I was gifted with front row center seats to see ol Roy back in 83 when I was in Odessa Texas. Unbelievable how strong his voice was.. Roy was given the key to the city by Odessa's mayor that night. The Bellamy Brothers opened the show. Fun night!
Man you got to hear his hit, It's Over. Talk about showing his range, oh man. Should really check out one of his more dance ones that is so infectious and it's a great build, Dream Baby. And he really shows off a bit of a Rockabilly flavor with his hit Ooby Dooby, which CCR had a hit with a cover of it a while later. And then there is his really astonishing hit, In Dreams. It was famously featured in the groundbreaking David Lynch film, Blue Velvet. It's really amazing because it starts off so slow and acoustic and then it just gradually builds verse by verse, but the arrangement keeps changing and nothing ever really repeats itself. It just keeps building and he just keeps moving up his vocal range. It's emotionally powerful for sure.
My brother produced a concert wth him about six months before he passed away. Wonderful concert and I got to hang out with him about 2 hours after the concert. One of the nicest people I've ever met. Soft spoken and humble, yet I wouldn't describe him as shy at all, and with an obvious love for people. He seemed to really enjoy himself, and promised to do another on the following year, which of course wasn't to be. My only regret is that my brother forgot to tell me he was driving Roy back to his Boston hotel. when they got there Roy invited him inside, started playing some oldies on acoustic guitar, tossed my brother one of his guitars and they jammed for a couple of hours!
That's a great song choice. Big Sou Shawn comes through again. Give ONLY THE LONELY a listen. Love your channel, and especially your heartfelt, witty reviews of the songs. You're the best.
Elvis once commented on Roy Orbison's voice. He said "Roy had the vocal range most singers only dream of having. I'd trade my voice for his, in a minute," Pretty high praise coming from one of the greatest singers ever. Roy had a terrible and tragic life. He lost his wife and child in a fire, and then another child later in another marriage. Such a sweet and good man, and immensely talented. We lost Roy about 20 years ago, I think.
Scottie Moore on guitar?!Unless I'm mixing up the names, that would be amazing. He was in Elvis's band in the early days. And he was considered a groundbreaking guitarist at the time although it sounds so traditional now.
Back in the very early '70s I only knew of Roy Orbison by the song Pretty Woman. As an ignorant 19 year old I somehow got a Greatest Hits album from a discount bin. Almost every song was, "I know that song. I didn't know it was his."
His pianist accompaniment was the legendary Floyd Cramer. Most people have heard Floyd's delicate background fills on Patsy Cline's classic recording of Willie Nelson's composition "Crazy". The background guitarist was Elvis Presley's famed backup guitar/singer Scotty Moore.
SO happy to see Roy O. back! Yes…. Crying is a great song! His voice was incredible….. Many rock stars were in awe of him. Elvis Presley publicly referred to to him as the ‘greatest singer in the world.’ (He was also in the Traveling Wilbury’s..super group) The list of songs you read are all worth listening to… if you’ve already heard ‘Pretty Woman’ you would probably LOVE seeing him do it live on a concert called “A Black & White Night.” He plays with an all-star cast including Bruce Springsteen & Jackson Brown… in pretty woman, Springsteen plays back & forth guitar with James Burton. ANY song from this performance is worth a listen. Orbison died shortly after this. Please… more Roy! 😀
I saw him in a club in Asbury Park, NJ… down the street from the Stone Pony where Springsteen would jam…1976/77! I’m so Blessed to see both great performers!!💖
I think my favorite part of this song is the marimba playing just below his voice for the first two minutes or so. It gives a sort of Spanish or tropical feeling, until the backgound music begins to swell. This style of music is called a Bolero, which originated in Cuba. Usualy the lyrics are about love (or lost love). Terrific reaction, Shawn. Keep them coming.
Have heard this about a million times. Orbison was my brother's favorite, and Crying was his favorite song. Orbison really did have a fantastic run in the mid-60's. I prefer In Dreams and then Pretty woman. And how awesome that he was brought back many years later with solo work and then The Traveling Wilburys! By the way, he experienced some major personal tragedies.
Guys opened up even less in the past than they do now, but music and song was the one arena where men felt able to express themselves and their vulnerability, which is why women went absolutely gaga for these singers back in the day. Their own men couldn't be this vulnerable and real, and it was spellbinding to hear a man do it through song. And of course Roy is one of the best. I urge you to listen to KD Lang's live cover of this.
