Classic Pop Icons

Today is the 22nd anniversary of Roy Orbison’s death. We mark the occasion with the selection of his breakthrough hit “Only the Lonely” as Song of the Week. “Only the Lonely” was released in May 1960, b/w “Here Comes That Song Again.” It was also the opening track on the 1961 album “Lonely and Blue” and was included on the 1962 album “Roy Orbison’s Greatest Hits.”

Roy Orbison’s career was in poor shape prior to the release of “Only the Lonely.” His move from Sun Records to RCA Victor hadn’t worked out and he was now pinning his hopes on the fledgling label Monument Records, founded by Fred Foster. The first single on Monument, “Paper Boy” b/w “With the Bug”, made no impact on the charts, and the follow-up, “Uptown”, did little better. However, the latter did begin Orbison’s fruitful songwriting partnership with Joe Melson.

At the time he was writing “Only the Lonely”, Roy Orbison was also working on a song called “Come Back to Me, My Love.” It was originally this song that featured the “dum, dum, dum dumby doo wah” backing vocals, which became such an important element of “Only the Lonely.” The inclusion of this in “Only the Lonely” was made at the suggestion of Fred Foster and the newly written song was recorded the next day. “Only the Lonely” went on to become Roy’s first really big hit and provided a template for subsequent recordings. From now on, many of Roy’s songs would be written with the idea of showcasing his powerful, wide ranging voice.

It’s well known that Orbison unsuccessfully submitted “Only the Lonely” to Elvis Presley, but if Foster’s recollection is correct, it’s fair to assume that Elvis didn’t hear the song in its final form.

In 1999, “Only the Lonely” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame”, along with “Oh, Pretty Woman.”

Roy Orbison – “Only the Lonely”

Authorship

“Only the Lonely” was written by Roy Orbison and Joe Melson. This was one of many great songs that the pair wrote together, including “Uptown”, “Running Scared”, “Cyring”, “Blue Bayou” and “The Crowd.”

Recording date/location

“Only the Lonely” was recorded at RCA’s Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee on March 25, 1960.

Musicians

The following musicians appear on “Only the Lonely”:

• Roy Orbison – vocals
• Hank Garland and Harold Bradley – guitars
• Bob Moore – bass
• Floyd Cramer – piano
• Buddy Harman – drums
• Anita Kerr singers and Joe Melson – backing vocals.

The strings were arranged by Anita Kerr.

A week later in the same studio, Garland, Moore, Cramer and Harman would record “It’s Now or Never” and “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” with Elvis Presley. Sound engineer Bill Porter also worked on both the Orbison and Presley sessions.

Chart performance

“Only the Lonely” peaked at number two on Billboard’s Hot 100 in July 1960. Brenda Lee’s “I’m Sorry” was at number one that week.

The song was a worldwide hit, reaching number one in both the UK and Australia.

Covers

Chris Isaak – “Only the Lonely”

Roy Orbison was a big influence on Chris Isaak. The pair met when Chris’ band opened for Roy in 1987 and Chris has spoken warmly about the encounter on many occasions, noting that Roy was “one of the nicest people I ever met.” Isaak recorded a laidback version of “Only the Lonely” for his 1996 album “The Baja Sessions” and its a fine performance. Chris also features the song in his live show.

There will be a new Song of the Week on December 13.

“Only the Lonely” is available on the excellent 4-CD box set “Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll”, which was reissued last month at a reduced price and with some extra tracks.

Title
Roy Orbison: The Soul of Rock and Roll (4 CDs)	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now	Buy Now