Roy and Barbara Orbison

With his voice, his look and being known as one of the nicest guys in showbiz, many music fans and fellow musicians alike will agree that Roy Orbison was one of a kind. From the beginning of his career in Texas, playing the same venues as Buddy Holly, his time at Sun Records in Memphis alongside Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, causing riots at shows, his lifelong friendship with Johnny Cash, touring with the Beatles - you would think that alone would be enough to seal the legendary status that would follow Roy Orbison's career up until and after his untimely death in 1988 at the age of 52.

The Beatles and Roy Orbison

"Roy Orbison was the only act that The Beatles didn't want to follow." - Ringo Starr

However, unbelievably, there was much more to Roy's life, which included family tragedies, the ups and downs of the music industry and the eventual resurgence of his career in the 1980s. He collaborated with Emmylou Harris as a duet on "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again", with the song going on to win a Grammy Award in 1981, "In Dreams" was featured in the 1986 David Lynch film Blue Velvet - which would in turn inspire Bono from U2 to write the beautiful "She's A Mystery To Me", in 1987 he re-recorded his 1961 hit "Crying" with k.d. lang, which earned him another Grammy and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Roy's marriage to Barbara is another incredible story, alongside his musical career. Barbara, originally from Bielefeld, Germany, had been spending time in England when she met Roy in 1968 while he was on tour in Britain. She was eighteen when they married the next year. They went on to have two boys together, Roy Kelton Jr. and Alexander Orbie Lee as well as Wesley Orbison by Roy's first wife Claudette.

Barbara Orbison

In the '80s she managed Roy's career and was the Executive Producer of his 1987 album, In Dreams: The Greatest Hits. She was responsible for, and helped to produce the very successful 1988 TV music special, Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night, which featured Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Steven Soles with backing vocals by k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt and now there's the release of the 4 CD Box Set, 'The Soul Of Rock And Roll', compiled by Roy Kelton Jr., it includes liner notes, demos, live recordings and 12 previously unreleased cuts spanning his entire career. Today, Barbara continues to watch over Roy Orbison's music and business affairs as well as her own music publishing company, "Still Working Music".

At the beginning of my phone interview with Barbara, I was a little nervous, but eventually things settled and our conversation became relaxed, as though I was talking to an old friend. It's amazing to think that the woman on the other end of the line was the inspiration for one of my favorite Roy Orbison songs, "You Got It".

Jenny May: Did Roy have a lot of input on the backing vocal arrangements of his songs?

Barbara Orbison: He wrote all of those - he was quite an architect.

What was one of your favorite "Roy Orbison" moments - is there a particular live performance that stands out?

I loved him...they were all good moments...I always loved that he would hardly ever give encores, he was very tough to push into an encore, but sometimes the crowd, I mean they would always push him into one, two, but sometimes they would push him into seven encores of "Running Scared" or "Crying". I loved it.

Who stands out as someone that Roy liked singing with the most?

He was a solo singer, but there was The Traveling Wilburys (Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan), or when he did the Black and White Night or the Class of '55 (Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins), so you can really see that he loved being part of a group as well.

Were there many songs that he wrote about you?

Yes there were and there's some on the Box Set, like there's a song called "Precious", "You Got It" was for me, there were many..."California Blue".

What was one of Roy's favorite performances by another artist, of one of his songs?

One of his songs...you know, of course he loved Linda Ronstadt's "Blue Bayou", Van Halen "Pretty Woman", Tom Jones sang "In Dreams"...there were many people that have sung Roy songs...k.d. lang sang "Crying".

The story about Bono and how "She's A Mystery To Me" (watch Bono's video interview) came together seems a very special story...

Yes it was special as we didn't really know Bono, and we went to a concert because of a mutual friend of T-Bone Burnett. I had listened to the band, Bono and the U2 album, and I had seen them in LA, but Roy was on tour and we happened to be in London, and so when we walked backstage, it was like Bono had been waiting for Roy and he said, "Oh my God I can't believe you walked in, I had been listening to 'In Dreams' all night long", and they started writing the song together.

