BIRMINGHAM RECORD COLLECTORS

DEDICATED TO THE COLLECTING OF MUSIC, ITS PRESERVATION, AND LASTING FRIENDSHIP

MONTHLY MEETING THIS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8th, 2015

2:00 PM HOMEWOOD LIBRARY – 1721 OXMOOR ROAD 35209

NEXT MEETING SUNDAY, MARCH 8th 2015 THE SECOND SUNDAY

 

THIS MONTH’S MEETING

 

Our February meeting will be dedicated to the loss of Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and The Big Bopper.  February 3, 1959 has been called The Day The Music Died but as sad and unexpected as the events of that day were we know the music continued and still goes on but we do like to look back at that day and honor the three who died, their music and the influence they left behind.  Along with some memories, trivia, music, and thoughts, we plan on playing a video about Buddy as well.  Hope you can make it.

 BRC NEWS

BRC Makes Annual Charity Contributions

 This past December, Birmingham Record Collectors made its annual charity contributions to other worthy charitable organizations.  As a non-profit corporation, BRC is allowed to recognize and keep income over expenses as retained earnings and use these earnings for the purposes BRC was organized for.  Those purposes are; Devoted to Collecting Recorded Music, Its Preservation, and Lasting Friendships.

Also, under Federal Tax Regulations, BRC is allowed to make charitable contributions to other non-profit charities.  These contributions are made on the approval of BRC Elected Officers, and are based on the annual financial ability of BRC to do so.  In December 2014, BRC made $125.00 contributions to Kid One Transport, Jimmy Hale Mission, Meals on Wheels, The U.S. Marine Corps Toys for Tots Campaign, and new for this year – The Alabama Music Hall of Fame.

Terrell Lindsey, Treasurer Birmingham Record Collectors

 PRESIDENT’S UPDATE

 It has been a busy first month as President of BRC. But Mickie and I did take off for the Concerts At Sea “Where The Action Is” rock and roll cruise. Hosted for many years by Paul Revere and The Raiders, it was sad not to see the “Madman of Rock & Roll” who passed away last year, but his son and the rest of The Raiders have vowed to carry on without him. Also on the ship was The Guess Who from Canada, The Buckinghams out of Chicago, and The Lettermen with their smooth vocals. We enjoyed lots of great concerts, autograph sessions and interviews all week.

At this month’s meeting we will decide what you want to do about continuing to have food served at the club meetings. Tom is stepping out of the kitchen after many years and the question will be open for discussion. Give it some thought and come vote.

Several of our newly informed committees are already hard at work. I have asked the Hall of Fame committee headed by Jack Wilson to submit a short list of candidates at the February meeting for induction at the August show. The committee working with the Gardendale Civic Center should have a long term rental agreement shortly and arrangements have been made for the Dealers to again stay at the Gardendale Microtel for only $3 a night more than last year. In addition Charles Cayley has created a great looking flyer/poster for the show that will promote the show very well.

We still have a few committee slots open for the BRC Record Show as well as general club activities. We have a spot on the Show Advertising Committee, plus all of our General Commit-tees: Membership Promotion; Programs; Concert & Travel; and Technology.  Get more out of the club by joining in and rolling up your sleeves! We have a lot of talented folks in BRC, so if you haven’t yet, share those talents with all of us.

See you Sunday!

Ray

BUDDY, RITCHIE, AND THE BIG BOPPER TRIVIA  

Let’s see how much you know about the three guys who we lost on that February, 3, 1959.  

1. What is the Big Bopper’s given name?
2. What was the name of the band Ritchie Valens joined in high school?
3.  What was the last Buddy Holly & Crickets single to be released before Feb 3, 1959?
4. What two # 1 songs did the Big Bopper compose? (one C&W, one Hot 100)
5. The kids in the San Fernando Valley region gave Ritchie what nickname?
6. Buddy Holly’s last recordings were done where?
7. Who recorded ‘That Makes It’, an answer song to The Bopper’s ‘Chantilly Lace’?
8. What was Ritchie’s first release?
9. How many #1 songs did Buddy & The Crickets have in the US?
10. Who was Niki Sullivan?

