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Love Is Strange Buddy Holly

February 9, 2012 by · Comments Off on Love Is Strange Buddy Holly 

Love Is Strange Buddy Holly, “Love Is Strange” was a crossover hit by American rhythm and blues duet Mickey & Sylvia, which was released in late November 1956 by the Groove record label.

The song was based on a guitar riff by Jody Williams. The co-writers of the song are of some dispute. The song has also been recorded by Buddy Holly and Bo Diddley, among others.

At a concert at Howard Theatre in Washington, D.C. Mickey & Sylvia heard Jody Williams play a guitar riff that Williams had played on Billy Stewart’s debut single “Billy’s Blues”. “Billy’s Blues” was released as a single in June 1956 and the instrumentation combined a regular blues styling with Afro-Cuban styling. Sylvia Robinson claims that she and Mickey Baker wrote the lyrics, while Bo Diddley claims that he wrote them.

The first recorded version of “Love Is Strange” was performed by Bo Diddley, who recorded his version on May 24, 1956 with Jody Williams on lead guitar. This version was not released until its appearance on I’m a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958 in 2007. Mickey & Sylvia’s version was recorded several months later on October 17, 1956.

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