Suggestions for someone trying to be a Roy Orbison completist

A few weeks ago, a classic Monument-era Roy Orbison era track popped up randomly on my Ipod.

I immediately said to myself "This stuff is amazing... why don't you have EVERYTHING he ever did ?"

I saw Roy live in 1988 at Disneyland... I felt very lucky that day. I was just there on vacation and the concert was an amazing bonus....

When Roy died about 9 months later, I was very surprised.

I remember my dad owing three albums when I grew up... one of them was Roy Orbison's Greatest Hits on the Monument label. My dad would put that album on and the house would come alive... I was only 5 or 6, but I always sensed that my dad's happiness when the music played.

I really couldn't say that about any other music my dad owned - because he didn't own much else... I remember "In The Mood" by The Glenn Miller Orchestra (from the bio-pic film soundtrack) was his other big "go to" song. But that was it. He also had some sort of "big band" box set, but I don't remember him playing it often.

As fate would have it, I bought a collection of Roy Orbison tracks on the Rhino label on the night before I learned Roy died. I always swore Orbison probably died just as I was listening to an old recording of him singing "It's Over". The coincidence was spooky as could be...

I bought "Black and White Night" when it came out... "Mystery Girl"... and a follow-up to "Mystery Girl" that was a set of out-takes from the 80s...

And I never purchased more - mostly because I figured I had "everything"... if not everything, then at least all of the "big" songs...

But in the last week or so I stumbled across a four CD set on a UK label that specializes in "copyright expiration" product... It claimed to have "three albums" plus non-album singles - plus a set of "guest appearances" where Roy recorded with (or wrote for) another artist.... the quality of that set was most definitely worthwhile - presumably because they just steal the songs from other compact disc releases... this ain't old scratchy needledrop material (even if its SUPPOSED TO BE to quality as a 'copyright extension' product).

The three albums on this set are
Rockhouse (1961 album of Sun era material - released after he had some hits on Monument)
Lonely and Blue (1961 Monument era LP)
Crying (1962 Monument era LP)

The non-album tracks are in stereo (maybe a few exceptions - mostly notably anything from the Sun era) and appear to have been sourced from a variety of sources.... the "guest appearance" stuff is a real gem - something I don't think you'd find easily on a major label release - especially all in one place.

Since that purchase, I've gone on Amazon and purchased the following:

"In Dreams / Orbisongs" (Monument era CD "two-fer")
The Soul of Rock and Roll (career spanning 4 CD box set, a fair amount of it previously unreleased)
5 CDs that are "two-fer" MGM-era albums (the last one being a "three-fer")
The MGM Singles Collection 1965-1973 (has some material not on the MGM albums)
Complete Monument era singles set (all a's and b's in mono, with a bonus video disc of a 1965 show)
Live at the BBC
The Last Concert
1987 "In Dreams - Greatest Hits" (modern studio recordings of old songs)

None of this was what I considered expensive... the MGM-era two-fer albums seemed to be selling pretty cheap, presumably because the MGM box set was released.

Plus I got "The Soul of Rock and Roll" box for $10 (for four discs!)

I know I'm missing

- the 1969 album that was shelved and only recently released... that's probably next on my list
- the "Fastest Guitar Alive" soundtrack (I'll probably get this - but not in a rush)
- some of the albums he did after 1973 (I think he put out an album in 1975 and 1979)
- numerous live albums (not sure if I'll get these - since he had a pretty common set of classics he always did)

But the one disc that I'm wanting the most is that "bonus" b-sides disc thrown into the MGM box-set.

It looks like you can't cherry pick those MGM b-side tracks from Amazon as a digital download. I haven't checked other digital download retailers - but I suspect they are the same way...

I saw that the MGM b-sides disc was apparently sold as vinyl last Christmas... and some references seem to suggest it was also on CD - but I can't find ANYONE selling it (on CD or LP). Was that a "record story day" release????

