Roy orbison appreciation thread

[MagpieScouser]

the more i listen to this mans music the more i wish id heard it when i was a bit younger,this man was truly a legend

to quote bruce springsteen 'when i was young i wanted to sing like roy orbison,when i was older i realised nobody could sing like roy orbison'

he has to be up there with the music greats like ray charles and frank sinatra

 

[MartinLutherWallace]

the more i listen to this mans music the more i wish id heard it when i was a bit younger,this man was truly a legend

to quote bruce springsteen 'when i was young i wanted to sing like roy orbison,when i was older i realised nobody could sing like roy orbison'

he has to be up there with the music greats like ray charles and frank sinatra

I never could understand the mass appeal this guy supposedly had.

His originality was huge but I still cant listen to him.

The Big Zero.

 

[- PC -]

I am like scouser . I like his music and his vocal style. Very hard to replicate

 

[CarterS]

Surprised he was so upbeat in his music when so much bad stuff happened to him. Wasn't his wife and kids killed? Anyway, great voice, love the big o.

 

[froars]

A ballad singer where all his stuff sounded the same to me – put him in the Meryl Streep category for acting (not much variation) – and once you’ve heard one you’ve heard ‘em all. Got his greatest hits, but wouldn’t bother to delve much further and when they come up on my iPod, get the flick pretty quick lol.

 

[MartinLutherWallace]

I prefer Waylon Jennings.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Crying is one of my fave songs ever. I often wonder about the A&R guy who discovered him. Imagine walking into a club, sitting down and hearing that voice? Bet he couldnt get into his dressing room with the contract quick enough.

 

[- PC -]

Crying is one of my fave songs ever. I often wonder about the A&R guy who discovered him. Imagine walking into a club, sitting down and hearing that voice? Bet he couldnt get into his dressing room with the contract quick enough.

I believe he was at Sun Records the same place Elvis first recorded at.

Wicked Roy news

In 1949, at age 13, he organized his first band, "The Wink Westerners", and when not singing with the band he spent his time playing guitar and writing songs. The band appeared weekly on KERB radio in Kermit, Texas. Orbison graduated from Wink High School in 1954. He attended North Texas State College in Denton, Texas for a year, and enrolled at Odessa Junior College in 1955 to study history and English. The Wink Westerners had some success on local television, being given 30 minute weekly shows on KMID and then KOSA. One of the guests on their show was Johnny Cash, who advised them to seek a contract with his record producer, Sam Phillips, of Sun Records. Having renamed The Wink Westerners as "The Teen Kings", Orbison left college in March 1956, determined to give music a serious try, and headed for Sun Records in Memphis, Tennessee.

Many of the earliest songs he recorded were produced by Sam Phillips, who also produced Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley. Orbison achieved his first commercial success in June 1956 with "Ooby Dooby", a song written by friends of Orbison from college. His song "Claudette", named after his first wife, was recorded by the Everly Brothers as the B-side to their Number 1 hit "All I Have To Do Is Dream". However, the rockabilly and blues sounds of Sun's artists did not bring Orbison much success and his career seemed over, although fans of rockabilly music count his records among the best that this kind of music has to offer. For a time, he worked at Acuff-Rose Music in Nashville, Tennessee as a songwriter, and then was given a contract by RCA, but eventually Chet Atkins referred him to Fred Foster, the owner of Monument Records, where he moved after his contract with RCA ended in 1959.

 

[Captain Sensible]

Many of the earliest songs he recorded were produced by Sam Phillips, who also produced Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley.

Imagine the jams at the christmas partys?


Thats a great site thanks.

 

[Dry Rot]

Great popsmith. Always get odd images of '60s America in my mind when I hear "Only the Lonely".

 

[DeadlyAkkuret]

A few pretty shit comments in this thread.

"All his stuff sounded the same to me" Ok, feelsbadforuman.jpg (I realise it was 2005, but still)

I'd rate him above Elvis, if he had the looks and a more marketable image his reputation would have far surpassed that of The King. That said, I hate the Orbison V Elvis debate so I'll leave it there.

I love so many of his songs, and even though he didn't write this one it's one that only Roy could deliver to us in such a manner.

[YOUTUBE]1ICnk-gWx8A[/YOUTUBE]

My other favourites include

[YOUTUBE]RsZtyPtTI04[/YOUTUBE]

[YOUTUBE]zbxsmcT7GOk[/YOUTUBE]

Legend

 

[Eddie Dingle]

Yeah I'm with you DA.

The man was an absolute legend.

Was groundbreaking too with Running Scared (my personal favourite RO song) being the first hit pop song to NOT have a chorus.

Can't you just picture him and band playing in the background of a David Lynch film...

 

[sherrinorburley]

There was a broadcast of a concert from 1972 in Melbourne - Festival Hall i think, on Fox-STVDIO recently. Excellent form from the man & the crowd.

The Cramps covered his early Domino brilliantly on their Gravest Hits.

 

[Chirf]

I never could understand the mass appeal this guy supposedly had.

His originality was huge but I still cant listen to him.

The Big Zero.

Thanks for dropping by, we'll get back to you regarding your constructive feedback
Why bother posting rubbish like that?

My old man is a Big O fan and I grew up with his stuff on the stereo & began appreciating it in my own right when he brought out "You got it" and The Traveling Wilbury's were fairly big. Still remember "The End of the Line" film clip after Orbison died they simply had his photo accompany his vocals in that clip.
Great vocal range, 8 octaves or something similar I believe.

 

[chesson]

'Dream Baby' my favourite of the Big O's.

 

[djrossie16]

The Black and White live dvd is class.
In Dreams is one of the great songs of all time.

 

[bungalow_bill]

I can't say I'm a fan but I have respect for his contribution to rock and he does have a unique voice.


Penny Arcade is a great song though.