V/A – The Great Tragedy – Winter Dance Party 1959 #2
Bear Family BCD 17586
Winter Dance Party – The Story / Lee Davis – Three Young Men / Bobby Vee & The Shadows – Flyin’ High / The Big Bopper – Walking Through My Dreams / Tommy Dee With Carol Kay & The Teen-Aires – Three Stars / Jimmy Clanton – You Aim To Please / Frankie Avalon – I’m Broke / Bobby Vee & The Shadows – Suzie Baby / Frankie Sardo – No Love Like Mine/ Ritchie Valens – That’s My Little Suzie / The Big Bopper – Someone Watching Over You / Jimmy Clanton – That’s You Baby / Dion & The Belmonts – Don’t Pity Me / Fabian – Steady Date / Frankie Avalon – Venus / Ronnie Smith – My Babe / Terry Lee & The Poorboys – My Little Sue / Jimmy Clanton – Just A Dream / Frankie Avalon – Ginger Bread / Fabian – I’m In Love / Dion & The Belmonts – Just You / Jimmy Clanton – A Part Of Me / Frankie Avalon – Teacher’s Pet / Fabian – I’m a Man / Terry Lee & The Poorboys – Driftin’ / Bill Parsons – The All American Boy / Frankie Avalon 0 I’ll Wait For You / Waylon Jennings – Jole Blon / Buddy Holly – Raining In My Heart / Bill Parsons – Rubber Dolly / Frankie Avalon – You Excite Me / Frankie Sardo – Oh Linda / Buddy Holly – Early In The Morning / Jimmy Clanton – A Letter To An Angel
Although the three headliners (Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, and the Big Bopper) of the Winter Dance Party 1959 had died in a plane crash on February 3rd, it was decided that the tour would continue. So without even a day off, new headliners were announced, with Bobby Vee filling in for Buddy Holly because “he knew all the words .” The show must go on, as they say.
Volume one in this series covered the pre-cash period, and this one covers the second leg of the tour after the day that music died.
This copious selection gives us an overview of what the remaining shows would have sounded with artists like Dion, Bobby Vee, Fabian, Frankie Avalon, Frankie Sardo, etc. The songs included here were recorded around the same time the tour took place, except for Vee’s Suzie Baby (a nod to Buddy Holly), which was recorded in June 1959. Nothing really new or rare here, but that’s a good excuse to gather a solid selection of teen-oriented pop rockers. So, if you’re looking for something in that style, it’s a good starting point. Five songs, two by Holly, one by Valens, and two by the Big Bopper, complete the collection, as well as some tribute songs (Three Young Men by Lee Davis and Tommy Dee’s Three Stars).
Available here
Fred “Virgil” Turgis
