Say Something Interesting about: Roy Orbison

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Well, he is kinda like Jesus, in the fact that I consider both of them as "my motherfuckers up in heaven".

Helltime Producto (Pavlik), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:47 (twenty years ago) link

He was a guest on Night Network one night in the late 80s, along with the Voice of the Beehive. They were reviewing new videos and a late Smiths or early solo Morrissey song came on and Roy Orbison said how sad the singer seemed and how he felt bad for him.

N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 9 November 2003 12:25 (twenty years ago) link

I sang 'In Dreams' on stage at the Edinburgh Festival last year.

N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 9 November 2003 12:26 (twenty years ago) link

He originally wrote "Love Hurts"...recognized later as an overdone staple on FM by Nazerath, right?

thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Sunday, 9 November 2003 14:48 (twenty years ago) link

He was the man many consider the Roy Orbison of his generation. Who are we to argue?
-- jazz odysseus (nomorespa...), November 8th, 2003.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His close friends knew that he wasn't blind, and would refer to him jokingly as "The All-Seeing Orb".
-- jazz odysseus (nomorespa...), November 8th, 2003.


Those two posts made my entire evening. I did end up hooping tonight with murky results and was nursing quite the frantic comedown until jazz odysseus set me straight. Cheers mon, I'll sleep to your honor.

DarrensCoq, Sunday, 9 November 2003 15:01 (twenty years ago) link

Well basically my prime dread re: hooping kind of happened and for the first twenty minutes the pill burned in my ass in that nagging, infuriating way like when your belly-button ring accidentally gets yanked too hard. Would you believe it though, one of my friends took it upon herself to put a condom over her finger and re-orient the thing -- I hadn't the money for a second attempt -- after which I had a pretty good time. Not all it's cracked up to be, however, though it may be different for girls. I guess it's on you to find out for yourselves.

DarrensCoq, Sunday, 9 November 2003 15:06 (twenty years ago) link

I sang 'In Dreams' on stage at the Edinburgh Festival last year.

Now I'm imagining you in Blue Velvet, N.

Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 9 November 2003 16:13 (twenty years ago) link

He was a guest on Night Network one night in the late 80s, along with the Voice of the Beehive. They were reviewing new videos and a late Smiths or early solo Morrissey song came on and Roy Orbison said how sad the singer seemed and how he felt bad for him.

if only Roy Orbison hadn't died, b/c a duet w/ Morrissey would have been so cool!

Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 9 November 2003 17:07 (twenty years ago) link

texas vs. so cal - fite!

cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 9 November 2003 17:12 (twenty years ago) link

His sixties style is based entirely on "It's Now or Never."

Burr (Burr), Sunday, 9 November 2003 22:46 (twenty years ago) link

if only Roy Orbison hadn't died, b/c a duet w/ Morrissey would have been so cool!
Subthread...
TS: Orbison and Morrissey vs Siouxsie Sioux and Edith Piaf... FITE!

Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Sunday, 9 November 2003 23:29 (twenty years ago) link

My mum claims to be a fan but still thinks he's called Roy Orbiston.

This may not really be classified as "interesting" though.

ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 9 November 2003 23:35 (twenty years ago) link

Okay, continuing with my analogy at the head of the thread...
If Roy Orbison *is* the Rockabilly Robert Smith...then who is the Rockabilly...
* Andrew Eldritch
* Siouxsie Sioux
* Valor (of Christian Death)

I'm sure that Nick Cave can find a mid-'50s equivalent, easy, But I'm unsure who? Elvis?

Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Sunday, 9 November 2003 23:42 (twenty years ago) link

He is HOTT when wrapped in cling film

Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 02:54 (twenty years ago) link

what about swiss family orbison, they were pretty dire.

keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 03:47 (twenty years ago) link

eleven months pass...
'in dreams' is about the best song anyone ever wrote.

cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 7 November 2004 11:45 (nineteen years ago) link

I find his melodies, arrangements, song structures, chord progressions incredibly original and never successfully imitated. "It's Over" is a real mindfuck of a song when you examine it.

Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:27 (nineteen years ago) link

They should have played some Roy Orbison somewhere on one of the John Peel tribute shows. Peel loved him a lot.

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:29 (nineteen years ago) link

I always found it strange that KD Lang and Chris Isaak not only both sound like Roy Orbison vocally, but look like each other (though not like Orbison.)

Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:31 (nineteen years ago) link

I remember Peel saying how everyone had everyone been telling him to listen to Chris Isaak because he sounded like Roy Orbison. He did, and couldn't understand what they were on about. He was right.

The revival of this thread led me to listen to Orbisongs and In Dreams (the album) again this this afternoon. I'd never properly appreciated 'House Without Windows' and '(Say) You're My Girl)' before. Just thinking about Roy Orbison makes me sad.

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:34 (nineteen years ago) link

Leah is another great/strange song.

Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:39 (nineteen years ago) link

You know, that site that one person linked to above (and which I foolishly linked again, never post before reading folks, etc.) is still up, and still a thing of beauty.

