Say Something Interesting about: Roy Orbison

Message Bookmarked

Bookmark Removed

Was he truly the Robert Smith of the Rockabilly Era?
Discuss.

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:05 (twenty-two years ago)

his hair could do the work of ten men.

― scott seward, Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:07 (twenty-two years ago)

yay roy rocks

― hellbaby (hellbaby), Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

The Godfather of Emo.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:17 (twenty-two years ago)

i used to think he was blind

― keith (keithmcl), Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:37 (twenty-two years ago)

He'd still be as cool in 2003 as he was when he died.

― Johnny Fever (johnny fever), Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:41 (twenty-two years ago)

A lot of people think he's blind, but I never did. I've got into big arguments about it before. Some people are really convinced he's blind.

― Sonny A. (Keiko), Saturday, 8 November 2003 04:44 (twenty-two years ago)

I admit I thought about it. "Wait a second, is he blind?"

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 8 November 2003 05:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The man for whom the phrase "unfettered esophagus" was coined.

― jazz odysseus, Saturday, 8 November 2003 05:08 (twenty-two years ago)

he was my uncle.

― TK, Saturday, 8 November 2003 05:22 (twenty-two years ago)

he had the voice of robert smith, the hair and shades of ian mccullough, the florid lyricism and effete sensibility of morrissey, and the gloomy air of ian curtis, and like all of them he liked to wear black ... WHICH MEANS THAT HE INVENTED 1980s BRITISH INDIE-POP!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 8 November 2003 05:32 (twenty-two years ago)

He was the man many consider the Roy Orbison of his generation. Who are we to argue?

― jazz odysseus, Saturday, 8 November 2003 05:41 (twenty-two years ago)

His close friends knew that he wasn't blind, and would refer to him jokingly as "The All-Seeing Orb".

― jazz odysseus, Saturday, 8 November 2003 05:58 (twenty-two years ago)

He did not have the voice of Robert Smith, nor the effete sensibility of Morrissey.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 8 November 2003 05:59 (twenty-two years ago)

why not ask jim derogatis which of is more correct, mr. hebert?

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Saturday, 8 November 2003 06:04 (twenty-two years ago)

He's just cut me off and start talking about how great Urge Overkill is instead.

― Kenan Hebert (kenan), Saturday, 8 November 2003 06:08 (twenty-two years ago)

my wife and I had the opportunity to see him in Boston once, and I wussed out (trying to save money, I had none, etc.). then he fuckin' died like two weeks later or something. she's never let me forget about that one.

I was never officially a suspect in his death by the way.

― Haikunym (Haikunym), Saturday, 8 November 2003 06:13 (twenty-two years ago)

His late Sixties/Early Seventies Jimmy Webb-style Überpop-opera recordings for MGM-Monument are totally slept on.

― musicmope (musicmope), Saturday, 8 November 2003 11:40 (twenty-two years ago)

1. The strongest swear word he ever used was "mercy".

2. He lost his wife and kids in a house fire.

― Officer Pupp, Saturday, 8 November 2003 15:03 (twenty-two years ago)

Even Van Halen couldn't ruin his music.

― Brandon Welch (Brandon Welch), Saturday, 8 November 2003 15:29 (twenty-two years ago)

I'd like to wrap him in cling-film:
http://www.michaelkelly.fsnet.co.uk/karl.htm

― JSizzler, Saturday, 8 November 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

They should reissue that first travelling wilbury's album

― Bob Shaw (Bob Shaw), Saturday, 8 November 2003 21:18 (twenty-two years ago)

I talked to a guy once who owned a sandwich shop that occupied a building that formerly housed a dive bar where Gregg Allman used to hide out between tours. So after he got done telling me about the night Gregg Allman came there and got drunk after breaking up with Cher, the sandwich shop owner mentioned that his dad used to own a motorcycle shop a little ways up the street, and one day in the late '60s a couple of bikes pull up in front, and in walks Roy Orbison with some good-looking biker chick. They made the rounds of the shop, and Roy placed orders for three bikes to be delivered to his place in Memphis or wherever he was living then. Roy was all in white leather, the guy said, and kept the sunglasses on the whole time. And his check cleared, too.

