When You Ask About Love

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"When You Ask About Love"
The Crickets When You Ask About Love.jpeg
UK Coral vinyl record
Single by The Crickets
from the album In Style with the Crickets
B-side "Deborah"
ReleasedOctober 1959 (1959-10) (US)
November 1959 (1959-11) (UK)
Genre Rock and roll
Length2:05
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s) Norman Petty
The Crickets singles chronology
"Love's Made a Fool of You"
(1959)
"When You Ask About Love"
(1959)
"More Than I Can Say"
(1960)

"When You Ask About Love" is a song written by Jerry Allison and Sonny Curtis and recorded by the Crickets in 1959. It was a hit in Britain, reaching number 27 in the UK Singles Chart. [1]

Contents

The Crickets version

"When You Ask About Love" was the second single from the Crickets' second album, In Style With the Crickets . It was also the second single to be released after the death of Buddy Holly. The song was written by guitarist Sonny Curtis and drummer Jerry Allison whilst they were at the home of Allison's girlfriend and future wife, Peggy Sue Gerron (after whom the Buddy Holly song is named). The B-side "Deborah" was named after Peggy Sue's younger niece. [2]

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1960)Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC) [1] 27

Matchbox version

"When You Ask About Love"
Matchbox When You Ask About Love.jpeg
Single by Matchbox
from the album Midnite Dynamos
B-side "You've Made a Fool of Me"
Released19 September 1980 (1980-09-19)
Genre Rockabilly
Length2:35
Label Magnet
Songwriter(s)
  • Jerry Allison
  • Sonny Curtis
Producer(s) Peter Collins
Matchbox singles chronology
"Midnite Dynamos"
(1980)
"When You Ask About Love"
(1980)
"Over The Rainbow/You Belong To Me"
(1980)

In 1980, English rockabilly band Matchbox released a cover of the song as the second single from for their fourth album Midnite Dynamos. It was the band's biggest hit, reaching number 4 on the UK Singles Chart. [4]

Reception

Reviewing the song in Record Mirror , Mike Nicholls described the song as "pukeabilly – uninspired, backward looking and unoriginal – surely we've got past this by now. If you want this sort of "music" – go back and listen to Buddy Holly, at least he had some conviction." [5]

Charts

Chart (1980–81)Peak
position
Australia (AMR) [6] 55
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40) [7] 16
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [8] 22
Germany (Official German Charts) [9] 29
Ireland (IRMA) [10] 3
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40) [11] 20
Netherlands (Single Top 100) [12] 18
UK Singles (OCC) [4] 4

Other recordings

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buddy Holly</span> American rock and roll singer (1936–1959)

Charles Hardin Holley, known as Buddy Holly, was an American singer and songwriter who was a central and pioneering figure of mid-1950s rock and roll. He was born to a musical family in Lubbock, Texas, during the Great Depression, and learned to play guitar and sing alongside his siblings. Holly's style was influenced by gospel music, country music, and rhythm and blues acts, which he performed in Lubbock with his friends from high school.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Crickets</span> American rock and roll band

The Crickets were an American rock and roll band from Lubbock, Texas, formed by singer-songwriter Buddy Holly in January 1957. Their first hit record, "That'll Be the Day", released in May 1957, peaked at number three on the Billboard Top 100 chart on September 16, 1957. The sleeve of their first album, The "Chirping" Crickets, shows the band line-up at the time: Holly on lead vocals and lead guitar, Niki Sullivan on rhythm guitar, Jerry Allison on drums, and Joe B. Mauldin on bass. The Crickets helped set the template for subsequent rock bands, such as the Beatles, with their guitar-bass-drums line-up, performing their own self-written material. After Holly's death in 1959 the band continued to tour and record into the 1960s and beyond with other band members through to the 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">That'll Be the Day</span> 1957 single by the Crickets

"That'll Be the Day" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Jerry Allison. It was first recorded by Buddy Holly and the Three Tunes in 1956 and was re-recorded in 1957 by Holly and his new band, the Crickets. The 1957 recording achieved widespread success. Holly's producer, Norman Petty, was credited as a co-writer, although he did not contribute to the composition.

