Rave On by Buddy Holly

by Ron Powers

In 1958, Buddy Holly turned “Rave On” into one of the most exhilarating bursts of early rock and roll. Written by Sonny West, Bill Tilghman, and Norman Petty, the track was recorded with Holly’s band, the Crickets, and released on Coral Records as a follow-up to his growing string of hits. From its instantly recognizable opening vocal hiccup to its driving rhythm and infectious refrain, Holly’s performance radiated an effortless sense of excitement and youthful abandon. Clocking in at barely two minutes, “Rave On” wasted no time making its impact, capturing the raw momentum of rock and roll at its most joyful and securing its place as one of Buddy Holly’s most enduring recordings.

The iconic vocal processing techniques of the 1950s can be heard in Buddy Holly’s one of a kind vocal delivery from the very start of “Rave On”. A physical Echo Chamber along with slapback delay created with an Ampex multi-track tape recorder were used to produce the sound. This allows the uniqueness of Holly’s vocals to drape around the music and adds a dreamy glow to every beat of the song. Musically, Holly and his band The Crickets offer a fast and driving rock and roll rhythm that provides a steady foundation for the top line to zip around. The lyrics are simple, exuberant, and romantically infatuated, capturing the almost dizzying excitement of being in love. The verse winds around with a satisfying progression and is finally punctuated with Buddy singing the line “Rave on”. This is followed with a background vocal lead line style melody that cements the song's picture-perfect hook in place. 

After two rounds of verses, the song shifts to the bridge. Here, drummer Jerry Allison switches up the rhythm trading his driving beat for one that alternates between two quarter note pounds and a standard rock and roll rhythm. Holly and his background singers follow this rhythm with the top line further emphasizing the shift and helping the section to stand out from the verses. Next, the vocals cut out and make way for Norman Petty’s nimble fingers to dance around the piano keys adding even more personality and charm to “Rave On”. Finally, the solo gives way to one more repetition of the bridge top line and the song wraps up with a satisfying outro.

On February 3, 1959, Buddy Holly chartered a small Bonanza airplane to avoid freezing conditions on his tour bus. Due to poor weather conditions and pilot error the plane crashed, tragically killing the 22-year-old musician and leaving the world without one of its brightest stars. Although his music career lasted just 18 months, he managed to leave behind some of the most enduring rock and roll music of all time. His creativity strongly impacted The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and countless other musicians. If you would like to listen to “Rave On” or any of Holly’s other music, you can find it on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most places music is streamed or sold. If you’d like to learn more about Buddy Holly you can find information on Wikipedia or in any of the dozens of biographies written about him. Ron Powers