I'm not terribly curious about his Sun-era material, but I keep thinking there is a more complete, better sounding compilation of that material than what I got on the 'copyright extension' set (which I will give kudos to for including the Norm Petty produced pre-Sun material - and stereo versions of the singles he released between Sun and Monument).

The 7 CD bear family box seems to have things I don't - but it's also very pricey and I won't be buying it soon.

I'm seeing he did a song called "Zig Zag" for the film Zabrieskie Point, but its not on the soundtrack I own for that film.


Anyway... I've probably covered most of the obvious ground - but I keep thinking there might be some less obvious place to buy more Roy and I never fail to be amazed what happens when I toss a challenge like this to people who hang out in this forum.

 

I would consider getting the Traveling Wilburys Volume 1 album. Although Roy only sings lead on one song (Not Alone Any More), he also sings a verse on The End of The Line, the bridge on Last Night and the bridge on Handle With Care. Dirty World has three spoken phrases by Roy near the end of the song and he also has two spoken words in Rattled.

Other than that, Roy also sings backing vocals on every song except Tweeter and The Monkey Man, although his voice is blended in with his bandmate's vocals too.

There was also a remix of Not Alone Any More released on vinyl on the vinyl edition of The Traveling Wilburys Collection. Also there are extended versions of Handle with Care and End Of The Line if you're really looking to having these as having a complete collection goes. There are no vocal differences of Roy from the album versions.

 

I was a big fan of the Wilburys material when it was first released. I remember being shocked to read that Tom Petty said they recorded "Handle Me With Care" on a Saturday in March of 1988 and then drove to Anaheim the next day to see Roy play and ask him to be in a group with them. That could have been the day I saw him at Disneyland. I've been told, however, he did another weekend of gigs around that time - so it's possible Petty was referring to something that was one week away from when I saw him. It was a real low key gig... I walked right up to Roy in the middle of an outdoor ampitheater and took some photos of him. Since I read that blurb by Petty I've always wondered if I might have seen Tom, Bob, Jeff and George if I had turned around and not tried to run away from the stage quickly after snapping my photos.

I'm not sure if I have the extended versions - but I might.

I think I just cherry picked some of the collection as download items when it came out in the last 5 or so years.

I'm trying to remember if "Nobody's Child" (which was on a charity release) had Roy on it. I think it didn't.

 

It didn't. It was released in 1990.

 

I really only got into Roy's music recently.
Put together my own 3CD playlist.

Roy Orbison - Orbisongs Blue & Lonely


Disc 1

Ooby Dooby (2:05)
Go! Go! Go! (2:07)
Rock House (1:58)
Up Town (2:05)
Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel) (2:24)
Blue Angel (2:50)
I'm Hurtin' (2:24)
Running Scared (2:10)
Love Hurts (2:26)
Crying (2:45)
Candy Man (2:43)
Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream) (2:36)
The Crowd (2:20)
Evergreen (2:43)
Working For The Man (2:25)
Leah (2:37)
In Dreams (2:46)
San Fernando (Shahdaroba) (2:27)
Falling (2:22)
Blue Bayou (2:29)
Mean Woman Blues (2:23)

Disc 2

Pretty Paper (2:41)
Borne On The Wind (2:50)
It's Over (2:47)
Oh, Pretty Woman (2:55)
Goodnight (2:23)
(Say) You're My Girl (2:44)
Ride Away (3:26)
Claudette (1:57)
Crawling Back (3:12)
Breaking Up Is Breaking My Heart (2:06)
Twinkle Toes (2:30)
Lana (2:16)
Too Soon To Know (2:45)
There Won't Be Many Coming Home (2:45)
Communication Breakdown (2:57)
So Good (2:30)
Cry Softly Lonely One (2:52)
Walk On (2:55)
Heartache (3:12)

Disc 3

My Friend (2:38)
Penny Arcade (2:59)
That Lovin' Feeling Again (w/ Emmylou Harris) (4:08)
Crying (w/ K. D. Lang) (2:58)
Handle With Care (Traveling Wiburys) (3:20)
You Got It (3:27)
End Of The Line (Traveling Wilburys) (3:30)
California Blue (3:55)
She's A Mystery To Me (4:16)


Darryl

 

My 4 CD box-set for "The Soul of Rock and Roll" box arrived yesterday.

