Saturday Night Attitude Dancing at the 2024 Birthday of the Legendary Roy Orbison
by Robert Wilkinson
We start the dance early, since today’s the birthday of one of the greatest musical talents of the 20th Century and a founder of Rock and Roll! A contemporary of Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins at Sun Records, "Roy the Boy" was one of the more unlikely looking rock stars ever to leave his immortal mark in music history. He sure wrote some timeless tunes, and today we have them all!
As a kid growing up in the 50s and 60s, Roy Orbison's (April 23, 1936 – December 6, 1988) soulful music and soaring voice impacted me and my music sensibilities tremendously (and apparently Bruce Springsteen and millions of others as well!) It is said that as a result of his 1963 UK tour, he inspired a young John Lennon to write the Beatles’ breakthrough smash hit "Please Please Me" trying to sound like him. One of the most important musical influences in my early life, it was a sad day when he checked out way too early in late 1988.
Thick rimmed dark glasses, dressed in black, often with a Cross Pattee at his throat, he offered up musical tales of loss and redemption, loneliness and beauty, fear and triumph, across 4 octaves (sometimes more!) supported by both dramatic and rocking rhythms and melodies. He did not look anything like the rock and roll stars of his day, but he was a figure that everyone honored as one of the best of the best.
His life was tragic in many ways, and he endured the most painful experiences a human can go through. Yet he never abandoned his kind and gentle Taurus nature, and so his entire career was authentic in that when he sang of tragedy, he knew what he was singing about, and when he sang of triumph, he also knew that as well.
His voice is haunting, his music is beautiful, and he gave us some amazing tunes, both those he wrote and those he put his magic touch upon, making them come alive. For your enjoyment, Mister Roy Orbison!
We'll begin this celebration of Roy and his music with one of my favorite songs he ever did. This great tune was co-written by Lefty Wilbury with brothers Otis (Clayton) Wilbury and Charlie T Jr. (Muddy) Wilbury. This performance footage was taken in Europe less than three weeks before he died. For your pleasure and enjoyment, the incredible voice of Mister Roy Orbison doing his global top 10 hit, the awesome “You Got It.”
From that second career mountaintop, we’ll now go back in time to Festival Hall, Melbourne, Australia in 1972 to Roy doing his 1960 monster global hit that went all the way to #1 UK, #2 US and Canada, the awesome "Only the Lonely."
From the same tour down under, his iconic 1961 hit that also went to #2 US, #1 Canada, “Crying” followed by his 1962 hit that went to #1 in Oz, “Leah”
We’ll finish our opening set with something that shows off this man’s pipes! Here Roy matches range with the equally amazing Art Garfunkel, who set the original standard! For your enjoyment, “Bridge Over Troubled Waters”
Back to the Monument Years!
Here are eight original 1965 live Monument performances by Roy when he hit his peak! First, his MONSTER 1964 #1 hit that sold 7 million copies, "Oh Pretty Woman." Then we follow it with the MAN singing the tune that brought him to the dance, "Only the Lonely." Wow.
Here are three rockers from the same concert! First, his 1962 hit that went to #4 US, #2 UK and Oz, "Dream Baby," followed by his 1963 hit that went to #5 US, #1 Oz, #3 UK, “Mean Woman Blues” and “What’d I Say”
For our final three from this show, we start with the majestic “Crying,” move straight into the soaring top 10 hit “It’s Over,” and close this triplet with his dramatic 1961 # 1 hit, “Running Scared.” Simply Awesome!
No lip-synching here!! From the Roy Orbison Show in 1964, Roy performing "Crying."
From his closing number on a Shindig episode in the mid-60s, where he’s joined briefly by the Everly Brothers, ”What’d I Say”
From the Johnny Cash show in 1969, here's "Pretty Woman." On that same show, here’s "Crying."
Here’s Roy Sings Orbison, a great 30 minute 1975 BBC tv show! Roy Orbison on the BBC - 1975
I found a classic clip! When Elvis died in 1977, a few old friends got together. Here are the Sun originals offering up one to their old friend, the King of Rock and Roll! “This Train Is Bound to Glory” – Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis
This year I again found the fantastic live video performance on Austin City Limits in 1982 featuring ALL the hits, and some obscure gems! While I don’t have it all on one clip, the link will take you to the first one, and it seems they all are here except one. Enjoy! Roy Orbison on Austin City Limits - 1982
If you don’t want to do the whole thing, here are a few tunes. For your viewing pleasure, from Austin, Texas in 1982, Roy Orbison sending this out to “a dear friend of mine,” "Hound Dog Man” From the same gig, the trifecta of “Lana,” followed by “Blue Angel” and we close with “Running Scared.”
At the 1985 Farm Aid, here’s "Crying." From that same show, “Mean Woman Blues” and “Oh Pretty Woman”
I found all the clips from the great January 1988 television special A Black and White Night Live, (taped 30 Sept 1978) and I’ve put them in the set order for your listening pleasure! We'll kick off this treat with his #2 hit from 1960, the immortal "Only The Lonely," follow it with “Dream Baby,” and then the beautiful 1963 top 30 hit (#3 UK, #1 in Oz!), “Blue Bayou.”
We now go to the heart of the show with "The Comedian,", followed by Roy's first charting hit from long ago in 1956, "Ooby Dooby." After that, we have “Leah” and the #1 smash hit with soaring voice, “Running Scared.”
We now move with the groove into the backstretch dancing to 1959's “Uptown,” and then drift into his 1963 hit, “In Dreams” followed by the soaring “Crying.”
We begin to close this set with his top 25 hit from 1961 (again, #1 in Oz!), “Candy Man” and “Go Go Go (Down the Line)” followed by two standards “Mean Woman Blues” and “(All I Can Do Is) Dream You.”