I grew up with that song. I was too young for real relationships, but I had fantasized about having one and I identified with Roy's feelings while I played this over and over and over again. Loved the drama of the pounding orchestra which just drove the message home that much more effectively.
There are so many great recordings of Crying, this one, Don Mclean and K.D. Lang lead the field for many, but there is a version out there by Del Shannon from the late 70's that blows them all away
I love this man's voice, I always thought it was better than Elvis and Elvis even said the same. What a sweet man he was, too. Roy wore dark glasses because his vision was so bad and his glasses so thick that they distorted the appearance of his eyes. In some of his earlier filmed performances, he would appear in his regular glasses and honestly, it really did make his eyes look strange. Thank you for your time and your reaction. Yes, the movie used Orbison's version of Oh Pretty Woman for their movie soundtrack.
Check out his work with The Travelling Wilburys, the supergroup he was part of at the time he died - Roy, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne.
This man knew sorrow. His wife Claudette whom he wrote Pretty Woman about, was unfaithful to him, and they divorced, then reunited. She was 27 when she died in a motorcycle accident and his two sons died in a house fire. He had vision problems and wore dark glasses on stage because of the lights affecting his condition. He died aged only 52.
Part of the 1955 tour consisting of Roy, Elvis, Carl Perkins (blue suede shoes) Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The Sun Records 5. One of the founders of guitar rock. He blended guitar with the soulful singing style of Ray Charles who pioneered rock in the late 40s and early 50s.
You can keep the digital pro tools, auto tune, and separated piecing together of tracks, weeks a part, from different states. The production of the sound of real musicians, in a central Studio, recorded on tape...will never be matched!
YESSSS SHAWN, THAT'S THE PRETTY WOMAN SONG👍 BUT YEAH : ONLY THE LONELY FOR SURE! 😊 YOU NEED TO DO ( THE TRAVELING WILBURYS ) END OF THE LINE, IT'LL MOST LIKELY GIVE YOU CHILLS, ROY HAD PASSED ON AT THAT TIME IN 88 ☹
React to Minnie Riperton singing loving you live! She's want a very few singers that can actually sing in the whistle register and she's the mother of Maya Rudolph from Saturday Night Live Fame and other shows and movies
Roy Orbison, superstar !!!!
I was gifted with front row center seats to see ol Roy back in 83 when I was in Odessa Texas. Unbelievable how strong his voice was.. Roy was given the key to the city by Odessa's mayor that night. The Bellamy Brothers opened the show. Fun night!
What a great memory!
SHOUT OUT ODESSA!!!!
The songs he would do and the tones he could hit... Priceless )
Roy wore sun glasses because he couldn't find his regular pair before going on stage. So they kinda became his trademark afterwards.
Hadn't heard that but he did have an eye condition that made him very sensitive to light.
His Running Scared is even better.
Yup. That's #1 in my book, too.
Man you got to hear his hit, It's Over. Talk about showing his range, oh man.
Should really check out one of his more dance ones that is so infectious and it's a great build, Dream Baby.
And he really shows off a bit of a Rockabilly flavor with his hit Ooby Dooby, which CCR had a hit with a cover of it a while later.
And then there is his really astonishing hit, In Dreams. It was famously featured in the groundbreaking David Lynch film, Blue Velvet. It's really amazing because it starts off so slow and acoustic and then it just gradually builds verse by verse, but the arrangement keeps changing and nothing ever really repeats itself. It just keeps building and he just keeps moving up his vocal range. It's emotionally powerful for sure.
In Dreams is another great one.
ROY, was a TRAVELING WILBURY.. an amazing 59s artist, who made an amazing comeback as solo artist , and WILBURY in late 80s...RIP.
Roy always wore sun glasses!
Yes, Shawn--that is the "Pretty Woman" song you're thinking of. Van Halen also is a cover of it.
Iconic voice . . . superb Roy Orbison.
You have to do the duet version with KD lang and KD Lang tribute version she sings solo (AMAZING) after his passing
Yes! I agree.
The crowd at Roy's memorial service, mostly industry people, went WILD for her tribute performance of this song. k d. lang is a vocal beast.
