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Behind the scenes of new tribute CD
Listen to Me: Buddy Holly compilation features recordings by Ringo Starr, Stevie Nicks, Brian Wilson, Zooey Deschanel, Patrick Stump, Jackson Brown, Lyle Lovett and Natalie Merchant. (Perhaps the two factions can meet up and compete against each other somehow. Softball game, maybe?)
In this video, you can watch the stars behind Listen to Me: Buddy Holly record their tracks in the studio and talk about the influence of Holly on their own work.
Listen to Me: Buddy Holly will be available in stores on September 6th – the day before what would have been Holly's 75th birthday – and proceeds from the set will go to numerous music-related organizations, including The GRAMMY Foundation's "GRAMMY Camps" and Artists' House Music, that support the artistic growth and professional development of young musicians.
Check out the video at: Rollingstone
Listen To Me: Buddy Holly: New Tribute CD Out Sept. 6, 2011
LISTEN TO ME: BUDDY HOLLY CELEBRATES 75TH BIRTHDAY OF ONE OF ROCK ‘N’ ROLL’S MOST INFLUENTIAL PIONEERS
COLLECTION FEATURES MODERN TAKES ON HOLLY’S CLASSIC HITS PERFORMED BY RINGO STARR, STEVIE NICKS, THE FRAY, IMELDA MAY, ZOOEY DESCHANEL, JACKSON BROWNE, NATALIE MERCHANT, JEFF LYNNE, BRIAN WILSON AND MORE
STAR-STUDDED NEW ALBUM EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY PETER ASHER
LISTEN TO ME: BUDDY HOLLY ARRIVES VIA VERVE/ FORECAST IN US AND eOne MUSIC CANADA ON SEPTEMBER 6, 2011
(New York, NY) Songmasters announces the upcoming release of Listen To Me: Buddy Holly, an extraordinary new collection featuring contemporary takes on songs originally written and performed by the late, great Buddy Holly. The album – presented as part of Songmasters’ innovative Listen To Me: Buddy Holly multi-media campaign – arrives in stores and at all digital retailers via Verve/Forecast Records in the US and in eOne Music Canada on September 6, 2011. International release follows.
Listen To Me: Buddy Holly features a remarkable line-up of artists paying tribute to the iconic work of an artist many consider to be the first true “singer/songwriter” performer of the rock ‘n’ roll era. Among those contributing brand-new recordings to the collection are Stevie Nicks, Patrick Stump, Jeff Lynne, Natalie Merchant, Imelda May, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, The Fray, Cobra Starship, Brian Wilson, Chris Isaak, Pat Monahan (of Train), Zooey Deschanel, Eric Idle, and the one and only Ringo Starr. The album will include the incomparable version of “That’ll Be The Day” recorded originally by Linda Ronstadt and produced by Asher. Never bested, this track remains, according to Asher, the most outstanding version of that Holly classic available.
“We are trying to keep Buddy Holly’s name alive so younger generations can appreciate it the way I do,” says Brian Wilson. “Buddy is unique. He matters because his music is timeless.”
Listen To Me: Buddy Holly is Executive Produced by multiple GRAMMY Award-winning producer/artist/manager/executive Peter Asher, whose own personal connection to Holly’s music goes back to 1965, when Peter & Gordon’s timeless cover of “True Love Ways” proved a massive hit both here and in the U.K. In addition, Asher produced Linda Ronstadt’s smash renditions of “It’s So Easy” and “That’ll Be The Day,” both of which served to further bolster the amazing durability of Holly’s legacy.
“Buddy showed us how brilliant and unforgettable songs could be written using the simplest of chords,” says Asher. “He taught us the value of a lyric which came from the heart and the importance of making records the way you heard them in your head. His music has never ceased to play a major role in my life and work.”
Boasting a line-up hailed by Holly’s widow, Maria Elena, as “fantastic,” Listen To Me: Buddy Holly stands tall among the many tribute albums devoted to Holly’s work. These exceptional interpretations, produced by Asher and performed by artists whose own noteworthy careers span three generations of post-Buddy rock ‘n’ roll, create an innovative collection of “modern authentics” that showcase the versatility, range, and across-the-board appeal of Buddy’s music.
“Nothing that’s happened since [the beginning of rock] can really obscure the power and influence of Buddy’s original records and his contribution to music,” declared Jackson Browne in his studio session for the album. “Things that are immortal have a way of continuing to be born in the world.”
Ringo Starr (who contributes a delightful take on “Think It Over” to the album) put it plainly: “In the whole of rock ‘n’ roll history, he’s in the top 10!”
The Listen To Me: Buddy Holly campaign celebrates what would have been Holly’s 75th birthday by honoring his brief but brilliant life and career through an astonishing range of events, recordings, and charitable programs over the next year. September 7th – Holly’s birthday – will see the long awaited unveiling of Holly’s much-deserved star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame – a permanent public monument to a genuinely noteworthy artist. Peter Asher will be among the featured speakers at the event, which will be hosted by the owners and publishers of Holly’s catalog.
Ultimate Buddy Party Invite Only V.I.P. Concert Event at The Music Box Theatre - September 7, 2011. Event to be Filmed For Broadcast
That evening, a number of the stars featured on Listen To Me: Buddy Holly – along with special surprise guest artists and friends and family from Holly’s too-brief life – will team up for Songmasters’ “Ultimate Buddy Party,” an invitation-only V.I.P. concert event to be held at The Music Box in Hollywood. Asher will serve as the evening’s musical supervisor, with the performers backed by a stellar house band led by renowned session guitarist, Waddy Wachtel. The concert event will be shot live in HD for broadcast starting with PBS’ December 2011 pledge drive, followed by a deluxe DVD/CD release. Further details will be announced prior to that release.
