The "Chirping" Crickets

The "Chirping" Crickets
The "Chirping" Crickets
Studio album by the Crickets
Released	November 27, 1957[citation needed]
Recorded	July 17 – September 28, 1957[citation needed]
Genre	Rock and roll; rockabilly;
Length	26:02
Label	Brunswick
Producer	Norman Petty
The Crickets chronology
Alternative Cover
	Australian cover
Reissue Cover
	Buddy Holly and the Crickets (Coral, 1962)
Singles from The "Chirping" Crickets
	"That'll Be the Day"; Released: July 1957; "Oh, Boy!"; Released: 27 October 1957; "Maybe Baby"; Released: January 1958;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	^[1]
The Rolling Stone Record Guide	^[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[3]

The "Chirping" Crickets is the debut album from the American rock and roll band the Crickets, led by Buddy Holly. It was the group's only album released during Holly's lifetime. In 2012, it was ranked number 420 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.^[4] It also appears in the book, 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

The LP was released in the US in 1957, and in the UK in 1958. It was re-released by Coral in 1962 as Buddy Holly and the Crickets. After being out of print for many years, it was reissued as a remastered CD in 2004 with bonus tracks.

In July 2019 the album was the subject for the BBC Four documentary Classic Albums: The Crickets: The 'Chirping' Crickets.^[5]

Track listing[edit]

Side 1
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Oh, Boy!"	Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, Norman Petty	2:08
2.	"Not Fade Away"	Buddy Holly, Petty	2:23
3.	"You've Got Love"	Roy Orbison, Johnny Wilson, Petty	2:08
4.	"Maybe Baby"	Holly, Petty	2:03
5.	"It's Too Late"	Chuck Willis	2:24
6.	"Tell Me How"	Holly, Petty, Jerry Allison	2:01

Side 2
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
7.	"That'll Be the Day" (May 27, 1957 Brunswick version)	Holly, Allison, Petty	2:16
8.	"I'm Looking for Someone to Love"	Holly, Petty	1:59
9.	"An Empty Cup (And a Broken Date)"	Orbison, Petty	2:15
10.	"Send Me Some Lovin'"	John Marascalco, Leo Price	2:37
11.	"Last Night"	Joe B. Mauldin, Petty	1:56
12.	"Rock Me My Baby"	Shorty Long, Susan Heather	1:52

Personnel[edit]

Buddy Holly and the Crickets

Buddy Holly – lead vocals, lead guitar, acoustic guitar on 5, backing vocals on 2
Jerry Allison – drums, card-box percussion and backing vocals on 2
Joe B. Mauldin – contrabass, except on 7 and 8, backing vocals on 2
Niki Sullivan – rhythm guitar, except on 1, 2, 5,and 11, backing vocals on 2, 7 and 8

Additional personnel

Larry Welborn – contrabass on 7 and 8
The Picks (Bill Pickering, John Pickering and Bob Lapham) - backing vocals, except on 2, 7 and 8
Ramona and Gary Tollett – backing vocals on 7 and 8

Charts[edit]

Album[edit]

Year	Chart	Position
1958	UK Albums Chart	5^[6]

Singles[edit]

Year	Single	Position
Year	Single	Billboard Hot 100^[7]	R&B Singles^[8]	UK Singles Chart^[9]
1957	"That'll Be the Day"	1	2	1
1958	"Oh Boy"	10	13	3

References[edit]

^ Ruhlmann, William. The "Chirping" Crickets at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
^ Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (Editors). The Rolling Stone Record Guide, 1st edition, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1979, p. 174.
^ Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
^ "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2019.
^ "Classic Albums - The Crickets: The 'Chirping' Crickets". July 12, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2024 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
^ "Crickets - Chirping Crickets". Official Charts Company. 1958-04-19. Retrieved 2011-08-06.
^ Buddy Holly at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
^ The Crickets at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.
^ "Crickets". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-08-06.