It's beautiful. How did Roy feel about singing that - did he talk a lot about how that came together?

Bono and Roy met and they really became good friends through it and they would meet and talk and structure the song. So Bono came in to LA and produced that song and it was just so amazing.

Did the two of you spend much time in England together?

All the time.

Did you have a favorite place here?

We loved England. London would be our favorite place. Some of the coastal sites were great. It was like a second home. I mean, it still is, I'm calling you from my flat now.

I wasn't sure where you were. Are you in London?

Yes.

Not too far from me. I'm in Oxford.

I love Oxford too.

Yes, me too. With the release of the Soul of Rock And Roll box set, I know that your son had a lot to do with getting the songs together, but was there a special process of selecting the songs?

There was. The process was an incredible, tedious one, because you have to select everything that reflects the artist's work, and the sense of history, and then you have to line them up. You know, with you being a musician you know that one song doesn't flow into the other one easily. You can see that this 4 CD Box Set plays so well because Roy Kelton just lined it up where it would flow, he's a musician, I just know by when he started working on it because I would see all these little pieces of paper that would say one song is 2.8 minutes one is 3.4 one is a ballad one has a guitar part in there that corresponds to the other one...you know, you will so enjoy, Jenny, listening to the CDs.

I'm looking forward to it, and it sounds like he put a lot of time and care in selecting the songs and the order of them.

Yes - and you know I can't wait for you to write your blog, because we write blogs for Roy in America too. My son would love to see it when it comes out...there's always so much of Roy coming out. We're doing a big salute to him with bands and everything.

I can't wait. In the first band that I sang with back when I was seventeen, the band would sometimes go out and do Roy Orbison songs for a night and he would pack the places. I sang back up with this other woman and it was one of the most exciting experiences, singing those parts.

They were quite difficult to sing, I always get that feedback, but do you still have some recordings from those nights?

I'll have to get back in touch with the band to find out - but people absolutely loved going out to those shows.

----------

Barbara wanted me to be sure to mention that there's a BBC documentary in December 2008 and a BBC radio show with lots of good things coming out about Roy. She also has her special pet project: to petition for Roy Orbison to get a stamp in America. She asked that readers go to the website to sign up for the stamp petition. She said, "Bill Clinton, Bono, everybody has signed it, it's totally safe."

Roy Orbison Commemorative Stamp Petition

Roy Orbison - The Soul of Rock 'n' Roll on amazon.co.uk

The Soul of Rock and Roll on amazon.com

Roy Orbison Official Website

By: Jenny May

"To me his voice sounds like the wind forming words and being sent to you from across time. His voice is so alone it defies comparison." - Tom Waits

"Roy's ballads were always best when you were alone in the dark. They were scary. His voice was unearthly." - Bruce Springsteen

On October 13, 2008 (UK), Sony BMG & Orbison Records are proud to release The Soul Of Rock And Roll, the long-awaited definitive 4 CD box set of 107 seminal recordings including demos, live recordings and 12 previously unreleased cuts spanning the entire career of the profoundly influential American singer, songwriter and performer, Roy Orbison.

Roy Orbison - The Soul of Rock 'n' Roll on amazon.co.uk

The Soul of Rock and Roll on amazon.com

The Soul Of Rock And Roll, the centerpiece release of Sony BMG's mammoth Roy Orbison Reissue Project, is the first truly comprehensive Roy Orbison collection, an historic career-spanning compilation of breathtaking scope and variety drawn from all phases of Orbison's musical history.

Exclusive Barbara Orbison interview

Watch video: Bono on Roy Orbison : Mystery Girl footage:

Disc One of the collection opens with a previously unreleased recording of "Ooby Dooby" Roy's early group the Teen Kings followed by "Hey! Miss Fannie," an Ahmet Ertegun composition performed by Roy's first band, The Wink Westerners, in Dallas in 1955.

The first disc of The Soul Of Rock And Roll continues with a series of Orbison's 1950s recordings including Teen Kings sides cut with Norman Petty in 1956 and 1957 at Petty's legendary studio in Clovis, New Mexico as well an unreleased cover of Little Richard's "Tutti Frutti" from 1956.

