Buddy Holly: The Definitive Story [DVD]

This DVD is very good in that as others have commented it gets behind what really did happen in Lubbock and Clovis in those early years with contributions from many who worked with Buddy Holly from the start and as his career took off. The contributions of Jerry Allison, Sonny West and Tommy Allsup in particular shine for their comprehensiveness and honesty but the sheer range of all interviewed including the lady who was the original inspiration for Peggy Sue and many instructive comments on Norman Petty's studio and recording techniques is what impresses. In addition it is all very well edited together plus a good narration by Paul Gambaccini as scripted by Barry Barnes. Also the ultimate tragedy of the ill organised 1959 Winter Tour in the mid west and how it really was for the performers, is covered in much more detail than I have ever seen before, including the immediate after effect of Buddy's death as felt by all those who are still alive. If anything the whole story in its two hours captures brilliantly how everything happened so quickly and then was over leaving a big void that in truth only became fully recognised much later.Many have commented that the three live performances from the Ed Sullivan show included are well known and there is little new live material here. The sad truth seems to be that there is little if much else to capture. From the US all other film recordings I have seen are amateur recordings without sound and one assumes there is nothing from the Australian Tour. UK television who during their UK tour televised the group's appearance on the Sunday Night at London Palladium (the UK's closest equivalent to Ed Sullivan) was guilty of a dire short term view with the endless reusing of tapes meaning this and many other historic early rock and roll shows televised in the UK were permanently lost for ever. However that is offset by many home movie images of life in Texas, New Mexico and the Winter Tour that bring to life the story being told.Yet at the end having watched this DVD a few times now and while agreeing it is easily the best film biography to date on Buddy Holly, the claim in the title that it is the definitive story is hard to accept. This is because of the lack of appearances by any close members of the Holley or Petty families, other contemporaries mentioned in the film who are still alive (Everly Brothers, Little Richard, Dion and the Belmonts), or Buddy's widow Maria Elena, and little coverage of the business dealings that plagued Holly as he sought to break free of Clovis and led to the need for him to accept the fatal Winter tour to survive financially in 1959. Many of these matters are referred to briefly in passing but without their inclusion for me they deny this DVD being the full story from all I have read on Buddy Holly's life.

Although I had previously seen this programme on T.V., I felt that it was necessary to own a permanent souvenir of one of rock n' roll's greatest and one of it's first icons. This is an excellent homage to Buddy Holly, and well chronicled, bringing it home to the fact that on February 2nd 1959, this was the day the music died..

Loved Buddy Holly enjoyed it

Excellent.Recommended.

very enjoyable

This 50th Anniversary Edition DVD is basically the same as the 2005 Universal DVD release, but without the 14-track DVD Jukebox feature, the 20-track bonus CD (neither exactly vital), and the 28-page colour booklet.What is included is the original documentary which runs to around 105 minutes, the 3 black-and-white TV clips of The Crickets on the Ed Sullivan Shows, That'll Be The Day and Peggy Sue from December 1957, and Oh Boy! from their second appearance in January 1958, which run to something over 5 minutes. Parts of the first and last clips are also seen in the documentary.The documentary is narrated by Paul Gambaccini as the story of Buddy's musical career is told in the words of various friends and associates through anecdotes and film clips of some of the events and locations that featured in his life story. These include, for example, scenes from Lubbock and Clovis, the 'motorcycle' film taken by JI's brother, and some cine film shot on tour in England in early 1958 by Norman Petty. There is also a very brief clip of the Angelic Gospel Singers whose stunning version of I'll Be Alright inspired Buddy's True Love Ways. And a lot more.Additionally, parts of the interviews not seen in the documentary are shown as a separate feature of another 37 minutes or so. Some of this footage, not included in the 2005 DVD, shows Peggy Sue Gerron, Gary and Ramona Tollett, George Tomsco, Sonny Curtis and John Pickering (of The Picks) talking about how they heard the news of the plane crash. A longer interview with Tommy Allsup covers his recollection of events in Clear Lake and the following day. We also see those interview clips of Peggy Sue, JI, Carl Bunch, Sonny, George, Joe B and Ray Rush (of The Roses) from the 2005 DVD.Notably absent are contributions from Maria Elena, Larry and Travis, Buddy's elder brothers, and Bob Montgomery, though several others who knew Buddy do take part, including Jack Neal, veteran DJ Larry Byers, Sonny West - and our own Des O'Connor, with an amusing little story about trying to pull Buddy out of bed one morning during The Crickets' tour of England.The artwork is a minimal 4 pages, listing the various DVD credits, and showing the same 3 photos featured in the recent anniversary CD booklet.The DVD has a total running time of just under 150 minutes. The picture quality is very good considering the age of some of the film used, and the sound is very good too. Though most of the material has been available before it is still a most welcome release, is ideal for anyone not that familiar with the story of Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and is excellent value at the modest price.

Excellent DVD for any fan.Enjoyable and great songs for old and young as well as details of the story behind the man.

Brother - in - Law loves this