(Answers coming soon.  Keep watching for future emails)

THE FOURTH CRICKET  

The movies and bios we see that show Buddy Holly & The Crickets usually show the three guys we are all familiar with – Buddy, Jerry, and J B.  But sometimes you may see a clip with a fourth guy playing guitar – who is that?  That is an original member of the group, Niki Sullivan.      Niki was with the group from the beginning until early 1958.  Since the band was together for only about 2 years before Buddy’s death, Niki was with the band about 1 year.  But that year was quite a year.  Here are some of the facts:  

• Niki was on 27 of the 32 songs Buddy recorded.
• He helped arrange the music for and sang back-up on songs such as ‘That’ll Be The Day’, ‘I’m Gonna Love You Too’, ‘Maybe Baby’, and ‘Not Fade Away’, the last two being songs which he helped co-write.
• He’s on the cover the Brunswick LP, ‘The Chripin’ Crickets and the EP, ‘The Sounds of The Crickets’.
• He’s also in the famous T-shirt photos that were taken of the group to use for publicity.
• During one tour in 1957 Niki sang the vocals when Buddy developed laryngitis.
• On the ‘Peggy Sue’ recording, he knelt at Buddy’s side and flipped a switch on the guitar so Buddy could get right into his guitar break.
• Niki was with the guys when they played the Apollo Theater in New York and also was there when the guys performed on the Ed Sullivan Show.
• It was sometimes after the Ed Sullivan appearance that the guys took some time off and during that time Niki decided he would leave the band.  Many reasons have been given for his leaving but in his memoir, ‘Rave On’, he stated he was having trouble with all the touring and didn’t feel like a good fit at times.

  So there is a fourth Cricket that many forget or just don’t see.  But thank goodness the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame didn’t forget.  In 2012 when the HOF inducted the Crickets, after Buddy was inducted alone in 1986, Niki was included.    Niki also had one single released on the Dot label.  He later formed a group called the Hollyhawks who recorded a song produced by Norman Petty and who were managed by L. O. Holley – Buddy’s dad.   He has also been one of the performers who were invited and attended reunions at the Surf Ball Room in Clear Lake, Iowa, the place where Buddy had his last performance and he reunited with the other Crickets, Jerry Allison and J. B. Mauldin and did a one-night performance at a Buddy Holly Festival with Sonny Curtis on lead vocals.

Sullivan died of a heart attack on April 6, 2004 at age 66  in Sugar Creek, Missouri.  He was survived by his wife Fran E. Sullivan who later died on April 1, 2012; his two sons, two grandchildren and his sister.  One of his grandchildren, Holly Sullivan is named after his old friend, Buddy.

Niki Sullivan

 BUDDY HOLLY’S LAST RECORDINGS  

After Buddy, Jerry Allison, and J. B. Mauldin went their own ways after much success, mainly due to the fact that Buddy wanted to be in New York near the recording business and the other guys preferred to be closer to home in Texas, Buddy and his wife settled down in an apartment in Greenwich Village, New York.  While there he did some solo acoustic recordings on a tape player.  These songs included ‘Peggy Sue Got Married’, ‘That’s What They Say’, ‘What To Do’, ‘That Makes It Tough’, ‘Crying, Waiting, Hoping’, and ‘Learning The Game’.  Along with these originals he did his own versions of ‘Smokey Joe’s Café’, ‘Love Is Strange’, and ‘Slippin’ And Slidin’.  

DID YOU KNOW THIS ABOUT THE BIG BOPPER  

Mainly we remember the Big Bopper for two things – ‘Chantilly Lace’ and his death on February 3, 1959.  But just so you’ll know here are a few things about the Bopper you need to know.   

• He once set the record for continuous on-air broadcasting.  Over a period of 5 days, two hours, and eight minutes J. P played 1,821 records.  He took showers during the 5 minute newscasts.  He broke the standing record by eight minutes.
• He studied pre-law in college before dropping out to work at the radio station full time where he had been working part-time while attending college – KTRM in Beaumont, Texas.
• He choose the name, Big Bopper after a dance the kids were doing locally, The Bop.
• He is credited for creating the first music video in 1958 recording a video of himself.  Here, from the official Big Bopper website, is the explanation as to what he foresaw.

