The song was also covered by French singer Francoise Deldick under the title "Hum Hum". Buddy died in a plane crash on February 3rd, 1959 but this album was only released 10 years later in 1969." The last new Buddy Holly album was "Giant" featuring his single "Love Is Strange". The recording, the title cut of Rogers' "Love Is Strange" album, was released as a single, and reached the U.S. The song was also covered in 1990 by Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton. Also in 1998 German synth-pop band Wolfsheim did a cover of the song for their EP "Once in a Lifetime". Everything but the Girl covered the song on their album "Acoustic.", and scored a #13 hit in the UK with it. In 1975, Buck Owens and Susan Raye had a Top 20 country hit with the song. Paul McCartney sang it with Wings in 1971 on the album " Wild Life". Sonny and Cher also covered the song in 1964. In 1967, the duo Peaches & Herb had Top 20 success with their own cover version of the song.
The Everly Brothers released a rendition in 1965 as a single and on their " Beat & Soul" album. The song also marked the first recording of drummer Bernard "Pretty" Purdie, who went on to become arguably the most recorded drummer of all time. Buddy Holly recorded a version of the song and also adopted the riff and melody for his own "Words of Love". Eventually the song, much more than just a riff, ended up being credited to Smith, Baker and Vanderpool. Williams had recorded the riff earlier on a song called "Billy's Blues" for Billy Stewart. The song was written by Bo Diddley, (but credited to his wife at the time, Ethel Smith), and Jody Williams, who had developed the distinctive lead guitar riff. Jazz musician Everett Barksdale also plays guitar on the recording. Sylvia was Sylvia Vanderpool, formerly billed as Little Sylvia Vanderpool, who became in the 1980s the impresario behind Sugar Hill Records and a major force in the emergence of rap music. Mickey was Mickey Baker, guitarist on dozens of rock and roll hits and many recordings, considered the "go to" session guitar player of the 1950s and early 1960s. Although only a one-hit wonder, the recording was touched by, or touched, a large number of important people and musical trends, even down to a dispute over authorship. In addition to its musical quality, the song is remarkable as an instance of convergence. The 1963 song "Killer Joe" by one-hit wonders the Rocky Fellers, bears more than a passing similarity to the chorus of "Love is Strange," though it never sparked a lawsuit.
Dave "Baby" Cortez, used the same break riff of "Love is Strange", on his 1962 hit "Rinky Dink", and got sued for copying down that melodic riff, and had to pay thousands of dollars in damages to both Mickey and Sylvia. The role of the lead guitar, the bright recording technique, and the lush melody had an influence that can be clearly heard in many more modern rock songs, notably "Day Tripper" and other guitar-driven Beatles songs. The lyrics consist of just eight lines, each of which uses the same basic tune, with some variances in the harmony. The song features a sinuous guitar riff and provocative verbal byplay between Mickey and Sylvia as well as a Latin American beat and a strong melodic hook. It reached #11 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, becoming their only Top 20 hit. Misc = " Love Is Strange" was a 1957 Top 40 hit for Mickey & Sylvia, originally released on Groove Records, a division of RCA. Writer =Mickey Baker, Sylvia Robinson, Ellas McDaniel B-side =" I'm Going Home" ( Billy Valentine)