One on my favorite treats is to discover some new (old) music from Roy that I really enjoy. Over the years I have captured five (5) such treasures and I would like to share them with you right here…
First is, “DREAM”, not In Dreams! This version was made famous by the movie “You’ve Got Mail”. Terrific song, enhanced by Roy’s perfect voice. ENJOY
Next up is “Hey There Pretty One”, not Pretty Woman! Another mystery why this song wasn’t a hit… maybe Roy needed a different manager back then! Have fun…
Another mystery mis-hit is “Here Comes That Song Again”. You’ll be singing along with this one shortly…
Roy covered this song, “Cry”, not Crying and could have sold a million as a single. Here’s his take…
Finally, I need to thank Carol, who hosts us on her Roy Orbison Group on Facebook, and her followers for recently introducing me to “Lonely Wine”. When I heard it, I knew it was ‘classic Roy’ and could have stood on its own in its day. Here’s my newest old favorite…
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do, which may be be tough to do!
The better the performer(s), the tougher the challenge to PICK 3! That is the case with the Everly Brothers. Don and Phil teamed up for so many hits starting in the late 50’s with Bye Bye Love (1957) and leading to On the Wings Of A Nightingale in 1984, which was a song written by Paul McCartney. Who can forget Cathy’s Clown and All I Got To Do Is Dream among many others?
Paul Simon, who was influenced by their music and a huge fan said: “… they witnessed and were part of the birth of rock and roll.” John Lennon and Paul McCartney were influenced by these guys and referred to themselves as “the English Everly Brothers”. In fact, for Please Please Me they based the vocal arrangement on Cathy’s Clown.
The brothers were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986. Along the way, they had their issues, but still produced some of the very best music for 50 plus years. Phil died in 2014 from lung disease and Don has retired to a quieter life.
My number 3 pick is Walk Right Back… I love how you know the song right from the very first note, then their harmonies take over. My favorite part of the song is the change of tempo halfway through the song. I love the line…”Bring your love to me, don’t send it.” Very cool lyrics. I am sure you’ll enjoy this golden oldie…
My number 2 pick is Let it be Me. The opening line says… “I bless the day I found you.” What more can you say? This is a love song of the highest order. This was the song that The Everly Brothers usually used to close their shows, except for their very last show when they closed their very last performance with Sam Cooke’s You Send Me. The rendition I attached here really shows the emotion that they intended us to experience. This from their show in Melbourne, Australia. Enjoy!
As difficult as it was to pick 3 from The Everly Brothers, picking number 1 was easy! No doubt about it… Crying in the Rain. One of my TOP 10 of All Time! My only complaint is that it is too short, so whenever I put it into a playlist I need to enter it twice, back to back!
You will love the version that I offer here since it was from the Ed Sullivan Show when the guys were in their marine uniforms. The vocals in this recording might be overlaid from the actual recording because it sounds every bit as good.
“Oldies” used to signify some kind of ballroom dancing, where the last thing you’d ever hear was “Let’s Go Nuts”.
Sorry if that’s what you’re looking for, but “oldies” to me means “vintage” which means “proven” which means any time in the past 50+ years which, for some of us, means “blow the doors off”. Here’s a taste for the wild-men out there:
“Whole Lotta Love” by Led Zeppelin. There’s simply no other song that captures its era better – sex, drugs, and rock n’roll – GO FOR IT, BABY!
“Pour Some Sugar On Me” by Def Leppard. If you don’t think this is among the best R&R songs EVER, we need to talk.
And then we come to Ayl Rose…scary, huh? Makes me uncomfortable too. But this is one kick-ass song! Guns n’ Roses – Sweet Child o’ Mine
Face it, the world would be a much duller (and quieter) place without guitars and skinny, drugged-up guys screaming into a mic. Let me know if you agree (or not).
Pick 3 from Roy Orbison – this is tough for me since he is my ALL TIME FAVORITE singer! No questions! No hesitation! (Feel free to add your two cents.)
“Running Scared”
The casual fan may think of Roy as the master of ‘love-lost’ ballads, but my first pick, and one of my favorite Roy songs, details how Roy was the big winner in love… RUNNING SCARED. (Roy also wins the girl in “Pretty Woman”.)
I think this song is great as it builds into an enormous crescendo and then “You turned around and walked away with me.” Unbelievable story line, incredible vocals, really remarkable back-up vocals and a bass beat you can’t forget. Roy used to end his concerts with this song because he could leave the stage to that driving beat. Simply fantastic.
“Crying”
My second pick is CRYING. I picked this song simply because I think this is Roy’s best vocal performance ever and the song itself is truly outstanding. Plus, of course, who can forget the eighth-grade make-out parties where this song provided the “slow dance” opportunity to do a whole bunch of first-time stuff with your first-time steady?
“You Got It”
My third pick is YOU GOT IT. Thank you Jeff Lynne for leading Roy back to the recording studio and giving us this key step in Roy’s resurgence in 1987.
This song, along with King of Hearts, Mystery Girl and his work with The Traveling Wilburys put the world on notice that Roy was back, better than ever. And the entire music community eagerly welcomed him with open arms!
Roy died on December 6, 1988… as Michael Jackson said in his song, Gone Too Soon! What 3 would you pick from Roy?
“End of the Line” tells the story of receiving the respect of your peers… great music and a tribute to Roy Orbison from his Traveling Wilburys’ mates that evokes thoughts about what actually matters after you’ve enjoyed all the fame and riches.
The Traveling Wilburys, whose members were hand-picked by George Harrison, clearly matter. Tom Petty relates that George selected band members based on whether or not he wanted to spend time with you, not the quality of your voice or what instruments you could play. So he picked a line-up of his personal favorites -Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison.
It’s said that 5 lawyers in a hundred years couldn’t assemble what George did in 3 phone calls in one afternoon. What a complement to each of them! Being respected and appreciated by the peers that you admire the most – obviously, those are things that actually matter.
A few things you can’t help noticing (besides the great music) when you watch the “End of the Line” video:
First, George never looked healthier or happier. Clearly, this is his gig and he knows he’s assembled a world class band just for the fun of it! Everybody writes. Everybody sings. Everybody produces. Everybody has a great time. Five talented pals, doing what they do best.
Second, Roy passed away after recording the song but before the video was produced. So, during his vocal performance, the guys placed his guitar on a “rock”ing chair and his picture on the mantle as a tribute to their missing partner.
They all adored Roy, marveled at his voice, & appreciated his professionalism. Even George, a Beatle, worshipped Roy. When George called Tom to tell him about Roy’s passing, he said, “Don’t worry about Roy, he’ll be fine. He’s still with us.” Clearly they could feel his presence.
Third, Tom Petty is having the time of his life. Imagine…he’s playing with George Harrison, Bob Dylan and Roy Orbison! How cool is that?
Finally, Jeff Lynne, the main guy from ELO, and the person most responsible for Roy Orbison’s comeback, is finally getting some of the recognition he deserves.
Roy Orbison fans will love this video. How about you? Comments welcome!