― spittle (JesseFox), Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:27 (twenty-two years ago)

When Bruce Springsteen starts mugging excessively while soloing on "Pretty Woman" in that black & white TV special, Roy totally looks like he's sorta embarassed and pissed. It's like an open mouthed professional half-smile.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Saturday, 8 November 2003 22:31 (twenty-two years ago)

why would a sighted person choose that haircut?

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 9 November 2003 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

or was it a wig?

― keith (keithmcl), Sunday, 9 November 2003 00:38 (twenty-two years ago)

growl.

― Anthony Miccio (Anthony Miccio), Sunday, 9 November 2003 00:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, he is kinda like Jesus, in the fact that I consider both of them as "my motherfuckers up in heaven".

― Helltime Producto (Pavlik), Sunday, 9 November 2003 01:47 (twenty-two years ago)

He was a guest on Night Network one night in the late 80s, along with the Voice of the Beehive. They were reviewing new videos and a late Smiths or early solo Morrissey song came on and Roy Orbison said how sad the singer seemed and how he felt bad for him.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 9 November 2003 12:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I sang 'In Dreams' on stage at the Edinburgh Festival last year.

― N. (nickdastoor), Sunday, 9 November 2003 12:26 (twenty-two years ago)

He originally wrote "Love Hurts"...recognized later as an overdone staple on FM by Nazerath, right?

― thomas de'aguirre (biteylove), Sunday, 9 November 2003 14:48 (twenty-two years ago)

He was the man many consider the Roy Orbison of his generation. Who are we to argue?
-- jazz odysseus (nomorespa...), November 8th, 2003.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His close friends knew that he wasn't blind, and would refer to him jokingly as "The All-Seeing Orb".
-- jazz odysseus (nomorespa...), November 8th, 2003.

Those two posts made my entire evening. I did end up hooping tonight with murky results and was nursing quite the frantic comedown until jazz odysseus set me straight. Cheers mon, I'll sleep to your honor.

― DarrensCoq, Sunday, 9 November 2003 15:01 (twenty-two years ago)

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, 9 November 2003 15:06 (twenty-two years ago)

I sang 'In Dreams' on stage at the Edinburgh Festival last year.

Now I'm imagining you in Blue Velvet, N.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 9 November 2003 16:13 (twenty-two years ago)

if only Roy Orbison hadn't died, b/c a duet w/ Morrissey would have been so cool!

― Eisbär (llamasfur), Sunday, 9 November 2003 17:07 (twenty-two years ago)

texas vs. so cal - fite!

― cinniblount (James Blount), Sunday, 9 November 2003 17:12 (twenty-two years ago)

His sixties style is based entirely on "It's Now or Never."

― Burr (Burr), Sunday, 9 November 2003 22:46 (twenty-two years ago)

if only Roy Orbison hadn't died, b/c a duet w/ Morrissey would have been so cool!
Subthread...
TS: Orbison and Morrissey vs Siouxsie Sioux and Edith Piaf... FITE!

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Sunday, 9 November 2003 23:29 (twenty-two years ago)

My mum claims to be a fan but still thinks he's called Roy Orbiston.

This may not really be classified as "interesting" though.

― ailsa (ailsa), Sunday, 9 November 2003 23:35 (twenty-two years ago)

Okay, continuing with my analogy at the head of the thread...
If Roy Orbison *is* the Rockabilly Robert Smith...then who is the Rockabilly...
* Andrew Eldritch
* Siouxsie Sioux
* Valor (of Christian Death)

I'm sure that Nick Cave can find a mid-'50s equivalent, easy, But I'm unsure who? Elvis?

― Lord Custos Omicron (Lord Custos Omicron), Sunday, 9 November 2003 23:42 (twenty-two years ago)

He is HOTT when wrapped in cling film

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 02:54 (twenty-two years ago)

what about swiss family orbison, they were pretty dire.

― keith (keithmcl), Wednesday, 12 November 2003 03:47 (twenty-two years ago)

eleven months pass...

