THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY – Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1978 Epic)
The Buddy Holly Story was a remarkable movie, not because it was terribly accurate (it wasn’t). Some of the best music biopics, like The Buddy Holly Story, feature the movie cast doing the singing and playing. In a rare stroke of fortune, Gary Busey was cast as the perfect Buddy Holly. He could sing enough like the rock and roll legend, and with some curly hair and glasses, Busey fit the bill.
The “Clear Lake Medley” is made up of Buddy’s greatest hits like “Peggy Sue”, “That’ll Be the Day”, “Oh Boy”, “Maybe Baby”, and “Not Fade Away”. They’re amped-up, made to sound like the live concert experience. Busey’s more manic in this setting than the old familiar studio versions.
The most interesting track, possibly, is the a-Capella “I’m Gonna Love You Too”, with just Gary Busey’s voice. You can’t fake it in that setting. The guy managed to sound enough like Buddy Holly through this whole soundtrack that you often drift away and forget that’s what it is. The suspension of disbelief is complete.
All this and you’ll get a collection of some pretty amazing songs too. You’ll know most of ’em, including “Everyday” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On”. As seen in the film, “Everyday” is a slow, ballady version. That is certainly compensated for by the “Roller Rink Medley”, another adrenaline-pumped live set.
Truly a great soundtrack and a worthy addition for Buddy Holly fans.
4.5/5 stars
mikeladano.com 
Gary Busey did a great job here. I’d argue that Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison was just as good or even better despite the film being iffy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh good call on Kilmer. He did a good job. Did that movie come “too soon” though? I think it was ahead of its time personally.
LikeLike
It’s a hallucinatory journey. I’m not much of an Oliver Stone fan, but I like The Doors. It’s not even close to being accurate, but it’s a pretty compelling watch. There’s just something hypnotic about it.
LikeLike
My Dad is a huge Holly Fan. My Dad told me years ago when he heard the news when Holly Died so did Rock N Roll for my Dad! My Dad was 19 at the time of Holly’s death…
A few years back my Parents traveled to Clear Lake Iowa and visited the spot and the Arena where Holly’s last show was….
I’ll have to show him this article Mikey!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Wow that is a cool story Deke. My parents never saw Buddy. My mom saw Roy Orbison though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Roy in the 80’s had a decent run. Hopefully he got some of the VH Royalties from Pretty Woman. Poor Guy strikes it rich with the WILBURY’S than he is gone!
LikeLike
Back in the day, this film was on my want to see list but I never got around to it. Time to change that me thinks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes! Hard to find on DVD here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Big Holly fan here. I see VHS copies of that movie at work, now and again.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have it on DVD but we haven’t played it in a while.
LikeLike
And here I was gonna offer to snag you a VHS next time I saw one. I know how you love those… haha!
LikeLike
Like Bohemian Rhapsody I suppose, it doesn’t have to be accurate to be a remarkable film!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Good call there. But even with a documentary there is always someone questioning the accuracy,
LikeLiked by 1 person