Lead singer Virgil Johnson later became a school principal before his death in 2013 at the age of 77.
The peppy "That Lucky Old Sun" was the group's first single and should have been their first chart hit.
Showing posts with label Roy Orbison. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roy Orbison. Show all posts
Thursday, October 15, 2020
"That Lucky Old Sun" by The Velvets
The Velvets were a talented doo-wop group from Texas that sounded so good to Roy Orbison that he helped get them signed to a record deal in 1960. Although doo-wop was beginning to fade from popularity by then, The Velvets scored with a minor hit called "Tonight (Could Be The Night)." The song reached #26 in 1961 before they quickly fell off the map.
Lead singer Virgil Johnson later became a school principal before his death in 2013 at the age of 77.
The peppy "That Lucky Old Sun" was the group's first single and should have been their first chart hit.
Lead singer Virgil Johnson later became a school principal before his death in 2013 at the age of 77.
The peppy "That Lucky Old Sun" was the group's first single and should have been their first chart hit.
Monday, August 3, 2020
"She's My Baby" by The Traveling Wilburys
You would think that combining the talents of Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison, Jeff Lynne (ELO), and George Harrison (The Beatles) would produce a supergroup that crushed the charts. But this collection of musical superstars, who called themselves The Traveling Wilburys, never even cracked the Top 40.
The Traveling Wilburys managed to score two chart appearances in 1988-89, when "Handle With Care" and "End of The Line" reached #45 and #63, respectively. They came from their debut album, "Vol. 1." Despite a lackluster performance on the chart, the record was critically acclaimed and won a Grammy.
Shortly after the record's release, the band endured the sad and untimely passing of Orbison, who died of a heart attack at 52. The Wilburys decided to soldier on as a foursome. In keeping with their quirky nature, their sophomore effort was entitled, "Vol. 3," but it failed to yield any charting singles. That was the end of the line for the band.
"She's My Baby" was from "Vol. 3" and should have given The Wilburys a much-needed boost.
The Traveling Wilburys managed to score two chart appearances in 1988-89, when "Handle With Care" and "End of The Line" reached #45 and #63, respectively. They came from their debut album, "Vol. 1." Despite a lackluster performance on the chart, the record was critically acclaimed and won a Grammy.
Shortly after the record's release, the band endured the sad and untimely passing of Orbison, who died of a heart attack at 52. The Wilburys decided to soldier on as a foursome. In keeping with their quirky nature, their sophomore effort was entitled, "Vol. 3," but it failed to yield any charting singles. That was the end of the line for the band.
"She's My Baby" was from "Vol. 3" and should have given The Wilburys a much-needed boost.
Wednesday, March 27, 2019
"Life Fades Away" by Roy Orbison
Texas born singer and songwriter Roy Orbison had a one of a kind voice that allowed him to dominate the charts in the 60s with classics such as "Only The Lonely (Know The Way I Feel)" (#2), "Running Scared" (#1), "Crying" (#2), "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" (#4), and "Oh, Pretty Woman" (#1). Some of these tunes are in the Grammy and/or R&R Hall of Fame, and his accomplishments made Orbison the 14th most successful chart artist of the 60s and 94th all-time.
Orbison was then plagued with a number of tragedies. His wife was killed in an accident in 1966 and he lost his two sons to a fire in 1968. These personal tragedies also took their toll on his musical career as Orbison didn't land a single chart appearance throughout the 70s.
In the 80s, Orbison and his mighty voice experienced a strong resurgence. He performed a duet with Emmylou Harris in 1980 called "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," which was used in the Meat Loaf movie Roadie, that went to #55 and earned a Grammy for Country Vocal Duo. "Oh, Pretty Woman" was back on the charts in 1982 thanks to a popular cover by Van Halen. Orbison made a guest appearance to sing the tune on The Dukes Of Hazzard, next to Catherine Bach no less. In 1987, he performed a stunning duet of his classic hit, "Crying" with k.d. lang that won another Grammy. He was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1987 by Bruce Springsteen. As he teamed up to record his comeback album with Jeff Lynne of ELO (which would become "Mystery Girl"), happy accidents led to the formation of supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, which featured Orbison as "Lefty Wilbury."
But tragedy once again caught up with Orbison. In the midst of his comeback, he died of a heart attack late in 1988 at age 52. He did not live to see that he would crack the top 10 one final time as a solo artist in 1989, the first time since 1964, when "You Got It," co-written with his Wilbury Mates Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, hit #8.
"Life Fades Away" never charted, but helped initiate Orbison's late 80s comeback. The song, co-written with metal star Danzig, was on the soundtrack to the 1987 film Less Than Zero. As usual, Orbison ends the haunting song with a jaw-dropping vocal climax.
Orbison was then plagued with a number of tragedies. His wife was killed in an accident in 1966 and he lost his two sons to a fire in 1968. These personal tragedies also took their toll on his musical career as Orbison didn't land a single chart appearance throughout the 70s.
In the 80s, Orbison and his mighty voice experienced a strong resurgence. He performed a duet with Emmylou Harris in 1980 called "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," which was used in the Meat Loaf movie Roadie, that went to #55 and earned a Grammy for Country Vocal Duo. "Oh, Pretty Woman" was back on the charts in 1982 thanks to a popular cover by Van Halen. Orbison made a guest appearance to sing the tune on The Dukes Of Hazzard, next to Catherine Bach no less. In 1987, he performed a stunning duet of his classic hit, "Crying" with k.d. lang that won another Grammy. He was inducted into the R&R Hall of Fame in 1987 by Bruce Springsteen. As he teamed up to record his comeback album with Jeff Lynne of ELO (which would become "Mystery Girl"), happy accidents led to the formation of supergroup The Traveling Wilburys, which featured Orbison as "Lefty Wilbury."
But tragedy once again caught up with Orbison. In the midst of his comeback, he died of a heart attack late in 1988 at age 52. He did not live to see that he would crack the top 10 one final time as a solo artist in 1989, the first time since 1964, when "You Got It," co-written with his Wilbury Mates Jeff Lynne and Tom Petty, hit #8.
"Life Fades Away" never charted, but helped initiate Orbison's late 80s comeback. The song, co-written with metal star Danzig, was on the soundtrack to the 1987 film Less Than Zero. As usual, Orbison ends the haunting song with a jaw-dropping vocal climax.
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
"I Won't Grow Up" by The Fools
Boston band The Fools brought a punk attitude to their rock formula and made a small dent on the charts in the early 80s with "It's A Night For Beautiful Girls" (#67, 1980) and their cover of Roy Orbison's "Running Scared" (#50, 1981).
The Fools raised their profile in 1979 after releasing a parody recording of "Psycho Killer" by The Talking Heads called "Psycho Chicken."
The band's rebellious party boy style is best captured on the punk anthem "I Won't Grow Up." The track comes from their debut album, "Sold Out," which was supported by a tour with The Knack.
The Fools raised their profile in 1979 after releasing a parody recording of "Psycho Killer" by The Talking Heads called "Psycho Chicken."
The band's rebellious party boy style is best captured on the punk anthem "I Won't Grow Up." The track comes from their debut album, "Sold Out," which was supported by a tour with The Knack.
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