'in dreams' is about the best song anyone ever wrote.

― cºzen (Cozen), Sunday, 7 November 2004 11:45 (twenty-one years ago)

I find his melodies, arrangements, song structures, chord progressions incredibly original and never successfully imitated. "It's Over" is a real mindfuck of a song when you examine it.

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

They should have played some Roy Orbison somewhere on one of the John Peel tribute shows. Peel loved him a lot.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:29 (twenty-one years ago)

I always found it strange that KD Lang and Chris Isaak not only both sound like Roy Orbison vocally, but look like each other (though not like Orbison.)

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:31 (twenty-one years ago)

I remember Peel saying how everyone had everyone been telling him to listen to Chris Isaak because he sounded like Roy Orbison. He did, and couldn't understand what they were on about. He was right.

The revival of this thread led me to listen to Orbisongs and In Dreams (the album) again this this afternoon. I'd never properly appreciated 'House Without Windows' and '(Say) You're My Girl)' before. Just thinking about Roy Orbison makes me sad.

― Alba (Alba), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:34 (twenty-one years ago)

Leah is another great/strange song.

― Hurting (Hurting), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:39 (twenty-one years ago)

You know, that site that one person linked to above (and which I foolishly linked again, never post before reading folks, etc.) is still up, and still a thing of beauty.

'Mind you, people do not realize how much is on each roll. I bet that with a single roll alone I could wrap you up entirely.'

Roy Orbison sits impassively like a monochrome Buddha. My palms are sweaty.

'I will take that bet,' says Roy. 'If you succeed I will give you tickets to my new concert. If you fail I will take Jetta, as a lesson to you not to speak boastfully.'

― Daniel_Rf (Daniel_Rf), Sunday, 7 November 2004 19:53 (twenty-one years ago)

'in dreams' is about the best song anyone ever wrote.

-- cºzen (skiplevel...), November 7th, 2004.

his best songs deserve to be a lot longer. as it is they often feel like they're over before they've begun. "it's over" is the classic example, but i guess that works on a thematic level.

i find chris isaak really sympathetic, although i haven't listened to his records in ages.

― amateur!!st, Sunday, 7 November 2004 20:06 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 131 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

'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.

― This Is Not An ILX Username (LaMonte), Sunday, 21 October 2012 22:57 (thirteen years ago)

two years pass...

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

― Poliopolice, Friday, 30 January 2015 06:01 (eleven years ago)

...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.

― Don A Henley And Get Over It (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 30 January 2015 07:29 (eleven years ago)

two years pass...

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

― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 23 April 2017 18:24 (eight years ago)

Otm

― Shpilkes for a Knave (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 23 April 2017 18:55 (eight years ago)

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

― Karl Malone, Sunday, 23 April 2017 18:59 (eight years ago)

it's so good

― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 23 April 2017 19:10 (eight years ago)

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

― Shpilkes for a Knave (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 23 April 2017 19:26 (eight years ago)

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

― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 23 April 2017 19:52 (eight years ago)

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.

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 23 April 2017 21:51 (eight years ago)

yes! i loved that

― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 23 April 2017 21:52 (eight years ago)

god those TCB guys are so tight

― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Sunday, 23 April 2017 21:52 (eight years ago)

three weeks pass...

I adore his music.

― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 May 2017 01:37 (eight years ago)

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

― The Pickety Third Policeman (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 16 May 2017 01:50 (eight years ago)

Roy is magical imo

― Yoni Loves Chocha (VegemiteGrrl), Tuesday, 16 May 2017 02:03 (eight years ago)

VegemiteGrrl, you know what's magical?

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

― the Rain Man of nationalism. (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Tuesday, 16 May 2017 02:11 (eight years ago)

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

― Punnet of the Grapes (Tom D.), Tuesday, 16 May 2017 08:38 (eight years ago)

four years pass...

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

― Blue Yoda No. 9 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 25 May 2021 18:21 (four years ago)

― curmudgeon, Wednesday, 26 May 2021 18:09 (four years ago)

Exactly

― Blue Yoda No. 9 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 26 May 2021 18:33 (four years ago)

one year passes...

