Nice write up on the reissue of Roy's Black and White Night concert. I have watched the original mucho times, but will add the reissue to my watching-listening experience.

[nodepression.com]

Yeah..........Roy's boys remixed and remastered it.

For what it's worth, they did likewise with Mystery Girl, the MGM Recordings, and will, quite possibly, be remastering King of Hearts.

They also unearthed an album from 1969, One of The Lonely Ones, which was never released at the time. Bar some slight overdubbing from Richard Tandy of ELO fame, the album is pretty tasty. Some great tracks by Mickey Newbury appear on it.


The MGM Box is great, and it totally reinvigorates a period of music that is thoroughly underrated.

Very enjoyable article, thanks for sharing it, dmay.

In the late 80s/early 90s, I first heard Roy with the Traveling Wilburys without knowing anything about him prior to that. Later on I watched Blue Velvet and to hear In Dreams in THAT scene was mesmerizing, so I started to pay attention on the guy. One of the best quotes on him comes from Bob Dylan, on his "Chronicles":

"Orbison was deadly serious - no pollywog and no fledgling juvenile. There wasn't anything else on the radio like him".

I think everything he released from '61 Momument years thru MGM years to 1966 are really absolutely essential to me. I lived thru all of this and bought all of this at the time. I'd heard the first hits on the car radio as a child and by 66 with The Classic Roy Orbison I went back for all of it; he's one of those rare birds absolutely in his own self-made category imo. No one sounds like him; no one can pull that off. Black and White is a treaure and a great homage but the guy didn't need a one of those he inspired to make his indelible mark. It is beautiful though; really good players in service of the master; and omg Elvis' entire live rhythm section!! Ronnie Tutt!!! Jerry Scheff!!! James Burton !!! Glen Hardin on piano!!! truly Great legendary amazing musicians...The Willburys stuff just a gift,
but that 60 - 66 stuff is transformative and beautiful and it further defined and also defied rock and roll tradition. I don't know what it is about songwriters from Texas but this guy is a giant. His life story, Claudette, all that...his children lost and found etc...his look his natural tude, he's a flipping treasure; Yes I'm a fan.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-02-26 00:26 by hopkins.

One of the best music vids I've watched the black and white night.
Such a lovely humble guy and what a voice.

Interactive five camera view of "Pretty Woman".
[royorbison.com]


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-02-26 17:10 by Deltics.

[youtu.be] from the "King of Hearts" album...first heard it as part of the soundtrack to the screenplay/movie "Insignificance" 1985

a great singer

"Roy Orbison was on tour in England on September 14, 1968, when tragedy struck back in Tennessee. His family home in Hendersonville (the Nashville suburb where ’60s country stars like Cash and Conway Twitty built superstar homes) burned to the ground. Two of his sons, Roy Jr. and Anthony, were killed in the fire. The youngest son, Wesley was miraculously saved by Roy’s parents.

Orbison was devastated by the terrible tragedy and the blow knocked his career into a temporary holding pattern. That Orbison ever came out of that tragic cloud is amazing. What’s even more remarkable is that in 1968 he was still recovering from a previous tragedy in 1966 – the death of his wife Claudette, who died in a motorcycle accident.

Claudette, the inspiration for a song he penned in 1955 and a hit for the Everly Brothers in 1958, was out riding with Roy when she was hit by a truck. Orbison quit music and only ventured back into entertainment game in 1967 with the movie Fastest Guitar Alive. He remained unsure if he’d continue as a musician. His tour of England in 1968 was a major part of his musical comeback and as he struggled to deal with the fire tragedy, the early ’70s would be dark days indeed for Orbison. And if that wasn’t enough, in 1973, Roy’s elder brother Grady Lee also died in a motor accident in Tennessee while on his way to a family celebration for Thanksgiving at Roy’s house in Nashville.