"I Fought the Law" is a song written by Sonny Curtis of the Crickets and popularized by a cover by the Bobby Fuller Four, becoming a top-ten hit for the band in 1966. Their version of the song was ranked No. 175 on the Rolling Stone list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time in 2004, and the same year was named one of the 500 "Songs that Shaped Rock" by the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Not Fade Away (song)</span> 1957 single by The Crickets

"Not Fade Away" is a song credited to Buddy Holly and Norman Petty and first recorded by Holly and his band, the Crickets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jerry Allison</span> American rock musician (1939–2022)

Jerry Ivan Allison was an American musician. He was best known as the drummer for the Crickets and co-writer of their hits "That'll Be the Day" and "Peggy Sue", recorded with Buddy Holly. His only solo chart entry on the Billboard Hot 100 was "Real Wild Child", issued in 1958 under the name Ivan. Allison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012.

Sonny Curtis is an American singer and songwriter. Known for his collaborations with Buddy Holly, he was a member of the Crickets and continued with the band after Holly's death. Curtis's best known compositions include "Walk Right Back", a major hit in 1961 for the Everly Brothers; "I Fought the Law", notably covered by the Bobby Fuller Four and the Clash; and "Love is All Around," the theme song for The Mary Tyler Moore Show.

Niki Sullivan was an American rock and roll guitarist, born in South Gate, California. He was one of the three original members of Buddy Holly's backing band, the Crickets. Though he lost interest within a few months of his involvement, his guitar playing was an integral part of Holly's early success. He performed on 27 of the 32 songs Holly and The Crickets recorded over his brief career. He co-wrote a number of his own songs. In 2012, Sullivan was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of the Crickets by a special committee, aimed at correcting the mistake of not including the Crickets with Buddy Holly when he was first inducted in 1986.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Heartbeat (Buddy Holly song)</span> Song by Buddy Holly

"Heartbeat" is a rockabilly song originally recorded by Bob Montgomery and credited to Norman Petty. It was recorded most famously by Buddy Holly in 1958. The B-side of the single was "Well... All Right". "Heartbeat" reached the UK top 10 twice: once in 1975 for Showaddywaddy at number seven and again in 1992 for Nick Berry, recorded as the theme to the television series Heartbeat, which reached number two.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oh, Boy! (The Crickets song)</span> 1957 song by The Crickets

"Oh, Boy!" is a song written by Sonny West, Bill Tilghman and Norman Petty. The song was included on the album The "Chirping" Crickets and was also released as the A-side of a single, with "Not Fade Away" as the B-side. The song peaked at number 10 on the US charts, number 3 on the UK charts in early 1958, and number 26 in Canada.

<i>Thatll Be the Day</i> (album) 1958 studio album by Buddy Holly

That'll Be The Day is the second and final studio album from Buddy Holly. Decca, Holly’s first major record label, after failing to produce a hit single from Holly’s early recordings, packaged these 1956 tunes after he had some success with recordings from the Brunswick and Coral labels, especially the previously released single "That'll Be the Day". This is the last album released before his death in a plane crash on February 3, 1959, and is rare among collectors.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I'm Gonna Love You Too</span>

"I'm Gonna Love You Too" is a song written by Joe B. Mauldin, Niki Sullivan and Norman Petty, originally recorded by Buddy Holly in 1957 and released as a single in 1958. It was covered 20 years later by American new wave band Blondie and released as the lead single in the U.S. from their multi-platinum 1978 album Parallel Lines.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everyday (Buddy Holly song)</span> 1957 single by Buddy Holly

"Everyday" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty, recorded by Buddy Holly and the Crickets on May 29, 1957, and released on September 20, 1957, as the B-side of "Peggy Sue", which went to three on the Billboard Top 100 chart in 1957. The song is ranked number 238 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">More Than I Can Say</span> 1960 single by the Crickets