Eno sounds lovely here.

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

― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 2 July 2022 21:46 (three years ago)

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).

― dow, Saturday, 2 July 2022 22:50 (three years ago)

This photo fills me with joy.

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

― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 3 July 2022 00:08 (three years ago)

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

― dow, Sunday, 3 July 2022 00:35 (three years ago)

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

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 3 July 2022 00:36 (three years ago)

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

― but also fuck you (unperson), Sunday, 3 July 2022 00:51 (three years ago)

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."

― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Sunday, 3 July 2022 01:05 (three years ago)

L-R: Crusty Wilbury, Cheeky Wilbury, Lefty Wilbury, Farty Wilbury

― Bunheads Pilot Enthusiast (morrisp), Sunday, 3 July 2022 01:51 (three years ago)

Lol

― calstars, Sunday, 3 July 2022 02:08 (three years ago)

four months pass...

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.

― Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 14 November 2022 07:27 (three years ago)

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.

― clemenza, Monday, 14 November 2022 15:04 (three years ago)

― Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 14 November 2022 20:46 (three years ago)

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

― Malevolent Arugula (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Monday, 14 November 2022 20:51 (three years ago)

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

― | (Latham Green), Monday, 14 November 2022 21:19 (three years ago)

Sorry, meant to say “Mercy!”

― Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 14 November 2022 21:22 (three years ago)

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

― Hans Holbein (Chinchilla Volapük), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 07:53 (three years ago)

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

― | (Latham Green), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 16:17 (three years ago)

Mercy

― Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 16:45 (three years ago)

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

― birdistheword, Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:29 (three years ago)

Don't criticize what you don't understand, son, you've never walked in that man's shoes.

― Me and the Major on the Moon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:30 (three years ago)

Pretty shoes too

http://www.rebeccapromitzer.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/booties.jpeg

― birdistheword, Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:52 (three years ago)

Well that didn't work. Here's a link.

― birdistheword, Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:53 (three years ago)

it worked (I see the pretty shoes)

― Reese's Pisces Iscariot (morrisp), Tuesday, 15 November 2022 17:58 (three years ago)

The book includes an account of how the Big O accidentally developed his sunglasses image while on a U.K. tour with the Beatles in 1963. “He had left his regular glasses on a plane, right before the tour," Roy Jr. told Rolling Stone. "He had the dark glasses with him and decided to keep wearing them. Dad wasn't able to see without glasses. When he got off the plane in England, people were taking pictures and that's what they saw, Dad with the dark glasses."

Read More: Roy Orbison's Son Reveals Why He Started Wearing Dark Glasses | https://ultimateclassicrock.com/roy-orbison-dark-glasses/?utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral

― | (Latham Green), Wednesday, 16 November 2022 19:23 (three years ago)

one month passes...

"Running Scared" never stops amazing me

the lyric constructed in such a way that you don't exactly know whether it's tragedy or celebration until the very last word

(ok the rhyme structure clues you in 1 line earlier but ffs)

― partez Maroc anthem (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 December 2022 17:32 (three years ago)

also the only singer whose voice i love more than Roy's is Al Green

the only singer

― partez Maroc anthem (Noodle Vague), Friday, 16 December 2022 17:32 (three years ago)

one month passes...

Is this really the only time he ever performed this song live?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lvR1YgT7QYs

― Cry for a Shadowgraph (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 January 2023 01:41 (three years ago)

HI DERE#onethread

― The Big Candy-O (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 January 2023 02:28 (three years ago)

two years pass...

I made an edit of Roy's Night Life, looping the killer vamp bit and then looping it more and adding some virtual synthesizers and having some fun and people are responding really well to it...

https://soundcloud.com/newyorkendless/nife-life-danergy

― dan selzer, Tuesday, 9 December 2025 16:19 (two months ago)

very cool !!!

― koya787, Tuesday, 9 December 2025 21:27 (two months ago)

You must be logged in to post. Please either login here, or if you are not registered, you may register here.