Hardly surprising perhaps that 10 years after Orbison lost his two songs in that Hendersonville fire he’d suffer a major heart attack while still a relatively young man in his early 40s. He recovered, however, and enjoyed a well-deserved career renaissance in the ’80s after his “In Dreams” featured so prominently in David Lynch’s cult movie Blue Velvet. Back in the limelight, Orbison re-recorded some of his hits with T-Bone Burnett and re-emerged in the music business as one of the original pioneers of rock and roll, rightly praised and feted by the stars of the day. His stint with supergroup, the Traveling Wilburys put him back at the top. Sadly his last album, the excellent Mystery Girl, was released posthumously, after his death on December 8, 1988."
[www.gibson.com]

[startsat60.com]

When his boys died in a fire, Roy Orbison recorded a secret album
In 1969, two of Roy Orbison’s sons died in a tragic house fire. Just months after they died, Orbison recorded

n 1969, two of Roy Orbison’s sons died in a tragic house fire. Just months after they died, Orbison recorded an album that addressed the trauma, and was thought to have been lost forever until it was discovered by his sons.

If you loved Roy Orbison 50 years ago, then you’ll be excited to hear that this month MGM are releasing a secret, “lost” album from 1969 that was never released.

Now restored by sound engineers, Orbison lovers can now experience the 12 new tracks digitally, on CD and on 180-gram vinyl. It is being released next month,

The album is a culmination of many dark years in Orbison’s life. In 1966, just two years before two of his three children died in the house fire, his wife Claudette, who he married in 1957, was killed in a motorcycle accident. Two years on, when his Hendersonville house burned down, he sold the lot to his best friend, Johnny Cash (whose house later also burned to the ground). Roy found himself unable to write songs for a while, but maintained a positive outlook and continued touring.

It is coming to life at the same time as a massive release of Orbison’s songs, as an 11 album box set featuring 152 tracks that were published by MGM from 1965 to 1973. It is a series of his songs that has been “out of print” for decades, and now it will be available digitally for the first time, as well as a 13 CD set, and a 14 vinyl disc set.

The new album is called One of the Lonely Ones.

It is being released by MGM, approximately 50 years ago after the rock legend signed with them.

The box set is being released as “The MGM Years” and includes all 11 albums the late musician recorded for MGM (from 1965 to 1973) as well as a collection of non-album singles and B-sides and the soundtrack to The Fastest Guitar Alive, the only film he ever starred in.

The first 500 physical The MGM Years box sets pre-ordered through Orbison’s official store will be bundled with a copy of One of the Lonely Ones.

Did you know Orbison had been through such bleak years? Do you have his early albums?

The MGM Years Box Set:

1) There Is Only One Roy Orbison (1965)
2) The Orbison Way (1966)
3) The Classic Roy Orbison (1966)
4) Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson (1967)
5) The Fastest Guitar Alive (Soundtrack) (1967)
6) Cry Softly Lonely One (1967)
7) Roy Orbison’s Many Moods (1969)
8) Hank Williams the Roy Orbison Way (1970)
9) The Big O (1970)
10) Roy Orbison Sings (1972)
11) Memphis (1972)
12) Milestones (1973)
13) MGM B-Sides And Singles (2015) (2 discs in vinyl box set, 1 disc in CD box set)

One of the Lonely Ones Track List:

1) You’ll Never Walk Alone
2) Say No More
3) Leaving Makes the Rain Come Down
4) Laurie
5) Sweet Memories
6) One of the Lonely Ones
7) Child Woman, Woman Child
8) The Defector
9) Give Up
10) Little Girl (In the Big City)
11) After Tonight
12) I Will Always

[www.youtube.com]
Roy Orbison - London Palladium performance, 1966

Quite possibly the greatest voice ever.

Black and White Night is pure perfection, both musically and cinematically, everything Martin Scorsese wasn't with Shine a Light.

The stage is full of top-notch musicians and every one is in complete awe of him.

The looks on their faces as he hits some of those notes are almost better than the music.

Count me in as an Orbison fan. Love him!