Very very very nice quality for the Monument-era material.

It has a fair amount of previously unreleased material, so it's unavoidable if you're trying to be a completist.
I was somewhat annoyed that "What'd I Say" on the box is a bad sounding live version, but I went and
cherry picked the studio version from Itunes (it's on the never released "Pretty Woman" album that was
assembled recently with an ersatz 1964-ish sleeve - sort of an album that never was).

I was surprised to find out about the 1956 material issued first on the UK rollercoaster label.

That eventually sent me to buy this collection.

https://www.discogs.com/The-Teen-Kings-Are-You-Ready/master/1045552

17 tracks... the last track is a very length interview (approx 30 minutes)

Only two of those tracks show up the "The Soul of Rock and Roll" box. The "rollercoaser 17" have been re-issued several times. Search for "Teen Kings" if you're curious... I found a $6 reissue from 2001... I figure it will probably be an
identical listening experience.

I was also enticed by disc 1 of "The Soul of Rock and Roll" box to pick up "The Complete Sun Sessions" on the Varese Sarbande label. 31 tracks... I'm still not sure it's complete because the Bear Family box set seems to have a few extra alternate versions - but the Varese Sarabande set had a fair amount of things not on disc 1 of "The Soul of Rock and Roll"

I think I'm going to regret purchasing the 1987 studio re-recordings... My big reason is the "Black and White Night" material works the same ground - and it's simply a more fun listen with all of the extra star power on stage with Roy that night.

I think the last disc in the Bear Family box is probably unique to that box... but the price tag on that thing is too hefty to worry about coke commercials and 5 alternate takes for "With The Bug"

It looks like much of the "guest appearance" material I got on the "copyright expiration" set was stolen from the Bear Family box

 

If you don't have it already the Black and White blu-ray video of the concert is another must have. Amazon usually has this on sale for less than $10 a few times during the year.

 

The Orbison Wing of my collection ( + MFSL Mystery Girl CD not pictured ) :

 

Yes, get "One of the Lonely Ones" -it's excellent. The Bear Family box is probably a step too far, but it does collect all the Sun, RCA, Monument and Teen Kings stuff in one place. The book is excellent too.

 

Looks like the Sun material has been rehashed many times - and it's confusing to decide if there truly is a "complete" release.

This site seems to have all of the necessary information to help - but it's not easy to wade thru.

Praguefrank's Country Music Discographies: Roy Orbison »

It looks like the first time the Sun era material was given a deluxe treatment was on a 1984 Charly label release - but that
2 LP vinyl release never seems to have made it (directly) to CD

https://www.discogs.com/Roy-Orbison-The-Sun-Years/master/991334

It looks like the Bear Family box is the only complete set - as stated above - but it feels like I would get an extremely small number of extra songs - at a very high price. The differences seem to boil down to alternate takes.

I'm enjoying the "Monument singles" (2 CD plus 1965 concert DVD) collection. It's nice to hear the mono mixes... still love the stereo,
but getting all the mono in one place is big treat - plus the sound on the concert DVD was much better than expected.

 

What's that one on the bottom row - towards the left - between "In dreams" and "austin city limits" ? What does that offer ?

 

I've never bought a download album before but I got the Bear Family box from Qobuz as it was <£10.
I lie actually, I bought the Jerry Lee Lewis Bear Family Classics set when Amazon were selling it for £7.99, an error I think but what they hey...

 

Two questions...

