DEVIN McKINNEY  •  Greil Marcus sends a link to this rare footage from 1972: John Lennon playing “Rock Island Line,” with snatches of two Buddy Holly numbers, “Maybe Baby” and “Peggy Sue.” Yoko provides handclaps for the first number (in rhythm!) and vocal interjections for the latter. But mainly it’s just John’s voice and raunchy guitar reaching out in time, coming back with a feeling you can see in his face.

Surf Ballroom 4.22.11 2In return, I sent Marcus this photo I took on April 22, 2011, outside the Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa, where Buddy Holly played the night before his plane went down.