Who could have "replaced" Roy Orbison in the Traveling Wilburys?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by youraveragevinylcollector, Aug 1, 2020.

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  1. youraveragevinylcollector

    youraveragevinylcollector Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hartwell, GA
    While it is clearly obvious that Roy Orbison couldn't have been replaced in The Traveling Wilburys, who do you think could have filled in for him and given good musical and songwriting input? My personal pick would be either Johnny Cash or Carl Perkins. Johnny Cash had worked with Dylan & Orbison, and was in a career slump, and it would have shot him into absolute god-like legend status before the American Recordings ever came out. Who knows what kind of success Vol. 3 would've done? Or if there were even a Wilburys tour?... Who would be you pick/picks for Orbison's spot?
     
  2. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Elvis P, if.
     
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  3. blair207

    blair207 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Fife, Scotland
    Robert Plant
     
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  4. The Hud

    The Hud Breath of the Kingdom, Tears of the Wild

    Hologram of Roy Orbison.
     
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  5. willy

    willy hooga hagga hooga

    Dave Edmunds.
     
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  6. youraveragevinylcollector

    youraveragevinylcollector Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hartwell, GA
    That would have definitely been a good fit. But with all those demons he was struggling with in his final days, who knows if he'd have even been alive by the 1980s anyway :confused:
     
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  7. ragepil

    ragepil Forum Resident

    Location:
    Barcelona
    Rick Astley
     
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  8. youraveragevinylcollector

    youraveragevinylcollector Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hartwell, GA
    Interesting choice for sure. Wouldn't have expected that as an answer at all, if I'm honest.
     
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  9. HitAndRun

    HitAndRun Forum Resident

    I think it would have helped if someone had the clear high voice of Orbison to add to the mix. Perhaps that's what they were thinking of when they chose Del Shannon to replace Orbison.

    Timothy B Schmit? He certainly has written and recorded songs (albeit more recently) that would fit right in with the Wilburys.

     
  10. I hadn't thought of Plant either but that's a GREAT suggestion!
     
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  11. Etienne Hanratty

    Etienne Hanratty Forum Resident

    Location:
    uk
    I’m sure this has come up before but my vote goes to Gene Clark, if only because it might have given him the impetus to turn his life around and give us a few more years.
     
  12. Hammerhead

    Hammerhead Forum Resident

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    Aberdeen
  13. youraveragevinylcollector

    youraveragevinylcollector Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hartwell, GA
    He definitely makes good music, but it seems like his voice would be too... soft? Orbison's and Shannon's voices were both super strong, even in later years. Schmit seemed like more of a harmonies guy to me, but he could have maybe fit in.
     
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  14. youraveragevinylcollector

    youraveragevinylcollector Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hartwell, GA
    Now THAT I could see.
     
  15. uncarvedbloke

    uncarvedbloke Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK - SOT
    Mark E Smith
     
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  16. bvb1123

    bvb1123 Rock and Roll Martian

    Location:
    Cincinnati Ohio
    He notoriously doesn't play well with others but Neil Young might have been an interesting choice. He was just about to breathe life back into his career and was soon to be adopted as "godfather of grunge" so he had some strong material at the time. Might have made TW Vol 3 a way better album.
     
  17. Michaelpeth

    Michaelpeth Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, UK
    I'm not sure that's correct. I'm sure I've seen an interview with JL where he confirmed that they never considered replacing RO
     
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  18. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Did say “if”.
    Hypothetically that is.

    Saying that he’d still be in Las Vegas no doubt.

    GH met him ., GH said “ I felt a dirty hippie in comparison to Elvis “. :)
     
  19. JoeF.

    JoeF. Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    Glen Campbell or Waylon Jennings.

    Or, from out of left field, Jerry Garcia
    (Trips Wilbury).
     
    Last edited: Aug 1, 2020
  20. HitAndRun

    HitAndRun Forum Resident

    You're right. It seems that I read the 'press speculation' (as described in the TW Wikipedia page) and I thought that was more firm than it was. I haven't got my CD to hand, but I have a Japanese release and I thought that the liner notes for Vol 3. mention Shannon. But, I can't check.
     
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  21. DrZhivago

    DrZhivago Hedonist

    Location:
    Brisbane Australia
  22. Michaelpeth

    Michaelpeth Forum Resident

    Location:
    Durham, UK
    Not a JL interview, but its mentioned here.

    Never a 'Runaway' : Rocker Del Shannon's Still Writing, Recording, Performing Worldwide
     
  23. DrAftershave

    DrAftershave A Wizard, A True Star

    Location:
    Los Angeles, CA
    Roger McGuinn
     
  24. Yannick

    Yannick Forum Resident

    Location:
    Cologne, Germany
    Del Shannon, Dave Edmunds and Dave Stewart were in that "crowd" at the time. As a fan of the group, I was completely fine with Vol. 3 being just the 4 of them after Orbison had died.

    I don't think an album with an added new guy could have been as good as the 2 albums they made. But I would have absolutely adored a 3rd album from the 4 of them.

    When asked, they always excused themselves with Bob's heavy touring schedule but were generally open to the idea. But reading between the lines of what came to light much later, George's lawsuits against Derek O'Brien and Tom's drug problem seem somewhat likely to have been the main contributing factors as to why the 4 Wilburys did not get back together in the late 90s for another album.

    All things considered, I'm really thankful for how much joy they gave us with their 2 albums and the few outtakes from these sessions that came out later.
     
  25. O Don Piano

    O Don Piano Senior Member

    Tony Bennett?

    Seriously, I can’t think of anybody who would been able to replace Roy Orbison.
    It would have to be somebody who had an amazing voice. And from the “old-school”.
     
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