Hi folks it’s Retro Dee with yet another tribute to that dreamy duo of yesteryear, The Everly Brothers. Although the boys are no longer with us on this Earth, their fans (myself included) regard their talent and good looks as timeless; we love them with the same amount of passion as if they were still around today.
Now get one thing right. Buddy Holly was my first, true retro love. And as with Buddy Holly, I am not your average Everly fan. I don’t quite fit the parameters of any kind of fandom. I don’t think there should be parameters, and maybe there actually aren’t, but what I can say for certain is that my love for Buddy and for The Everly Brothers is definitely not typical: it’s peppered with a little sarcasm, some selective hearing, occasional over-analysis, and maybe just a tiny bit of angst. But that’s okay. I mean, I’m okay with it. I’m just keepin’ it real.
As an Everly Brothers fan, I focus on the hits from their hey day. That’s not just because that was when they were young and ridiculously good-looking, but also because I prefer early Rock N Roll to any other genre. I am aware that the brothers continued their careers well into their later years, recording hundreds of songs and working with many other legendary artists. However, I admit that I know very little about the Everlys’ work past 1963. I don’t apologize for that, either.
When music evolved, Don and Phil did to a point as well. They were still amazing, and their later work is definitely worth exploring; it’s just not what I choose to listen to. (I will note, however, that I was blown away by Phil’s “All I Need Is The Air That I Breathe” recorded in 1973. It is far superior to The Hollies’ chart topper. Look it up.)
So you can call me an Everly fan. Or not. I really don’t care. Artists and their music are perceived in different ways by different people. I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to like someone. But if there is, and I’m doing it wrong… I really don’t care.
I’m publishing this blog post between Don and Phil’s Birthdays: Phil’s is January 19, and Don’s is February 1. Below is a collection of more of my tribute posts to them that I created on Instagram. They’ve been capped, cropped and compressed. But not cut. 😂
I just couldn’t let this one go without attempting a meme.
When Don died in August, 2021, I made a multi-post series dedicated to him in my stories. Here are two of the posts from that:
Also from the Remembering Don Everly series:
Best Easter Greeting Ever! (I posted this for Easter 2022)
And finally, (for now) here’s the post I made for Phil’s Birthday in 2023:
Bonus Material:
If you really love Don and Phil, you might want to listen to this recording session of “When Will I Be Loved” recorded on February 18, 1960. Note how the tempo differs from the finished product. It’s very interesting, although somewhat trying to listen to. This is what they make you listen to in the Second Circle of Hell. Over and over again. Just kidding! All jokes aside, the music is fantastic, especially starting at the 11th take at 17:03. That’s when they run through the instrumental part of the song and it’s just epic… But be warned: Don’t play this whole session on repeat like I did, or you’re guaranteed to drive yourself to certain insanity.
But don’t get me wrong. I LOVE this. My favorite resource is not a documentary, certainly NOT a biopic and not even an interview. My favorite resource is simply to listen in to what goes on behind the scenes. Details such as spoken comments during a take put me right there, as if I’d gone back in time to that historic moment. (Note: At 13:51, right before the music starts up again, one of the boys whoops in a high voice- it’s hilarious!)
If the vid is disabled and you can’t listen to it here, just go click on the link and listen to it on You Tube.
Thanks for looking. If you liked this post, you can follow me on Instagram for more at @mariepascal82 .
Also stay tuned for more at Retro Dee’s Guide to the 1950’s, right here on WordPress.
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