'Mind you, people do not realize how much is on each roll. I bet that with a single roll alone I could wrap you up entirely.'

Roy Orbison sits impassively like a monochrome Buddha. My palms are sweaty.

'I will take that bet,' says Roy. 'If you succeed I will give you tickets to my new concert. If you fail I will take Jetta, as a lesson to you not to speak boastfully.'

Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:53 (nineteen years ago) link

'in dreams' is about the best song anyone ever wrote.

-- cºzen (skiplevel...), November 7th, 2004.


his best songs deserve to be a lot longer. as it is they often feel like they're over before they've begun. "it's over" is the classic example, but i guess that works on a thematic level.

i find chris isaak really sympathetic, although i haven't listened to his records in ages.

amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:06 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm going to buy that 'in dreams' album and 'orbisongs' too. I might even buy some chris isaak while I'm at it.

cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:11 (nineteen years ago) link

I don't think isaak is too similar vocally but I can hear why people would recommend him to orbison lovers.

cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:12 (nineteen years ago) link

it's all the tremolo guitar parts of course!

chris isaak is a lot hotter than roy orbison ever was, but roy made better records.

amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:13 (nineteen years ago) link

Orbisongs/In Dreams used to be a twofer CD. Maybe it still is.

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:13 (nineteen years ago) link

c0zen are you on aim?

amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:13 (nineteen years ago) link

also as much as i love "blue velvet" i kind of wish that movie didn't have a stranglehold on "in dreams," you know?

amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:14 (nineteen years ago) link

People are to stop talking about Chris Isaak on this thread!

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:14 (nineteen years ago) link

sorry mom

amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:14 (nineteen years ago) link

Disclaimer: I don't actually like Chris Isaak, I just think he tries to sound like Orbison.

Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:17 (nineteen years ago) link

I fell in love with 'in dreams' before I watched 'blue velvet' (last night) so it's not got so much of a hold as it won't let go, for me.

cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:18 (nineteen years ago) link

orbison gets docked a few points for his contributions to the travelling wilburys.

amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:19 (nineteen years ago) link

The ones where he sang were the only good ones!

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:23 (nineteen years ago) link

I start at the ankles and work up. I am like a spider binding him in my gossamer web. I do it tight with several layers. Soon Roy Orbison stands before me, completely wrapped in cling-film. The pleasure is unexampled.

'You are completely wrapped in cling-film,' I say.

'You win the bet,' says Roy, muffled. 'Now unwrap me.'

'Not for several hours.'

'Ah.'

Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:37 (nineteen years ago) link

I'm listening to the earlier Lonely & Blue now. Not nearly as good. Very formulaic. Too many fillers with a dum-de-wum here and a doo-do-wah there and lyrics consisting of random rearrangements of 'lonely', 'blue', 'crying' and 'dreams'.

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:55 (nineteen years ago) link

"I'll Say It's My Fault" is great, though.

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:56 (nineteen years ago) link

My favourite is Running Scared, an extraordinarily tense song. One of the live albums I have, he ends it on that huge "...with MEEEEEE!!!" and the audience goes wild, and then he just sings the last couple of lines another half dozen times, putting more into it each time. It's fantastic.

Martin Skidmore (Martin Skidmore), Sunday, 7 November 2004 23:13 (nineteen years ago) link

That does sound good. I was just listening to the last of my Roy Orbison albums, Crying, which closes with 'Running Scared'. What a song.

Another great song on that album to bury your head in the pillow to: 'Summersong'

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 23:18 (nineteen years ago) link

Search: "Life Fades Away," from the 'Less Than Zero' soundtrack. He cowrote it with Danzig. Great one.

George Harrison said that Roy was deeply conversant with the work of Monty Python. I love that.

Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Sunday, 7 November 2004 23:28 (nineteen years ago) link

I've never owned the comeback Mystery Girl album, but I do remember once hearing on the radio the song on it that Elvis Costello wrote for him: 'The Comedians'. It's always stuck in my head, just from that one airing. I think I'm going to try and download it now.

Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 23:36 (nineteen years ago) link

I always found it strange that KD Lang and Chris Isaak not only both sound like Roy Orbison vocally, but look like each other (though not like Orbison.)

The parenthesized disclaimer however doesn't necessarily mean that they could not be, correspondingly, the Roy'O of lesbos pop and the Roy'O of copycatsdom.

t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 7 November 2004 23:45 (nineteen years ago) link

He cowrote it with Danzig??!!?!

m0stly clean (m0stly clean), Sunday, 7 November 2004 23:56 (nineteen years ago) link

Yep, Rick Rubin put 'em together. It's awesome, a death song very much in the style of "Running Scared," etc.

Rickey Wright (Rrrickey), Monday, 8 November 2004 00:43 (nineteen years ago) link

If I'm not mistaken, the song "Crying" on Mulholland Drive is also his. How is the original?

daavid (daavid), Monday, 8 November 2004 01:24 (nineteen years ago) link

You don't know Roy Orbison's 'Crying'? Wow. I'd love to be in a position to hear that now for the first time. You're in for a treat.

