Post by erik on Aug 6, 2022 12:25:28 GMT -5
The second Top Ten hit for Roy Orbison, the Enrico Caruso of Rock, is in this week's Pop Music Hits Spotlight, highlighting his dramatic approach to rock balladry.
BLUE ANGEL (Roy Orbison; Monument; 1960)—Although he was one of those many Southern-born artists signed to Sam Phillips’ legendary Sun Records album at the dawn of the rock and roll era, Texas native Roy Orbison, throughout a long career that was sadly cut short by his untimely death at the age of 52 in December 1988, had an image far removed from contemporaries like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Known for wearing dark glasses, he was known for what would then have been considered an unusually chronic case of shyness and stage fright; and, with his often dramatic singing and penchant for neo-operatic ballads, Orbison became known by many colleagues, then and later, as the Enrico Caruso of Rock. Many of his big hits were written by Orbison and songwriting partner Joe Melson, beginning with “Only The Lonely”, which hit #2 in the summer of 1960, stopped from reaching the top only by Elvis’ own neo-operatic classic “It’s Now Or Never”. The second hit in this particular style was the equally powerful “Blue Angel”, a touching romantic ballad with some elements of late 1950’s doo-wop vocals. Even though it wasn’t quite as big a hit as “Only The Lonely”, “Blue Angel” nevertheless furthered Orbison’s career as a prime rock and roll ballad singer, as the song reached #9 in November 1960; it also climbed to #11 on the other side of the Atlantic in England, where Orbison’s popularity, like that of Elvis, would occasionally exceed that of what he was getting in his own country. Over the next several years, Orbison would have major hits with songs that would not only be big hits for him, but also for others in later years, including “Oh Pretty Woman” (his #1 hit of late 1964 that later got covered by Van Halen); “Crying” (a #2 hit for Orbison in late 1961 that got to #5 in April 1981 in Don McLean’s rendition); and, most prominently, “Blue Bayou” (a #29 hit for him in late 1963, and then a massive #3 pop/#2 C&W hit for Linda Ronstadt at the end of 1977.
BLUE ANGEL (Roy Orbison; Monument; 1960)—Although he was one of those many Southern-born artists signed to Sam Phillips’ legendary Sun Records album at the dawn of the rock and roll era, Texas native Roy Orbison, throughout a long career that was sadly cut short by his untimely death at the age of 52 in December 1988, had an image far removed from contemporaries like Elvis, Johnny Cash, and Jerry Lee Lewis. Known for wearing dark glasses, he was known for what would then have been considered an unusually chronic case of shyness and stage fright; and, with his often dramatic singing and penchant for neo-operatic ballads, Orbison became known by many colleagues, then and later, as the Enrico Caruso of Rock. Many of his big hits were written by Orbison and songwriting partner Joe Melson, beginning with “Only The Lonely”, which hit #2 in the summer of 1960, stopped from reaching the top only by Elvis’ own neo-operatic classic “It’s Now Or Never”. The second hit in this particular style was the equally powerful “Blue Angel”, a touching romantic ballad with some elements of late 1950’s doo-wop vocals. Even though it wasn’t quite as big a hit as “Only The Lonely”, “Blue Angel” nevertheless furthered Orbison’s career as a prime rock and roll ballad singer, as the song reached #9 in November 1960; it also climbed to #11 on the other side of the Atlantic in England, where Orbison’s popularity, like that of Elvis, would occasionally exceed that of what he was getting in his own country. Over the next several years, Orbison would have major hits with songs that would not only be big hits for him, but also for others in later years, including “Oh Pretty Woman” (his #1 hit of late 1964 that later got covered by Van Halen); “Crying” (a #2 hit for Orbison in late 1961 that got to #5 in April 1981 in Don McLean’s rendition); and, most prominently, “Blue Bayou” (a #29 hit for him in late 1963, and then a massive #3 pop/#2 C&W hit for Linda Ronstadt at the end of 1977.