Though most associate the song "Claudette" with the Everly Brothers, Roy wrote it for his first wife. From the Man with the Band, here’s “Claudette." We'll finish with the last two of the show, “It’s Over” followed by his iconic 1964 #1 hit, "Oh Pretty Woman."
It's a great production to watch in its entirety (it's for sale on various sites) and features Roy, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, James Burton and the TCB Band, with Bonnie Raitt, Jennifer Warnes, and k.d. lang on backing vocals. It's a great show of pure gold featuring all the hits!
In his incarnation with the Traveling Wilburys, his name was Lefty. Their debut album came out Oct 25, 1988, about 6 weeks before he died. Here's Lefty, along with Nelson, Otis, Lucky, and Charlie T. Jr. in the original studio music video of "Handle With Care," and here's their video tribute to Roy whose guitar occupies the empty rocking chair in "End of the Line." Even though all the Wilburys wrote all their songs, this one was written by Jeff Lynne with Roy specifically for Roy’s voice. With Roy’s vocals way out front, this one is his all the way! For your enjoyment, the soaring voice of Roy Orbison on "You're Not Alone Anymore."
Though not musical clips, enjoy! Here's a documentary of the Wilburys talking about how it all came to be!
Unfortunately, part 1 is still nowhere to be found. Sorry.
Unfortunately,this year part 6 is nowhere to be found.
Some years I have it, some I don’t. This year it’s back again! Here’s an interesting 25 minute clip called The True History of the Traveling Wilburys
And now, a few live performances of songs you may or may not have heard of!
Rolling back in time to 1966, at the London Palladium, Roy performing a medley of his hits! For your enjoyment, ”Oh Pretty Woman,” “In Dreams,” “Twinkletoes,” and “It’s Over.”
From the 1967 movie Fastest Guitar in the West, Roy performing “Rollin On”
Last year I had a great I found an audio-only set of Roy performing live at the Country Club in LA in 1981, but this year it’s gone. It included “Workin’ For the Man,” “Blue Angel,” “That Lovin’ You Feeling Again” and “Hound Dog Man.” Better luck next year.
From 1986, an interesting live performance of “Sweet Dream Baby” (The audio has to be the sound board feed dubbed over the recording, since that cannot be a mic that far from the stage.)
From Letterman in 1988, here’s an interview and a live performance of ”Mean Woman Blues”
A few original studio versions of some of his greats:
"Rock House" (1956)
"I'm Hurtin'" (1960)
"Love Hurts." (1961)
"Dream Baby." (1962)
"Running Scared." (1961)
Here’s the title song of his first posthumous album "She’s A Mystery To Me” (“Mystery Girl.”) (1989)
Here’s that album. Mystery Girl. (1989)
Here’s the second posthumous album, King of Hearts
This is a great find, if a sad one. This is the great lost Roy Orbison album. He recorded it in 1969 after his wife’s motorcycle death and the death of his 2 boys in a house fire 2 years later. This went unreleased until 2015. Wow. For your enjoyment, One of the Lonely Ones
Last year I had a 13 minute Interview with Elvis Costello talking about Roy Orbison but it’s disappeared.
Before we bring this birthday dance to a close, I found this great 44 song collection of all of Roy’s work at Sun Records! This is his entire early catalog!! (This year two are blocked) Roy Orbison – All the Sun Records 1956-1958
If you want to read how Roy came out of Wink Texas with the Teen Kings during his early country and rockabilly years, here’s a fascinating look at Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings – Allmusic Guide. He actually played lead on all those Sun recordings!
In early 1956 just before he signed with Sam Phillips, he and the Teen Kings released this one! "Hey Miss Fannien” and earlier in January of that year, he cut this demo which he took to Sun which got him the contract to do the classic version we all know of "Ooby Dooby”
From his first to his last. Roy sang “The Star Spangled Banner” at a LA Kings hockey game just a few weeks before he died. While the performance starts off uneven, he NAILS the last half! The crowd loves it! "“The Star Spangled Banner”
From December 4, 1988, a 55 minute show. It was his last concert. He died of a heart attack 2 days later. Roy Orbison – The Last Concert (The Front Row Theater, Highland Heights, OH)
We'll close this birthday festival with a song posthumously released that charted in 1992, the intense "I Drove All Night" music video, which definitely communicates the heat that the young are privileged to feel.
Here’s another posthumous music video from a song on Mystery Girl, his last album. “California Blue”
For our encore, the song we began with, featuring the soaring voice of the Big O! This was his posthumous gift to us, the leadoff tune on Mystery Girl, the awesome “You Got It”
Here are three special treats! First, from a long time ago, Roy Orbison singing Happy Birthday to one of his sons.
And here’s an audio only clip of Bruce Springsteen singing Happy Birthday to Roy Orbison at a show just before Roy died.
And finally, Jim Axelrod did an interview with Roy's boys 25 years after his death. They found an unreleased demo tape Roy did at the end of his life, and the story is a great tale of a blessing beyond the grave. For your contemplation, Roy Orbison's Boys Release An Unknown Song by Roy Orbison
Here’s Roy Orbison’s final video interview, two days before his death.
This seemed like a fitting end to our tribute, since it shows the man’s grace, humility, and greatness. Roy Orbison on his gifts and blessings
The Official Roy Orbison Website.
From right before he died, the most extensive print interview he ever gave.
Roy Orbison's Triumphs and Tragedies: Rolling Stone's Definitive 1988 InterviewSo here's a Happy 88th birthday, Roy. Your music is still timeless, beautiful, and rocks! I'm sure you're having fun with your brothers Nelson (“Spike") and Charlie T. (Muddy) Wilbury as I write this. Thanks for the tunes, Lefty. RIP and have a rockabilly skiffle on me!
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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