Words of Love
| "Words of Love" | |
|---|---|
| 45-rpm record released by Coral Records, 1957 | |
| Single by Buddy Holly | |
| B-side | "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues" |
| Released | June 20, 1957 |
| Recorded | April 8, 1957 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 1:56 |
| Label | Coral 61852 |
| Songwriter(s) | Buddy Holly |
| Producer(s) | Norman Petty |
| Buddy Holly singles chronology | |
"Words of Love" is a song written by Buddy Holly and released as a single in 1957.
Original version
[edit ]Holly recorded the song on April 8, 1957. Holly harmonized with himself, by combining tape recordings of each part. The song was not a notable hit for Holly, although it is regarded as one of his important recordings and is available in most standard Holly collections.[4]
A compilation album, Words of Love , released by PolyGram in the UK in 1993, reached number 1 and was certified as a gold record.[5]
The Diamonds version
[edit ]
A doo-wop version by the Diamonds, released by Mercury Records on May 20, 1957, reached number thirteen on the Billboard Hot 100 in July 1957, making the song Holly's first hit, though as a composer not performer. The Diamonds also performed the song live on the ABC television show Circus Time on June 27, 1957, and included it on the 1962 Mercury LP album Pop Hits (MGW 12178).
The Beatles' version
[edit ]| "Words of Love" | |
|---|---|
| B-side label of 1965 Indian single | |
| Song by the Beatles | |
| from the album Beatles for Sale | |
| Released | December 4, 1964 |
| Recorded | October 18, 1964 |
| Studio | EMI, London |
| Genre | Pop |
| Length | 2:12 (mono) 2:02 (stereo) |
| Label | Parlophone |
| Songwriter(s) | Buddy Holly |
| Producer(s) | George Martin |
| Music video | |
| "Words of Love" on YouTube | |
The Beatles recorded a cover version of the song on October 18, 1964 for the UK album Beatles for Sale . It first appeared in the U.S. on the album Beatles VI . It was also on a 7-inch extended play, Beatles for Sale No. 2, released by Parlophone/EMI in 1965. John Lennon and Paul McCartney, who were fans of Holly, sang in harmony with George Harrison,[6] holding to the vocal and instrumental sound of Holly's original as well as they could. Before their big break, the group had performed the song live between 1958 and 1962, with Lennon and Harrison singing. For the official release, though, Lennon and McCartney shared vocal duties.[7] The song only took two takes, along with a vocal overdub. The mono mix is longer than the stereo mix.
Personnel
[edit ]- John Lennon – lead vocals, rhythm guitar
- Paul McCartney – lead vocals, bass
- George Harrison – lead vocals, double-tracked lead guitar
- Ringo Starr – drums, packing case
- Personnel according to Ian MacDonald [8]
Other cover versions
[edit ]- Pat DiNizio covered the song for his tribute CD, Pat DiNizio/Buddy Holly, in 2009.[9]
- Patti Smith's cover of the song is featured on the 2011 release Rave on Buddy Holly , a tribute album featuring performances of Holly's music by various artists.[10]
References
[edit ]- ^ Sergio Ariza. "A Legacy That Won't Fade Away" . Retrieved February 11, 2022.
- ^ Don McLean. "Buddy Holly, Rock Music Genius". CNN . Retrieved February 26, 2022.
- ^ Segretto, Mike (2022). "Rock and Roll: The First Eight Years". 33 1/3 Revolutions Per Minute - A Critical Trip Through the Rock LP Era, 1955–1999. Backbeat. pp. 13–14. ISBN 9781493064601.
- ^ "Song artist 253 - Buddy Holly". Tsort.info. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "Album artist 488 - Buddy Holly". Tsort.info. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ ""Words Of Love" by The Beatles. The in-depth story behind the songs of the Beatles. Recording History. Songwriting History. Song Structure and Style". Beatlesebooks.com. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ "Words Of Love". The Beatles Bible. 16 March 2008. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
- ^ MacDonald, Ian (2005). Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties (2nd rev. ed.). London: Pimlico (Rand). pp. 140–141. ISBN 1-84413-828-3.
- ^ "Pat DiNizio/Buddy Holly - Pat DiNizio". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 September 2017.
- ^ "Rave on Buddy Holly - Various Artists". AllMusic . Retrieved 7 September 2017.
