Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Happy Birthday, Buddy Holly, Chrissie Hynde and Gloria Gaynor

September 7 is a big day in pop music birthdays. Buddy Holly was born in 1936, disco diva Gloria Gaynor in 1949 and Chrissie Hynde, leader of the Pretenders, in 1951. Of course the library has plenty of recordings and scores of their works, but here are some highlights that you may not know about.

Rave on Buddy Holly (CD 33016) is a Buddy Holly tribute album featuring artists such as Patti Smith, Kid Rock and Modest Mouse covering his songs. It came out earlier this year and reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200 album charts. With a few exceptions, the library gets every album in the Billboard Top 50 within a week of its hitting the charts.

Gaynor's classic disco empowerment anthem "I Will Survive" is included in Audition Songs. Number One Hits: [20 Essential Audition Songs for Women] (MP1631.A93 N8 2005). What makes this score unusual is that it includes CDs with instrumental backing tracks, perfect for practicing or bringing to an audition. Or your next karaoke party.

In addition to her work with the Pretenders, Hynde also appears on Frank Sinatra's Duets II album (CD 6441). Especially if you are new to Berklee, you may not realize just how thorough our library catalog is. For most recordings and scores, our catalog indexes not only the main performer but other contributors who helped to create the work such band members, producers, composers and guest vocalists.

So celebrate these birthdays by making use of our library's uncommon resources.

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