“Always thinking ahead and being creative, near the end of 1958, Jape borrowed some time at a friend’s nightclub and filmed three of his hit songs, “Chantilly Lace,” “Big Bopper’s Wedding,” and “Little Red Riding Hood.” And just a month or so later, he gave an interview to Disc Magazine in England (on January 24, 1959) proclaiming that these filmed songs would be recorded on video tape – the same kind of tape that they used in recording studios for audio. He didn’t stop with that idea, tho.  After all, in order to watch these new video tapes, the jukeboxes would have to be altered to not only play the tapes but to show them for viewing, so a screen would need to be added like a built-in television screen. And, of course, they would have to be shown at home, too, so a video tape player would be needed so they could be watched on a tv at home. He even talked about a “video attachment” that could not only play these video tapes on your tv but could also record your favorite shows!”    Seems like he was ahead of his time.  Too bad he wasn’t able to see how this vision turned out.  

AND NOW FOR RITCHIE AND…..THE COIN TOSS  

One of the stories coming from the February 3, 1959 plane crash known as The Day The Music Died is the one about how Ritchie Valens got a seat on the plane.  One of Buddy’s bandmates, Tommy Allsup has always said that he was scheduled to be on the plane but when Ritchie who was feeling sick and didn’t want to ride on the cold bus continued to ask if he could have his seat Tommy said they’d flip a coin for it.  Ritchie called heads and won the seat.  But recently Dion Dimucci said he was scheduled to ride on the plane and also tossed a coin with Ritchie but in this case Dion won but later gave up the seat due to the cost – $36.  At the time he felt that was too much money to spend on the ride.  He said he along with Holly, Valens, and The Big Bopper were in a room and the coin was tossed.   The Dion statement was made at a convention that Allsup was also in attendance.  Allsup threatened Dion and said the truth would be known.  Dion replied to Allsup by saying  “I am sorry he feels that way.  I had the opportunity to tell my story and I told it. When we left the room (at the Surf), we knew who was on the plane. If something happened beyond that, I didn’t know about it.” From Dion’s website we find this statement:   “Dion was, in fact, scheduled to fly in the fateful plane that went down. The headliners flipped a coin to see who was going to fly. The Big Bopper and Dion won the toss. Then he discovered that the flight would cost $36 — the exact amount of rent his parents paid monthly. He said, ‘I couldn’t bring myself to pay a full month’s rent on a short flight. So I said, ‘Ritchie, you go.’ He accepted and took my seat. Only the four of us knew who was getting on that plane when we left the dressing room that night.  Of those four, I was the only one who survived beyond February 3, 1959.”   Bob Hale, who was the emcee that evening at the Surf, said he actually tossed the coin for Allsup, although Allsup does not recall it that way.  Hale admitted that there could be more than one version of a story.  So were there more than one coin flip?  We may never know.  In 1979 Tommy Allsup opened a club in Dallas he named, ‘Tommy’s Heads Up Saloon’ after the famous coin flip.   Now for those who remember Waylon Jennings (Buddy’s bass player that night) saying he tossed a coin for his seat also, he stated his toss was with The Big Bopper.  Frankie Sardo was also on stage during Holly’s last performance.  He made the following statement:  “I was standing right next to Waylon all through his conversation with J.P. ‘The Big Bopper’ and the famous flip”.  “I was still standing with Waylon when he told Buddy that he lost his seat to J.P.”

Part of the last conversation Buddy had with Waylon after the show went this way:

Buddy to Waylon:  “I hope your ol’ bus freezes up!”  Jennings replied, “Well, I hope your ol’ plane crashes!”

Buddy at the Surf Ballroom – February 2, 1959

 

The Big Bopper, Ritchie, and Buddy

ROCK & ROLL BIRTHDAYS

  Don Everly  2/1/1937      Roberta Flack  2/10/1937

Alice Cooper  2/4/1948   Smokey Robinson  2/19/40

Carole King  2/9/42    George Thorogood  2/24/1950

Antoine ‘Fats’ Domino  2/26/1928

    HEY!  HAVE YOU HEARD THIS ONE?

  NIKI SULLIVAN

 IT’S ALLOVER

 THREE STEPS TO HEAVEN

  See Ya,

Charlie

 

 

Excerpts from the following were used in this newsletter – The Big Bopper official website, The Dion Dimucci official website.