"More Than I Can Say" is a song written by Sonny Curtis and Jerry Allison, both former members of Buddy Holly's band the Crickets. They recorded it in 1959 soon after Holly's death and released it in 1960. Their original version hit No. 42 on British Record Retailer Chart in 1960. It has been notably performed by singers Bobby Vee and Leo Sayer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Love's Made a Fool of You</span> 1959 single by The Crickets

"Love's Made a Fool of You" is a song co-written and originally performed by Buddy Holly. It was later re-recorded by Sonny Curtis and the Crickets, with the lead vocal by Earl Sinks, and famously covered by the Bobby Fuller Four.

<i>In Style with the Crickets</i> 1960 studio album by The Crickets

In Style With the Crickets is a rock and roll album by the Crickets. Although it was the band's first release following the departure and subsequent death of their front man, Buddy Holly, it still contains many of the band's most memorable songs and many tracks have also been featured on numerous compilations over the years. Originally released as an LP record on December 5, 1960, the album remained out of print for some time until it was re-released on CD in 1993, with bonus tracks not featured on the original album.

<i>Something Old, Something New, Something Blue, Somethin Else</i> 1962 studio album by The Crickets

Something Old, Something New, Something Blue, Somethin' Else is a rock and roll album by the Crickets. It is The Crickets' third release following the departure and subsequent death of their front man, Buddy Holly. As the original cover indicates, the album contains versions of four old songs, four new songs, and four songs with variations of "blue" in the title.

California Sun / She Loves You is a rock and roll album by the Crickets, recorded during their time with Liberty Records. It is The Crickets' fourth and final album for Liberty following the departure and subsequent death of their front man, Buddy Holly. The album's title is somewhat confusing, as it follows the then-popular industry practice of filling the album cover with the titles of as many popular songs as possible. The record label simply lists "The Crickets" name.

<i>Rockin 50s RocknRoll</i> 1970 studio album by The Crickets

Rockin' 50's Rock'n'Roll is a rock and roll album by the Crickets. It was The Crickets' first release in the 1970s, and marked the band's embrace of their legacy as Buddy Holly's backing band. The album is a concept album of nostalgia for the 1950s, consisting mostly of songs written by Holly and framed by the new retrospectively-minded title track. Originally released as an LP record in December 1970, the album was re-released on CD by in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Someone, Someone</span> 1959 song by the Crickets

"Someone, Someone" is a song by American rock and roll band the Crickets, released in March 1959 as the B-side to "Love's Made a Fool of You". However, the song is better known for the version by British beat group Brian Poole and the Tremeloes, which became a top-ten hit in the UK in 1964.

References

  1. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  2. Leigh, Spencer (2019-01-10). Buddy Holly: Learning the Game. McNidder & Grace. ISBN   978-0-85716-189-5.
  3. "Who's Who On The Cricket's Recordings". Rockin50s.com. Archived from the original on 2013-02-11. Retrieved 2016-07-19.
  4. 1 2 "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  5. "Record Mirror" (PDF). Record Mirror . 4 October 1980. p. 14. Retrieved 27 September 2020.
  6. Grant. "Every AMR Top 100 Single in 1980" . Retrieved 2020-03-07.
  7. "Matchbox – When You Ask About Love" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  8. "Matchbox – When You Ask About Love" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  9. "Matchbox – When You Ask About Love" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  10. "The Irish Charts – Search Results – When You Ask About Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  11. "Nederlandse Top 40 – Matchbox" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  12. "Matchbox – When You Ask About Love" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved 6 March 2020.
  13. "Johnny Peters - When You Ask About Love". Discogs. 11 June 1965. Retrieved 2020-03-06.
  14. "Johnny Peters and the Crestas, Johnny Peters and the Jets, Johnny Peters and the JPs, Press - Plaza Ballroom, 2013". Manchester Digital Music Archive. Retrieved 2020-03-06.