Also featured on disc one are an ample selection of Orbison's early Sun Records rockabilly recordings, produced by Sam Phillips, including both sides of his first US chart hit, 1956's "Ooby Dooby" and "Go! Go! Go!" and several unreleased demos including "Claudette," "Night Owl" and "Love Struck" from 1958. The first disc's fascinating cross section of Orbison's groundbreaking 1950s roots includes the previously unreleased "Guitar Pull Medley: I Want You, I Need You, I Love You/I Was The One/That's All Right/Mary Lou/You're My Baby" recorded in Galveston, Texas in 1956 featuring Roy Orbison solo on guitar and vocal. The disc closes with Orbison's 1958 RCA Victor single, "Almost Eighteen," produced by Chet Atkins and a pair of his early 50's sides for Monument: "With The Bug" and "Pretty One."

Disc Two of Roy Orbison's The Soul Of Rock And Roll focuses on the artist's watershed recordings for Monument in the early 1960s, bringing together emotionally wrenching hits like "Love Hurts," "Blue Bayou" and "Only The Lonely" with career-defining masterpieces like "Oh, Pretty Woman", and "Crying" and "In Dreams" alongside a selection of rare b-sides from the period.

Disc Three continues with the Monument years with live recordings from the era and some of his strongest studio work including the signature classic, "Oh Pretty Woman," Roy's biggest hit and one of the most immediately recognized and popular rock songs of all time. The third disc of The Soul Of Rock And Roll includes many of the singles Roy recorded for MGM as well as the Orbison songs from the films "Zabriskie Point" and "The Fastest Guitar Alive," the MGM western-musical which marked Orbison's only starring role in a movie. Disc three premieres a demo recording from the late 1960s of an Orbison composition, "Precious," and a previously unreleased live recording of Chris Kenner's "Land of 1000 Dances" from 1972. Disc Three also includes Roy's duet with Emmylou Harris, "That Lovin' You Feelin' Again," (from the motion picture "Roadie") which won a Grammy in 1981 for Best Country Performance by a Group or Duo.

Disc Four of The Soul Of Rock And Roll collects a fantastic range of recordings from Orbison's creative renaissance of the 1980s including tracks from the Grammy-winning 'Class of '55' album with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins; the 1987 recording of "In Dreams" from "Blue Velvet" produced by T Bone Burnett, Roy Orbison and David Lynch; "Not Alone Any More," one of Orbison's tracks with the Traveling Wilburys; Orbison's Virgin Records singles: "You Got It" and "California Blue" produced by Jeff Lynne, "She's A Mystery To Me" produced by Bono, and "Crying," his duet with k.d. lang produced by Don Was; songs from Roy's final studio album, 'Mystery Girl,' and tracks from the acclaimed television special, "A Black And White Night Live" including Roy's Grammy-winning performance of "Oh Pretty Woman" with Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello on backing vocals. The fourth disc of The Soul Of Rock And Roll also includes a selection of tracks from Roy's posthumous release, "The King of Hearts" and well as Orbison's tracks for the films "Insignificance" ("Wild Hearts Run Out Of Time"), "The End of Violence" ("You May Feel Me Crying" produced by Brian Eno), and "Less Than Zero" ("Life Fades Away" produced by Rick Rubin).

Executive produced by Barbara Orbison, Roy's widow, and compiled by Roy Kelton Orbison Jr, Roy's son, The Soul Of Rock And Roll comes in a limited edition deluxe box set covered in white linen with an 80 page book featuring new liner notes from Barbara Orbison, Fred Foster, Joe Melson, Roy Orbison Jr and a host of testimonials from friends and fans including Tom Waits, Bruce Springsteen, John Mellencamp, Dolly Parton, Glenn Danzig, Bonnie Raitt, Kris Kristofferson, Lemmy Kilmister, Chris Isaak, Clint Black, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, K.D. Lang, Elvis Costello, and Neil Diamond.

Tracklisting:

(Information subject to change.)

