B-side "That Makes It Tough" Length 2:47 | ||
Released June 29, 1960 (1960-06-29) Recorded October 21, 1958, Pythian Temple studio, New York City | ||
"True Love Ways" is a song written by Buddy Holly and Norman Petty with original tune by Margaret Allison, the Angelic Gospel Singers' leader and 1955 composer of "I'll Be Alright" source melody of "True Love Ways". Which Holly recorded with the Dick Jacobs Orchestra on Tuesday evening October 21 1958, four months before the singer's death. Some argue that this song is the most played "first song" at weddings, but The Angelic Gospel Singers' "I'll Be Alright" was certainly Buddy's favorite Gospel song. Sadly played at his funeral in his hometown Lubbock, Texas on Saturday 7 February 1959. "True Love Ways" was first released on the posthumous album The Buddy Holly Story, Vol. 2 (Coral 57326/757326), in March 1960. The song was a hit in Britain in 1960, reaching number 25 on the pop singles chart.
Contents
In the extended version of the song, in the first ten seconds Holly can be heard preparing to sing. The audio starts with audio saying "Yeah, we're rolling." A piano player and a tenor saxophone player play some notes, and Holly mutters, "Okay," and clears his throat. The producer yells, "Quiet, boys!" to everyone else in the room, and at the end of the talkback, the producer says, "Pitch, Ernie", to signal the piano player to give Holly his starting note, a B-flat.
Along with "It Doesn't Matter Anymore", "Raining in My Heart", and "Moondreams", this song was recorded at Holly's last studio recording session before his death on February 3, 1959.
The session took place at the Pythian Temple on October 21, 1958. The musicians were Al Caiola (guitar); Sanford Block (bass); Ernie Hayes (piano); Doris Johnson (harp); Abraham Richman (saxophone); Clifford Leeman (drums); Sylvan Shulman, Leo Kruczek, Leonard Posner, Irving Spice, Ray Free, Herbert Bourne, Julius Held and Paul Winter (violins); David Schwartz and Howard Kay (violas); and Maurice Brown and Maurice Bialkin (cellos).
It has been suggested that Holly alone wrote "True Love Ways" for his wife, Maria Elena Holly, as a wedding gift in August 1958, though the Norman Petty adapted lyrics were not completed until shortly before the recording session in October 1958. On April 29, 2011, she unveiled the rarely seen "True Love Ways" photo of their wedding kiss, first published in John Goldrosen's 1975 Holly-biography "Buddy Holly, His Life and Music". The photo is now displayed at P.J. Clarke's above Table 53, the table where they became engaged while on their first date, on June 20, 1958. https://www.shazam.com/nl/track/57427898/ill-be-alright
Single releases
Mickey Gilley version
Mickey Gilley, country singer, released a successful cover version in 1980 (during the height of his popularity). Gilley's version reached the No. 1 spot on the Billboard magazine Hot Country Singles chart in July 1980.
Cliff Richard version
British pop singer Cliff Richard released his cover as the lead single from his Dressed for the Occasion album in April 1983. The recording is of a live performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1982 with the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Richard's version reached No. 8 on the UK Singles Chart and was a hit in several other countries.