Alba (Alba), Monday, 8 November 2004 01:26 (nineteen years ago) link

I think the Spanish version in Mullholand Drive did something kind of funky with the melody on the chorus (by funky I mean bad).

Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 8 November 2004 04:37 (nineteen years ago) link

she just sung it really, really, really slow if i recall. with lots of strange stops and starts.

amateur!!st, Monday, 8 November 2004 05:19 (nineteen years ago) link

I seem to remember the melody on the "over you" part going of the chorus down instead of up when the woman sings it in the theater, but I could be wrong. I also remember it not being quite exactly translated, like "Crying over my love" instead of "Crying over you," or something like that.

Hurting (Hurting), Monday, 8 November 2004 05:41 (nineteen years ago) link

L-R: Rick Rubin, George Drakoulias, Roy Orbison, Glenn Danzig.

but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 3 July 2022 00:51 (one year ago) link

There's a neat anecdote from Danzig in the liners to the Roy box about being invited to Roy's estate for a writing session for "Life Fades Away". He's waiting in a sitting room for Roy to come down, so he picks up and starts playing this priceless antique Spanish guitar that's on display. Roy suddenly appears and Danzig gets embarrassed and stops playing. Roy tells him, "No, no--continue. That's what it's made for."

L-R: Crusty Wilbury, Cheeky Wilbury, Lefty Wilbury, Farty Wilbury

Bunheads Pilot Enthusiast (morrisp), Sunday, 3 July 2022 01:51 (one year ago) link

Lol

calstars, Sunday, 3 July 2022 02:08 (one year ago) link

four months pass...

Finally listening to Mystery Girl after all these years. It has an Albert Hammond co-write.#onethread. Maybe newly reissued King of Hearts is next.

Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 14 November 2022 07:27 (one year ago) link

I was at a trivia thing Saturday night, and one of the questions identified the Traveling Wilburys as the five principals plus Eric Clapton...? I could only guess that they were going by album credits and Clapton contributed backing to a song or two.

clemenza, Monday, 14 November 2022 15:04 (one year ago) link

!

Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 14 November 2022 20:46 (one year ago) link

That doesn't sound right at all. Harrison does appear on and contributes a song to Clapton's Journeyman.

Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 14 November 2022 20:51 (one year ago) link

2 live crew got away with their rip off of pretty women

| (Latham Green), Monday, 14 November 2022 21:19 (one year ago) link

Sorry, meant to say “Mercy!”

Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 14 November 2022 21:22 (one year ago) link

Here's something interesting about Roy Orbison that doesn't seem to have been mentioned yet - he starred in a feature film.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fastest_Guitar_Alive

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cK9JwuqZXWM

Hans Holbein (Chinchilla Volapük), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 07:53 (one year ago) link

Roy Orbison: “In Dreams”
“Just before he made his comeback with The Traveling Wilburys, before he died, I saw him at the Mean Fiddler. It was just him, his guitar and voice, so beautiful, so moving—what a fucking guy. And I was waiting out back to meet him and I did. Y’know what he said to me? “Get out of the way, son,’ as he pushed past me on the way to his limousine.”

https://cocteautwins.com/robin-guthrie-my-favourite-records-melody-maker.html

lol

| (Latham Green), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 16:17 (one year ago) link

Mercy

Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 16:45 (one year ago) link

At least he added "son." Respectful if patronizing.

birdistheword, Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:29 (one year ago) link

Don't criticize what you don't understand, son, you've never walked in that man's shoes.

Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:30 (one year ago) link

Pretty shoes too

http://www.rebeccapromitzer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/booties.jpeg

birdistheword, Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:52 (one year ago) link

Well that didn't work. Here's a link.

birdistheword, Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:53 (one year ago) link

it worked (I see the pretty shoes)

Reese's Pisces Iscariot (morrisp), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:58 (one year ago) link

The book includes an account of how the Big O accidentally developed his sunglasses image while on a U.K. tour with the Beatles in 1963. “He had left his regular glasses on a plane, right before the tour," Roy Jr. told Rolling Stone. "He had the dark glasses with him and decided to keep wearing them. Dad wasn't able to see without glasses. When he got off the plane in England, people were taking pictures and that's what they saw, Dad with the dark glasses."

Read More: Roy Orbison's Son Reveals Why He Started Wearing Dark Glasses | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/roy-orbison-dark-glasses/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

| (Latham Green), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 19:23 (one year ago) link

one month passes...

"Running Scared" never stops amazing me

the lyric constructed in such a way that you don't exactly know whether it's tragedy or celebration until the very last word

(ok the rhyme structure clues you in 1 line earlier but ffs)

partez Maroc anthem (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 December 2022 17:32 (one year ago) link

also the only singer whose voice i love more than Roy's is Al Green

the only singer

partez Maroc anthem (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 December 2022 17:32 (one year ago) link

one month passes...

Is this really the only time he ever performed this song live?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvR1YgT7QYs

Cry for a Shadowgraph (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 January 2023 01:41 (one year ago) link

HI DERE#onethread

The Big Candy-O (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 January 2023 02:28 (one year ago) link


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