Tag: Not Fade Away

Holly recorded this on May 1957 with The Crickets at Norman Petty Studios in Clovis, NM. It was written by Charles Hardin and Norman Petty, “Charles Hardin” being Buddy Holly, whose real name was Charles Hardin Holley.

One of my favorite songs that recycle the great Bo Diddley riff.

This song was credited to The Crickets. Until the end of his career, Holly recorded with his group, The Crickets, but he set up a deal with their record company, Decca Records, to release some songs under his name and have others credited to the group. This was credited to The Crickets and released on the Brunswick subsidiary. Songs credited to Buddy Holly came out on Coral Records.

The song was the B side to “Oh Boy.”

From Songfacts

This was one of the first pop songs to feature the “Bo Diddley” sound, a series of beats (da, da, da, da-da da) popularized by Diddley, who used it on his first single, the egotistically named “Bo Diddley.” The signature beat originated in West Africa and was adopted by Diddley in the US, where many artists have used it since. For more, check out the Songfacts on “Bo Diddley”.

The Grateful Dead covered this on their Rockin’ The Rhein album.

Florence and the Machine recorded a new version of the song for the Buddy Holly tribute album Rave On Buddy Holly, which was issued for the 75th anniversary of Holly’s birth. Florence Welch had a transformative moment when her grandmother took her to see the movie The Buddy Holly Story when she was a kid, and Welch was happy to contribute to the tribute, recording the song in New Orleans with local Cajun musicians.

Drummer Jerry Allison played a cardboard box for percussion on this. He’d heard Buddy Knox’ drummer do the same on “Party Doll.”

Not Fade Away

Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop

I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna be
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
You’re gonna give your love to me
Bop-bop-bop-bop
I want to love you night and day
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
You know my loving not fade away
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Well you know my loving not fade away
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop

My love bigger than a Cadillac
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
I’ll try to show it when you’re driving me back
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
Your love for me got to be real
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
For you to know just how I feel
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
A love for real not fade away
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop

Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop

I’m gonna tell you how it’s gonna be
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
You’re gonna give your love to me
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
Love to last more than one day
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
Love is loving and not fade away
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Love is loving and not fade away
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
‘Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop
Bop-bop-bop-bop