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Not Fade Away (song)

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Wikipedia article




"'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 likely to have been a formality) and first recorded by Holly and his band, the Crickets.

Original song



Holly and the Crickets recorded the song in Clovis, New Mexico, on May 27, 1957, the same day the song "Everyday" was recorded. The rhythmic pattern of "Not Fade Away" is a variant of the Bo Diddley beat, with the second stress occurring on the second rather than third beat of the first measure, which was an update of the "hambone" rhythm, or patted juba from West Africa. Jerry Allison, the drummer for the Crickets, pounded out the beat on a cardboard box. Allison, Holly's best friend, wrote some of the lyrics, though his name never appeared in the songwriting credits. Joe Mauldin played the double bass on this recording. It is likely that the backing vocalists were Holly, Allison, and Niki Sullivan, but this is not known for certain.

"Not Fade Away" was originally released as the B-side of the hit single "Oh, Boy!" and was included on the album 'The "Chirping" Crickets' (1957). The Crickets' recording never charted as a single.

Personnel



'Buddy Holly and the Crickets'

* Buddy Holly  lead vocals, lead guitar, backing vocals

* Jerry Allison  drums, card-box percussion

* Joe B. Mauldin  contrabass

* Niki Sullivan  rhythm guitar, backing vocals

The Rolling Stones version



In 1964, the Rolling Stones' cover of "Not Fade Away" was a major hit in the United Kingdom. It was the A-side of the band's first US single.

The Rolling Stones' version of "Not Fade Away" was one of their first hits. Recorded in January 1964 and released by Decca Records on February 21, 1964, with "Little by Little" as the B-side, it was their first Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom, reaching number three. London Records released the song in the US on March 6, 1964, as the band's first single there, with "I Wanna Be Your Man" as the B-side. The single reached number 48 on the U.S. 'Billboard' Hot 100 singles chart.Carr, Roy (1976). 'The Rolling Stones, an Illustrated Record'. London: New English Library. It also reached number 44 on the 'Cash Box' pop singles chart in the U.S. and number 33 in Australia based on the Kent Music Report. "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'. 'Cash Box' described it as "a wild, freewheeling full-sounding pounder that can take off in no time flat." It was a mainstay of the band's concerts in their early years, usually opening the shows. It was revived as the opening song in the band's Voodoo Lounge Tour, in 1994 and 1995.

Personnel



According to authors Philippe Margotin and Jean-Michel Guesdon, except where noted:

* Mick Jagger double tracked lead vocal, hand claps, tambourine, maracas

* Keith Richards twelve-string acoustic guitar, lead guitar

* Brian Jones harmonica

* Bill Wyman bass

* Charlie Watts drums

Charts



Other cover versions



*Rush recorded a version of "Not Fade Away" as their debut single in 1973, which peaked at number 88 in Canada. The single was released on the band's own Moon Records label, and is considered a rare collector's item today, as it has never been reissued on any format.

*Tanya Tucker included a funky, rock-and-roll version of "Not Fade Away" on her album, 'TNT' (1978). Tucker's cover of this song peaked at number 70 on the U.S. 'Billboard' pop singles chart in 1979.

*John Scofield included the song in his 2022 solo album.

Explanatory notes



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Category:1957 songs

Category:1957 singles

Category:1964 singles

Category:1973 singles

Category:2007 singles

Category:Buddy Holly songs

Category:The Rolling Stones songs

Category:Dick and Dee Dee songs

Category:Decca Records singles

Category:London Records singles

Category:Grateful Dead songs

Category:Sheryl Crow songs

Category:Rush (band) songs

Category:Songs written by Buddy Holly

Category:Song recordings produced by Andrew Loog Oldham

Category:Songs written by Norman Petty

Category:Brunswick Records singles

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