Great lyricist, singer, and songwriter.

Here's Orbison's original "Blue Bayou" from 1963.

[www.youtube.com]

Here's the 1977 Linda Ronstadt version, the best song she ever did:

[www.youtube.com]

25th and 26th January 1965, City Hall, Brisbane.


"As we say in England, it can get a bit trainspottery"

Uh-huh...I only wish his resurgence would've lasted longer...RIP Roy!

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shadooby
Uh-huh...I only wish his resurgence would've lasted longer...RIP Roy!

Absolutely, although thankfully that last year was so fruitful with this concert, the Traveling Wilburys and his final solo album in Mystery Girl. And getting into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame the year before that. It finally felt like he was getting his proper due and respect from the public and his peers. Sad to end so suddenly but at least it felt like it was a very satisfying year, if that makes sense.

Quote
RollingFreak

Quote
shadooby
Uh-huh...I only wish his resurgence would've lasted longer...RIP Roy!

Absolutely, although thankfully that last year was so fruitful with this concert, the Traveling Wilburys and his final solo album in Mystery Girl. And getting into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame the year before that. It finally felt like he was getting his proper due and respect from the public and his peers. Sad to end so suddenly but at least it felt like it was a very satisfying year, if that makes sense.

right on. seemed roy had a very tragic life

Is it possible to NOT be a Roy Orbison fan??

His other-wordly, haunting voice & beaurtiful lyrics are timeless.

There's a very good reason his songs are rarely covered...

nobody's talented enough to pull it off.

Great singer, one of the best.

Quote
Adrian-L
Is it possible to NOT be a Roy Orbison fan??

His other-wordly, haunting voice & beaurtiful lyrics are timeless.

There's a very good reason his songs are rarely covered...

nobody's talented enough to pull it off.

I agree with every word...... and I think "Running Scared" is one of the greatest songs (and displays of Roy's voice) ever!

Also love his vocals on "Last Night" with the Wilbury's.

"No Anchovies, Please"

.....yeah love Roy and I'm out there .....



ROCKMAN

Quote
Elmo Lewis

Quote
Adrian-L
Is it possible to NOT be a Roy Orbison fan??

His other-wordly, haunting voice & beaurtiful lyrics are timeless.

There's a very good reason his songs are rarely covered...

nobody's talented enough to pull it off.

I agree with every word...... and I think "Running Scared" is one of the greatest songs (and displays of Roy's voice) ever!

Also love his vocals on "Last Night" with the Wilbury's.

agreed

Roy's comeback began with an amazing duet with Emmylou Harris on That Lovin' You Feelin' Again. Prior to that, he had made awful albums, Regeneration and Laminar Flow spring to mind.

The trouble with the MGM period was that nobody was buying his material, yet So Young from Zabriskie Point, and the weird Southbound Jericho Parkway, and Penny Arcade were examples of an artist wanting to push the envelope. I also like his version of Danny Boy, so much better than the Jackie Wilson, Johnny Cash, Elvis versions around.

Roy's tune Coming Home, on King of Hearts but earlier on the Class of 55 album, was also that much better than what Johnny Cash and Carl Perkins had on the Class of 55 album. You could see, with hindsight, that he was beginning to flex recording muscles, and thanks to Jeff Lynne and T Bone Burnett, he was able to do so. Throw in Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers on Mystery Girl, and Roy was the example of a dignified comeback.

When Johnny Cash followed in 1993 with American Recordings, he was only doing what his next-door neighbour, Roy, did, and pursuing a dignified comeback. Th difference being that, alas, Cash's comeback lasted a bit longer.

Mystery Girl = the best song Bono & The Edge ever wrote.

Yeah, love the man. Years ago I worked at a TV station and my office was next to a room where a Roy Orbison documentary was being edited. Endless loop of Domino...never got tired of hearing it.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2017-03-01 00:53 by latebloomer.

Another one here - simply one of a very special kind.