My brother produced a concert wth him about six months before he passed away. Wonderful concert and I got to hang out with him about 2 hours after the concert. One of the nicest people I've ever met. Soft spoken and humble, yet I wouldn't describe him as shy at all, and with an obvious love for people. He seemed to really enjoy himself, and promised to do another on the following year, which of course wasn't to be.
My only regret is that my brother forgot to tell me he was driving Roy back to his Boston hotel. when they got there Roy invited him inside, started playing some oldies on acoustic guitar, tossed my brother one of his guitars and they jammed for a couple of hours!
That's a great song choice. Big Sou Shawn comes through again. Give ONLY THE LONELY a listen. Love your channel, and
especially your heartfelt, witty reviews of the songs. You're the best.
Roy is one of the greatest voices in the history of music. I recommend you listen to him singing “In The Real World”.
Thanks 🙏🏻
I would like to recommend his song "Pretty Flamingo."
Boudleaux Bryant (pronounced Bood-low), was best known as a songwriter. He and wife wrote tons of hits for the Everly Brothers around this time.
Just watched an Everly Brothers tribute with Beaudleaux and his wife.
Roy lauched KD Langs career and she did a tribute to him with this song You should watch it if you get a chance KD Lang tribute to Roy Orbidson.
Good choice. And the best part, he has many other really good tracks as well.
k.d. lang does an amazing live version of this on MTV Unplugged!
Elvis once commented on Roy Orbison's voice. He said "Roy had the vocal range most singers only dream of having. I'd trade my voice for his, in a minute," Pretty high praise coming from one of the greatest singers ever. Roy had a terrible and tragic life. He lost his wife and child in a fire, and then another child later in another marriage. Such a sweet and good man, and immensely talented. We lost Roy about 20 years ago, I think.
Scottie Moore on guitar?!Unless I'm mixing up the names, that would be amazing.
He was in Elvis's band in the early days. And he was considered a groundbreaking guitarist at the time although it sounds so traditional now.
61 was a great year, I was born. 😊
Barry Gibb spoke highly of Roy and this song.
You must hear, “ In Dreams”.
Back in the very early '70s I only knew of Roy Orbison by the song Pretty Woman. As an ignorant 19 year old I somehow got a Greatest Hits album from a discount bin. Almost every song was, "I know that song. I didn't know it was his."
It was called talent back then! You also need to check out Gene Pitney! Same genre
His pianist accompaniment was the legendary Floyd Cramer. Most people have heard Floyd's delicate background fills on Patsy Cline's classic recording of Willie Nelson's composition "Crazy". The background guitarist was Elvis Presley's famed backup guitar/singer Scotty Moore.
My favorite of his.
SO happy to see Roy O. back! Yes…. Crying is a great song! His voice was incredible….. Many rock stars were in awe of him. Elvis Presley publicly referred to to him as the ‘greatest singer in the world.’ (He was also in the Traveling Wilbury’s..super group) The list of songs you read are all worth listening to… if you’ve already heard ‘Pretty Woman’ you would probably LOVE seeing him do it live on a concert called “A Black & White Night.” He plays with an all-star cast including Bruce Springsteen & Jackson Brown… in pretty woman, Springsteen plays back & forth guitar with James Burton. ANY song from this performance is worth a listen. Orbison died shortly after this. Please… more Roy! 😀
I saw him in a club in Asbury Park, NJ… down the street from the Stone Pony where Springsteen would jam…1976/77! I’m so Blessed to see both great performers!!💖
Only the lonely is a great one!
An Orbison classic. He had an interesting career. Popular, then not, then Popular again late in life. And such a great voice.
I think my favorite part of this song is the marimba playing just below his voice for the first two minutes or so. It gives a sort of Spanish or tropical feeling, until the backgound music begins to swell. This style of music is called a Bolero, which originated in Cuba. Usualy the lyrics are about love (or lost love). Terrific reaction, Shawn. Keep them coming.
Dude was an awesome singer/song writer/ performer
KD Lang does an excellent cover of this song ❤👵🏼☮️
They did a great duet together of this as well.
❤ You are in it now! Roy, amazing! Your reaction was fantastic!
This is one of his 3 or 4 signature tunes. Almost 20 years later or more Don McLean covers this legendary tune in his own unique way!
