in Great Britain, reaching #3. In March 1964 it was also the Rolling Stones' first single release in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, on the London Records
London Records
London Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
label, with "I Wanna Be Your Man
I Wanna Be Your Man
"I Wanna Be Your Man" is a Lennon–McCartney-penned song that was recorded separately by The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. The Rolling Stones' version was released a few weeks earlier...
" as the B-side (briefly preceded by "Stoned", which had immediately been withdrawn). The single reached #48 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Not Fade Away" was not on the UK version of their debut album, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones (album)
-Personnel:The Rolling Stones*Mick Jagger – lead and backing vocals, harmonica, percussion*Keith Richards – guitar, backing vocals*Brian Jones – guitar, harmonica, percussion, backing vocals*Charlie Watts – drums, percussion...
, but was the opening track of the US version released a month later as England's Newest Hitmakers. It was a mainstay at Rolling Stones concerts in their early years, usually opening the shows. It was revived in that capacity for their 1994-95 Voodoo Lounge Tour
Voodoo Lounge Tour
The Voodoo Lounge Tour was a worldwide concert tour by The Rolling Stones to promote their 1994 album Voodoo Lounge. This was their first tour without bassist Bill Wyman; he was replaced by Darryl Jones. The tour grossed $320 million, becoming the highest grossing tour of any artist at that time...
.
Ironically the Stones' version, unlike the original, chooses to fade-out on the "not fade away" lyric.
Rush
The RushRush (band)
Rush is a Canadian rock band formed in August 1968, in the Willowdale neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario. The band is composed of bassist, keyboardist, and lead vocalist Geddy Lee, guitarist Alex Lifeson, and drummer and lyricist Neil Peart...
version of "Not Fade Away" was their debut single, released in 1973
1973 in music
-January–April:*January 9 – Mick Jagger's request for a Japanese visa is rejected on account of a 1969 drug conviction, putting an abrupt end to The Rolling Stones' plans to perform in Japan during their forthcoming tour.*January 14...
. The B-side of this single, "You Can't Fight It," was the first original song Rush released. The single is rare and highly sought-after by collectors. Neither one of these songs were ever officially released on CD.
By others
"Not Fade Away" has been covered by many other groups. The Grateful DeadGrateful Dead
The Grateful Dead was an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, improvisational jazz, psychedelia, and space rock, and for live performances of long...
recorded it, and they performed it 530 times in their long concert career, making it their seventh-most performed song. A version is available on Rare Cuts and Oddities 1966. The Bobby Fuller Four covered it during their short career. Group Axis did a great cover also. Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss," is an American singer-songwriter who records and tours with the E Street Band...
, Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Tom Petty
Tom Petty
Thomas Earl "Tom" Petty is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist. He is the frontman of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers and was a founding member of the late 1980s supergroup Traveling Wilburys and Mudcrutch. He has also performed under the pseudonyms of Charlie T...
, Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage
Steve Hillage is an English musician, best known as a guitarist. He is associated with the Canterbury scene and has worked in experimental domains since the late 1960s...
, Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, Patti Smith
Patti Smith
Patricia Lee "Patti" Smith is an American singer-songwriter, poet and visual artist, who became a highly influential component of the New York City punk rock movement with her 1975 debut album Horses....
, James Taylor
James Taylor
James Vernon Taylor is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. A five-time Grammy Award winner, Taylor was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2000....
, Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
and Simon and Garfunkel
Simon and Garfunkel
Simon & Garfunkel are an American duo consisting of singer-songwriter Paul Simon and singer Art Garfunkel. They formed the group Tom & Jerry in 1957 and had their first success with the minor hit "Hey, Schoolgirl". As Simon & Garfunkel, the duo rose to fame in 1965, largely on the strength of the...
have played it in concert. Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Crow
Sheryl Suzanne Crow is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, musician, and actress. Her music incorporates elements of rock, folk, hip hop, country and pop...
's 2007 single-only version release of the song charted #78 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
and #63 on the Billboard Hot Digital Singles
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart. James Taylor finally recorded it on his 2008 album Covers
Covers (James Taylor album)
Covers is the sixteenth album and the first "covers" album by singer-songwriter James Taylor, released on September 30, 2008. The album was recorded by Taylor's regular touring band. Some of the tunes Taylor had been performing off and on in concerts for years, while others were new to his repertoire...
. The Supremes
The Supremes
The Supremes, an American female singing group, were the premier act of Motown Records during the 1960s.Originally founded as The Primettes in Detroit, Michigan, in 1959, The Supremes' repertoire included doo-wop, pop, soul, Broadway show tunes, psychedelic soul, and disco...
recorded a version in 1964, but went unreleased until 2008.
A cover of the song recorded by British band Florence + the Machine is featured on the 2011 release Rave on Buddy Holly
Rave on Buddy Holly
Rave On Buddy Holly is a compilation album by various artists released on June 28, 2011 through Fantasy Records/Concord Music Group and Hear Music. The title of the tribute album to musician Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash in 1959 at age 22, refers to the song "Rave On", one of his biggest...
, a tribute album featuring performances of Holly's music by various artists.
Besides the Rolling Stones, two other artists have had chart hits in the U.S. with this song: Tanya Tucker
Tanya Tucker
Tanya Denise Tucker is a female American country music artist who had her first hit, "Delta Dawn", in 1972 at the age of 13...
in 1979, and a new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
-ish take by British artist Eric Hine in 1981.
Stevie Nicks
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn "Stevie" Nicks is an American singer-songwriter, best known for her work with Fleetwood Mac and an extensive solo career, which collectively have produced over forty Top 50 hits and sold over 140 million albums...
has recently contributed a cover version for the upcoming tribute album, Listen to Me: Buddy Holly to be released in Sept 2011.