1.) The Bear Family 7 disc box set lists two versions for "(Say) You're My Girl" (both "fast" and "slow").

https://www.discogs.com/Roy-Orbison-Orbison-1955-1965/release/6462659

I thought I heard two different versions this weekend, but it seemed like the difference was more like
one had a long intro - and the other was missing the intro.

That would imply that one version has a shorter run time than the other - but I wouldn't say that
has anything to do with the tempo or the arrangement of the song. Is there truly a variation
that involves tempo ? Or was that just a word that got lost in translation from german to english ?


2.) I realize the "Pretty Woman" movie with Julia Roberts came out after Roy's death. Anyone
know what version was in the film and/or corresponding soundtrack album ? The old Monument
recording on the mid-80s re-recording ?

 

https://www.discogs.com/Roy-Orbison-Greatest-Hits/release/7835227

 

So I tried to go through that "praguefrank" discography last night and I got stuck at the very beginning...

I couldn't get past "Ooby Dooby" - LOL

It looks like there are 8 (maybe only 7) versions of the song that were recorded within a 12-13 month window that
started in December 1955.

Ooby Dooby - The Wink Westerners version (first found on the Bear Family 7 disc box)
Ooby Dooby - Je-Wel single (produced by Norman Petty)
Ooby Dooby - part of the "rollercoaster 17" Teen Kings album (found on the THE SOUL OF ROCK AND ROLL)
Ooby Dooby - Sun single
Ooby Dooby - on Sun album AT THE ROCK HOUSE (with overdubs? or identical to single??)
Ooby Dooby - alternate #1 (first released by BEAR FAMILY in 1989 on "THE SUN YEARS: 1956-58" - based on copyright date in BF box)
Ooby Dooby - alternate # 2 (first released on "THE SUN YEARS" on Charly in 1984 - based on copyright date listed for BF box)
Ooby Dooby - alternate # 3 (first released with Bear Family 7 disc box - based on 2001 copyright date listed for BF box)

My big confusion is the double LP released by Charly in 1984 has three versions of Ooby Dooby on it, but the "praguefrank" discography
only ties them to two versions... my guess is that since wikipedia says that the 1961 AT THE ROCK HOUSE album has overdubs on all but one track (Devil Doll), that the Charly set from 1984 has

Ooby Dooby - Sun single
Ooby Dooby - AT THE ROCKHOUSE (with overdubs from 1961)
Ooby Dooby - (alt 2)

It seems to me like the overdubbed versions for the ROCKHOUSE album have been deemed "unworthy" and stopped showing up on
collections when the CD era started... For example, it appears the BEAR FAMILY 7 disc box set ignores those overdubbed versions.

I know the overdubs versions exist, because about half of them (the tracks not first issued on singles) showed up on the 4 disc "copyright extension" set I purchased (three classic albums plus)

https://www.amazon.com/Orbison-Roy-...8&qid=1476283036&sr=1-16&keywords=roy+orbison


I think the information I'm trying to get from the "praguefrank" link is contained in the copyright dates listed for each of the songs in the BEAR FAMILY box set....

Basically, I want to put each of the early orbison tracks that I have in my Itunes library in a sequence that follows the date the song was recorded with each track having artwork that corresponds to the product where that specific version was released.

 

It looks like this link has the original ROCKHOUSE album (with the the overdubs) being sold as some sort of mega-deluxe download release (with both overdubbed and undubbed versions)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00A1X1JPG/ref=dm_ws_sp_ps_dp

The audio sample seems to have answered my question about what Ooby Dooby sounded like on the 1961 album.
Sounds like piano was added.

I'm pretty sure its the 1961 album, and not some more modern release, because all 12 of the songs sound
like a horrible needledrop.

 

Please consult my Roy Orbison catalog, you will find the best available source for each recording. Very usefull to know if you need this or that CD! I did it especially for that!

