John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

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Mister Moon
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John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby Mister Moon » Thu Feb 04, 2016 6:33 pm

When Los Angeles music journalist Jim Dawson wrote to ex-Beatle John Lennon in 1974, he included a short questionnaire along with his letter asking about the influence that singer-songwriter Buddy Holly and his backing band The Crickets had had on Lennon and other British musicians of that era.

Somewhat uncharacteristically, the often sarcastic and irreverent Lennon returned the questionnaire complete with factual and informative answers, revealing that Holly had greatly influenced him and his writing partner Paul McCartney.

(...)

I have reproduced the completed questionnaire below, and have preserved Lennon's somewhat erratic capitalization and punctuation.



1. How did you personally react to the Crickets' tour of England in 1958?

i only saw them on the london palladium (on T.V.) he was great! it was the first time i saw a fender guitar! being played!! while the singer sang!!! also the 'secret' of the drumming on Peggy Sue was revealed...live...


2. What effect do you think it had on British musicians?

i only know its effect on me. but i reckon the records had the biggest effect on all of us. EVERY GROUP TRIED TO BE THE CRICKETS.
the name BEATLES was directly inspired by CRICKETS (DOUBLE ENTENDRE / INSECTS etc...)
i think the greatest effect was on THE SONG WRITING (ESPECIALLY MINE AND PAULS)



3. What do you think of Buddy Holly, musically and historically?

he was a great and innovative musician. he was a 'MASTER'. his influence continues. i often wonder what his music would be like now, had he lived...


4. Do you think his music had any effect on the style of the Beatles? On your own feelings towards music?

see above. we did practically everything he put out. I.E. at the cavern etc, etc. what he did with '3' chords made a songwriter out of me!!


5. Other remarks?

he was the first guy i ever saw with a capo. he made it O.K. to wear glasses! i WAS buddy holly.

The questionnaire is signed, "love, John Lennon".
There's a bespectacled smiley in the bottom right hand corner.

http://everything2.com/user/mofaha/writeups/John+Lennon+on+Buddy+Holly



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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby javilu » Thu Feb 04, 2016 10:26 pm

Awesome, thank you for sharing!
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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby WalterHaleJnr » Fri Feb 05, 2016 12:21 am

Thanks Mister Moon. There is a cool radio interview from 1975 where Lennon was deejaying where he also talks about the influence of Holly and other early Rock n Roller's have you heard it ?


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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby Mister Moon » Wed Aug 10, 2016 6:24 pm

I'm really sorry but, for some reason, I did not read the answers to my post. Thanks a lot, guys !

Walter, many thanks for your remark on the 1975 interview. I guess it's the one on this YT upload. I will listen to it later :



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XkzuBNSrtA


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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby elvislady » Wed Aug 10, 2016 8:05 pm

Mister Moon wrote:I'm really sorry but, for some reason, I did not read the answers to my post. Thanks a lot, guys !

Walter, many thanks for your remark on the 1975 interview. I guess it's the one on this YT upload. I will listen to it later :



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2XkzuBNSrtA


I didnt see this clip for some reason MM i will watch this later :D
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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby Mojo Filter » Mon Sep 16, 2019 5:48 am

That was cool!

Long live John and Buddy.
she's well acquainted with a touch of the velvet hand, like a lizard on a window pane


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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby Mister Moon » Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:07 pm

Mojo Filter wrote:That was cool!

Long live John and Buddy.


Glad you liked it.

Too bad the above video, posted over three years ago, has disappeared, and I can't find it anymore.

Anyway, here's another. John sure was a fine guitar player, much better than George :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJuVcGipgAs


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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby John » Mon Sep 16, 2019 7:59 pm

Mister Moon wrote:
Mojo Filter wrote:That was cool!

Long live John and Buddy.


Glad you liked it.

Too bad the above video, posted over three years ago, has disappeared, and I can't find it anymore.

Anyway, here's another. John sure was a fine guitar player, much better than George :

George was never much of a guitar player while he was with the Beatles. He got a bit better later, but I'd never count him as one of the greats.


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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby Mister Moon » Mon Sep 16, 2019 8:50 pm

John wrote:
Mister Moon wrote:
Mojo Filter wrote:That was cool!

Long live John and Buddy.


Glad you liked it.

Too bad the above video, posted over three years ago, has disappeared, and I can't find it anymore.

Anyway, here's another. John sure was a fine guitar player, much better than George :

George was never much of a guitar player while he was with the Beatles. He got a bit better later, but I'd never count him as one of the greats.


Yes, it's amazing to me that he was even considered for the lead guitar spot. I mean, they say Pete Best was a bad drummer, or worse than Ringo Starr anyway, but George was a very clumsy guitar player, at least playing solos. Lennon, while not a virtuoso, was a much finer player than him.


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Re: John Lennon on Buddy Holly - September 1974

Postby Mojo Filter » Tue Sep 17, 2019 12:20 pm

Mister Moon wrote:
Mojo Filter wrote:That was cool!

Long live John and Buddy.


Glad you liked it.

Too bad the above video, posted over three years ago, has disappeared, and I can't find it anymore.

Anyway, here's another. John sure was a fine guitar player, much better than George :


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJuVcGipgAs

I think George has admittedly been open in interviews that he's not the greatest guitar player....not in those words but in a round about way. For instance, I think it may have either been the Micheal Parkinson Show or the Micheal Asple show where they ask him what he would be doing if he hadn't of been a Beatle, George's response was "I'd have been a better guitar player". According to George in other interviews he states that he never really practiced that much when he was a Beatles only really played when it came to recording or doing live gigs. He was ok he got by.
she's well acquainted with a touch of the velvet hand, like a lizard on a window pane


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