Oh Boy!

Album: The Buddy Holly Story (1957)
Charted: 3 10
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Songfacts®:

  • This was recorded June 29-July 1, 1957 at Petty Studios in Clovis, New Mexico. Background vocals were added later by The Picks (Bill & John Pickering, Bob Lapham).
  • This was written by Sunny West, Bill Tilghman and Norman Petty. Petty was Holly's producer and owned the studio where this was recorded. He did not drive race cars. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    David - Lubbock, TX, for above 2
  • This was released as a single with "Not Fade Away" as the B-side. While this song did fade away, the B-side has become one of Holly's well known songs. It got a boost when it was covered by The Rolling Stones in 1964.
  • This was credited to The Crickets, who were Holly's band.
  • Holly and The Crickets performed this on their second and final Ed Sullivan Show appearance on January 26, 1958. Sullivan was not happy with the song selection, as he considered it too raunchy, but Holly insisted on performing it. Possibly in retaliation, Sullivan introduced him as "Buddy Hollet," and Holly can be seen trying to turn up his guitar, which had been set too low. While most musical guests were given 2 songs, Holly got just the one. >>
    Suggestion credit:
    Bertrand - Paris, France
  • Buick spun this into the jingle "Oh, Buick!" for a 1987 commercial.

Comments: 11

  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn April 25th 1964, Jackie DeShannon performed her covered version of "Oh Boy" on the ABC-TV weekday-afternoon program 'American Bandstand'...
    "Oh Boy" was track nine from her 'Breakin' It Up On The Beatles Tour' album; two other tracks from the album made the Top 100, "Needles and Pins" {at #84} and "When You Walk In The room" {at #99}...
    Her next charted record would be "What The World Needs Need Is Now Love", it would peak at #7 {for 2 weeks}...
    Ms. DeShannon, born Sharon Lee Myers, will celebrate her 76th birthday this coming August 21st {2017}.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn March 14th 1958, Buddy Holly and the Crickets perform at the Granada Theater in Woolwich, London, England*...
    At the time "Maybe Baby" {at #21}, "Peggy Sue" {at #78}, and "Oh Boy!" {at #100} were on Billboard's Top 100 chart back in the U.S.A.
    The theater had a seating capacity of 2,434; and sitting in one of those seats was a fourteen-year old lad from Dartford, Kent named Mick Jagger...
    * The twenty-five play dates at two sets a night tour began on March 1st, 1958 and would be the only time Buddy & the boys would appear in the United Kingdom.
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn February 20th 1958, the debut show of the six-date. 12 show 'Big Gold Stars' tour opened in Orlando, Florida...
    One of the acts* on the bill were Buddy Holly and the Crickets; and at the time they had three records on Billboard's Top 100 chart, "Peggy Sue" at #32, "Oh, Boy!" at #47, and on its first week on the chart, "Maybe Baby" at #76...
    * Other acts were Jerry Lee Lewis, Everly Brothers, Jimmie Rodgers, and Bill Haley & the Comets.
  • P from Chicago, IlWhen I hear Oh Boy I always imagine some hormone-overdrive teenager in 1957 who had been stuck listening to Patti Page up to this time...and then on comes Buddy Holly...EUREKA! I am not alone in the world! What a deliverance!

    Great song, this one.
  • Andrew Ross from Portsmouth , United Kingdom"Oh Boy!" the highly popular three hour Rock'n'Roll radio show is back! Featuring the music of Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bill Haley, Eddie Cochran and The Beatles plus numerous others, the show is hosted by the legend that is Andrew Ross Hay, and can now be found at www.radiohaslar.co.uk
  • Andrew Ross from Portsmouth , United KingdomBuddy Holly's "Oh Boy"is the inspiration and the theme music to a highly popular 3 hour radio show broadcast on www.radiohaslar.co.uk/live. The show is hosted by Andrew Ross Hay, Tuesday 4pm (UK Time).
  • Barry from Sauquoit, NyBruce Springsteen has performed this song in three different concerts; twice in the 1970s and once in the 1990s!!!
  • Johnn from Springfield, OrIt was also played by the Grateful Dead in several concerts.
  • Stefanie from Rock Hill, ScThis song and "Not Fade Away" are both really cool. I love Buddy Holly! R.I.P.
  • Frank from Westminster, ScNorman Petty not only didn't drive race cars, he also didn't write Buddy Holly/Crickets songs. He attached his name to the copyrights as a payment for his studio and production of these classic songs. He was a musician and a writer, but his style of music was of the previous generation and NOT rock and/or roll.
  • Kev from Hull, Englandoh boy was covered by the group mud in 1975 & got to number 1 & not fade away was covered by steve hillage
see more comments

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