---
title: Peggy Sue
description: Peggy Sue, Lou Reed's recording of the Buddy Holly song for Rave On Buddy Holly, 2011, with Sarth Calhoun on bass, a Moog Little Phatty.
url: https://www.sarth.net/transmissions/peggy-sue/
published: 2026-09-23
facet: dream
credit: Discogs, [release 2948749](https://www.discogs.com/release/2948749), track 17: Lou Reed, “Peggy Sue.” Sarth Calhoun, bass, Little Phatty. On [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/rave-on-buddy-holly-bonus-track-version/1440953567).
author: Sarth Calhoun
---
[Transmissions](/transmissions/) / Peggy Sue

Transmission · Dream

# “Peggy Sue”

“Peggy Sue” is [Lou Reed](/conspirators/lou-reed/)’s recording of the Buddy Holly song for *Rave On Buddy Holly*, the tribute compilation released by Fantasy and Concord in June 2011, alongside Paul McCartney, Patti Smith, Florence and the Machine and the Black Keys. I play bass on it, a Moog Little Phatty. Three minutes nineteen.

![Cover of Rave On Buddy Holly.](/images/art-rave-on-buddy-holly.jpg)

Cover, *Rave On Buddy Holly*, 2011.

The credit: Discogs, [release 2948749](https://www.discogs.com/release/2948749), track 17: Lou Reed, “Peggy Sue.” Sarth Calhoun, bass, Little Phatty. On [Apple Music](https://music.apple.com/us/album/rave-on-buddy-holly-bonus-track-version/1440953567).

## Listen

[Embedded player](https://www.youtube.com/embed/jvyzMkaY5xQ)

## What was written about it

Apple Music’s note on the album calls Reed’s take the sound of a cement mixer grinding the tune to a nub. Far Out remembers it as raw, punky. It sits at track seventeen of nineteen.

> Lou Reed tackles Buddy Holly’s classic hit ‘Peggy Sue’ the best way he knows how -- with distortion, fuzz and feedback.
> 
> [Ultimate Classic Rock](https://ultimateclassicrock.com/lou-reed-peggy-sue-song-review/), song review, 2011

The compilation: Nineteen acts on Buddy Holly songs, 2011. Fantasy Records with MPL. Reed’s is the only track Sarth plays on.

## Conspiracies

Recorded while I was in [Lou Reed’s band](/conspiracies/lou-reed-song-band/), which I joined in 2008. The bass here is a Moog synthesizer, not the electric upright [Rob Wasserman](/conspirators/rob-wasserman/) played on stage.

Credit from Discogs. Label and line-up from the release and its press.