External links[edit]

The "Chirping" Crickets at Discogs (list of releases)

[Allmusic-review-1] Ruhlmann, William. The "Chirping" Crickets at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.

[2] Marsh, Dave; Swenson, John (Editors). The Rolling Stone Record Guide, 1st edition, Random House/Rolling Stone Press, 1979, p. 174.

[3] Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.

[500-greatest-4] "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 2, 2019.

[5] "Classic Albums - The Crickets: The 'Chirping' Crickets". July 12, 2019. Retrieved February 11, 2024 – via www.bbc.co.uk.

[6] "Crickets - Chirping Crickets". Official Charts Company. 1958-04-19. Retrieved 2011-08-06.

[7] Buddy Holly at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.

[8] The Crickets at AllMusic. Retrieved 2011-09-26.

[chartstats-9] "Crickets". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2011-08-06.

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v t e The Crickets
Buddy Holly Jerry Allison Joe B. Mauldin Niki Sullivan Earl Sinks Glen Hardin Jerry Naylor Sonny Curtis
Studio albums	The "Chirping" Crickets Buddy Holly In Style with the Crickets Bobby Vee Meets the Crickets Something Old, Something New, Something Blue, Somethin' Else California Sun / She Loves You Rockin' 50's Rock'n'Roll
Compilation albums	20 Golden Greats Words of Love A Collection
EPs	Just for Fun (1963)
Singles	"That'll Be the Day" "Oh, Boy!" (b/w "Not Fade Away") "Maybe Baby" "Think It Over" "It's So Easy" "Love's Made a Fool of You" (b/w "Someone, Someone") "When You Ask About Love" "More Than I Can Say" (b/w "Baby My Heart") "I Fought the Law" "Don't Ever Change (b/w "I'm Not A Bad Guy") "Punish Her" (Bobby Vee, solo, A-side) (b/w "Someday (When I'm Gone From You)" by Bobby Vee & the Crickets) "My Little Girl" (b/w "Teardrops Fall Like Rain") "Lonely Avenue" (b/w "You Can't Be In-Between" USA, "Playboy" UK) "From Me to You" (b/w "Please Please Me") "(They Call Her) La Bamba" (b/w "All Over You") "True Love Ways" (b/w "Rockin' 50's Rock And Roll")
Crickets solo records	The 1st of Sonny Curtis (1968)
Related articles	Discography Buddy Holly discography Norman Petty Brunswick Records Coral Records Philips Records The Picks David Box Tommy Allsup Joe Osborn Bob Montgomery (songwriter) The Buddy Holly Story (1978 film) Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story (1989 musical)

v t e Buddy Holly
The Crickets
Singles	"Love Me" "That'll Be the Day" "Words of Love" (b/w "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues") "Peggy Sue" (b/w "Everyday") "Oh, Boy!" "Not Fade Away" "I'm Gonna Love You Too" "Maybe Baby" "Rave On" "Think It Over" "Early in the Morning" "It's So Easy" "Heartbeat" "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" (b/w "Raining in My Heart") "Peggy Sue Got Married" (b/w "Crying, Waiting, Hoping") "True Love Ways" "Valley of Tears" "Bo Diddley" "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" "Love Is Strange"
Studio albums	The "Chirping" Crickets Buddy Holly That'll Be The Day
Compilation albums	The Buddy Holly Story The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2 Reminiscing Showcase Holly in the Hills Giant 20 Golden Greats For the First Time Anywhere Words of Love Greatest Hits Down the Line: Rarities Memorial Collection
Tribute albums	Not Fade Away (Remembering Buddy Holly) Rave On Buddy Holly Listen to Me: Buddy Holly
Related	Buddy Holly discography List of songs Waylon Jennings Bob "Bobby" Montgomery María Elena Holly (wife) Norman Petty The Picks Surf Ballroom (site of final performance) The Day the Music Died (1959 plane crash) The Buddy Holly Story Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story "Buddy Holly" (song) Buddy Holly Center
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