Disc One

1. Ooby Dooby (The Teen Kings) (previously unreleased)
2. Hey! Miss Fannie (The Wink Westerners)
3. A True Love Goodbye (The Teen Kings)
4. An Empty Cup And A Broken Date (The Teen Kings)
5. Tryin' To Get To You (The Teen Kings)
6. Tutti Frutti
7. Advertisement: Overton Park Shell Concert (June 1, 1956; Memphis)
8. Ooby Dooby
9. Cat Called Domino
10. Go! Go! Go!
11. Rockhouse
12. Guitar Pull Medley: I Want You, I Need You, I Love You/I Was The One/That's All Right/Mary Lou/You're My Baby (previously unreleased)
13. You're My Baby
14. Mean Little Mama
15. Problem Child
16. One More Time (demo)
17. You're Gonna Cry
18. It's Too Late
19. Sweet And Easy To Love
20. This Kind Of Love
21. Claudette (demo)
22. You Tell Me (previously unreleased demo)
23. Night Owl (previously unreleased demo)
24. Bad Cat (previously unreleased demo)
25. I Give Up (previously unreleased demo)
26. Love Struck (previously unreleased demo)
27. Baby Don't Stop (previously unreleased demo)
28. Defeated (previously unreleased demo)
29. Love Storm (previously unreleased demo)
30. Almost Eighteen
31. With The Bug
32. Pretty One

Disc Two

1. Uptown
2. Only The Lonely
3. Blue Angel
4. In Dreams
5. Running Scared
6. I'm Hurtin'
7. (I'd Be) A Legend In My Time
8. Love Hurts
9. Lana
10. Crying
11. Candy Man
12. Night Life
13. (They Call You) Gigolette
14. Let The Good Times Roll
15. Blue Bayou
16. Wedding Day
17. Dream Baby
18. Evergreen
19. Working For The Man
20. The Crowd
21. Leah
22. The Actress
23. Borne On The Wind
24. Falling
25. Indian Wedding
26. Shahdaroba
27. All I Have To Do Is Dream
28. Mama
29. Pretty Paper

Disc Three

1. Mean Woman Blues
2. What'd I Say (live in Holland - Combo Concert)
3. It's Over
4. Oh, Pretty Woman
5. Yo Te Amo Maria
6. Goodnight
7. (Say) You're My Girl
8. Ride Away
9. Crawling Back
10. Breakin' Up Is Breakin' My Heart
11. Too Soon To Know
12. Communication Breakdown
13. Walk On
14. So Young (from the motion picture Zabriskie Point)
15. Blue Rain (Coming Down)
16. Big As I Can Dream
17. Pistolero (from the motion picture The Fastest Guitar Alive)
18. The Fastest Guitar Alive (from the motion picture The Fastest Guitar Alive)
19. Precious (previously unreleased demo)
20. Unchained Melody
21. Land Of 1000 Dances (live in Australia)
22. Blues In My Mind
23. Born To Love Me
24. That Lovin' You Feelin' Again (duet with Emmylou Harris)
25. Hound Dog Man

Disc Four

1. Coming Home
2. Waymore's Blues (with Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins)
3. Oh, Pretty Woman (re-record)
4. In Dreams (from the motion picture Blue Velvet)
5. Not Alone Any More (Traveling Wilburys)
6. You Got It
7. She's A Mystery To Me
8. California Blue
9. A Love So Beautiful
10. (All I Can Do Is) Dream You (live – Black And White Night)
11. Oh, Pretty Woman (live – Black And White Night)
12. Heartbreak Radio
13. You're The One
14. Crying (duet with k.d. lang)
15. After The Love Has Gone
16. I Drove All Night
17. Wild Hearts Run Out Of Time (from the motion picture Insignificance)
18. You May Feel Me Crying (from the motion picture The End Of Violence)
19. Life Fades Away (from the motion picture Less Than Zero)
20. It's Over (live – from Roy's final concert) (previously unreleased)
21. We'll Take The Night

Roy Orbison - The Soul of Rock 'n' Roll on amazon.co.uk

The Soul of Rock and Roll on amazon.com - US release September 30, 2008

Roy Orbison Official Website