Say Something Interesting about: Roy Orbison

xp The memo definitely predated "A Black & White Night," the Wilburys, and the kd lang collaboration. It was pretty fascinating, like he was taking stock: where have I been, where am I now, and where do I want to be?

How could Orbison be a passive agent in his own comeback?

had one of his songs featured in popular British sitcom "Only Fools And Horses". It was sung by a character in the show that was an ageing binman dressed up to look roughly like Tom Jones, who couldn't pronounce his R's properly. Thus, the song in question became 'Cwying'.

He should be swtiched off immediately if in the vicinity of Dennis Hopper with an oxygen cylinder

It's 1976 and the Big O has the number one album in the UK. How did that happen? I try to find out why.

his hair could do the work of ten men.
― scott seward, Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:07 (8 years ago) Bookmark

My buddy in junior high got dressed up like roy orbison, and I photographed him eating from a bowl of banana pudding.

....

Maybe I should've posted that in the seran wrap thread.

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, November 9, 2003 9:06 AM (8 years ago)

During recent Louvin Brothers jag discovered this pretty good Live From Batley Variety Club album: http://open.spotify.com/album/4LFrznrFAkcoprQqaWrCAc

Wait there's also Live from Birmingham, Live from Queen's Theatre, and Live from The Fiesta Club. Set Lists vary slightly. This one is the only one without "Leah," which is one of my favorites, although it is the only one with a cover of "When I Stop Dreaming," which is how I found it.

my god this concert

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YG__LBJVZ0&feature=relmfu

'in dreams' is about the best song anyone ever wrote.
― cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, November 7, 2004 7:45 AM (7 years ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Worth repeating.

I would not have expected the best song anyone ever wrote to start with the words "a candy-colored clown..."

...yet here we are.

Up until recently, I had discs from the box set in rotation in the car changer. I must say, all the superlatives thrown at the Monument stuff are true: amazing production elevating even the lesser material to stratospheric heights, and THAT VOICE. Interesting songwriting too. Have ya'll actually listened to "Leah"?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Ib3_jMp9s

Pretty strange...everything...for a hit from '63 or so.

got sucked in again into watching the 'Give Us Money' presentation of Orbison's Black and White Night on PBS

TCB band backing him up, Bruce and Elvis Costello and Tom Waits and kd lang and bonnie raitt just chilling on stage and you can't for a second take your eyes off the Big O.

Blows my mind that that beautiful voice comes out of him so seemingly effortlessly, it just goes there

Otm

i haven't watched that show in a while, that's a good reminder to put it back in the queue.

it's so good

Something good in a similar vain is the one Dave Edmunds did with Carl Perkins.

wow never seen that. i'll def have to check that out

Got my favorite guitar duel of all time, on Pretty Woman, with Springsteen knowing better and just sitting back and doing his basic box of blues, vs James Burton tearing it up.

yes! i loved that

god those TCB guys are so tight

I adore his music.

Nice! I'm glad you put "Communication Breakdown" in there.

Roy is magical imo

VegemiteGrrl, you know what's magical?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5N9IHqqGcA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4tt5DE4hbYY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7ltMHQMUFE

Ha

Exactly

Eno sounds lovely here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPN0EHyy09Y

Dylan said something in Chronicles to the effect that listening to Orbison's hits when they first came out showed him that you could break the rules and make great records that reached a lotta people. An Orbison bio (blanking on the title), quoted a British journalist: "brave and chinless"--perfect tag, esp. re: observing the reception that RO got when The Beatles had him as opening act (a mistake there, lads).

This photo fills me with joy.

https://sonicmoremusic.files.wordpress.com/2013/06/135172713781351.jpg

Amazing! Who are the other guys? A couple look almost familiar---

Rick Rubin, Roy, Danzig and ... time-traveler Wolfgang Van Halen?

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

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

Lol

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.

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.

!

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

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

Sorry, meant to say “Mercy!”

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

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

Mercy

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