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ISBN: 9781905662920
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Deluxe: 500 copies
- Signed by: Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend
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Binding: Fully bound in brown cloth with black and Sonic blue foiling
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Box: Sonic blue clamshell
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Extras: 7-inch vinyl containing rare recordings; numbered and stamped 8" x 10" photographic print
- Published september 2024
- Pre-order price £945 / Publication price £1045
Born out of a conversation with Roger Daltrey, who first conceived the idea of Words of Love back in 2017, Genesis Publications is honoured to publish the definitive celebration of musician, songwriter and rock and roll trailblazer, Buddy Holly.
In partnership with María Elena Holly and the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation, this seminal volume covers Buddy's life, music and enduring legacy, offering an unseen perspective on the man behind the timeless music. This edition is presented as a limited edition boxed set of just 559 copies and features original cover art created specially by Ronnie Wood, with a foreword by María Elena Holly and an introduction by esteemed music critic Greil Marcus. The proceeds will benefit Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America.
The book is narrated by over 80 of the world's most influential musicians, such as David Gilmour, Emmylou Harris, Robert Plant, Bruce Springsteen, Pete Townshend and Brian Wilson, explaining what Buddy Holly means to them. Words of Love unravels the complexities of Holly's enduring legacy, from his Texan roots, to his work in the studio and on tour with the Crickets, to his inner creative world and the final months of innovation in New York City that preceded his tragic death.
Words of Love charts the unusual rise of a musical pioneer who defied conventions and changed the course of music history. Buddy's career is presented through a large collection of never-before-seen photography and personal items belonging to Buddy Holly, accompanied by the stories of those close to him, including María Elena Holly.
THE AMBASSADOR & THE HONOURED FRIENDS
'His persona, his songs, his guitar playing, and those awesome harmonies still resonate with me today.' - Brian May
Participating in Words of Love are over 80 iconic musicians welcomed as ambassadors of the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation over the course of the last decade. This book has been in the works for six of those years, and throughout this time, many ambassadors have contributed to this project. Words of Love includes contributions from Crickets Jerry 'JI' Allison and Sonny Curtis and friends of Buddy, Paul Anka, Dion, Duane Eddy and Don Everly. An incredible roll call of some of the world's most famous musicians are taking part, including Eric Clapton, Dave Grohl, Emmylou Harris, Brian May, Van Morrison, Dolly Parton, Robert Plant, Keith Richards, Ed Sheeran, Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Pete Townshend, among many more - all of whom cite Buddy Holly as a central influence on their own incredible careers.
Illustrating their text, each contributor has provided a handwritten dedication to Buddy, their own 'words of love', and each is pictured today with a unique guitar gifted to them by the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation - a replica of Buddy's own 1943 Gibson J45. This special guitar is gifted to ambassadors in recognition of their work supporting the Foundation, including this project, each named after a song Buddy either recorded, performed or demo'd. Each instrument features a leather cover, hand-tooled in tribute to the one Buddy made himself, inspired by the legendary Hank Williams, and of course, Elvis Presley. The ambassadors write, record and perform with these bespoke instruments and by doing so keep the memory of Buddy alive.
THE ARCHIVE
WORDS OF LOVE
'Five hours after we'd known each other he popped the question. Buddy comes in with his hands behind his back, sat down and said, 'Will you marry me?' I said, 'Well, do you want to get married now, or after dinner?' - María Elena Holly
Genesis has been granted unlimited access to the archives of The Buddy Holly Center in Lubbock, Texas, and The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation - the world's foremost custodians of Buddy Holly memorabilia and personal items - much of it entrusted by María Elena Holly. Among these historical pieces are Buddy's glasses, writings and correspondence, his original gold discs awarded for 'That'll be the Day' and 'Peggy Sue', his collection of 45s, and his Sunburst Fender Stratocaster. The photographic collection includes recently unearthed portraits, as well as live performance imagery and private reflections, published here for the first time.
THE MANUSCRIPT
'We got to be very close friends with Buddy Holly and the Crickets, and he wrote a couple of things for us. 'Love's Made a Fool of You' might have been one. We had just learned to dress a little sharper ourselves and they noticed it, so we took them to all the places.' - Don Everly
Words of Love offers a new and intimate perspective on Buddy Holly's life, rediscovering exactly why Buddy continues to resonate today with music enthusiasts and musicians alike. Captions by María Elena Holly tell the stories behind the images: meeting Buddy, his spontaneous and warm personality, his aspirations as an actor and producer, and where he planned on taking his music in the future.
The ambassadors talk about Buddy Holly's music, songwriting and live performances, and how his music shaped their own journeys. His writing, his playing, his pioneering recording methods and his willingness to protect his rights are all felt today, and so much music simply wouldn't exist without him. From his contemporaries to the future generations he inspired, Genesis and the Buddy Holly Educational Foundation are lucky to have an incredible array of ambassadors who help to promote Buddy Holly's legacy.
Alongside these fascinating accounts are biographies examining each ambassador's own artistic relations to Buddy, written by some of the most respected names in music journalism, including Bob Harris, Johnnie Walker, Mike Read, Paul Jones and Rona Elliot. Also included is unpublished text from Paul Anka, Sonny Curtis, Don Everly, Dion, Larry Holley, Hank Marvin and Cliff Richard, among many more.
THE BUDDY HOLLY EDUCATIONAL FOUNDATION
Since 2018, The Buddy Holly Foundation have been supporters of Teenage Cancer Trust and Teen Cancer America, and Genesis is honoured that every purchase of Words of Love will benefit these two charities.
The Buddy Holly Educational Foundation continues to preserve Buddy Holly's legacy. They focus on promoting his legendary music so that it continues to remain relevant and inspirational for future generations of fans and musicians. Their mission is to bring Buddy and María Elena Holly's dream of extending musical education, including songwriting, production, arranging, orchestration, and performance, to new generations regardless of income or ethnicity or learning levels.
THE DELUXE COPIES
Numbered 1 to 500, each Deluxe copy is signed by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend.
The Deluxe copies are quarter-bound in apple leather and cloth with black and sonic blue foiling and gold page edging. The front cover is screen printed with artwork created exclusively for this project by Ronnie Wood.
Each numbered copy is signed by Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend. Additionally, Deluxe copies include a photographic print of a previously unpublished portrait of Buddy Holly. Hand-numbered and blind-stamped with Buddy's signature, the print is suitable for framing (size: 8" x 10").
Completing the boxed set, an exclusive 7-inch vinyl pressing features two rare home recordings made by Buddy Holly.
Page extent: 300+ pages
Binding: Quarter-bound in apple leather and cloth with black and sonic blue foiling, presented in a sonic blue clamshell box
Signed by: Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend
Extras: 7-inch vinyl containing rare recordings; numbered and stamped 8" x 10" photographic print of Buddy Holly
Deluxe Copies: 500 copies
