Orbisongs

Orbisongs
Compilation album by Roy Orbison
Released	November 1965
Recorded	1960 – 1965
Genre	Rockabilly
Length	30:34
Label	Monument
Producer	Fred Foster
Roy Orbison chronology
There Is Only One Roy Orbison (1965) Orbisongs (1965) The Orbison Way (1966)
Singles from Orbisongs
"Oh, Pretty Woman" Released: August 29, 1964 [1] "Goodnight" Released: January 25, 1965 [1] "(Say) You're My Girl" Released: June 1965 [1] "Let the Good Times Roll" Released: November 1965 [1]

Orbisongs is a compilation LP released by Monument Records in 1965 after Roy Orbison had left the label and joined MGM. It features tracks such as the stereo version of "Oh, Pretty Woman", a different version of "Dance", and the unreleased "I Get So Sentimental." ^[2]

Cash Box described the single "(Say) You're My Girl" as an "easy-going, pledge of romantic devotion with an infectious repeating rhythmic riff." ^[3]

The album debuted on the Billboard Top LPs chart in the issue dated November 6, 1965, and remained on the chart for 11 weeks, peaking at number 136. ^[4] It entered the UK album chart two years later on July 22, 1967, and spent its only week on the album chart there at number 40." ^[5] It reached No. 74 on the Cashbox albums chart where it spent for 6 weeks. ^[6]

The album was released on compact disc by Monument Records in 1993 as tracks 13 through 24 on a pairing of two albums on one CD with tracks 1 through 12 consisting of Orbison third studio album from June 1963, In Dreams. ^[7] Bear Family included also the album in the 2001 Orbison 1955-1965 box set. ^[8]

Singles

"Oh, Pretty Woman" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on August 29, 1964, eventually spending three weeks at number one during its 15-week stay, ^[9] number one on the Cash Box singles chart, ^[10] and number 1 in the UK Singles. ^[11] "Goodnight" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on February 13, 1965, eventually spending one week at number 21 during its seven-week stay, ^[9] number 20 on the Cash Box singles chart, ^[10] and number 14 in the UK Singles. ^[11] "(Say) You're My Girl" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on July 10, 1965, eventually spending one week at number 39 during its seven-week stay, ^[9] number 49 on the Cash Box singles chart, ^[10] and number 23 in the UK Singles. ^[11] "Let the Good Times Roll" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on November 23, 1965, eventually spending one week at number 81 during its three-week stay, ^[9] and number 96 on the Cash Box singles chart. ^[10]

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[12]
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[13]
New Record Mirror	[14]

Billboard gave the album a positive review, saying "his rendition of 'Let the Good Times Roll' is exceptional" ^[15]

Cashbox praised Orbison for "Bridging the gap from the big rock sound to the ballad" ^[16]

New Record Mirror said the album features "a somewhat motley selection". ^[14]

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Oh, Pretty Woman"	Roy Orbison, Bill Dees	2:55
2.	"Dance"	Orbison, Joe Melson	2:25
3.	"(Say) You're My Girl"	Orbison, Dees	2:44
4.	"Goodnight"	Orbison, Dees	2:27
5.	"Nitelife"	Orbison, Melson	2:10
6.	"Let the Good Times Roll"	Leonard Lee	2:30

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"(I Get So) Sentimental"	Orbison, Melson	2:40
2.	"Yo Te Amo Maria"	Orbison, Dees	3:15
3.	"Wedding Day"	Orbison, Melson	2:06
4.	"Sleepy Hollow"	Dees	3:04
5.	"22 Days"	Gene Pitney	3:04
6.	"(I'd Be) A Legend in My Time"	Don Gibson	3:03

Charts

Album

Chart (1965)	Peak position
US Top LPs (Billboard) [4]	136
US Cashbox [6]	74
UK Albums Chart [5]	40

Singles

Year	Title	U.S. Hot 100 [9]	U.S. Cashbox [10]	CAN [17]	UK singles chart [5]
1964	"Oh, Pretty Woman"	1	1	1	1
1965	"Goodnight"	21	20	5	14
	"(Say) You're My Girl"	39	49	17	23
	"Let the Good Times Roll"	81	96	—	—

References

1. Amburn, Ellis (1990). Dark star: The Roy Orbison Story. New York, NY: Carol Pub. Group. pp. 127–128. ISBN   9-780818-405181.
2. Orbison, Roy Jr. (2017). The Authorized Roy Orbison. Orbison, Wesley; Orbison, Alex; Slate, Jeff (2nd ed.). New York: Center Street. ISBN   9781478976547. OCLC   1017566749.
3. "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. July 3, 1965. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
4. Whitburn, Joel (1996). Joel Whitburn's top pop albums : 1955-1996 : compiled from Billboard magazine's pop album charts, 1955-1996. Menomonee Falls, Wis.: Record Research. p. 580. ISBN   0898201179.
5. "Roy Orbison". Official Charts. Retrieved 20 May 2024.
6. Hoffmann, Frank W (1988). The Cash box album charts, 1955-1974. Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press. p. 278. ISBN   0-8108-2005-6.
7. "In Dreams/Orbisongs". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
8. "Orbison 1955-1965". AllMusic. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
9. Whitburn, Joel (2002). Joel Whitburn's top pop singles 1955-2002. Menomonee Falls, Wisc.: Record Research. p. 524. ISBN   0898201551.
10. Downey, Pat (1994). Cash box pop singles charts, 1950-1993. Englewood, Colo.: Libraries Unlimited. p. 254. ISBN   1-56308-316-7.
11. "UK Singles". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 2016-06-13.
12. "Roy Orbison - Orbisongs: Ratings & Review". AllMusic . Retrieved 2024-09-23.
13. Larkin, Colin (2007). The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Omnibus Press. p. 1062. ISBN   9781846098567 . Retrieved 29 August 2024.
14. Jones, Peter; Jopling, Norman (May 6, 1967). "new albums reviewed by Norman Joplin and Peter Jones new albums reviewed by Norman Joplin, Some sophisticated new Motown albums" (PDF). New Record Mirror . No. 321. p. 8. Retrieved 29 September 2024.
15. "Pop Spotlight: Orbisongs". Billboard . Vol. 77, no. 43. October 23, 1965. p. 60.
16. "Cashbox Pop Picks Album Reviews: Orbisongs". Cash Box . Vol. 27, no. 14. November 6, 1965. p. 30.
17. "Canadian Singles". RPM magazine. 17 July 2013. Retrieved 2016-06-13.