Posted on 10/14/2009 12:39:04 AM PDT by JoeProBono
Roy Orbison,Bruce Springsteen,Jackson Browne,Elvis Costello,Tom Waits, T Bone Burnett & JD Souther-Oh Pretty Woman (Live, 1987)
Where ever you were in 1964 , you were listening to Roy .
I learned about Roy when he died, and I’ve loved his music ever since.
Our local PBS station broadcasts that concert from time to time. Some truly great performances by some legends in music. Always did like Roy Orbison. Miss him.
I absolutely hated the lyrics in that song. What, just because I’m a pretty woman walking by a bus stop, I owe you a good time??? And then I saw a photo of Ray Orbison, and I hated the song even more!
I were sunning myself on the beautiful beaches of Waikiki, that is when I wasn't working on my C-124 Globemaster for which I was a Crew Chief and flying all over the Far East and South East Asia, compliments of Uncle Sam's best (USAF)
Back then, we had reel-to-reel tape decks, amplifiers and speakers.
Luckily, among the many benies available at Hickam AFB, was a tape lab where you could go with a blank tape and check out and dupe many, many (at that time) contemporary artists.
And back then, (and still do) I had every song Roy Orbison had recorded and he (along with the Tijuana Brass) was my favorite.
When I came back from Nam in 67, I got assigned to Bergstrom AFB (Austin, TX) and was fortunate enough to see Roy live in Dallas.
To this day, he is still (IMHO) one of the greatest artist to have performed in the 20th Century.
My favorite was "Mama" followed closely with "Pretty Paper" which I play every Holiday Season.
Of course since my Mom passed, I find it hard to listen to Mama as that reminds me of her and was one of Roy's she also liked.
Love him or not, I do not know of one recording artist I have heard in my 66 years (and I've heard just about all) who had the vocal depth and range that he had.
I got to see him in concert less than a year before he died. Great show. I shed a tear on news of his passing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMq6uiP-buU&feature=related
“Sweet Dreams”, is also from the “a black and white knight” concert...(and the youtube sound quality is great.)
1964 found me achingly and hopelessly in love. Crying and Running Scared were two of the best ever.
The song was written about his wife. She was going to go shopping and he asked her if she needed money. The co-writer Ricky Dees who was there at the time said "A Pretty Woman never needs any money". That's where the song came from. Orbison was among the best guitar players in Rock and also one of the most unique both in his playing and his voice. Some of his best work though was with another group of friends he joined in forming a band called The Traveling Wilburys. Bob Dylan, George Harrison, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne from ELO, and Roy. This happened just before he died as they had cut their first album and were working on the video's.
One of the best tributes to Roy was a simple one done in their video End Of The Line. It's a railroad box car or Caboose with all them sitting in rocking chairs and the train is rolling. You hear Roy's voice and guitar but the chair is empty.
Roy Orbison had the greatest voice I ever heard and I’ve been listening to his music since 1960.
My wife and I were fortunate to see him in concert a dozen times over the years.
I forget which artist stated that when he heard Crying for the first time, “That was it. To me that was the voice of God.”
Roy Orbison: Black and White Night. It should be in every fan’s collection.
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