Have heard this about a million times. Orbison was my brother's favorite, and Crying was his favorite song. Orbison really did have a fantastic run in the mid-60's. I prefer In Dreams and then Pretty woman. And how awesome that he was brought back many years later with solo work and then The Traveling Wilburys! By the way, he experienced some major personal tragedies.
Agree, In Dreams , my favorite Orbison song
You MUST hear K.D. Lang sing this.
Oh, Pretty Woman!!!
Guys opened up even less in the past than they do now, but music and song was the one arena where men felt able to express themselves and their vulnerability, which is why women went absolutely gaga for these singers back in the day. Their own men couldn't be this vulnerable and real, and it was spellbinding to hear a man do it through song. And of course Roy is one of the best. I urge you to listen to KD Lang's live cover of this.
I grew up with that song. I was too young for real relationships, but I had fantasized about having one and I identified with Roy's feelings while I played this over and over and over again. Loved the drama of the pounding orchestra which just drove the message home that much more effectively.
There are so many great recordings of Crying, this one, Don Mclean and K.D. Lang lead the field for many, but there is a version out there by
Del Shannon from the late 70's that blows them all away
Speaking of Del Shannon, his song "My Little Runaway" is killer!
I love this man's voice, I always thought it was better than Elvis and Elvis even said the same. What a sweet man he was, too. Roy wore dark glasses because his vision was so bad and his glasses so thick that they distorted the appearance of his eyes. In some of his earlier filmed performances, he would appear in his regular glasses and honestly, it really did make his eyes look strange. Thank you for your time and your reaction. Yes, the movie used Orbison's version of Oh Pretty Woman for their movie soundtrack.
Indian Wedding by Roy is a great record. Not a big hit, but very emotional, often brings tears to my eyes.
Never heard Indian Wedding but I will be checking it out immediately! Thanks for the suggestion!
Check out his work with The Travelling Wilburys, the supergroup he was part of at the time he died - Roy, George Harrison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, and Jeff Lynne.
This man knew sorrow. His wife Claudette whom he wrote Pretty Woman about, was unfaithful to him, and they divorced, then reunited. She was 27 when she died in a motorcycle accident and his two sons died in a house fire. He had vision problems and wore dark glasses on stage because of the lights affecting his condition. He died aged only 52.
Shes a mystery to me written by Bono for roy is a great song🎉
Roy always wore shades, because he had an eye condition.
Part of the 1955 tour consisting of Roy, Elvis, Carl Perkins (blue suede shoes) Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. The Sun Records 5. One of the founders of guitar rock. He blended guitar with the soulful singing style of Ray Charles who pioneered rock in the late 40s and early 50s.
Thank you for this reaction. Please listen to more early Roy. He was considered rockabilly. But the most gorgeous voice and a very sad personal life.
Catch Roy with super-group, The Traveling Wilburys. Check out their video: End of the Line.
Peace -
You can keep the digital pro tools, auto tune, and separated piecing together of tracks, weeks a part, from different states. The production of the sound of real musicians, in a central Studio, recorded on tape...will never be matched!
SO, it amazes me.
I love his IN DREAMS. Please react
It's hard to understand that
Just the touch of your hand
Can start me crying.
Elvis's favorite voice!
YESSSS SHAWN, THAT'S THE PRETTY WOMAN SONG👍 BUT YEAH : ONLY THE LONELY FOR SURE! 😊 YOU NEED TO DO ( THE TRAVELING WILBURYS ) END OF THE LINE, IT'LL MOST LIKELY GIVE YOU CHILLS, ROY HAD PASSED ON AT THAT TIME IN 88 ☹
Roy Orbison, one of the greatest! He wears shades because of his poor eyesight. Very thick lenses and he didn’t like his appearance.
Floyd Cramer is worth checking out as well.
React to Minnie Riperton singing loving you live! She's want a very few singers that can actually sing in the whistle register and she's the mother of Maya Rudolph from Saturday Night Live Fame and other shows and movies
Opera meets rock and roll. Check out Pretty Woman
Recommend you always listen to Roy's original releases -they are far better than all of his re recorded versions that he did in his later years..
Is it just me but this sounds better then 80% of todays over processed yuk.
Anyone else watch Only Fools and Horses?
IMHO ( and Elvis’s also). best male singer all time!