Roy Orbison Songs Catalog »

Here are the multiple Ooby Dooby versions that are available:

- Ooby Dooby [1955/The Wink Westerners/Columbia/unreleased audition session] – Orbison 1955-1965, CD-2/18 Early (2001, Bear Family Box Set)
- Ooby Dooby [1956/The Teen Kings/Clovis] – Orbison 1955-1965, CD-1/1 Early (2001, Bear Family Box Set); Mono & Unprocessed Vol. 1 (2014); Single (1956, Je-wel, 101)
- Ooby Dooby [1956/Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings/Sun/master] – Orbison 1955-1965, CD-1/3 Early (2001, Bear Family Box Set); Mono & Unprocessed Vol. 1 (2014); Single (1956, Sun 242)
- Ooby Dooby [1956/Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings/Sun/alt/unreleased] – Orbison 1955-1965, CD-2/1 Early (2001, Bear Family Box Set)
- Ooby Dooby [1956/Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings/Sun/alt 2/unreleased] – Orbison 1955-1965, CD-2/2 Early (2001, Bear Family Box Set)
- Ooby Dooby [1956/Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings/Sun/alt 3/unreleased] – Orbison 1955-1965, CD-2/3 Early (2001, Bear Family Box Set)
- Ooby Dooby [1956/Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings/TV station] – The Soul of Rock and Roll (2008, Sony BMG); Orbison 1955-1965, CD-3/1 Teen Kings (2001, Bear Family Box Set)
- Ooby Dooby [1956/Roy Orbison and the Teen Kings/Sun/master/dubbed version] – Mono & Unprocessed Vol. 1 (2014); Roy Orbison At the Rock House (1961, Sun, 1260)
- Ooby Dooby [1985] – In Dreams: Greatest Hits (1997, Orbison Records)
- Ooby Dooby [1996/medley of '55 and '87 versions] – The Very Best Of Roy Orbison, Virgin

 

About the ROCKHOUSE album with the overdub versions, the best way to find it these days is on this CD. It's also my favorite source for the SUN material (the released one), as the sound has not been remastered with an "in-your-face" sound like the other CDs!

Mono & Unprocessed Vol. 1 (2014)


Several CD features the Sun recordings, but unfortunately many of them mix released and unreleased material. This essential collection features the original mono releases from Roy Orbison's catalogue from 1956 to 1962. It includes only two of the many unreleased tracks from the period: demos of Cat Called Domino and Claudette - because these really should have been released. It also contains the full original mono content of the Lonely and Blue and Crying albums.

 

Yes two different recordings exists:

- (Say) You're My Girl [1965/slow] – The Monument Singles Collection (2011, Edited version without the intro); In Dreams/Orbisongs (2002, Sony); Orbison 1955-1965, CD-6/22 Monument (2001, Bear Family Box Set); Orbisongs (1965, Monument, SLP 18035); Single (1965, Monument, MO 891)

- (Say) You're My Girl [1965/fast/alt] – Orbison 1955-1965, CD-6/21 Monument (2001, Bear Family Box Set)

 

I went searching for "Mono and Unprocessed" but I couldn't find anyone selling it.

I saw an individual seller on amazon.co.uk selling it, but when I tried to purchase it, the website complained about my US postal address.


I purchased "Rare Orbison" and "Rare Orbison Vol 2" separately but neither has yet to arrive (in my mail box). Both apparently were released shortly after Roy's death.

I also purchased the "Hickory Records Collection" by Joe Melson after listening to some song samples. Melson was a key ingredient in the production sound of Roy's classic songs, and a co-writer on many of his best. Roy is apparently on some of the Hickory singles, but that wasn't a key deciding factor for me...

I was able to use the copyright dates listed on the photos for the discogs.com entry for the Bear Family seven disc box set to figure out where the songs on my Varase Sarabande set (one disc 31 song "The Complete Sun Sessions") first appeared.

If the copyright date is 73 (or 74), I believe the track first appeared here:

I'm not sure why the dates aren't identical.

