Born in Texas, Buddy Knox formed a group The Rhythm Orchids and when they were performing on the same radio show as Roy Orbison, Orbison suggested that Knox should go to Norman Petty’s studio in Clovis, New Mexico, to make a record – the same studio where the early Buddy Holly & The Crickets’ hits were made. His recording of his song “Party Doll” came out on the local Triple-D label and eventually found its way to Roulette Records, who took it over and released it to have a US No. 1 and UK No. 29 in early 1957, and over the next couple of years he had several more hits. This 44-track 2-CD set comprises the A & B sides of his singles on the Roulette and Liberty labels from this era, plus the tracks not otherwise featured on singles from the Roulette albums “Buddy Knox” and “Buddy Knox & Jimmy Bowen”, and the Liberty album “Golden Hits”. It features all his eleven career hits in the pop and UK charts, including “Party Doll” and the US No. 9 “Hula Love”. This collection offers just about as comprehensive an overview of this primary era of his career as a chart artist as can be achieved, and best-known as he is for producing one of the iconic teen rock ‘n’ roll hits of the early rock ‘n roll years, this gives an insight into the broader spectrum of his music.
