ROY ORBISON – “Only The Lonely”
A to-and-fro between the depthlessly woeful Orbison and his soothing backing singers, “Only The Lonely” is almost scotched by the fashionable pizzicatos of the string arrangement, which taunt Roy while everything else in the song hugs him. Thankfully they don’t get too much eartime, and Orbison’s progress towards a kind of salvation (“Maybe another romance? It’s the chance you have to take… if you’re lonely.”) continues. Just as well since by that time you’re rooting for the big softy.
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Light Entertainment Watch: The good news is that more UK TV footage of the big O survives than you might think, even if it is from after his heyday;
BE MY GUEST: with The Drifters, Paul Daniels, The Grumbleweeds, Roy Orbison, Peters and Lee (1977)
THE LONDON PALLADIUM SHOW: with Jimmy Tarbuck (Compere), Roy Orbison, The Seekers (1966)
THE ROLF HARRIS SHOW: with Ken Dodd, Roy Orbison, Chelsea Brown (1972)
ROY SINGS ORBISON (1975)
SATURDAY NIGHT AT THE MILL: with Roy Orbison, Marti Caine, James Burke (1977)
SEZ LES: with Roy Orbison (1972)
SING COUNTRY: with Roy Orbison, Terry McMillan, Kelly Foxton, Ronnie Prophet, Jimmy C. Newman, Lloyd Green, Cynthia Clawson, Billy Swan, Kris Kristofferson (1982)
WOGAN: with Rory Bremner, Antonia Fraser, June Havoc, Burt Kwouk, Roy Orbison, Sushi Tasting (1985)
The bad news is that these performances are lost to posterity;
THE GOLDEN SHOT: with Bob Monkhouse, Roy Orbison, Anne Aston (Golden Girl), Hughie Green (1970)
THE GOLDEN SHOT: with Bob Monkhouse, Roy Orbison, Pete Murray (Guest Host), Ray Alan and Lord Charles, Lesley Goldie, Anne Aston (Golden Girl) (1971)
MIKE AND BERNIE’S SCENE: with Roy Orbison, Clodagh Rodgers, The Art Movement (1970)
READY STEADY GO!: with Roy Orbison, Kathy Kirby, Keith Fordyce, The Fourmost, Cathy McGowan, Michael Aldred, Dave Berry, The Escorts, Van Dyke and the Bambies, The Gamblers (1964)
READY STEADY GO!: with Roy Orbison, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, The Searchers (1965)
SEZ LES: with Roy Orbison (1969)
STARS ON SUNDAY: with Vince Hill, Gerald Harper, Gillian Humphreys, Roy Orbison, Gracie Fields (1971)
THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Lonnie Donegan, Petula Clark, Roy Orbison, The Eric Delaney Band, Eden Kane, The Fourmost, Jeannie and the Big Guys, Janice Nicholls, Al Bennett (1963)
THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, The Shadows, Roy Orbison, Ronnie Carroll, Eden Kane, Me and Them (1964)
THANK YOUR LUCKY STARS: with Brian Matthew, Roy Orbison, Dusty Springfield, The Zombies, Tom Jones, The Searchers (1965)
DESERT ISLAND DISCS WATCH:
Billy Connolly, comedian (2001)
Liz Smith, actress (2008).
Love the drama of the There goes my baby (dramatic pause)….da da da da….etc. I don’t think I realised before I started going through Popular how much I enjoy pizzicato strings in my pop songs!