If the copyright date is 76, I believe the tracks first appeared here:


If the copyright date is 1984, I believe the tracks first appeared here:


If the copyright date is 1988, I believe the tracks first appeared here:


If the copyright date is 1989, I believe the tracks first appeared here:


Overall, when I was done figuring out what was first released where, I decided that my
Varese Sarabande 31 song disc ("The Complete Sun Collection") was a pretty good value. Everything
seemed to sound very good (but I don't have other reference points to compare to) and the tracks
seems to follow a sequence that appears to be chronological (based on the session dates) except
for the last 5 or 6 tracks which are alternates...

The Varese Sarabande doesn't have ALL alternate takes - but it seems to have the undubbed tracks
and it seems to cover a lot of ground for one disc.

 

If this CD is already rare, there is surely other ways to get it.

You're into Rare Orbison vol. 1 & 2... Good.

One thing you will want to do one day or another is to try to reproduce the "Regeneration" 1977 album. Several CD are still needed to do that!

 

I almost just tricked into believing that the "Early Orbison" album when it was released on vinyl in the 60s, had tracks not previously released. No... just a stereo version of "Pretty One"... the rest of the tracks from "Early Orbison" were on other stereo LPs.

Everything keeps pointing me back to purchasing that 7 disc Bear Family box set. Those Joe Melson tracks not found elsewhere have me salivating - LOL

There's some VERY informative information in the Amazon reviews section for the Bear Family box set. Kudos to Mark Barry (the person who posted that info).

 

How many alternate (undubbed) takes are missing from the Varese Sarabande set?
Is the enough undubbed Sun tracks to fill 2 CDs?

Darryl

 

I'm not sure exactly what I'm missing, except the overdubbed versions from the 1961 ROCKHOUSE album.

If I start with the assumption that the 7 disc Bear Family box is 100 percent complete with respect to the SUN material, I count
only six songs missing from my 31 song Varese Sarabande disc

https://www.discogs.com/Roy-Orbison-The-Complete-Sun-Sessions/release/8550784

Those tracks would be

1-10 Love Dumb Baby (fragment)
2-1 Ooby Dooby (alt 1)
2-2 Ooby Dooby (alt 2)
2-3 Ooby Dooby (alt 3)
2-4 Trying To Get To You (alt)
2-9 It's Too Late (alt)

Numbers above are disc and track number for Bear Family box set.

37 tracks clearly needs two CDs but I don't think you can fill two CDs unless you also include the
overdubbed ROCKHOUSE tracks.

There are 11 of those overdubbed tracks (many of which I think sound cheesy), all but Devil Doll.

And then there is the 1964 Orbiting album that apparently has an overdubbed version of Cat Called Domino
(my copyright-expiration collection has backing vocals I believe not found on the undubbed version).

So you could add 12 more tracks to the 37 and come up with 49 tracks...

I'm omitting the Norm Petty produced single and the Wink Westerners material on the 7 disc Bear Family box because
it's not SUN material... but if you were making a CD-R two disc compilation, it would make sense to include those
and the previously unreleased material on disc 1 of THE SOUL OF ROCK AND ROLL box.

Actually, I would omit the overdubbed material from ROCK HOUSE and ORBITING if room is needed for THE SOUL OF ROCK AND ROLL tracks.

I think the Bear Family box set also added 3 tracks to what I'm calling the "rollercoaster 17" (the ARE YOU READY?
collection). The 17th track is a whopping 38 minute interview - that seems to have been recorded after Roy died,
but I'm not sure of the date... the fellas are definitely reminiscing about the 50s - not talking about things shortly
after they happened.

I wish the rollercoaster collection had dates on the material... based on the way they are talking in the interview track - it sounds like most of
it would have been prior to going to Memphis. So it would be pretty easy to put together a pre-SUN collection that belongs in front of
a "Complete" SUN collection.

 

The Bear Family boxset includes detailed information about the recording sessions: the name of studios, the performers, the dates, on which original 45 RPM or LP each song was released.